A Joyful Noise

As a musician in the professional and academic world, a church worship setting can feel like just another gig. You smile and gladly take complements from people strait to the head! I have to check myself so very often to make sure I'm worshiping my Creator and not the sound of my own instrument! For me this means I have to just stop singing!  The  next biggest thing for me is when I let my educated musical snobbery get in the way of me worshiping! Its plain annoying that I get distracted when someone hits a wrong chord...or even worse, when a guitar is out of tune!...or maybe I don't like the sound balence/the mix... or I just don't like the way someone's voice sounds! It's infuriateing!! There have been numerous occasions when I have to stop and push the ignore button on the music and just worship God! I hope this doesn't sound like I can never REALLY worship... its just those times where my flesh gets in the way of what God really has in store for me in the worship time. My Dad has been one of the greatest comforts in this struggle for me...We have the same problem... today I came across this article that he wrote...

 http://jerrywoodmusic.com/5.html

He talks about this worship service that would turn the stomach of many musicians, my dad was mortified!...and God said "HOW DARE YOU!" It wasn't about the musical quality it was about the SPIRITUAL quality!
 I am not saying that a musically trained or talented person should not care about the quality he or she can produce because worship is a church setting and God will love us anyway!... No!! Proverbs says we are to bring the first fruits of our crop to present to God!!... That means the best we have...We are worshiping the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS!!!... I want to be my best... but for Him and His glory!!! Not my own!!!
...But this isn't the point
The point is that Satan can use my own educated musical knowledge (something that God has blessed me with) against me!!! The Bible said to make a JOYFUL NOISE unto the Lord!!!... It never said only make the most musically pleasing noises to the Lord!!! NO! It just says that I should be joyful and praise my wonderfully amazing God!!!!!!!!



Psalm 150

 1 Praise the LORD.
       Praise God in his sanctuary;
       praise him in his mighty heavens.

 2 Praise him for his acts of power;
       praise him for his surpassing greatness.

 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
       praise him with the harp and lyre,

 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
       praise him with the strings and flute,

 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
       praise him with resounding cymbals.

 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
       Praise the LORD.