10 Common Hindrances To Worship - Part 1
"...as much as it’s within our control, we need to make an effort not to play or use our instruments in ways that become distractions during corporate worship."
What are some common hindrances to worship?
Well, as church musicians, we are responsible for the effect we have on the worship service. So, in the next few posts, I'm going to list 10 of what I believe are the most common hindrances to worship that we might be responsible for, if we're not careful.
As we consider this, we need to recognise that, as much as it’s within our control, we need to make an effort not to play or use our instruments in ways that become distractions during corporate worship.
Here is the first one (and these are in no particular order)...
Busy Playing
What does that mean? Well, sometimes the melody can be drowned out by excessive extra notes that take away from what's being sung.
I know it happens, because I’ve seen it happen, and I know I’ve probably been guilty of it myself!
Too many notes, for the sake of using lots, can be very distracting, even if it’s only played between the singing. This is because people’s attention is easily drawn to all those notes rather than what they are singing about.
Bad Timing (speeding up, slowing down, or missing beats)
Obviously, this becomes a hindrance as those singing are prone to wander if you are wandering. They'll also be prone to wonder if they or you are out of time, and with all that thinking going on, who’s even thinking about the Lord!
Wrong Notes
Firstly, I do need to clarify this point by saying that I’m not talking about genuine, unintended mistakes as I hope you are in a church where people have a gracious response to that. It's always a blessing being part of a church where you know if you make a mistake, someone is loving and merciful enough to intercede for you right there and then!
What I’m referring to here is wrong notes because of a lack of preparation, or a lack of attention, to what we’re supposed to be playing.
It should go without saying that this will definitely be a distraction. It's also important to remember that it’s also a distraction to spend time correcting a mistake in the middle of a song, instead of just moving on. So, it’s good to be aware of that too.
And next week, we'll continue looking at a few more points.
[Return to The Church Piano Player Website]
This blog post was written by pastor and pianist Kris Baines, from The Church Piano Player. Kris lives in the UK with his family, having recently moved back from New Zealand where he worked as a pastor for the past 26 years (also leading worship/worship teams). Kris has also spent over 35 years writing, recording, and performing music and is now bringing all that combined experience together to help equip church piano/keyboard players.
Check out the church piano player website for more information on online courses by Kris Baines.
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