I have done both. But now days, you see a lot of church praise bands and music programs that are using a lot of technology and digital enhancements in their worship. There's also a lot of "stress" involved with the teams that are creating this music to sound EXACTLY like the CD or Demo on Youtube.
I stopped trying. We have one hour on Sunday morning to be as authentic, to be as pure and true to our presentation of Jesus as possible. Why try to be something we are clearly NOT.
Authentic music used in worship can be strangely peaceful and relaxed. Instead of trying to make the keyboard hook up to the midi-controller and seamlessly generate smooth musical transitions introductions to songs that sound just like the band on the CD, why not use what you have been given and create a sound that is unique to your congregation.
There is a lot of money involved in all that equipment, and I just don't see that it is really bringing in new converts and making them totally sold out on Jesus. There can be money better invested in bringing quality musicians who know their craft and can create a beautiful sound, naturally and with much less stress to 'be exactly like the demo.'
Recently our church brought on a new drummer. He's from a large church in town that plays with all those fancy digital toys and he said, there was a lot of stress on the worship team to produce that exact sound -- and it just became meaningless to him. He and his fiance both came to our church and he's drumming for us now. Regularly. He says he enjoys that we like to just enjoy what we are doing and it is so much more fun and exciting to play and serve.
I couldn't agree more. When we want brass, I bring them in. Many times they are from the local high school. When I need strings or want them, to enhance worship, I bring them in. It's important to me to have as authentic a sound in our worship as possible. If that means that some people won't come or be involved because we are not using the latest toys and bells and whistles, I'm okay with that. Because we are still doing great things in worship and we are not synthesized. We are being authentic with our sound and our resources.
I stopped trying. We have one hour on Sunday morning to be as authentic, to be as pure and true to our presentation of Jesus as possible. Why try to be something we are clearly NOT.
Authentic music used in worship can be strangely peaceful and relaxed. Instead of trying to make the keyboard hook up to the midi-controller and seamlessly generate smooth musical transitions introductions to songs that sound just like the band on the CD, why not use what you have been given and create a sound that is unique to your congregation.
There is a lot of money involved in all that equipment, and I just don't see that it is really bringing in new converts and making them totally sold out on Jesus. There can be money better invested in bringing quality musicians who know their craft and can create a beautiful sound, naturally and with much less stress to 'be exactly like the demo.'
Recently our church brought on a new drummer. He's from a large church in town that plays with all those fancy digital toys and he said, there was a lot of stress on the worship team to produce that exact sound -- and it just became meaningless to him. He and his fiance both came to our church and he's drumming for us now. Regularly. He says he enjoys that we like to just enjoy what we are doing and it is so much more fun and exciting to play and serve.
I couldn't agree more. When we want brass, I bring them in. Many times they are from the local high school. When I need strings or want them, to enhance worship, I bring them in. It's important to me to have as authentic a sound in our worship as possible. If that means that some people won't come or be involved because we are not using the latest toys and bells and whistles, I'm okay with that. Because we are still doing great things in worship and we are not synthesized. We are being authentic with our sound and our resources.
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