Excellence AND Authenticity in Worship!

Chatting to a friend recently about our local church band and worship music scene has got me thinking again about excellence and authenticity in worship:

What is authenticity?

Authenticity is vital to any member of a church worship band. I would go so far as to say that authenticity is so much more important than excellence. Authenticity is being real about who you are. Being real and open with God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and change you to be the person who God has created you to be. It is also being real and open with who you are with the people you worship with - in the band and in the church. This means loving each other, prefering each other above yourself, sharing your life journey with them - the good and the bad. All too often it is far too easy to hide behind the microphone or the guitar (or whatever), to put on the mask of 'I'm ok. My life is great! I'm at the front in church so of course I've got everything sorted. Look at me, I'm a good Christian' - there is obviously something wrong with this picture! God is more interested in who you are than in what you do! He wants your heart, not your hands or your voice! He wants who you are, not the type of guitar you play!

Without authenticity, a person should not be playing in a worship band even if they are a fantastic musician. If a person is not willing to allow God in, to change them and mould them, they should not be 'up front' modelling what it means to be a worshipper. They should also be a 'team player' and be willing to submit to leadership, take direction gracefully, and be willing to take a back-seat.

What is excellence in worship?

'Excellence' is a word often banded about in worship conference settings. Firstly and more importantly I believe our authenticity needs to be excellent before our talents. We need to be excellent at persuing a deeper and more transparent authenticity in our lives which includes persuing deepening our relationship with God - this is vital. The Bible tells us to worship from and with the authenticity within us:

 'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.' (Romans 12:1)

So be excellent at being authentic!

Secondly, in terms of our gifts and talents, our abilities to sing or to play and instrument, excellence means 'to do the best you possibly can with the tools you have got'. I think it is dangerous to think excellence means 'our small church band needs to look, sound, behave like, have the same equipments as, and put on a show like some of the huge worship bands who make DVDs and CDs and go on world tours'!

Aspiring to excellence within our church bands is not a bad thing. Indeed the Bible encourages musical excellence when it comes to worshipping God:

'The Levites—all who were skilled in playing musical instruments—' (2 Chronicles 34:12)

Getting the balance right

We should not be complacent and accept the mediocre. God deserves our best and we should aspire to practise our instruments so to bring God our best as our offering of worship. However, if we remember that excellence is 'doing the best with what we have' it means that if we are doing our best to play our instrument, if we are taking it seriously and are practicing, then that is excellence! Local church bands are essentially made up of amature musicians and singers and we need to accept this. I personally find that the more 'professional' a worship band becomes, it tends to loose its authenticity and becomes too polished and sterile.

Not every church band is called to cut a CD. Not every church band is called to tour the world. Not every church band is meant to sound like the London Philharmonic Orchestra, or Coldplay for that matter! But every church band is called to serve their congregation with muisc and song. Every church band is called to be true examples of what it means to live authentically, living a life of sacrifice and worship, a life of growth and discipleship. Every church band is called to worship God with everything they are, bringing the best possible gift they can bring to Him.

Questions to consider

• Are you and your church band pursuing authenticity in your individual lives, as well as your life as a band?
• Is excellence more important to you than authenticity?
• Have you accepted mediocrity in your worship and band? Is excellence not a priority at all?
• Are you bringing your best possible gift to God when you worship?
• How can you do things differently?