Preaching to the Choir: It's Church...not Star Search

"Someone asked the question...why do we sing...when we lift our voice to Jesus..what do we really mean?" Whomever asked that question asked a really good one indeed.

I have had the pleasure of being a church musician for several years now (yes I said several years even though I'm not that old). The church I grew up in and played for most of my life wasn't that large, but I have had the opportunity to play at several funerals, weddings, and for other church choirs. The current church that I play for has a nice sized membership (close to or over one hundred people for Sunday School).

One thing that I have noticed about church choirs, is that like every music group, there are different roles. You have the back-up singers, the lead singers and the breakout star. Many of you have played the role of the back-up before, some of you for several years. You know who you are. The back-up singers NEVER, and I do mean NEVER lead a song. The back-up singers are in the choir, but no one really knows they are in the choir. Other than the people in the choir, no one else in the church even knows their names! But baby, they can throw down on some harmonies! Those tenors hit those notes so hard you can just feel the Spirit all through your bones, the altos add that extra something that turns a song into music and don't even get me started on those sopranos. What can I say? Oh yes, whenever you hear those good old gospel songs that have three different parts going on at one time you better give it up for the back-up singers because baby they are doing their thing! However, before you get too excited back-up, lets back up.

Alright now, we know you have a good voice and that you can hold a tune. That's great. You're not a leader and you probably never will be. Now, don't get me wrong, there may be an occasion where you lead a song (or two), and perhaps you'll even get a solo under your belt. (More than likely this will be at a family member's wedding or a funeral) Please, please remember that as a back-up singer there are several others singing with you. All of you singing at the same volume is KEY to the harmony of the song. Nothing is worse than that one soprano that you can hear singing over EVERYBODY ELSE in the choir and in the wrong key because she's trying so hard to be heard. And don't think I'm letting you off the hook Mr. Tenor sounding like a bad trombone player up there! We know you're there and we appreciate you, but if this was American Idol you would've been voted off a long time ago. The fans (nor your choir members) do not like you! You have become considered a weakness to the group and before long they will stop letting you know when the choir is on program at other churches because they don't want you to show up. A rose is a rose and a daisy is daisy. Both are pretty so just be content with who you are!

Now let's talk about you leaders. Oh yes, you know who you are too. You are the ones who used to be back-up but you came on out one day and thought you'd give that song a try. It was phenomenal, it was amazing, it is YOUR song. And other songs like it are for you. There are certain songs that just "fit your voice" and when you get them, baby you tear them up! Have the whole church on their feet crying and shouting before the song is over! But don't forget, there are "certain" songs for you and not all songs.

Leaders, if the choir was Destiny's Child you would be Kelly Rowland. We know your voice and we even like your voice. It's about time you got the chance to shine and when you do it's good. You, however, are no Beyonce. No offense to you, but you just don't have that umph, and the problem with that is when you try to act like Beyonce you start sounding like Tina Marie, and that's just not a good sound for anybody! Stop trying to add all that "ooo, yea yea yea", it doesn't work for you. And pretending to get happy and having us in that vamp for 15 minutes doesn't work for anybody! We all know you're faking when as soon as the song is over you put your mic on the stand and sit right down. Come on now, when Shirley Ceaser get happy they just have to fade her track on out because there's no telling how long she will be singing. Its just not your time to shine. Stick with what you know because you do it well, but please leave that other stuff for the showstoppers.

Oh the showstoppers! The breakout stars formerly known as soloists. You can SANG! Anything, anytime anywhere. You're the one that can't walk into a service without a getting a request to "sang a little somethin'". You are the one that the leaders can't stand because they know you could take their songs and do them forward, backwards and sideways. My only problem with you is this: You've gotten the big head!

You think that for some reason you are the latest and the greatest since David himself sang the Psalms. You can't ever sing a song like it was written. Oh know, you have to slow it down, stretch it out and hold those notes until every preacher in the pulpit stands up to acknowledge you. You know how to work a crowd like any superstar, and in your mind the only difference between you and Yolanda Adams is just that you haven't been discovered yet. You can see yourself making a record (if you haven't already) and performing for sold out shows in front of thousands making millions! If that happens then good for you, but right now we only paid our tithes and we came here for the Word and not the concert. Please get it together so we can all go home.

Choir members, I love you all of you. Back-up, leaders and stars but remember the songs are sang for the glory of God, and not the glory of YOU! God bless and keep praying!

P.S. Musicians, we are not off the hook either, I'll get you on a later date!

Either You Are or You Ain't: There's no Such Thing as "Bi"

OK. Now we all know that the definition of "bi" means two. Bipolar refers to two different types of moods in a person; we have a bicameral legeislature in our country, meaning it is divided into two entities (the Senate and the House of Representatives), and we all know of the newly coined bisexual (that most of you probably thought I was talking about) which is a discussion for a whole other post. In this particulare instance, however, I am talking about "bi-Christian". Many of us are or have at one point suffered from this disease. It is when we profess to be a Christian with our mouths, but are entirely different in our actions. The Bible tells us, that you can't serve two Gods. Your job, your family and your material possesions cannot come before God. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we are not suppossed to have a life outside of the church, (if we did't we might all ened up bipolar dealing with some of these so called Christians), but we are NOT supposed to have a life outside of God. It is perfectly fine to do the thngs that you enjoy in life, as long as you remember whose you are and what you wish to represent while you do them. For example, there is a picture that I was tagged in on my Facebook profile that is labeled, "the row of the nonplayers". In this particular picture, my friends and I were at an impromptu bbq/party with a certain fraternity and a game had started called "Questions", which is a drinking game. I (and several others) chose not to participate each for our own reasons I am sure. But this is an example of how you can live your life and have fun without compromising who you are and what you believe in. Parents and teachers often stress to children about giving in to peer pressure, but we often forget that we sometimes do it as well. We accept what society says is okay just becuase "everybody else is doing it." If it is not of God, then it is against Him, there is no gray area to fit it in. One thing I would like to address is the issue of being saved. I am firm believer that once God has delivered you from something, that you will not go back to it. God doesn't halfstep when He brings us out. I do belive that Christianity is a growing and ongoing process and that we alll know that none is perfect but the Father, so being saved does not mean you are no longer a sinner. However, some sins you will give up once God has saved you. If you are still backsliding, then chances are God hasn't delieverd you from that particular thing yet. For example, alcoholics and drug addicts can go through rehab several times and still relapse, but when God takes away the addiction, they never drink/smoke again. It is important to remember that God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow, and He has no time for people who want to serve Him one day and put Him on the shelf the next. With God, the rules are very simple. He has offered a chance to share in His inheritance and allow Him to come into your lives so that you can live how He wants you too. Even though there will be hardships, God will always take care of His own. Make no mistake about it, however, he knows if you are trying to be a "bi-Christian" or if you're the real deal. We only have the time that God allots us before we pay the wage of our sins which is death. At that point, our time is up to get it right. We are all focusing on when the world will end but we should focus on when our particular time is up because it could be any moment. If God called you home today, would you really be able to say that you are a true Christian EVERYDAY of your life? If not, take this chance to invite God in for real and stop faking the funk! After all, we all will go to the judgement seat of Chirst, and once you get there there are no excuses, either you ARE or you AIN'T!

Sex before marriage = Hell: Is it really that good?

OK. We all know that there are certain things that you just can't say in certain places. Our country firmly stands behind the First Amendment and all, but most of the time in the work place and most social settings you really can't speak your mind because there are consequences to what you say. In most cases, you should just shut up, but when something clearly goes against your religious beliefs, is it really okay to just be quiet so you don’t hurt someone’s feelings? Here's my first thing: Now I am a firm believer that God has no respect of person and that no one sin is greater than another. If God saved me, He can save anyone. My problem is, when we will we stop accepting sins as being ok? The Bible explicitly says in Corinthians that fornicators cannot make it into the Kingdom of heaven. Two of my three children were conceived out of wedlock, and while I knew it was wrong to have sex before marriage, I did not truly understand the Christian consequences of my actions. I did not know that I was truly damning my soul to hell had I never repented. How many young people really know that? It amazes me how my generation can be so Godly and yet miss something as big as this! Almost everyone has sex before marriage these days and the problem is that society accepts it as ok. Regardless of the fact that in the old days most people probably did it and lied about it, they had enough sense to know it that sex was not something to be taken lightly because God did not take it lightly. First of all, most young people are not even ready for the emotional problems that come with a sexual relationship, least of all the consequences such as children and diseases. Our bodies are temples of the Lord (1 Corinthians) and He dwells in us. (Or He should anyway if you are who you say you are) Would you do half of those sexual acts in the church or temple? Whatever you wouldn't do in a church you shouldn't do in your body. This goes for way more than sex. Sex is a wonderful thing, and yes with the right person at the right time it can feel GREAT! There is nothing in the Bible about baby mama's or child support because these things are not of God. How can you tell a 15 year old boy to be a man and take care of his baby, he's not a man, he's a BOY! Casual sex is all over the TV, movies, magazines; everywhere you look everything is about SEX!! Even in churches they talk about practicing safe sex instead of explaining that this is a huge sin that WILL guarantee that you will not make it into the Kingdom of Heaven. I was in church almost every day of my life and I thought that even though sex was a sin it wasn't as bad as something like, I don't know, selling drugs or stealing. I made straight-A's, church musician, volunteer, one of the sweetest and nicest people you'd ever meet and I was unaware that even I was on my way to a devil's hell. I can take my lesson learned now that I have repented for my sins and share with someone else. Trust me, it's really not THAT good, nothing in this world is. So if you're out there, and you're still having sex before marriage, no matter what your age is, consider this a chance to repent and start clean. Besides, if he likes it, tell him put a ring on it! Beyonce’ did…Uh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…….

References: Bible 1 Corinthians 6 chapter