Excellence in Service?

A recent question that has been running rampantly through my mind is this: Should persons without musical gifts be in music worship leadership?

We are to have the right heart motive--that is, to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
We are to play skillfully.
We do not have to be professionals to sing or to play instruments in the worship services to our God.
We are to be prepared, for what pastor who is truly seeking God's will doesn't spend hours in prayer, in research in the Scriptures, through the Holy Spirit's leading, and through Biblical scholars' writings in preparing the message that God desires him to share with the congregation?
We are to glorify God in whatever we do.

I know of some churches that have "auditions" for their "musicians" in leading music in their services. To my way of thinking, this is not Biblical. Yet neither is the opposite end of the spectrum by letting music leaders lead by singing off-key a way to bring the most glory to God. Some people have been gifted by God to play and sing skillfully. Doesn't He gift those whom He calls for certain tasks of service? For example, someone not gifted in teaching children should not be doing so, for in so doing, he or she is doing a disservice to the children. Now, if God leads them to teach children with the object in mind of teaching the teacher how to teach or have patience or to learn to love this calling, that's different. But to make one feel guilty of having to teach children by saying that a teacher is needed, and that one is giving in to the guilt feeling of doing this job is not doing what he or she is called to do. Teaching children takes a specially gifted and called person who can relate the truths of the Word of God to the children, with patience, with integrity, with love and nurture. That is excellence and a sweet aroma of incense to our Lord.

A wise pastor once told me that "Need does not constitute calling." He was also wise enough to know that although he could play the guitar very skillfully and lead worship in that manner, he could not sing on pitch to save his life. He kept his mouth shut or sung under his breath while he beautifully played the guitar and others who were gifted with voices that could sing with skill led the vocals in the service. To me, this is wisdom. This adds to the worship to the LORD, not detracts from it. It is not for mens' applause, but for the glory of God, our only audience--in excellence and skill and from clean hands and a pure heart--all only given to us by His hand to give back to Him.

Old thoughts for a new year

What is truth?
Jesus says, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life."
What is love?
God is love.
Who is righteous?
There is none righteous, no, not one.

Weighty subjects about the meaning of life. As a culture in the 21st century, we Americans have a distorted view on truth and love. It's generally thought that truth is relative. Aaah, then that means that whatever I believe for me is truth, and whatever you believe for you is truth. What if they are polar opposite beliefs? Post-modern society says that it's okay, because truth is relative. People are considered to be dogmatic and unloving if they believe that there is only one truth, that there is a right way and a wrong way.

If truth is only one truth, then someone has to be right and the other is wrong. There's nothing bad about being wrong. We humans--on our own--get it all wrong-only by the grace of God can we get it right! It is not unloving to state the truth. The Word of God states that we are to "speak the truth in love." This is not a paradox, but a reality.

Although the gospel is offensive to the unregenerate, we Christians do not have to be offensive when we share the gospel or any truth based on God's Word. Love is not a squishy feeling, but an action, a commitment. If it is commanded in Scripture to speak the truth in love, it is right to speak the truth and it is right to be committed to speaking the truth.

We do have to remember though, that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do both: speak the truth and do it in love. Our motivation must be from a righteous and pure heart. We must be broken over the fallenness of humanity. To share the truth from any other position is arrogant. In so doing, we display a harshness that the world sees as hypocracy and "unloving."

Christ is the truth, He is love, and He is righteous. There is nothing harsh or wrong about that. Sharing His gospel is the most loving thing we can do for those who will spend an eternity in Hell without receiving Him.