Some people just don't want to sing. Some people don't want to hear other people sing. But worship isn't just about singing. Here are some ideas on how to bring worship into your small group:
. Find a beautiful spot in nature and meet there. Go to Heisler Park, Emerald Vista Point, Julian, Idylwild, Torrey Pines, Angeles Crest Highway, or just go to your favorite, quiet beach. Then gather everyone together and read Psalm 46 out loud. Ask people to think about verse 10 and then spend 10-30 minutes (your choice) walking or sitting to just "be still and know that I am God." You can follow that by using Talk It Over! to discuss the weekend's message as the study portion of your meeting. Afterwards, finish with food with a group picnic or at a local restaurant.
. Read a chapter from Psalms out loud. Have each person read one verse and then stop after each verse for 5-10 seconds while the group thinks about what was read. After the chapter has been completely read, have the group discuss what they liked about the experience or what verse particularly spoke to them.
. Listen to music. Some of the most beautiful are instrumental praise songs. Just put in a CD or a DVD and play two songs and ask the group to just quiet their minds, listen to the music and think about God. You can suggest that people can even pray while the music plays, if they have trouble just sitting and listening. After the music is finished, ask a few questions - Which song did you like best? What was going through your mind while the music was playing?
. Play some music for the group that you wouldn't normally listen to - country gospel, hip hop praise, traditional hymns, classical music (think, Handel's Messiah), or worship songs sung by mainstream music artists.
. Play a spoken word video from YouTube for the group. Go to YouTube and search for videos on "Christian spoken word." Then find one that intrigues you and play it for the group. Spoken word is simply spoken poetry. Afterwards, ask different people in your group to share what they thought about what was said in the video.
. Take communion together. Make it a special moment with soft praise music in the background, a table with tablecloth and candle, round bread loaf and small cups of grape juice. Ask someone to read 1 Corinthians 11:23-30. Pray. Follow some easy directions here.
. Look at religious art. Most of the world's greatest paintings from famous artists (Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, Rubens, Botticelli) were commissioned by the church to help people worship God. Find some of those famous paintings in a book or online. Spend a few minutes as a group looking at each image and discussing what you see about God in each picture or sculpture. There may also be a local exhibit that your group can visit together. Some examples from years past are an exhibit of religious iconography at the Getty museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Natural History Museum in San Diego. These exhibits are now gone but a quick search online might find similar exhibits.