Check, Check ... 1,2,3 ...

About 90 percent of the time, I’m more focused on school, summer, homework, friends, getting my driver’s license or even food than I am on God.

It’s pretty pathetic really: I’m showing myself more respect than I’m showing Him. I think we can all relate to that on some level. So serving on the worship team at Grace Church gives me an outlet, a couple of hours where I can forget everything else that’s going on in my life and embrace the Holy Spirit as I worship. I get so wrapped up in the songs that nine times out of ten I can almost see Him, feel Him standing next to me singing along like He always does. I lose myself and reconnect where God asks me to be, in the moment.

Worship team is not about advertising how talented you are, or flaunting those colorful lights on stage for

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It really doesn’t matter the place, the time or the mood. If we’re singing our hearts out to the great I Am, it’s all good.

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effect to make it look like we’re not sweating under their blistering heat. I’m honored to have been a team member for almost a year, and I have to say, what an incredible journey it’s turned out to be.

If I’ve learned anything from all those early morning rehearsals, prayer times and bonding over old jokes and band debates, it’s that we’re a team. No one more talented or important than the other; all working together for a common goal: to lead our community of friends and family in worship together. (I’ve also learned that tweaking monitors is no laughing matter, because the people standing next to them can have their ear blown off with a high-pitch screech from technical difficulties. But that's another story ...) It really doesn’t matter the place, the time or the mood. If we’re singing our hearts out to the great I Am, it’s all good.

Often enough, I’ll be having terrible, awful, no good, very bad days (even some where I want to move to Australia, as Alexander brilliantly described) and I’ll want to throw a shoe at my alarm clock when it rings on Sunday mornings at 7:30, bright and early! I’ll half-heartedly put on my makeup and mumble to myself angrily while I try to find something decent to wear. Then when I walk through the doors at 2828, I put on a smile and try to hold my back straight. And even on those terrible, awful days, once I get on stage and once the lights dim, I slap myself silly and ask, “What the heck are you doing?” Because I’ll realize how much of a grouch I’ve been. I’ll realize that I’m focusing on first-world problems of middle-class suburbia when I should be realizing that this is God’s time. Time for me to remember just how amazing He really is, and also how little time I actually spend thinking about Him. Just walking into church, singing praises to Him and letting myself go makes a world of difference, and makes me realize what’s really important.

Losing myself in every song, every doubt I ever have just melts away when I lead my community into worship. All my worries are gone, and all my negative energy and emotions are placed in God’s hands as He guides me. It’s quite an amazing feeling, if you ask me. And I’m sure if you ask anyone on the team, they’d say the same thing. God gave me the gift of a pretty good voice, and the will and want to inspire and spread joy. Now He’s given me the opportunity to join some very talented people He’s brought together to lead worship, which in my opinion is the highest honor of all.

Throughout this year, I’ve come to know all my fellow team members in their own special ways, with all their own special gifts and personalities. Every one of them has given me guidance and been a true source of joy, for which I can never thank them enough. Grace Church is a safe haven for many, a true home. Together with my family, I am proud to call it my home. So, what does worship team mean to me? Hm, I guess you could say it’s been a journey I never want to end — but even saying that isn't enough to describe to you just how much of a blessing it has become.

Josie Lawson loves music, movies and a really great beanie. At any given moment, she's probably thinking about french fries.