Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

During Paul's lifetime, it wasn't common for his fellow people to be able to read. Many teachings of Christ were done through oral teaching. One of the oral methods used was singing psalms and hymns as described in this verse. People were able to gather together and learn new things while also giving God the thanksgiving He so deserves. What a beautiful image this paints. I can see many gathered in a tight space, sitting or standing on the dirt floor. Some have their heads bowed, while others are reaching up to the heavens. All of of them learning and singing for the glory of our God. It's the beginnings of what many of us call "worship" today.
I was raised in the Catholic Church and growing up and I rarely got much out of the masses we went to so it was difficult to find a way to bring Sunday's church message to my life the next morning. The way I came to know Jesus was through the music. When I was in jr. high we got a new band that played on Sunday nights that was meant to cater more to the musical interests of teenagers. Many of the adults enjoyed it too. They played music we usually hear KLOVE or Air1; songs I could relate to and apply to my life. This is how I came to know who Jesus is, what He did for me, and how to thank Him for it.
To this day, worshiping through music is one of my favorite things to do. For a long time I relied on it and less on the bible. Since then, I have learned the value of God's Word and how it desperately needs to be a part of my routine as well. This verse makes me love to worship even more, but it also makes me grateful that God has given me the opportunity to learn to read so I can read from His Word. My relationship with Jesus would be so much different if I couldn't feed myself that way.