More than music.

These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Exodus 38:21

Current evangelical culture tends to see Sunday morning church service worship more like a Las Vegas show than anything else. Some churches have a band of professional musicians, an orchestra, professional vocalists, lighting, fog machines, perfectly quaffed pastoral staff in the latest styles, and full-blown video graphics that rival a television network production studio. Some churches even have dancers. Really. All that for an hour a week. When I ask most people what constitutes worship, they say something along the lines of “music”. Big battles get waged over musical style, preference and volume. It never ends.

But taking a look at the construction of the tabernacle shows a different story. It shows common people who worshiped God by giving what they had to contribute. And they were so willing to give that they eventually had to be told to stop because more than enough material was given. That’s worship. And a group of skilled craftsmen (see the complete list in Exodus 38:22-23) gave their skills to the construction of the tabernacle to the exact specifications God gave to Moses. That’s worship. Funds were collected from the nation as well (see Exodus 38:24-29) in the form of gold, silver, and bronze. That’s worship. A team of administrators faithfully recorded the gifts and the materials and the construction of the tabernacle. That’s worship. And not one single service has yet to be performed in the tabernacle. The picture of true worship emerges from this text. It is about everyday action, not special convocation.

I worship God when I honor Him and submit to Him at my computer keyboard. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him behind the wheel of my car. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him in my conversations throughout the day. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him by serving the people God has put in my life on the job, in ministry, in my day-to-day business, or in my family. Worship is really what happens outside of a sanctuary on Sunday. That is where real worship begins.

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