The Tyranny of Stands

For many, singing or playing an instrument in front of other people is a terrifying prospect. Music stands erect a barrier between the individual and the congregation, and are a constant safeguard against the potential humiliation of forgetting the next lyric or chord. Music stands are, in the simplest terms, a crutch for these persons.

For others, singing or playing an instrument in front of other people has become as commonplace as breathing in front of other people. Music stands, while generally unnecessary, still put some distance between the individual and the congregation, and assure a recovery after an accidental slip-up. Music stands are a crutch for these persons as well.

Before hot objection and defensive indignation bubble to the surface (if they haven’t already), I need to confess that I am not far removed from the tyranny of stands. In fact, this past weekend was the first worship set I can ever remember playing without chord sheets. This was after years of shying away from the risk and the admirable model our new worship pastor set for the team. It was not an entirely graceful or perfectly smooth set for me, but there was definitely a new sense of freedom in worship.

From my own experience, chord sheets and music stands allowed me to “get by” in rehearsal and on Sunday mornings. I had fallen into the trap of thinking that this lack of adequate preparation was “good enough,” and our set would go off decently well without me putting in too much effort. What I had always assumed was a superficial feature of our stage setup turned out to be an indicator of my blasé attitude toward the ministry that I am incredibly blessed to be a part of each weekend.

Congregational worship is too important to stifle with the “good enough” perspective. I am not by any means saying that individuals who rely on music stands don’t understand the weight of leading worship. I, for one, was sure I understood it. But my use of this crutch indicated my reluctance to devote myself to it and work hard, setting the "excellence" bar higher than before. I used to think that as long as I could make it to church for the required number of hours, I had done my part as a member of the worship team. I now believe that if I don’t have the necessary time during the week to practice and be memorized, then I don’t have the time to play for weekend service.

As a challenge to you, precious people, who serve and lead the local body in worship – Do not underestimate yourself! Do not limit all the tiny ways the Lord wishes to show you his faithfulness! If you are practiced and memorized, it creates room in the set to truly worship. You don’t have to think about the next lyric or chord, and can worship however your heart is moved to worship. I knew this intellectually but was too afraid to try. Again, I am a beginner. But I cannot wait to experience the ways that God desires to continue growing and deepening our team, perhaps by first laying this on our hearts collectively. 

Ultimately, the issue of music stands is never as important as the issue of musicians' hearts. However you most effectively encourage trust in the Lord and model genuine surrender to him within your team of worshippers, do that. Specifically, if you have never tried leading without leaning on a stand or chord chart, don’t be too afraid to exercise due diligence and risk a bit of humility in exchange for what God might want to do next to grow you and your team in this ministry.