When music fails but Jesus doesn't!

When the technology fails you but Jesus doesn’t. A few weekends ago, I was involved in a few different worship environments and it was an entertaining process of ‘failed’ music (to say the least), but still great worship.

Friday night I was leading worship with a good friend; the songs were set, music keys picked and guitars tuned. Leading from the talk into a reflective worship time, my guitar strings broke, his guitar battery ran out, the keyboardist forgot the chords and we were thrown into leading a set of 30 minutes rather than 10. When all music failed we took the plunge! We unplugged our guitars, came off the stage and gathered people in closer as we sung with just one guitar and a room filled with young people singing passionately about Jesus. Its a moment that will stick with me for a long time.

The following Sunday I was leading worship at my Dads church with my brother. All prepared and ready to go, sound check and practise over, the service started. Shortly following this my guitar amp packed in. Thats right, just stopped working. We were then asked to lead the congregation in 'happy birthday’ and yet having been a musician for nearly 10 years, a simple 3 chord progression should have been pretty easy. However my brain had a melt down and we bumbled our way through a happy birthday attempt. No blame on my brother, it was all me! Finally after swapping my guitar battery, power cable and lead in an attempt to make the amp work (stealth style during the talk) we lead our final song of ‘to God be the glory.’ During this a little girl came up on the stage to hand me a bunch of flowers for Mothers Day; her little face not giving up until I stopped playing (very unsubtly) and took the flowers from her and said thank you very loudly into the microphone.

It was no surprise to me that after the service the only thing I could think to say to my Dad was sorry. Sorry that it hadn't been smooth sailing, that technology had gone wrong and that the worship had (to me) been a shamble. However the conversations that followed with the majority of the congregation were extremely eye opening as they came over to myself and my brother and thanked us. They were over joyed at having the chance to worship Jesus with a guitar and drums, something they lack the luxury of on a regular Sunday. It was a real treat for them! They didn't notice the breaking amp, or the lack of fluidity or presence of 'smooth sailing worship’. In hindsight neither did those young people on Friday night.

The important thing to each of those different groups was the chance to worship Jesus, to sing songs and to gather together. I have felt very privileged over the past few years being involved in different church music groups. I have worked and learnt from some great worship leaders, church “techy" folk, good PA systems, good quality musicians and decent instruments. A high level has always been expected. Good music makes things run smoother and don't get me wrong I do believe that it is important, yet I wonder how much I have allowed myself to think less of worship when things don’t run perfectly, or when the band isn’t ‘on point.’ How much pressure I sadly put on myself for things to be 'perfect.'

In reality perfection is not real.

Over the past few months I have been around a lot of churches who haven’t had the same luxury of a regular worship band or the money to afford good PA. From these congregations I have seen a deeper love and understanding of worship. I am so guilty of missing a ‘connection to worship’ when its not a ‘good band’ or when the songs are modern or when its too quiet/loud etc.

I can be a culprit of shutting myself off from worship in those situations. I often hear a lot of people say similar things, ‘the music style wasn't my thing’ or ‘the drums were too quiet’ (Jokes when does that happen hey brother?) or even ‘I can’t connect to the worship when its not the songs I like’ I have definitely said some of these at times. But really, the music, lights, sound and musicians can be really helpful in creating a fun and modern environment, but are they the prime importance of worship?

How often I can be hard on myself when I play the wrong chords, or sing out of tune or even those wonderful moments when you start the song in completely the wrong key. Recently I started leading worship and my guitar was very badly out of tune, everything in me tells me to carry on and keep things looking perfect when really stopping, laughing it off and retuning was the right way to go.

Worship is a wonderful and beautiful privilege, music is a powerful tool used for so many years and therefore a great opportunity to point more at Jesus. I am praying as each day passes and I get more and more opportunities to be involved in musical worship that, although great and useful, the ‘perfect’ fluidity or seamless worship wouldn't cloud my brain when worshiping Jesus, the creator and sustainer of life. The person who takes my mess and turns it to beauty, who forgives my sins and sees me as a I really am. He is the important factor not the earthly factors of music. Finally, I feel challenged to work within that tension, of non distracting worship (and I would include poor music quality within that) with the fun and joy that worship can be, our humanness is what makes following Jesus pretty great.

It is the balance between worship that is well lead, while also mixed with our human-ness and imperfect shambles. Because when all else fails, I think Jesus loves the chance to dive on in!