I’m often asked to speak to worship leaders and their volunteers. I’ll sing or speak in a church’s services and then spend the afternoon – or at least lunch – with the musicians of the church.
I’m often asked what my church’s music is like. And the answer seems to surprise. It makes sense that a musician would go to a church with excellent music right?
The music was so bad the first Sunday we visited the church we’re part of today, that the then worship leader stopped twice to start over. And that’s why we came back.
300 people up early, gathered in a cinderblock elementary school cafeteria, sitting on cold metal folding chairs. Not because they loved the music, but because of love.
For each other.
For God.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with great music. We’re told in scripture to make music with excellence. Once. We’re told this once. Only once. So it’s not the top priority for me as a church member, or a leader of the musicians at our church today.
And this informs everything we do.
We ask musicians to commit for only six months at a time, not matter how good they are, because we don’t want them to burn out – because we love them more than excellence.
We ask musicians to spend time with God daily in prayer, scripture, meditation and silence and offer resources that teach them how – because communion with God is more important than excellence.
We ask musicians to be at church even when they’re not on stage – because church is a community we love, not a gig.
We practice so that we can be free to think about Who it is we’re singing and playing for, so that we can worship with our church family without anxiety or distraction – because participation is more important than facilitation.
Take away the lights. Reduce the sound system to two speakers on sticks. Swap the seats for folding chairs and the sanctuary for a cafeteria that smells faintly of burritos. Miss notes. Flub chords. Would you stay?
Why are you part of the community you call church?
In the same way that, according to Jesus, you cannot find yourself until you lose yourself, so also you cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself. – D.A. Carson
Aimee says:
Because it is a faith community that understands what it means to *be* Jesus’ hands & feet in the local community & globally as well — http://compassion.themeetinghouse.com/
It is, no doubt, one of the fastest growing churches in Canada… we have an awesome teaching pastor in Bruxy Cavey… and great music too… but all that takes the back-burner for my family… we love being part of The Meeting House because it is a church that is passionate about being compassionate to the marginalized.
Shaun Groves says:
One of my favorite podcasts too.
Krissy says:
I listen to the podcasts every week and love the teaching so much I’ve even considered moving to Canada. Especially today, when it’s 104 degrees (40 C) in Tennessee. 🙂 I love hearing that your church is about way more than great teaching messages.
Aimee says:
It’s not any cooler in Canada, Krissy! It’s been 40C as well all week this week in Toronto. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoy the podcasts!
Karen says:
I love that in our church you can really hear the voices of the congregation over the instruments! I also love that we are becoming family with this small group of believers!
brad says:
Thanks for the reminder Shaun. We ended up at our church (11 years ago now…yikes!) because of solid preaching and the compassion and acceptance we felt there. We were kind of beat-up at the time and in need of healing in a lot of areas. We were coming out of a church situation where instruments were not used in corporate worship so the rather “good” worship teams there were not viewed as a plus by us. In some ways it was a negative because of our viewpoint. Took a while for the Lord to get us past that and now I help lead worship…go figure.
Rebecca says:
This is outstanding, Shaun. You have the “cred” to speak to this, too, since you ARE a musician. We have turned worship into a performance instead of about Jesus. It’s all about us. This counters that popular belief. Thank you!
Zoë says:
This made me smile. The number of times my husband sits trying not to wince through the music at our church (he’s not fond of some types of modern worship music) and both of us have winced through some of the sermons.
In answer to your question – we arrived last November and we both sense it’s where we’re supposed to be. It’s a church where there has been no pastor for several years because the last pastor became ill. It’s a little English village church where the average congregation is around 30, including children, and it’s one of the oldest baptist churches in the country, with records going back 300+ years. Despite all that stands against it (the poor preaching on occasion has been from visiting speakers) it is thriving and has a wonderful and genuine sense of community and caring and serving God. The way they have accepted my autistic son is also wonderful. He is just allowed to be himself. That’s not happened before in previous churches.
I’m so excited about the new pastor and his family, who arrive on 1st August (there is a definite sense of relief too with the knowledge that the occasional poor speakers will hopefully be a thing of the past). In fact, the whole church is excited! 😀
Shaun Groves says:
Thanks for this testimony, Zoe! What a gift acceptance is. And a new pastor ain’t bad either ; )
Kris says:
I love this post. I currently attend a church where I have more things about it that I dislike than like. I honestly feel like I would be tremendously happier worshipping elsewhere, but in the grad scheme of things, my complaints are petty, and I know this. And so we stay. I stay because I know that I’m there to worship in community, not to necessarily have a great time doing it. I stay because I serve in this community and I know that God wants me in that position right now, even with all the warts of it. I stay because the bottom line is, worship is about Jesus, not Kris.
I used to really struggle with this, I wanted to go to church to be fed, to gorge on spectacular worship music and earth shatteringly awesome sermons. I know it was wrong. God’s given me new perspective (Thankfully) And so I stay at my too-uptight-for-my-liking church, where the worship music is sometimes dull and occasionally off key. I repeat the well-worn liturgy and struggle some weeks through less fiery sermons than I’d like. And this is not only right, but good. I’m there because God has called me there for HIS purposes, not my own. I stay because I can SEE God working in our Pastor, whom I adore, and in the families there. He is teaching me so much about this–about the Love He has for this community I’m part of, and He’s teaching me how to love and serve them as he does. It’s amazing. And hard. And sometimes I cry a little about how hard it is. But it is so good.
Shaun Groves says:
Maturity. Thanks for this, Kris.
Tom says:
I too am at a church where I love the people, but not necessarily how we do things. But for me it has been an exercise in personal growth. It’s so easy to go somewhere else but I’ve experieneced a lot of personal growth by NOT leaving. Heck they put up with me too!!!
‘been reading Ephesians this week. 4:16 summarized: “When each part of the body is working properly ..the body grows so that it builds itself up in love.”.
It’s not about me, it’s about us, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Somehow the love displayed in our community draws people to Christ (See John 13 & John 17). But I do wish that all the churches in our community worked together more and could see that we are all one. That’s my burden for my town.
Adam says:
I am embattled myself about how much of a “production” church music should be. The more lights and solos and features involved may truly take away from the real reason folks walked through the doors.
But then I have to remember that not all of the people who walk through the doors are takers of the gift of life…yet. I play drums at our church, and my best friend started going to church because he enjoyed the quality of the music. He is now a baptized follower of Christ. Food for thought.
Josiah Corona says:
This is a very timely message seeing as how I just joined a new work here in my town. I am very excited to be a part of the worship team here and this has been an excellent reminder ! Thank you !
Brian says:
Is excellence at war with community, character, growth, and following Christ? I know you are not directly saying this but that is the direction of the post. We’ve been at churches with awful music and great music. Didn’t seem to make much of a difference in the heart of the people only the place with the gifted musicans seemed to deepen our experience with God, not make it superficial. . Tim Keller contends excellent music is MORE inclusive. I tend to agree. I appreciate the heart in the post but I don’t think putting excellence at odds with authentic community and depth is all that fair.
Shaun Groves says:
To you first question, Brian, no. No the two are not mutually exclusive. And I didn’t to say they are. Or even imply it. Sorry for the poor communication on my part. And thanks for the chance to clarify.
Because the music (that day) was far from excellent, it was obvious music wasn’t why the people had gathered together. That’s not a condemnation of churches with great music. Or it wasn’t intended to be.
Brian says:
Thanks Shawn.
Kim says:
I am new to your blog but love the genuineness of your heart. Thank you Shaun, for being so real. God blesses my heart richly thru your words! The church where we now worship we have called home for 2 and half years. Until 1 yr ago even though I loved the teaching & most times the worship, I felt that I did not belong, never knew who to talk with & hardly knew anyone. I was thinking it was time to find a different, ‘better’ church. One day God impressed on my heart that if people were not reaching out to me, I could take the initiative to reach out to them, after all I am an adult! In my longing to know Him more, God began to do a new work in my heart, began speaking to me during my daily quiet times with Him. What He shared with me during the week would on several occasions be spoken from the pulpit at church the following Sunday. He called me to Be Still and know I AM…The I AM that Moses knew, He wants us to know. One day my husband & I were introduced to an older couple, whom I immediately thought we would have very little in common with (how ashamed I am at how quickly I judged). Well, God has an amazing way of knitting hearts together. He firstly filled my heart afresh with His forever love for me, then He broke my heart with love for this dear couple, then that love started spilling over into deeper love for my family, and for so many people at our church, whom I barely knew, (but now am getting to know!) And now I am feeling this love filling up in me for neighbours who do not know Him. God put it on my heart that if I have vision for things to be different within the church, rather than run away to another church, let God change me & then make myself available to Him for whatever He wants to do thru me to help the local Body to grow. And when we tell Him “anything LORD” without reservations, we should not be surprised when He takes us up on that offer! I used to be very shy, but in the last year, I have seen Him transform me from a woman who has spent most of her adult years in bondage to fear, to someone I barely recognize because I have finally stepped out of the boat & into the water where Jesus waits to catch me if I start to sink. God has begun to change me in such incredible ways, and I know that the church where I am is where I belong, not perfect, but then neither am I…He wants to use each of us where we are to work alongside of Him in loving His broken people back to wholeness & learning to love like He loves. He longs for us to be real & willing to let our hearts be broken for what breaks His heart and to be moved to action, My prayer lately for the church is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (3:19) ‘May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.’ It is as we experience the love of Christ firsthand, that we begin to be transformed & we will have the power to change the world, one heart at a time.
David Santistevan says:
Amazing insight! Thanks Shaun.
Raul says:
I love this post, thank you so much for sharing. I remember a service I went to where there were no musicians, no music, the only instrument were clapping hands. The people there were inspiring with their love for God and people. They sang and clapped and I left challenged and changed. If the production of our services weren’t done the same, would people still be engaged, including myself! I think about it often as a worship leader.
Shaun Groves says:
Was that in the U.S., Raul? I’ve experienced that in other countries but never here. What a perspective changer.
rjb says:
My husband’s grandmother’s church (in TN) uses only voices — no instruments. The hymns at her memorial service were sung acapella by everyone in attendance.
Barbara says:
It is a bit of a juggling trick sometimes to ensure that we are focusing on excellence enough so that the music is not a distraction for the congregation, but also that we aren’t *so* focused on excellence that the music becomes an idol. We do have a fair number of very talented musicians at our church, and it is a joy to see them use their gifts to the glory of God. We also have a gifted preacher and it is a joy to hear him teach the Word. However, in both cases the temptation to “love the gift and not the Giver” is there, and we all need to be on guard against that. And then to remember, even on a Sunday when the “train derails”, so to speak, that the Lord is still in that, and can still speak to his people no matter what. He will be glorified. Period.
Melissa Jones says:
I’m thankful for the grace extended to me by our congregation because I am that worship leader (that has started songs over, multiple times in a service, among other embarrassing things). We are the smallest of the “main” congregations in our church (there’s a Sunday evening service that no one really counts), but that small community has allowed me to grow as a musician, certainly, but also as a worshiper, and as a believer (in no small part due to the quality of the preaching). On Sunday morning, the few times I’ve led, there are a lot more “trappings” – time constraints, extra musicians, extra rehearsals (rehearsing isn’t bad, but I don’t see the point in having two when the first pretty much helps no one – very little retention between the two and a completely different environment)….and more people with a MUCH smaller percentage of them being people that I know (so fewer people that I trust to love me as part of our community rather than judge me as the mediocre musician that I am at times).
But to hold our musicians to the standards you lay out is scary to me. We have a hard enough time getting people to come play….and you want me to ask them about their spiritual lives during the week? You want _me_ to do those things during the week? We would be better people for it, certainly. It really stinks when you’re right and it means I need to invest more time and energy into something that I do whole-heartedly, but at the last minute!
Shaun Groves says:
I know what you mean about leading a gracious group of people. I feel no pressure now when I lead at our church. It’s freeing to know that they don’t think what I’m doing is more important than it is.
Melissa Jones says:
I’ve been on stage at church most of my life (my dad’s a music minister), but to say that I hated it most of that time would be an understatement. I did it out of obedience, because I’m a musician, and because I want to be “the best” at everything I do (perfectionist, anyone? Yeah? Well, I’m better at it than you!). But I did it even after I left home for college and beyond because…blah, blah, blah….God-given talents….blah, blah….service….blah…
When I auditioned to be part of this particular group (when we started this service), I was at an all-time low in my confidence as a musician. I truly believed that all of my (then) 32 years, people had just been humoring me by letting me sing (especially). And this band was playing from chord sheets (at that point in my life, I only played from “real” music). But I was the only piano player who auditioned, so I got the part, and asked them to put up with me as I struggled up the learning curve.
We were also in a small space where the piano pointed at the wall, so I couldn’t even _see_ the congregation and at the beginning, I didn’t have a mic. So I played and sang like I do when I’m home alone. It was pure freedom….while also getting to play with a band. Eventually I got a mic and we moved to a different venue (although I still point the piano away from the congregation, just not quite so drastically and/or obviously).
And then one day our “regular” worship leader couldn’t make rehearsal, so could I run that? And then a few months later, there was no one else who could “lead,” so could I step up? Then could I become a regular “leader” (sorry…hate the term, the Holy Spirit _should_ be leading)? And we’re getting to the point now where it looks like I will also become the “leader of leaders” for our small pack. And now, each week is pure joy. Like Eric-Liddell-putting-his-head-back-while-running kind of joy. It’s still scary when I have to do something different (stand on my own instead of hiding behind an instrument, etc.), but it’s WAY easier than before.
But the grace and freedom afforded to me as a musician all along this process has been amazing. I’ve been given the opportunity to try and try again if I fail. I love it. Now the task is to not become so enamored of “how good I sound” that it stops being about bringing attention to God.
Stephanie says:
I really appreciate this perspective, Shaun – especially from a musician.
Thanks for caring so genuinely about what matters most: loving God and loving people.
TJ says:
Wow, thanks for providing this perspective. I’m currently taking on a more active role within our praise team as the lead guitarist and I’m always trying to find resources to make us better as a group; musically, spiritually, and cohesively.
Nice reminder that we’re not the reason people show up each week. Thanks!
john mushenhouse says:
It seems we are praising church or our favorite church instead of the only worthy of praise. be careful not to lose that first love. Talking about church can seem christian, but Christlike is about being made into jesus image.
Be so watchful
Travis says:
Great post! The reason we chose our current church isn’t because of its praise and worship. (And I have to admit, as a music lover and audio engineer, I do love a big, produced sound.) The reason we are where we are is because of a pastor who relentlessly preaches the truth and a community who loves each other like family. A sometimes disfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.
I’ve been humbled in my thinking that praise & worship has to sound a certain way to be good.
Carrie says:
I’m sorry. i disagree. Everyone is a musician in God’s eyes for all His creation gives Him glory and praise. I despise this current era of Christianity that creates the “job position” of musician and even “Christian”. God does not need a man to outline rules and regulations and positions in His Church….Everyone that is saved by believing in the Life Death Burial of Jesus has the “position” of a saved member of Jesus’ church and can attend any place, sing any song to the amazing salvation and power in the Name of Jesus.
Carrie says:
It really sounds to me there are people in the current Christian community using personal feelings on how people should sing and praise God, or you are not “one of US.” What are you guys going to do when we all are congregated in Heaven? Move to the other end and sing what you want and look down on others? Or will it not matter then since we will be in God’s presence? Are we not Children before His Presence now?
Cliff Richardson says:
“because we love them more than excellence” – thank you. That’s something that I long to hear.
Andrea Greenberg says:
This article is so awesome I want to cry. There are so many people dishonored in the church today by rock star music policies. My husband is a musician and I’m a dancer and we both agree it’s not about perfection, but about the heart and being willing to step out on the water.