Ask the Worship Doctor // The Worst Worship Set Ever?

This is the first of a series of articles I have been asked to write for The Church Collective. They will also be available on my blog and are available for publication for any entity that asks for permission to do so.

Just finished our Sunday morning set and it was not good at all. In fact, I would say it has been one of the worst sets I’ve been a part of. Drummer was off beat, bass playing wrong notes, guitars not being on time with the chords, and we rehearsed for an hour beforehand. How do others address bad sets from a proper, Biblical mindset? I know we are not about performance, but it’s hard for me to see how we can properly lead if we are not giving our best?

 

What a great question. We have all been here. The downhill slide starts with one mistake and next thing you know the train comes off of the tracks and there is no getting it back on. It seems as if every mistake is compounded and you might wonder if you will even have a job on Monday. Surely everyone in the place is running right home to fire off an email to the pastor and will probably Tweet about it in the parking lot or post it on Facebook. In fact, thinking back you are certain you saw someone point their phone your way for an on the spot Instagram documentary! Surely God could not have been pleased because you certainly weren’t.

The question above asks about a proper, Biblical mindset. I can hear the “knowledgeable” worship leaders among us quoting such warhorse scriptures as Psalm 33:3 with a call to “play skillfully.” Just for kicks when I was preparing to write this article I Googled this word stream: excellence in worship leading. Sure enough, there they were, article after article on why you can’t be a great worship leader unless you and your band play excellently. To be fair, most took some sort of middle road, but there were plenty of hard liners who talked down “ministry” over “excellence.”

I for one don’t really worry about all of that. After over 20 years of leading worship and playing in bands of one stripe or the other, I have seen just about everything. I have played with people who were little better than rank beginners. I have also had the privilege to play with people that I had no business being on the same stage with because I could not hold a candle to their chops. I have been in “All-Star” bands that had off nights. Play long enough and no matter how hard you practice, no matter how hard you prepare, you will have a gig that just doesn’t work.

Now add in the politics and pressure of church work and things get really interesting. Unless you hold auditions, have a completely paid band, or are blessed to serve someplace like Nashville (although I imagine those worship leaders can tell some stories as well) you most likely have an assortment of players and singers with a variety of talents. You probably rehearse enough to be good on Sunday’s, but you are not putting out a CD anytime soon. Again, I know churches that do have CD level talent who still go through the occasional bad service. Anyway, in the crucible that is church work, where do you draw the line between what is bad and what is biblical? I want to give you some pointers for your consideration.

How bad was it really?

I know at the time it felt really bad. But how separated are you from the event? Do you have the ability to go back and listen to a recording? Do you have a trusted member of the congregation you can ask without predisposing them to your opinion? I once studied under a nationally recognized choral conductor who would never comment on a concert until he listened to the recording, and that would not be until AT LEAST 2 weeks after the concert. He told me he wanted his first impressions , good or bad, to have a chance to settle before he exposed them to the truth.  My experience is that we hear every mistake and multiply it beyond what the common congregation member does. Is this an excuse not to strive for excellent musicianship and presentation? Absolutely not! But perspective is the key. Keep everything in balance.

Was this an anomaly or a regular occurrence?

Like I said before, everyone can have a bad day on their instrument or voice. Often, one person struggling, especially the bass or drums, can drag the whole band down with them. The problem is when this happens often. Then you may be in a position to have to take action. However, a bad day every now and then in my book is no cause for alarm. If it is a bunch of volunteers with day jobs and families and who knows what other baggage they are bringing to church (and therefore before God!) that day, then there may be some grace required.

Did your bad performance affect everything else on the platform at that service?

Was the preacher able to preach? Were prayers offered with a spiritual emphasis? Was the Word read and explained? Was communion served? In other words, did worship happen anyway or did everybody just call the whole thing off because the band stunk today? Yes, we are called to give our best, but some days our best isn’t really our best, it is just the best we have that day. Let me ask (say) it this way: Can you honestly say that everyone in your group was not trying their hardest? If our answer is yes and you think some of the members were dogging it on purpose, then I would say there is your answer. But if, in your assessment, everyone was trying their best to perform as they had practiced, then I would say there is your answer again. A bad day is a bad day. You are right, you are supposed to lead with your best. So now you get to show how you can lead when your best isn’t good enough.  Jesus regularly had to guide the disciples and the people when their best at any given moment was below what God required. Yet God’s faithfulness always made up the difference.

Last and most important:

Do you believe that your performance kept God from showing up and doing His work?

Let me give you this one piece of advice earned and learned from years of experience. I work to practice and lead as hard as I can right up until the beginning of the service. I used to carry my responsibility with me like a burden all the way through the service; still do sometimes, truth be told. But at some point in my ministry I realized that when the Bible says to cast my cares onto Him, that means all of my cares. Now, when the service starts, I say a prayer, pick up my guitar or step in front of my choir, and launch into the worship that God has planned for my church that day. I play and sing and lead to the best of my ability, but I am watching for where God is going to show up and work in this worship that He has given me to lead. I wish I had time to tell you all of the stories about how God worked through my mistakes, my wrong chords, and yes, through my impeccable presentations as well. You see, when I started giving all of it to God, the good and the struggling, I began to see God working more and more, both through and sometimes in spite of my abilities. God desired, and yes even required, my best, but He did not need my perfection, He needed my faithfulness. I still feel bad when the presentations are not up to par with where they should be. But just as when I falter in life, fall to temptation or fail to meet the standard I believe that God through His word has set, I cannot simply rely on my ability. No, I rely on God’s faithfulness to me and His Word. I thank God for His faithfulness, pick up my ministry and start again.

That is how I find peace in my leadership. I return to God what God has given me to use in His name and for His glory. Sometimes it is the joy of a job well done. Sometimes it is humility gained through a failed attempt, whether because of circumstance or because of simple lack of preparation. But I cannot rely on my own faith and skill, but on God’s word and His faithfulness.

So give yourself a break and then strive to be better the next time. Hold your band to a biblical standard; not perfection but to always be striving toward it. Understand failure for what it is and then release that burden to God and move on.

The answer to this issue is more than even a book can handle. As I said above, I have so many examples of these truths in action. If you would like to contact me and discuss your particular situation or issue, or just hear more about these, then PLEASE GET IN TOUCH! My website is TheWorshipDoctor.com. I care about your ministry and I want to help wherever possible. Be on the lookout. I have more questions from The Church Collective to answer and they are coming up soon. For now, the Doctor is Out.

Dr. Craig Gilbert is an accomplished worship leader and teacher with over 20 years of experience in worship leadership in several denominations and non-denominational settings. An active teacher, presenter and consultant around the country, Dr. Gilbert is still a weekly full time worship leader in his local congregation as well as leading other worship leader to design and implement worship at major events. Dr. Gilbert is available to speak at your church or event and is also available to local churches as a consultant and guest worship leader. His DVD teaching series, A Purposeful Heart for the Purpose of Worship will be released in early 2014. You can find more info and contact information at TheWorhsipDoctor.com.