Leading Worship: A Band Member's Perspective
I have been playing music for about 25 years. During this time I have acquired a music performance degree and played in countless ensembles. I have experienced the highs and lows of preparing and playing for the public. My experience tells me that music that leads congregational worship is prone to these same highs and lows.
My experience also supports the fact that most everyone has an opinion as to what constitutes good music. I have seen many well meaning Godly worship leaders fall victim to churches subjective opinions about worship music. The musicians I known at All Souls Church are well meaning individuals. They intend to honor God and faithfully lead the congregation.
Being musically trained, a worship leader, and an active participant in the All Souls worship, I frequently hear mistakes, persons singing slightly off key, and subtle band miscommunications. Furthermore, my preferences in music differ stylistically than what is often played at All Souls. I would be lying if I said I never struggled with these issues. I do struggle with them. Furthermore, I am often envious of those who are playing and leading worship. I am a musician and I want to do it. Ultimately, I know the worship music should not present a problem so I pray and work through it. A cherished friend once told me that I should be able to engage in worship even if a ten year old were leading. Good word, Joe!
The worship team experienced difficulties the other Sunday. I played bass that night and it was frustrating and ludicrous. It is not pleasant as a musician to have strings break, equipment malfunction, or monitors accidentally muted. It's a drag when this happens. Listening to a guitar cut in and out of a song is extremely distracting. I have learned over the years that musical bumps in the road happen. Steer as you might, sooner or later a pothole comes down the road and you burst a tire. Just like sin, you confess and move on.
{{My musical career is full of embarrassing tales. I've had stage fright and I could not remember a song. Once, my original tune was "cut short" due to "technical difficulties," (I really believe it sounded pretty bad so they turned off the mic and blamed it on "technical difficulties"). My jazz recital was canceled one semester because my playing did not meet the criteria. I spent an extra semester in school to get it right. I felt like the Rudolph of jazz guitarists, no one ever asked me to sit in on a gig. My parents told me once that I sang out of key. This was after a flat bed trailer stage show in Kingston, TN. I was trying to sing me some Van Halen in David Lee Roth's key. My falsetto doesn't even come close to that dude's pipes. What I am saying is being a musician is not for the faint of heart. Despite all of these set backs I must play music. I must create no matter the cost.}}
Interestingly, one of the most difficult crowd to please is Christians. Congregations have told me that I could do whatever I wanted, then turned around and tell me that I actually could not do whatever I wanted. Fellow worship leaders have told me (not at All Souls) that elders have come to them right before a service and exclaimed "The Lord told me" that your song list needs rearranged. Huh! As a musician who feels that their primary gift to the church is leading worship, let me tell you that I have one intent: To be a gateway for God's Spirit. I wrestle with it all week long.
Little more disparages me more than negative comments about the worship set. After a week of praying, reflecting on the texts, worrying about arrangements, making the PowerPoint, rehearsing, arriving early to set up, changing strings, and getting subs for the the worship team the last thing I want to do is to forget a tune, get musically lost, or have technical difficulties. After a night where that kind of mayhem goes on, what I need from a brother or sister is some grace and support. A pat on the back that says, "Hey, it's all right. No worries. God's grace is sufficient. You'll get it next time. You want to talk about it? Man, that must be frustrating with all that stuff going wrong. Wanna grab some grub..."
My experience also supports the fact that most everyone has an opinion as to what constitutes good music. I have seen many well meaning Godly worship leaders fall victim to churches subjective opinions about worship music. The musicians I known at All Souls Church are well meaning individuals. They intend to honor God and faithfully lead the congregation.
Being musically trained, a worship leader, and an active participant in the All Souls worship, I frequently hear mistakes, persons singing slightly off key, and subtle band miscommunications. Furthermore, my preferences in music differ stylistically than what is often played at All Souls. I would be lying if I said I never struggled with these issues. I do struggle with them. Furthermore, I am often envious of those who are playing and leading worship. I am a musician and I want to do it. Ultimately, I know the worship music should not present a problem so I pray and work through it. A cherished friend once told me that I should be able to engage in worship even if a ten year old were leading. Good word, Joe!
The worship team experienced difficulties the other Sunday. I played bass that night and it was frustrating and ludicrous. It is not pleasant as a musician to have strings break, equipment malfunction, or monitors accidentally muted. It's a drag when this happens. Listening to a guitar cut in and out of a song is extremely distracting. I have learned over the years that musical bumps in the road happen. Steer as you might, sooner or later a pothole comes down the road and you burst a tire. Just like sin, you confess and move on.
{{My musical career is full of embarrassing tales. I've had stage fright and I could not remember a song. Once, my original tune was "cut short" due to "technical difficulties," (I really believe it sounded pretty bad so they turned off the mic and blamed it on "technical difficulties"). My jazz recital was canceled one semester because my playing did not meet the criteria. I spent an extra semester in school to get it right. I felt like the Rudolph of jazz guitarists, no one ever asked me to sit in on a gig. My parents told me once that I sang out of key. This was after a flat bed trailer stage show in Kingston, TN. I was trying to sing me some Van Halen in David Lee Roth's key. My falsetto doesn't even come close to that dude's pipes. What I am saying is being a musician is not for the faint of heart. Despite all of these set backs I must play music. I must create no matter the cost.}}
Interestingly, one of the most difficult crowd to please is Christians. Congregations have told me that I could do whatever I wanted, then turned around and tell me that I actually could not do whatever I wanted. Fellow worship leaders have told me (not at All Souls) that elders have come to them right before a service and exclaimed "The Lord told me" that your song list needs rearranged. Huh! As a musician who feels that their primary gift to the church is leading worship, let me tell you that I have one intent: To be a gateway for God's Spirit. I wrestle with it all week long.
Little more disparages me more than negative comments about the worship set. After a week of praying, reflecting on the texts, worrying about arrangements, making the PowerPoint, rehearsing, arriving early to set up, changing strings, and getting subs for the the worship team the last thing I want to do is to forget a tune, get musically lost, or have technical difficulties. After a night where that kind of mayhem goes on, what I need from a brother or sister is some grace and support. A pat on the back that says, "Hey, it's all right. No worries. God's grace is sufficient. You'll get it next time. You want to talk about it? Man, that must be frustrating with all that stuff going wrong. Wanna grab some grub..."
posted by D.Moore at 10:19 PM
3 Comments:
Personally I appreciate your efforts. I can understand wanting perfection but I think when we as the body demand perfection, we are missing the opportunity to worship. The Lord looks upon the heart and if the heart is sincere, whether playing an instrument, leading the music or singing, I think God looks upon it kindly and favorably. So why should we criticize?
Thanks for the kind words. I agree with your statement "when we as the body demand perfection, we are missing the opportunity to worship."
Furthermore, maybe our desire to criticize reveals personal weakness. It may reveal my inadequacy to accept the person's efforts and give them grace. Or, it may reveal other things.
You know, we are never going to get it right-church that is. People will know us by our love, not our worship services. Wonder why we fuss over the small things?
You know, I think the hardest thing to do, as a musician, is to worship--to push beyond the mistakes, the miscues, and miscommunication to the heart of the God.
I'll agree with David. By demanding perfection, we miss the mark. We may say that by being well-rehearsed, we allow people to "enter into the kingdom" because there "aren't as many distractions." What Kingdom? If my goal is to get a compliment at the end of the service, or have Travetta pass on a word that someone said, then I've missed the mark.
Admittedly, there's something to be said for having things musically set. But sacrificing the opportunity to really worship just to be "tight" isn't worth it to me.
Great post!
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