Although the little boy's voice was not even close to the correct pitch, much less the right words, his voice was probably one of the purest sounds heard that night.
My first response was to ask, how could all of our hard work on the Christmas production be so easily ruined. However, as I watched this preschooler sing from his heart in innocence and sincerity, I realized that the people involved are much more important than achieving a perfect performance and the process is more important than the product.
While we should always desire to give our best in our worship services in any music or ministry we perform, we need to allow for the little imperfections and mishaps that are bound to happen. There is no need to judge our music programs by comparing them to the best church programs we see on TV or the fine CCM CDs we listen to. Nor should we worry about a lack of resources and people that might be available in our local churches. Let's just give to the Master our best with the resources and people that He has provided.
God loves people and not productions and performances. God is more concerned with the hearts of those who worship him than with the gifts they bring or how well the performance turns out.
James M. Stevens
Christian Today
Senior Music and Culture Advisor
Dr. James Michael Stevens is a prolific musician and published composer of over 200 songs. Winner of numerous ASCAP Standard Awards for Composition, he has formally served as President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee as Chairman of the Music Department at Free Will Baptist Bible College.
www.jamesmstevens.com
jstevens@fwbbc.edu
