Worship as a lifestyle and worship as an obligation (duty)
are two distinct but closely related attributes. Music in the church is an act
of worship unto God in which the worshiper lifts up his/her heart, voice and
body as a sacrifice (Rom 12:1).
A worshiper is naturally expected to live a life driven by
worship. A worshiper that leads people into worship is also expected to
understand the dynamics of worship, now I am not making reference to the art
form, but the life (Spirit) in it.
I have been to various churches where the praise team has
individuals that really want to serve God through worship by being in the
praise team of choir, but those individuals are really having a hard time
coming to terms with the fact that singing or playing might not just be their
gifting and calling.
This has created a situation where there are two kinds of music ministers or
worshipers.
1- Those that have a heart for worship and want to serve God
through singing and playing instruments, but cannot due to a poor sound
interpretation skill and a poor rhythmic feel.
2-Those that are gifted and interested in performing (singing
and playing), but careless about the lifestyle that worship demands.
In both situation hope cannot and should not be
lost.
I believe that training is necessary for worshipers because
it introduces them to the concept of worship in understanding that excellence
is required, commitment cannot be overlooked, and living the worship lifestyle
makes the worship experience worthwhile.
What should be done to
encourage proper and effective training for worshipers?
1.Genuine interest in the life of those involved with
worship from the church or leaders of the praise team or choir- They should not
be seen as hirelings or the church’s property.
2. A proper evaluation system which examines the
effectiveness of the ministration of the praise team or choir: Song
effectiveness can be known through testimonies.
3. Musical training should be taken seriously by inviting
musical professionals: Bad music during worship waters down the effectiveness
of any ministration.
What has been your experience with training for worship team
or choir members?
You make some valid points, Alex. Training is a valuable tool that should never be ignored. A worshiper with skill, but with no understanding of the importance of the role (a lifestyle of worship) can end up being nothing but spiritual entertainment. The other position you discuss is just as impacting - a poorly ministered song can impede the worship experience for everyone present. Training can change both circumstances if the people ministering are teachable. Skills can be developed and lifestyles can be changed. The biggest challenge is finding worship team and choir members who are open to being taught what they believe they already know.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Sir!
Thank you Angela you further more explained what i am trying to communicate.
ReplyDeleteThere is a third situation. In this situation, a gifted person wants to join the choir. But, she is denied membership by the choir conductor. Why? Because she doesn't have a degree or other "qualification". The conductor's argument is that though the woman can sing, she doesn't know music and is therefore not qualified. There are two problems with that thinking. First, anyone can learn a song and sing with other people. Children do it all the time. Second, conductors who act so carnally cause horrible "qualified" singers to make up the choir, while leaving out wonderful "unqualified" singers. So, the choir many times sounds horrible in the end.
ReplyDeleteThere are two modes of qualification: a gift from God or acquired talent. Both are legitimate and the former is better. So, why are the best singers being denied choir membership? Do people really think that low of God's gifts and that high of feeble human power? Or is it that people harbor the attitude that says that the less God is involved and given the glory, the better?
Thank you so much April for your observation.The point you raised has a lot to do with the maturity of the music director in addition to the policies and laws governing the acceptance of qualified individuals to join a praise team or choir.Just like you clearly pointed out there are gifted individuals that need to be recognized not some set of conditions that most times don' work.
DeleteOne ministry I was part of had a visual that's been helpful for me to process selecting individuals for worship teams and knowing how to guide them. In this model, the "ideal" lead worshipper is someone who meets halfway on the spectrum of heart --> skill. We turned down a lot of rock-star quality kids because the way they talked about being on stage was indicative of an immature relationship or skewed sense of responsibility for leading thousands in worship. There were others who thought they wouldn't make it because they weren't the best, but they certainly caught the vision of the ministry and were humble, hard workers on their teams. I will take that spectrum with me until it can be refuted as a poor model. We really do need excellent skills and a right heart.
ReplyDeleteSorry for replying late. I love your point so much. A lot of work is needed to deal with musicians that don't understand the demands of the ministry.I do advocate for leadership and mentoring sessions also, to get the young music ministers to a level of responsibility.Thank you.
DeleteI agree with Jacque it is necessary to have skill as well as the right heart attitude. As my husband always says, "We are singing and playing for an audience of one... the Lord". We are there to worship the Lord. I agree that training in both are extremely important.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late reply. Thank you for your contribution.
DeleteWonderful blog and I would say that training is a requirement and fortunately, one that *can* be done on the job. Not to diminish the importance of quality, that is a must as you mention. The disciples were the original OJT recruits. In all aspects, I remember the saying, "He does not call the equipped, He equips the called". That can be a beautiful testimony - but I do agree with turning down those with the "rock star" personalities. The person's muturity level must be taken into consideration but is not a 'deal breaker'.
ReplyDeleteWe learned a vital truth with our praise team. In a small group ministry (and a praise team really is a small group ministry when it is functioning properly), there are some important interpersonal relationships that need to be in place. I heard them described as the three men we need in our lives to be effective and growing in ministry; we need a Timothy (a younger believer who will gain from an older mentor), a Barnabas (a brother our own age) and a Paul. Of course the Paul in our life would be an older, mature Christian who is willing to mentor us. These precepts apply to the women in the group as well. But this is how I have been able to use the OJT and still accept those who are blessed with a gift but may lack maturity. Everyone in our group (musicians and vocalists) assumes these roles as a part of our ministry to one another. And with our focus firmly on our "audience of One", we avoid many of the ego problems that can creep in and tempt us to accept less than the absolute best quality we can give.
Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your important contribution.I really believe there is a need for a well structured mentor-ship program by older music ministers to help guide the younger ones. Thank you so much.
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