Before I was a drummer, a Pastor or a worship leader, I was a member of the body of Christ. This statement is purposely stated incorrectly for effect. If you are a person who serves on the worship team and this statement seems just fine, then it helps to illustrate my point further. I am a member of the body of Christ and therefore I serve. Seems like there is only a semantic difference, but there truly is a dangerous undercurrent for all church personnel. It is the temptation to boil down my involvement to what it is that I am doing, and consequently shun the other very important functions of the local fellowship.
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
