Worship as Offering

I'm working my way through the training modules for certified lay ministry.  I'm almost finished with the Worship module.

So far, what has struck me the most is the discussion about worship style.  We tend to design worship with an eye to a particular worship style, such as traditional or contemporary.

Consider worship that is built in the opposite direction -- a ground up kind of worship.  Worship should arise from the gifts of the worshipers, whatever those may be.

So, instead of asking, "What kind of music do I prefer to listen to?" we should ask, "What gift can I bring to worship?" 

That kind of worship is an authentic response to God, an offering of the gifts he has given to us.