I LOVE high-quality music. I very much enjoy when great players and vocalists unleash their giftings to honor God. However, it’s easy for that to shift towards unleashing those giftings to honor ourselves. The purpose of a worship set is not for the personal artistic/stylistic expression of the team. Let me say it again – the purpose of a worship set is not for the personal artistic/stylistic expression of the team.
I’m going to step on my soapbox for a minute to give a few examples of where things might go south…
DRUMMERS: You may kill it with double bass pedals, but there’s not much call for them in the average worship song. Same with cowbell (Christopher Walken notwithstanding).
GUITARISTS: You may love that special distortion pedal that sounds like a blown speaker, but it’s unlikely to be usable in the context of a service.
BASS PLAYERS: It may give you an inferiority complex when you see guitarists with so many pedals, but it often sounds much better if you go clean – perhaps even straight to the board.
KEYBOARDISTS: Go easy – REAL easy – on that left hand. Solo keys and “part of a band” are two entirely different things….
VOCALISTS: You may be tempted to cover any and all instrumental breaks with vocal improv, but ask yourself: “Why?” You’re part of a team – not a solo artist with their backing band.
Lastly, this goes out to everyone, and is focused on visual expression… You may be wearing something that shows you’re the biggest fan of a certain team – or something that’s sloppy, but it’s just “being real” or “you being you” – or something very dressy, which causes you to really “be noticed” – or something that may be a little inappropriate (according to “judgmental” people), but that’s ok, it’s in this year, and everyone else will understand…
No.
OK, soapbox moment over (for now).
creativeworshipideas 