Music Matters

September 2006

I have a friend—we’ll call him Jim—who is a professional musician in a large city in the United States. Jim’s job is making great music, in live performances or recording studios, with fellow musicians who are “at the top of their game.” Jim is one of the best of the best.

On Sunday mornings, when he’s not traveling, Jim worships in a small church in which the musical leadership is the responsibility of one graying organist—we’ll call her Betty. Betty has served there for decades, and while hers is a dedicated, self-sacrificing ministry, to be honest, the music she provides is often far less than note-perfect … certainly less than the musical standard Jim strives to achieve in his professional life.

I asked Jim once how and why he continued tolerating Betty’s many musical mis-steps, when nearer his house there are multiple congregations with the resources and personnel to provide more polished musical experiences that might be more uplifting to him. He said, “Those other places do have more accomplished musicians. But Betty gives from her heart. I don’t want a note-perfect performance on Sunday morning if I can’t feel God in it. When Betty plays, I always feel she’s offering her best to God.”

Jim’s response to my question illustrates what I believe about the definition of excellence in worship music.

Worship music is, on its surface, a performance. However, worship music fails if it is only a performance—because it should be so much more! As music leaders, our congregations are simultaneously our audience (listening to us at times) and our fellow musicians (singing with us at times). If we are willing servants, our music can be a way for congregations to experience the divine presence of God. What an awesome privilege we have, and what an awesome responsibility.

Excellence in worship has more to do with focus than perfection. We should certainly strive for musical perfection, but our focus should always be on God. If our congregations perceive the focus is on the music or the musician … the great voice, the beautiful clothes, the killer sound system, the grand instrument, the flashy technique, the cool graphics, the eye-catching light show, the thunderous applause, or even our own nervousness … then even if we have “succeeded” musically, we have failed to reach excellence in our worship of God.

Preparation is an important element of excellence. We have achieved excellence in worship if we have prepared sufficiently to truly offer our first fruits—our very best efforts—to our God and to each other. We have not achieved excellence if our attitude is “It’s good enough for Sunday morning.”

Sacrifice is also part of this definition of excellence. Offering first fruits demands sacrifices—of time, talent, ego, musical preferences, needs for approval—to truly become servant leaders. A particularly painful, and not often addressed, part of self-sacrifice is meeting our congregations’ needs. As a musical servant leader, if my first-fruits efforts are distracting my congregation from worship, I am called to take steps to fix that. There are many solutions: I could increase my practice time, take some lessons, ask for help, learn a different style, or perhaps help to recruit and train my replacement and then get out of the way. I have not achieved excellence if I keep doing the “same old thing.”

Ours is an awesome responsibility and an awesome privilege. We should never take it lightly. It can be hard, but it can also be a source of incredible joy, when the talents God placed in each of us are used when, where, and how God intended!

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. … And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly … and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him.” (Col. 3:12, 15-17)

May we all strive for excellence in every note we offer to our God.

If you have suggestions or ideas for future columns, please contact:
Jan Kraybill
Principal Organist and Director of Music
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA

Please visit our FAQ page.
Next month’s topic: Accompanying Your Local Congregation