At the heart of United Methodist worship is music. Music is the language of the congregation, and it is widely understood that the function of music in worship is to help the congregation encounter God. Whether a United Methodist Church is “high church,” “low church,” or somewhere between the two, the philosophy of the function of music rarely deviates. Music is the human expression by which we are joined one to another and by which we claim our understanding of God and our relationship to God. Music is the vehicle, the action, of the work of the people.