Church music.
Ugh.
I wage this internal war on how to approach church (mainly contemporary worship) music. I speak openly of situations where I see the lack of excellence. And I struggle with that. Do we put musicians on stage that aren’t polished and perhaps even not good even if they have a “heart” for ministry?
I drove past what my daughter calls a “fluffy bunny” church today. I’ve visited the church before. Nice big auditorium. Coffee bar. Hip trendy colors and finishes. Rocking band. A band where nothing but excellence is demanded. The players are all masters of their instruments. They rehearse. There are demands and expectations of how it’s supposed to sound.
And it’s fluffy.
I’m not saying there is no substance to what goes on at this particular church. And, it’s possible that their hearts are even more soft towards God than at other less fluffy churches. I guess it’s the underlying feel that exudes a sense of arrogance. Something to the effect like, “we only play REAL Fenders here…” That’s the sense I get.
So, then I backpedal my own thinking on Sunday being a “performance” and wonder if I lean more towards the arrogance myself. That ugly log in my own eye…
And ultimately, I realize it’s about heart. Not about performance. Song selection. Or even musicianship. Yes, those things matter, but, it’s about heart. And heart is often so hard to see. That’s when I should just worry about my own heart…
