The late Canadian piano virtuoso, Glenn Gould, was an incredibly meticulous man. When he recorded a piece of music, he would repeat the performance several times and then splice together one perfect version. This was in the days before simple computer editing. Mr. Gould would take pieces of recorded tape, cut them up and then stick them back together. It was a tricky, time consuming job that took many hours, but the result was as perfect a performance as any human could achieve.
Certain worship leaders have that same attitude. They seek excellence above ministry: every hymn must lead the congregation perfectly; every gift of music must be a technical master-piece; every note must be the epitome of the musician’s art.
I struggle with that quest for perfection. Music and worship is an offering to God and a ministry to those singing or playing instruments. Yes, I personally expect the songs to be recognizable and pleasant to hear, but I do not expect them to be so perfect as to be almost machine like. Some musicians are stronger than others. Some voices are more trained than others. Why, some folks are great in rehearsal but have a hard time singing or playing before a live congregation.
I think that as people of faith we should strive for excellent worship rather than excellent performances. There might be some mistakes or out of tune singing, but that is part of the charm of humanity. God knows we’re not perfect. God knows our music won’t be perfect. Yet God also knows the excellence of our hearts; when we do our best, God is pleased. Shouldn’t that be good enough for us, too?
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