I wanted to introduce you to a few of my favorite things with a greater purpose in my mind. For me, experiences like Mummenschanz, Blast or Cirque du Soleil have one very important idea in common...they portray excellence. Mistakes or blips in the action do not hinder the experience of the performance simply because major mistakes or blips are not part of performance. Are the performers human and therefore capable of making mistakes?...Yes, but their skills are so crafted that there is little room for error; and if there is an error, the performers are professional and can cover the error or not draw attention to it.
We expect excellence in performance. And usually art, whether performance art or visual art, meets these expectations. Do we hold the same expectation of excellence in worship? This is a question I have wrestled with for many years. In my time as a drama director within the church, I cringed at what I called "hokey" performances within the church--whether from a worship team or drama team. By "hokey," I mean under-rehearsed, overly dramatic, poorly executed, or completely unbelievable performances enacted within the walls of the church and in God's name. I realize this description sounds harsh and judgemental, and my intent is not to be harsh; however, my intent is to wrestle with the great divide between what we expect from "secular" art performances and "Christian" art performances.
Maybe our expectations hinge on money--if we pay $50 for a concert ticket or $80 for a Cirque du Soleil show, we had better get our money's worth; after all, the performers are professional. The justification is that since most artists within the church are volunteer, the expectation of excellence shouldn't be a factor.
I beg to differ. My belief is that God deserves our very best, and that, as Christ-followers, our standard of excellence should be raised high. These are my thoughts...what are yours?
A few resources to help in the process:
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