Competition in Church is for the (Angry) Birds

Have you seen the game?  Angry Birds is a popular game downloadable for phones, touch screen devices, and now available in pc and mac versions.  Birds are hurled through the air by slingshot.  The goal is to use the perfect trajectory so that the birds hit barrels, wooden structures and more, causing them to fall on the “evil green pigs.”  It’s pretty comical!

Unfortunately, there are some churches whose music programs resemble Angry Birds.  Pianists, vocalists, and other instrumentalists vie for position as the prominent artist.

Paul speaks to this in Galatians 5:13-15.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

While Angry Birds is a fun diversion, it’s not a model for the church.  When musicians launch verbal missiles at each other out of envy, jealousy, or selfish ambition, they reveal that their motives are not for Jesus’ name.

How different this is from the mind of Christ.

Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.  Philippians 2:3

I am grateful for the musicians at our church.  I sense a servant’s heart in them, and they are an example to me  of what it means to serve.

The church should be a place that is known for people who have a servant’s heart.  We are not performers.  We are servants.  We do any ministry for the good of the church and to point people to Jesus.  We present music for the purpose of serving the church, not ourselves.

Let the Angry Birds do the destroying.  Let’s build up the body of Christ.

How do you promote a servant’s spirit in your ministry?