As a young girl I think I got the wrong idea about worship.

To a little tomboy in the 90s, worship looked like putting on a dress and tights. Putting on my best clothes and sitting quietly in church was my idea of worship.

When I got a little older and realized people liked to listen to me sing, I figured singing was a good way to worship. Then I learned to play the flute and began playing hymns in church for worship.

There were times I worshipped around a campfire at Pathfinder outings or summer camp, but for me, it was mostly a church building.

It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized where I worship doesn’t matter as much as how I worship.

Over the next several weeks I’m going to unpack all the baggage I’ve collected over the years about worship.

I think it’s vital that we examine our own baggage about our traditions and beliefs and figure out which work for us and which don’t. Additionally, what am I carrying around that doesn’t serve God?

For years too many of us have worshipped the way others have told us to. We’ve fit our own hearts in a mold that ends up hurting us.

For years I believed I had to worship in a church with a certain kind of name on only a certain day of the week, and only wearing my best clothes. Some churches I went to began to convince me I could only really be worshipping if the music didn’t have drums.

Now I know that worship can look like singing and dancing, spending time in nature, serving others, studying and meditating on scripture, fellowshipping with others, and storytelling.

That last one was hard for me, but it turns out storytelling is my favorite way to worship.

How do you prefer to worship God. What do you find yourself going back to over and over again to meet with your King?

When I was a teen I spent hours on a riding lawn mower every day throughout the summer. I spent that time singing, making up stories, and creating sermons. On that lawn mower, under the summer sun, hour after hour, I worshipped.

When I walk in my neighborhood with an audio Bible playing in my earbuds, it’s worshipping.

What do you do on your own every day that could add some worship to your life? If you think about it you may discover you’re already worshipping throughout your day.

Praise God!