Play Skillfully


Psalm 100:1 (KJV) says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” Even if Christians cannot sing well (I admit to being one of them), God is pleased when we do it for Him. However, worship leaders should at least be competent musicians. Some churches are better off using recorded music from YouTube or Spotify. I’d be embarrassed to bring someone to a meeting where the musicians played their instruments poorly, and the singers could not carry a tune.

Last weekend I attended a church service where a visiting evangelist led the praise and worship. His singing was okay, but I didn’t care for his guitar playing. It sounded like he hadn’t practiced enough even though he recorded CDs of his music. This evangelist had a woman singing with him. They were out of sync much of the time. One song performed was a favorite of mine: “We Will Dance.” This David Ruis classic has a waltz rhythm. The evangelist and the woman attempted to sing the verses in 4/4 time. 


Many of the other songs were compositions by the evangelist. One of which was “Go Home.” By that time, I was ready to do so. I had put up with this subpar performance for almost 90 minutes! My roommate (who drove us to the church) wanted to stay longer. So I moved out to the lobby and worked on my laptop. Then a couple I knew started leaving. I asked them for a ride, but they weren’t driving near my house. Fortunately, my roommate was ready to go a short time later. “Go Home” was running through my mind as we walked out to the car. It’s a catchy tune that could have been performed better.


The evangelist said a few good things, including reminders that “he who wins souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30) Nevertheless, some ministers should stick to preaching and let someone else handle the music. Psalm 33:3 says, “Play skillfully with a shout of joy.” God wants us to have excellence in everything we do for Him. 


“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” - Ecclesiastes 9:10

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