Music Stand Debate (was 'stuff... prayer request')
Posted by: m-rouse <m-rouse@...>
that probably less than 2 percent of the musicians out in the
churches are able to play well without music. When I was in college,
I played a lot of jazz. Jazz is known for being spontaneous and
improvisitional. Now, most of the guys I played with could pick up a
tune and play chords that went well with the tune. However, the
chords they chose might not go well with the chords that someone else
chose. When that happened they called it a 'trainwreck' because
that's what it sounded like. Played with a piano player one time who
came from the Floyd Cramer school. My maj7 chords classed
horrendiously with his dom7 chords. Who was playing the right music?
We both were. Did it sound good? No. What was the solution? Chord
charts and music stands.
I've discovered that I can successfully memorize about 30 songs (not
counting the simple I-IV-V campfire choruses). I've got over 200
songs in my chord book. If the Spirit is limited to using the songs
I have memorized, it becomes obvious that not having a music stand
and my book is more limiting to the Spirits move than having it.
Finally, I can play with more dynamics and confidence when I know
that all the musicians will be playing from the same page. Without
the music, the musicians tend to hold back, waiting to see what
everyone else is going to do.
In the last year, I have run into two situation where people didn't
want music stands on the platform. Both had to do with 'image' more
than worship. Music stands weren't cool. One guitar player told me
it prevented him from 'stepping out' when he took a solo. The other
was a singer who was afraid that the people wouldn't be able to see
his 'moves'.
There is a lot of pride amounst members of worship teams in the US.
I believe that that is a big part of the reason that worship in the
United States is hindered in so many places. Back in March, my wife
and I toured Brazil with a missionary. We went to places that
extremely poor sound systems, no monitors and used pieces of scrap
PVC pipe for drums. Praise started before anyone went up to the
platform, worship continued long after the musicians were done (like
an hour!). People waited in line for 4-5 hours after the service for
prayer! Churches that would hold 150 Americans were crowded with 600
Brazilians. There was no air conditioning, and temperatures often
exceeded 100 degrees, and yet the people came to worship.
I pray for the day that Americans will put thier desire to be in
God's presence above thier own comfort, thier desire for a 'good
show' and the right programs. When Americans start coming to church
and starting to praising God without an 'all-star' band, we will see
our churches transformed. It won't matter whether you have music
stands, four guitars, or the latest, greatest sound system. The only
thing that will matter is that God is in our midst.
IHS,
Mark Rouse
On 16 Sep 2003, at 6:55, Douglas Anderson wrote:
> Some people can play songs without ever having heard them before. I
> admire those people. I can't do that. If you give me the CD I can
> sit down and figure out most of the chords (unless they throw in some
> complex chords which most songs do these days). The Bible tells us
> that it is not to sin to eat meat sacrificed to idols as long as we
> give God the glory for it, unless it would offend a weaker brother.
> In this case I freely admit I'm the weaker brother. How would that
> principle apply?