Is music taking over the church?

[MissBrattified]

As in all things, balance is important. There are times when I like to sing with the congregation, there are times when I want to just listen to a song, and there are times when I sing to the congregation as a form of ministry. To me, claiming that we can only worship "vertically" and/or corporately is as absurd as saying that we can have no sermons; only corporate prayer or group Bible reading. There's a time for singing together and it's perfectly acceptable to enjoy a "sermon" within a song--sung by someone else.

I DO agree that it has gotten over-complicated. Also, while I do see value in pursuing excellence, I thoroughly dislike the air of superiority that has crept in to a lot of church music programs. There is a lot of beauty--and room for ministry--in simplicity. On the flip side, simplicity can be monotonous after awhile, so the occasional complexity is a nice change.

It's important to remember that God is the One who gifted musicians and singers with their talents, and I'm sure that's for a reason. I seriously doubt it was so they could be hidden with the rest of the congregation, afraid to lift their voices lest someone think they are showing off or "performing." Balance; yes. Suppression of God-given gifts? No. Music is a powerful thing. God can use stellar voices and skilled musicianship to touch hearts. It's amazing how He can take something mechanical and turn it into an emotional connection.