Seeking excellence in church music

As I’ve served in various capacities in church music ministry in a cross-cultural setting, I’ve noted many issues that confront us.

There’s the question of whether we are worshipping the music or using music to worship. There’s often tension because of the style of the song being sung, and the “worship department” becomes the “war department.” There’s tension among different generations when it comes to corporate worship. (Is dividing the congregation by age or worship style even biblical?)

Further, theology and music in the church have been divorced. Those who have studied theology don’t know much about music and those leading music don’t know much about theology. The curriculum for our seminary, for example, indicates that studying church music is often not a requirement to graduate.

None of these problems can be solved instantly, but there’s one thing every committed Christian musician can consider and act upon immediately. It is adopting a heart of seeking excellence.

Someone has said, “excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.”

According to Harold M. Best, “Excellence is the process of becoming better than I once was.” It’s a process of improving over yesterday, or in the words of apostle Paul, “pressing on” (Philippians 3:14).

Music in church is often spoken of as an offering we give to our Lord. In the Old Testament, there’s an important element in the offering: one must offer his or her best. As church musicians, we must obtain and seek out training that will enable us to be better church musicians.

A trained church musician must have a working knowledge of a variety of topics: theology, church history, hermeneutics, music theory, harmony, counterpoint, instrumental techniques, orchestration, conducting, hymnology, the operation of audio–visual equipment. This is a tall order, yet is precisely why seeking excellence in church music ministry is a continuous process.

Seeking excellence in church music ministry is not about being a perfectionist; we will be discouraged if we’re perfectionists. Someone seeking excellence, however, will always ask, “What about tomorrow?” Can I be a better drummer tomorrow? Can I be a better conductor? Can I be a better worship leader?

In the article, “The Best We Have to Offer: Developing Excellence,” David Bowden suggests some questions for worship leaders I find useful in my own ministry:

1. Is it the best we have to offer?
2. Are we constantly seeking to be even better?
3. Is it consistent with the cultural context of the congregation?
4. Will it be distracting from the worship of God, drawing attention to the one making the presentation or to aspects of the presentation?
5. Will it elicit cultural associations that are inappropriate for worship?
6. Can we assist congregational reception by providing context or introduction?

Excellence is taking that which we’ve been given and, with hearts focused on the Giver, returning the gift to God as an act of worship. It’s about pleasing God. It’s not about being the best, but about offering our best.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” And the greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Herbert Tsang is worship choir director at Port Moody Pacific MB Church, Port Moody, B.C., and also serves as music director for the David C. Lam Christian Hymn Society and as dean of the Chinese Christian Church Music Institute for Worship (Canada).