Chapter 25 - Skilled and Authentic

The tension between skill and authenticity in church worship can often be a heated topic but Kauflin addresses this difficult issue head on and nails it.

"Churches that minimize the need for skill can tend toward sentimentalism, sloth, and pride in 'genuineness'" but at the same time, "All the musical skill in the world won't substitute for a genuine heart of worship." (p. 195)

There must be a balance between these two issues.  If we want to honor God by leading His church in worship, then we need to have the ability and skill set to do that.  If we don't, it will be very difficult for us to point people to our awesome God because they will only be focused on our own inability and lack-of-awesomeness.  Also, if we expect to lead His church in worship, then we had better have a genuine relationship with Him that is alive and active each day or we will only be a shell that's making noise and directing people to our own talent.

However, if we pursue either skill or genuineness (which is often mis-understood to be simple emotionality) or even both as an end in themselves, we will still come up empty.  The point is not to be better at this or that, "The point is, I do everything to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ.  That's worship." (p. 197)  This definitely includes being skillful and being genuine, but do you see how the focus has shifted?  It is no longer about me and what I have done or what I can do or can't do, instead it is about "magnifying the greatness of God in Jesus Christ."  Instead of just saying "I want to pursue excellence in my skills and abilities" or "I want to focus on being more genuine."  we should be saying, "I want to be the very best I can be [in both my skill and in my relationship with God] so that I can serve others more effectively For God's glory." (p. 196)

As a worship team, as we play our instruments and sing with our voices what is it that we want?  Is everything we do with a desire of "wanting people to see  and celebrate the supreme worth of God[?] [Because] that's leading worship.  If that's not why [we're] doing those things, [we weren't] worshiping God to begin with." (p. 197)

I like the phrase, "It's not about me, it's not about now" and I would add to it, "it is about God and it is about His eternity".  This makes me ask, "Since life is about God and His eternity, what can I be doing in my life as a worship leader (as a dad, as a husband, as a friend) that will help me to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ?"  I hope that this makes you ask this question for yourself and perhaps even make it a part of your prayer time.  What can you be doing in your life as a ______________ (fill in the blank with whatever roles God has placed you in) that will help you to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ?