Worship profile: Karen Durbin

“As we worship we are never alone,” says Karen Durbin, minister of music and worship at the Grantham (Pa.) Brethren in Christ Church. “Corporate worship celebrates and enables us to participate in this communal embrace of God.”

Karen’s theology of worship is informed by her experiences as a child growing up in the church: raised in a church family that “valued corporate worship,” Karen recalls the intentionality of her community of faith gathering in a church member’s home to sing songs of worship. “I remember people who cared for me explaining the words that we recited together. . . . [My church family] showed me what loving Jesus looked like as we worshiped together.”

Now, in her leadership role at the Grantham church, Karen draws upon these formative experiences in creating a space where her congregation can gather for communal worship. “I want to provide for worship that enables the dialogue between God and the gathered community,” she says. “We love and serve God as we proclaim Jesus Christ and open our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Worship then extends past the worship space as we participate in acts of service, compassion, and kingdom-building in our world.”

As Karen seeks to facilitate corporate worship in her own church community, she remains constantly aware of the global community of Christ—and how the diverse worship practices of that ever-changing community can be appropriated by the local church.

Nathan Tony Jim Sandra

“The opportunity to experience God’s presence and voice through a variety of art forms is a journey that continues to grow in my heart and experience,” reflects Karen. “Global songs, readings, and prayers help me to remember that the church of Jesus Christ includes the peoples of all nations and tongues. It is this unity of faith that encourages and challenges my faith and relationship with God.”

Ultimately, Karen recognizes that worship connects us to God in profound and often unexplainable ways—yet the power of communal expression continues to have a deep impact on Karen’s worship leadership. “As we join in worship together, I need to hear the community around me,” she says. “I need to know and hear that we are part of something bigger than my individual circumstances and feelings.”