Sound Systems and Talent

I love music. I love good music. I love loud music. I love hearing talented musicians.
But where do all of these things fit in the church?

I have been playing on worship teams since I was in seventh grade. In this time, I have had the opportunity to play with bands that are filled with musical talent. On the other hand, I have been around teams that you could have switched their instruments with vacuum cleaners and jack hammers without noticing. Though the latter are a little less pleasant to the ear, I find that it is not about talent. You can put together a band of amazing musicians for your Sunday morning service and still completely leave God out of the picture.

Conventions and rallies are great examples of places I have seen this. Excitement and energy fill the building as the professional worship teams entertain the crowd. To most, it's just a show. Can true worship still happen here? Yes, of course it can. You can offer your heart and mind and voice to God in worship in just about any environment! But are these worship events a hindrance? I find that is often the case. I see so many people in the audience dancing, laughing, shouting, singing, and jumping; yet immediately after (or even during the service), how many of these people are crudely joking around and doing everything BUT what they have just sung to God they would do?

This also occurs in many churches that I've been to. My assessment from what I've seen is that anytime there is too much focus on THE BAND, THE MUSIC, THE LIGHTS... worshipping God falls from a priority to an optional perk.

Am I saying that a great band is a bad thing? Not at all. The last few worship teams I have played on are filled with extremely talented musicians. In services with these teams, I have experienced amazing times with God, as well seeing the congregation rejoicing, praising, and touched by God... But I have been in just as powerful (if not moreso) services with some of those vacuum cleaner bands. It is all about hearts set on worshipping God.

So if it is not about the quality of the musicians, does that mean anyone can be on the worship team? I still am trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. Playing on the worship team, in many churches, is the cool thing to do. Everyone wants to do it. Everyone wants to be on stage. Everyone thinks they can sing. I don't think I can even count the number of places I've been that have the wonderful line of backup singers that could barely compete against a braying donkey. Some people are just not musically gifted. I won't say that these people ABOSULUTELY SHOULD NOT be on the team, but I would really have to strongly question their motivation for joining (are they deaf? can they hear their own voices??).

This carries over to instrumentalists as well. I especially find this with the bass. EVERYONE knows how to play bass. IT'S SO EASY!!! All you have to do is play the (bass)note of the chord. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! That is not the purpose of the bass!!! I could teach my little brother to pluck a G C D C on bass in five seconds. He would then be able to play along with any band as well as many of these other "bassists". I'm not trying to cut these people down, but, again, I really have to question their motivation for joining. Do they really feel they have a talent to offer? Or did bass just seem like the easiest way to get on the band and be on stage?

There are churches that lack musicians. In these places, I realize that people without musical talent may truely have their hearts in the right place and do their best to fill in as needed. I appreciate this, and am glad that they give of their time to help out... But when there are people with talent who want to offer their abilities, are the no-talents really trying to help out and offer something? Or, in these circumstances, are they just trying to play with the cool band? Like I said before, I don't have the answers on how to deal with these issues yet... just questions (and sometimes frustrations).

My final observation on this, for now, is that... SOUND PEOPLE AT CHURCHES HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems that the people who volunteer for sound, so often, are the people that have no musical talent and couldn't make the worship team, or the people that think the music is too loud and want to make sure that the evil band doesn't get their way.

First... if you think worshipping God should be held to a nice, controlled like ditty, I think you are missing the point. On the night Jesus was born, a MULTITUDE of heavenly hosts proclaimed, GLORY TO GOD, PEACE ON EARTH! In Revalation, Angels, and Creatures, and the Redeemed all SHOUT unto God and praise Him forever. King David danced so hard that his clothes fell off! GOD is not a wimp. Worship is not a neat little tea party! GOD inspires something inside of the heart that can sometimes only even be uttered in a shout of praise! He is GREAT and POWERFUL and MIGHTY! It seems only fitting that He should be worshipped and praised in a great and powerful and mighty way.

I realize that doesn't mean we need to pierce our ears with blaring electric guitar, but seriously, to those sound people--REMOVE STICK FROM... well, places sticks don't belong. Secondly, like playing an instrument, having an ear for music and sound and how to run the system is not just some easy thing that everyone can do. Some have that talent to offer and others don't (again, in places where there is a need, but no talent available, I realize others can do the best they can to help out).

But in the end, it doesn't really matter. (Link'n Park) Whether or not you have a talented band and sound team... whether or not the people involved even have the right motivations... whether or not you even have a band or sound system... God CAN and SHOULD be praised! If you want to have a great worship service, what it really comes down to is having a congregation filled with people who want nothing more than to reach out and touch God... who want nothing more than to praise His name... who want nothing more than to hear His voice... who want nothing more than to celebrate and show the love, joy, freedom, peace, and salvation they have received from their Maker. What really matters, is God.