I love the student involvement in the worship services at PUC. It’s one of the ways that makes us spiritually authentic. I found a way to get involved with praise music since I play bass guitar (otherwise known as the stringed instrument you can’t use to get banquet dates in high school). I had been at PUC for a grand total of two months before someone found out I played, and asked me to help out one weekend at church.

I was surprised, since I figured you had to prove your worth or fill out a mountain of paperwork before you were asked to play up front. I was also surprised because I played with all the grace of a panicked rhinoceros, and they still wanted me to help. I wasn’t expecting it to be so accessible, but it was. And for  the next four years, I had many more opportunities to express my spirituality through music.

You don’t have to be Chris Martin to play in the praise band here. If you have a gift, PUC allows you to put it to use. I’ve seen groups with violins, harps, bongos, or harmonicas. I’ve seen people who’ve played their instrument for nine years playing next to people who’ve played theirs for nine months.

That’s me on the right playing like a panicked rhinoceros.

It’s awesome to see different groups up front every time. Between vespers, church services, the Week of Prayer events, and the many other spiritual get-togethers, we’re always looking for people willing to use their talents. That means you don’t have the same group recycling the same songs every time you go to worship.

If it seems like I’m gushing, it’s because music put me in touch with God in a profound way during my time at PUC. Whether I was playing or being led by someone else, the music always had a unique way of bringing my world back into perspective.

If you’re a musician, and you’re interested in being a part of a spiritually authentic campus, you can talk to the Student Association Religious Vice President Josue Hernandez about getting involved. Stop by his office in the Campus Center. Or you might just introduce yourself to the groups you see playing each week. It never hurts to make new friends. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to take a little ownership of your worship experience. So bring your guitar, your drums, or your didgeridoo, and put your gifts to good use when you get here in September!