Worship attitude vs. skill

[Boss_BlueAngels]

I just wanted your opinions on this. As worship team leaders, or members, which do you place the higher value on, if at all? The persons attitude toward worship or their skill at what they do?

Three years ago I was the drummer for a Christian group through the university and I always had the greatest time practicing and playing with the other members of our worship team. We always were would laugh and have a great time playing the worship music and really enjoyed it. We also did a pretty good job of it. People were always commenting on how they enjoyed the music.

Well, the next year I was assuming that we'd all be playing together again... well, things changed. I didn't learn until later, but the leader of our Campus Crusade for Christ asked the other members NOT to play worship anymore as they "didn't have the right attitude."

Well, that year, after hearing this, I refused to come back as drummer. I was part of the team and felt they were very much into the whole worship attitude at every meeting. Sure we'd laugh, and play around at times, but it was all in good fun, and other people enjoyed it as well. We had a lot of energy and would also spend time together praying over the service and our music. That year CCC lost many members due to the improvised worship team. In fact, on one meeting 20 people just got up and left throughout the OPENING worship! The next meeting, 25! My girlfriend also decided to leave, as we didn't really feel wanted there, and the music always took me out of the worship attitude. And the fact that the leader decided to just boot our team also made me upset and think he was only concerned about the music.

After meeting with the worship leader at the beginning of that year, his idea was that anyone could play as long as they have a worship attitude. The music would come together however God wanted it to, as long as everyone had the "right" attitude. Skill was completely overlooked, I feel, as there wasn't a single song that stayed on beat, on pitch, or even together. For almost 50 people to leave of a group that started with 75, is really not too good of a thing.

So, what do you think? Attitude or skill?

 

[becky81101]

Well, I think you have to have a balance of both skill and the right attitude. Our team used to have 7 members on stage and 3 members in the sound booth every Sunday morning. 5 members on stage and 2 members in the sound booth left within 5 months of each other for different reasons (going to college, moving out of town, school work, etc...) We are now left with 2 members on stage and 1 member in the sound booth. The 2 of us on stage have the correct worship attitude, and the amount of skill needed for a worship team. There have been many people come to me as the worship leader offering to be on the team because there are only 2 of us on stage. I have not accepted any of these 'offers' and will not add another person to our stage until I feel God's direction. There have been many people who have an attitude of worship, but their level of skill would not enhance or compliment the worship experience. There have also been people who have music skills, but their attitude toward worship takes away from looking to God and points to themselves.

There has to be both to be on a worship team, in my opinion-----
-If you have someone who has the right attitude, but there skills aren't 'up to par' - then their lack of skill distracts from the goal of worship leading. God requires excellence from us. This is why our church, and the churches of many other worship leaders I've talked to, has an application/audition/interview process in 3 steps. It takes about 3 months after someone asks for an application until they even attend a practice if they qualify for the team. You don't have to have a masters in music, but you do have to have a good amount of skills.
-If you have someone who has the right amount of skills, but has the wrong attitude toward worship - then you have a person who will give themselves the glory, not focus on the congregation and leading them to God's throne and care more about the way they look playing/singing, etc then they do about how their heart is with God and changing the hearts of those in the seats.
The worship team is the 2nd most visible team (some would debate that we're the 1st) in the church besides the pastoral staff. This requires excellence and a huge responsibility. That includes balancing your heart/attitude with skill.

So, after that novel - my response is that I don't place a higher value on 1 of the 2. I place a high value - equally - on both.

Becky

 

[KristianJ]

^ I can't add anything else to that - excellent post! You can't neglect either attribute, nor can one be overemphasised over the other, otherwise you'll have a passionate group who might sound mediocre or a group of virtuosos whose focus is on themselves other than glorifying God.

 

[PastorHarrison]

I have to say for one it is lead by the power of God, by the Holy Spirit ... I believe is is a combo of both!

-Pastor Harrison

 

[Geezerjohn]

I think you have some great responses here. I'd like to add my 2 cents. A couple of scriptures that come to mind:

1Ch 15:22 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

1Ch 9:33 Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.
1Ch 25:6 All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.

1Ch 25:7 Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD—they numbered 288.

2Ch 34:12 The men did the work faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites—all who were skilled in playing musical instruments.

The point here is that worship through the musical arts is a high calling. Any worship team that is open to anyone with a pulse (sets no performance staandards) is not grounded in Scripture or well aligned with the Bible teaches about music in worship right from the get go.

If the purpose of youth band is for fellowship or as a Christ centered activity, then it is not really a worship team anyway. If the team is for the purpose of facilitiating worship, then having a team with skill standards is aligned with Scripture. A "worship leader" that sets no standards for participation and then uses the leading of the Holy Spirit as a reason for not setting standards forgets that the Holy Spirit never contradicts the word of God, and the word of God does set standards for musical participation.

Conversely, a worship leader that sets such high standards of excellence that no mortal can meet the standard is a perfectionist not a servant of the Lord Most High. Jesus surrounded Himself with willing servants, not the high and mighty perfect people.

As others have said here, I think a balance is essential. Should the worship leader set standards for participation? I think the bible says "Yes". Should we be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit? I think the bible says, "Yes".

I do know this. Far too many young people I meet think worship is a great platform for artistic expression. They simply have it backwards. Artistic expression should be a great platform for worship. What you said about people not liking the worship so they got up and walked out tells me that they mistakenly think worship should be a great experience for them. They are self-focused, not focused on God at all. Worship is all about the Lord, not at all about the worshipper. The fact that they got up and walked out tells me that they are not worshippers, they are consumers of music. Such people are i-pod Christians consuming the things they like, and rejecting the things they don't like. Sounds to me like a greater understanding of what worship is all about, and the role of music in worship is needed by all.

 

[BarbaraJean]

Of course, singing ability is important. But the term is worship leader isn't it? It's not cheerleader or even song leader. The worship leader's role is to lead the congregation into worship, to get our focus off of life and to get it on God.

I think that traditionally the worship leader was more of a song leader, leading the congregation in singing rather than helping them enter into a true spirit of worship. Today it seems that we're often making the mistake of going to the other extreme where the worship leader is more of a cheerleader, entertaining and exciting the congregation.

 

[TheKeyboardist]

although i cant throw out the importance of attitude, i have to say that i think skill is somewhat more important, more necassary in a praise leader. You can have the perfect attitude, yet if you have lousy skill, then you will keep everyone ELSE's focus OFF worship. The position of a worship leader is to lead others into worship. Anyone can have the right attitude but praise band members are chosen because they have the skill it takes to lead others to worship.

 

[Richard]

Well, I think you have to have a balance of both skill and the right attitude. Our team used to have 7 members on stage and 3 members in the sound booth every Sunday morning. 5 members on stage and 2 members in the sound booth left within 5 months of each other for different reasons (going to college, moving out of town, school work, etc...) We are now left with 2 members on stage and 1 member in the sound booth. The 2 of us on stage have the correct worship attitude, and the amount of skill needed for a worship team. There have been many people come to me as the worship leader offering to be on the team because there are only 2 of us on stage. I have not accepted any of these 'offers' and will not add another person to our stage until I feel God's direction. There have been many people who have an attitude of worship, but their level of skill would not enhance or compliment the worship experience. There have also been people who have music skills, but their attitude toward worship takes away from looking to God and points to themselves.

There has to be both to be on a worship team, in my opinion-----
-If you have someone who has the right attitude, but there skills aren't 'up to par' - then their lack of skill distracts from the goal of worship leading. God requires excellence from us. This is why our church, and the churches of many other worship leaders I've talked to, has an application/audition/interview process in 3 steps. It takes about 3 months after someone asks for an application until they even attend a practice if they qualify for the team. You don't have to have a masters in music, but you do have to have a good amount of skills.
-If you have someone who has the right amount of skills, but has the wrong attitude toward worship - then you have a person who will give themselves the glory, not focus on the congregation and leading them to God's throne and care more about the way they look playing/singing, etc then they do about how their heart is with God and changing the hearts of those in the seats.
The worship team is the 2nd most visible team (some would debate that we're the 1st) in the church besides the pastoral staff. This requires excellence and a huge responsibility. That includes balancing your heart/attitude with skill.

So, after that novel - my response is that I don't place a higher value on 1 of the 2. I place a high value - equally - on both.

Becky

AskSeekKnock gives this Novel ( 2 thumbs up )

 

[Jenster]

Both, I agree. The worship attitude will keep the team from getting self-focused. Without it, you'll have something like happened at our church recently, where a new worship leader started hot-dogging. It brought everyone down.

But a certain level of skill -- and attention to skill -- is totally necessary. I get so distracted by one of our worship teams, because the leader doesn't pay attention to skill. Singers end up singing different notes at the same time (NOT intended as harmony!) and the volume is all the same -- LOUD.

A good worship attitude and sufficient skill will guide people in worship of the Almighty, not call attention to itself.