All things to all men? Part 1

Mmmm, donuts and fish!

I don't know about you, but when I try and please everyone I usually please no one.  Yet worship leaders today are often expected to try and appeal to every demographic out there.  You have culture, age and the huge variety of musical tastes that a worship leader will attempt try and satisfy.

  Sound teams can also be expected to please everyone.  Some like it loud, some people's teeth hurt if the volume is above 80db.  Some just want to hear the vocals and could care less about the instruments.  Some don't believe in having electric guitars and drum sets in the church but "tolerate" it for one reason or the other.        

  So how do you please everyone?  Can you please everyone?  Not likely but I do think there is an achievable happy medium.  If we stay alert and sensitive to the "feel" of the room and to what the holy spirit is doing we can discern what's needed.  More reverb here and less volume there.  Maybe you steadily increase the volume as the ears adjust and the hearts align.  A one size fits all, set it and forget it approach is weak if it is the norm but it may sometimes be exactly what is needed for that particular event.

  For me - the quality of the mix is more important than the volume.  I have a harder time being in a service when things are out of balance.  The guitar is way too loud, the vocals are lost in the mix.  Or you can only hear the vocals because they have homogenized the sound so much that the life is gone.  I can handle it being way too loud if the mix is proportionate.  I have also found myself thinking this sounds good but it would be great if only the bass had more oompf.  (Yes oompf is a technical term).

  Being dialed in is key.  And hopefully wherever you are serving, the senior pastor and worship director have set the tone for what kind of an atmosphere they want to "create" during the worship experience.  We have the responsibility to catch the vision and (with servant's hearts) do our very best to help make that vision a reality.  If you disagree with that vision, or the leadership doesn't seem to have any vision or direction, pray about it and ask what God would have you do.  Continually seek His face and he will let you know.