Rotation, Change in Perspective, & Revelation

Last Sunday I went through a huge change. I was placed on the rotation for playing drums at the church. This may sound like a silly thing for me to be calling it “huge”, but trust me it is. For a few reasons I have a running jokes with a few musician friends of mine that “drummers don’t count as musicians”. In addition to this drumming has never been my forte. Don’t get me wrong, I do it, and I do it fairly well. I’m just not use to it; I suppose. But, the way I see it, this is just another way God is trying to stretch and mold me into the kind of man he wants me to be. So, in the long run, I’m cool with playing. Even if Josh keeps teasing me.

Playing drums gave me a very different Perspective on the congregation. Typically, when I play bass, I turn sideways an keep eye contact with the drummer. It’s a habit I got into when I played with Matt.  Sunday I was placed right in the middle of the stage. Luckily, I’m hidden away in the drum cage so noone can really watch me, as I watch everyone else. I have got to tell you my heart was broken. Many of the people in the congregation not only looked joyless, that looked angry. Not sure why. It crushed me to watch as people stood in the congregation motionless. Who only began singing after being cheerled to do so. Many of these people were folks I’ve heard complain about how noone in the congregation.

 Matthew 7:3-5

3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but^(A) do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Don’t get mad with me that came right from the Bible. I’ve seen many of these folks worship their guts out when certain worship teams came and did specials for us or when they were at worshipfest. What makes the difference? How come these people can “step into the throne room” when certain worship leaders lead, but when we try to lead they stand there angrily? Do they worship better under other people? If so, why does that matter?

John 4:23

23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

I hear this verse tossed about alot by folks that get a spiritual “high” off of worship. Be careful. the phrase that is important to me is “in spirit and truth”. So often people have a tendancy  to forget the truth part. They focus so much on the “spirit” that they forget the importance of truth. The truth is it doesn’t matter who is leading worship. It doesn’t matter how well it sounds or if the instruments are in tune. It could be Rick Pino, or me with a kazoo. The most important thing is WHO we worship not HOW. If you don’t like how the music is being played, or what is being played; should that matter? Isn’t God worthy of our praise reguardless of how it’s being done?

~ by Chris Long on April 3, 2008.