“You did what? You didn’t. You didn’t seriously kick him out of the choir, did you?”
“No way. Get out! I can’t believe you did that. What did you say? What did he say?”
“No… You didn’t say that, really. Tell me you didn’t just say that there was no way that he was ever going to be able to carry a tune.”
. . .
I really have a hard time with this one. On the one hand I do not feel that there is EVER an excuse to disallow someone from singing unto the LORD. I don’t think God is pleased when we hold our music to such a standard where it is not something where anyone can participate. I don’t just mean congregational singing. I mean in the spotlight. On the stage. In front of God and every one.
“But Everett, you can’t mean to tell me that you’re going to let someone who is extremely tonally challenged sing a special!”
Um… well… I think I would. It would be painful to me. It would probably be painful to a number of other people. But I would test the spirit. I wouldn’t let the lack of musicality diminish the person’s heartfelt song unto the LORD.
Perhaps God is more pleased with the sincere special sung by the tonally challenged than some of my efforts, which, although perhaps containing more talent, contains less sincerity. I will admit with a high degree of shame that I have gotten up to sing a special with little or no preparation, and with little or no anointing. And that I have witnessed some with much less musicality offer much more sincere worship unto the LORD.
I do think we should be prepared. And we absolutely need the LORD’s anointing. And we need to practice. We need to make a sound that is not only joyful, but also pleasing to the ear, ours, the congregations’ and the LORD’s. But face it. You will always have the tonally challenged among you. Let them sing in the masse choir. You don’t have to let them sing in your “audition-only ensemble.” You don’t have to let them sing a special. At least, not more than once. However, if their worship outshines that of any of the more practiced among you, let it be a lesson in humility for those with the trained ear. Let it be a lesson in God’s grace that any one of us can lift up our voice in song. After all. It is His hand that created each one of us. Let us glory in the off key singing. Let us revel in the simple fact that we are His creation.
Oh nooooooooooooooo! For years I have attended a church in which if you could "worship" you were encouraged, even drafted to sing in the choir. Eventually after years and years of this the misery was ended and choir has been cancelled! And we who sit in the congregation are thrilled! Why? Because those who could sing were drowned out by the worshipers.. who, even on the most "pardon me a moment while I have a jubilee" song were NOT worshiping!
ReplyDeleteIt simply sounded very very bad. So bad that most people listening were uncomfortable. And when the selection was all over you felt like giving the "slight applause at the end of a special that tells them, 'good job for trying.. wow... I'm sure that was as much of a struggle for you as it was for us.'
Hmm... and maybe that makes me a little less spiritual than all of you... If you want to take a midweek service evening and have everyone who wants to worship do so then have at it, but let's not put those who cannot sing front and center with a microphone!
Of course, there was that one guy in my home church that was tone deaf but lead song service very well... but as I recall there were loud backup singers and he backed off the mike and WORSHIPPED!
The wifey :)