Finding Our Place in the Band

I was reflecting recently on how being a church member is a lot like being a (musical) band member. We have each have our parts to play. We each bring something unique into the mix. Yet we need to fit in with the rest of the band, if what we're bringing is to make any sense and contribute to the overall mission of the local church we belong to. We also contribute by beginning where we are, and growing into, or at least toward the best we can be.

I'm learning how to play guitar.

For some of you that know me, you'd object to the above subtitle, saying that I already know how to play guitar. It's true that I've been playing guitar since I was about 12, when my parents bought me my very first guitar for my birthday: an acoustic Sears, Silvertone guitar (my fingers got so sore playing it!). I learned to play a few chords and soon a few songs, and messed around with other sounds I could get out of it.

I learned play chords and rhythm, mostly to help in leading youth group type folk-songs in the late 60's and early 70's. Who remembers "It Only Takes a Spark..." and "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love"? Who sang those songs so much they wish they could forget?! (Actually not bad songs, just overdone to the point where we couldn't stand them any more.)

Over the years I've improved my skills in this style of guitar playing quite a bit and continue to do so.  I also got a much, much nicer acoustic guitar (a Taylor, if you're interested). Most of the time, when I'm playing guitar, I'm leading the group. I'm usually the most experienced musically, know the songs and carry them. I'm usually the one that typically establishes the meter and marks and establishes any tempo changes that occur (for example, at the end of songs). That is, when I'm in a band, I'm usually the "band leader."

A few months ago, a friend heard me say -- in passing -- that I'd like to mess around with a hollow-body electric sometime. A few weeks after that he was talking with a friend who had one he was going to get rid of, relayed my passing comment, and... Well, he gave it to me. I know. That's really cool.

Shortly after receiving this gift, a group of folks started getting together just for fun to play some classic folk and rock (mostly), from the 60's and 70's (mostly). I was invited to play along. They already had a couple of folks playing acoustic, so I decided to bring my hollow-body electric. Let's just say it's been a learning experience. 

So, What's New?

When I started playing with this group, I came in to something that was already established. Since I lead in so many other areas of my life (I'm a pastor, as well as worship leader), I wanted to just have fun in this group and let someone else do the leading.

But that's not the only thing that happened. I also found that the place of the instrument I was playing (the hollow-body), was not the same as I was used to. It took time for me to find my place in the group, because I didn't just want to do the same thing all the other guitar players were doing (there are 4 other guitar players in this group!).

To do that means learning new skills, learning to play guitar in a way that's different from how I've always played in groups. I also discovered that there was a huge area of guitar playing I knew next to nothing about: improvising a lead guitar section. While I have no intention of being a "guitar hero" I really do want to learn how to improvise a lead instrumental part that sounds "right."

I'm still learning to do that. In fact, I'm taking lessons so I can do it better.

Finding Our Place in the Band

I'm trying to use my musical gifts in ways that don't simply repeat or imitate what someone else is already doing, but adds to what someone else is doing, or does something no one else is doing. Sometimes that means my part is very minimal, even uninteresting. Sometimes it's very challenging, stretching me to learn new things.

On top of all that, we're not professional musicians, and so what I do can change to some degree each time we do the same song! It's a matter of give and take, of going with the flow, of learning what to expect of the others in the group and even anticipate their mistakes -- er, uh -- variations.

Both as a mere band member, and as a worship band leader I've come to learn some things about how the church is supposed to work. Not everyone is ready to play a killer guitar solo, just because they have a guitar. Not everyone knows what a G6/9 chord is. Not everyone can improvise a vocal harmony on the spot. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be in the band, or that they can't play music. It does mean that we start with where we are, what we know, and try to grow. So too in the church.

If the whole band was an acoustic guitar, where would the drums be, or the bass, or the vocal melody or harmonies? Maybe you get the allusion to 1Corinthians 12. Sometimes it seems everyone wants to be another pastor, or worship band leader, or whatever - or just be in the audience and do nothing but "listen to the music," so to speak. But not only is there a place for everyone, everyone has a place that's missed, if it's not there. The body of Christ doesn't have an appendix. Everything, that is everyone, is there for a reason. The church isn't supposed to be an audience, everyone is supposed to be "in the band" (speaking metaphorically, of course).

If the band leader's job is to help people find their place in the band, the band members job is to let the band leader know what they can do. Being on both sides of this dynamic helps me see this more clearly. As a worship band leader, I want to help get the best out of the members without pushing them too much out of their comfort zones - but enough to push them into new levels of competence. As a member, I want to have a place I'm comfortable in, but want to be pushed into being better than I am now.

In the church, since we all have spiritual gifts meant to be exercised for the good of the body (1Corinthians 12:7), it's my job as pastor to help develop those gifts. However, it's also the responsibility of the members to let me (or someone) know what there gifting is, and how they would like to be a "part of the band," that is, the church.

No musician is born fully gifted. Even for musical prodigies, musical gifts are developed over time and with a measure of discipline. This is no different for spiritual gifts. All gifts need to be developed and nurtured and developed over time. As with musical gifts, spiritual gifts thrive in an atmosphere where mistakes aren't causes for shaming. At the same time, gifts flourish in an atmosphere where correction and direction is welcomed by the one receiving it, and given with love and gentleness by the one giving it.

Getting the Feel of It

Music isn't music, if there's no feel to it. A computer generating sounds might perfectly represent what Mozart put on a page, but it may not be a musical sound at all. Music requires that the musician feel the music and interpret it. When I was learning Spanish, I discovered that in Spanish one does not say that one plays a piece of music, one "interprets" it. I love that! Musicians need to make the music their own. Singers should not just sing the words, they should sing the meaning of the words - and we know when we hear someone sing the meaning, and not just the lyrics. It feels different.

Feeling in music is expressed by dynamics (louder, softer), rhythm, tempo, pacing, and dozens, if not hundreds of little imperfections, or expressions (pauses, delays, breaths, tone, etc.), that engage us, or sound merely contrived. Somehow we know the difference!

In the church, our place is not to merely imitate, as if by rote, what someone else does, nor how they do it. We make the life of Christ in us sing, when we express that life from our perspective, from our heart, from our soul. The fact that our perspective needs work, that our heart is wounded, or our soul stained is one of the things that adds color to our contribution. If we're "out of tune" with the body I would hope that we have some fellow "band members" who can let us know, or a "band leader" that will help us get tuned in. 

Adding one's interpretation to the mix adds more often that it detracts. Yes, there are those that add their interpretation for the purpose of sticking out and being noticed, but that's not a problem for most of us. If that's your problem, someone will let you know. In the band, I might try something, or someone else might, and then we'll ask "How was that? Was that okay?" We ask when we're sure we'll get honest and non-condemning feedback. I hope we can do that in the church too. What I do might be perfectly legitimate musically, but still not be the right feel for the song (as the band leader, or the rest of the band understands it). 

"Getting the feel of it" in church means not only being myself, but also "playing well with others." You can't play in a band, if you don't spend as much (more?) energy listening than playing. We play to fit with what the rest of the band is doing. In church, we need to fit in with what the others are doing, even as we bring our unique part into the mix. We want to make a contribution, not be a distraction.

My guess is that for many of us, we have more than one function in the church. It's like we play different instruments at different times, or for different needs. That's really cool, unless you're taking someone else's place (even if they're not as skilled as you are). As we exercise our gifts, we're at different stages of development in how we use those gifts. That's also cool. What we don't want is for anyone to not use their gifts because they don't feel "good enough." Nor do we want someone to stop growing in their gifts because they feel "good enough." As there is always something more to learn about playing the guitar (or piano, or organ, or trumpet, etc.), there is always more to learn about using the gift of wisdom, or knowledge, or faith, or healing, etc.)

I could probably keep on going with the metaphor, and maybe you can too. If you've been in a band, or a choir, you probably understand what I'm saying more clearly than those who haven't been.

Just remember (if I can paraphrase something John Wimber said once), in Jesus' band, everybody gets to play.