Either Or Or

So, a few more things on auditions:

Some of y’all have been reading my ramblings on quality, and have thought to yourselves, “Wait a minute, I’ve seen Sean’s work. If his church is interested in quality, how did he get on the drama team?”

Okay, first off, thanks.

Second, never use me as an example. Good golly miss Molly.

You don’t look at my hot wife, and say, “Gee, to win someone that amazing I need to get a pot belly, watch way too much television, and be very random about steady work.”

No, instead think, “Well, there goes the exception that proves the rule.”

If it makes you feel any better, I am not the leader of the drama group, nor the most qualified artist in the room. Still I got in, which brings me to:

Third, quality isn’t everything.

Yep, that’s my controversial statement for the week.

Quality isn’t everything.

Last time I said that in regards to worship leaders and church musicians, I was rebuked in the bloggersphere. And then people who read those blogs (and not mine) attributed all kinds of things to me that were much more rebukeable.

The thinking went like this: if Sean doesn’t think that quality is the most important thing ever, then Sean must not think that quality matters at all.

We as a culture seem to only be able to hold “either” or “or” in our heads.

This is especially prevalent in politics and religion.

Listen to the talking heads on any partisan news station (pick your own party – the statements are interchangeable and the logic identical).

As far as they are concerned, a person is either for the war, or hates all soldiers.

One is either pro-children and hates women, or pro-women and hates babies.

One is either for fiscal responsibility or for social justice, but they must pick just one.

If ever in D.C., try the political equivalent of cow-tipping: walk up to someone running for office, and tell them that your take on [insert any issue here] is too complex to fit on a bumper sticker.

Then stand back and watch their heads explode trying to understand such heresy.

The church tends to be the same way.

Which is kinda funny, since Jesus was rarely the “either/or” kind of guy.

And the Bible doesn’t support “either/or” thinking. More often it is “both/and” or “neither,” or (more often in Jesus’ case) “what a stupid distinction.”

Should we have faith or works? (Both)

Is the sign of a Christian deep poverty or heaps of prosperity? (Neither)

Which one is the true way – sprinkling or dunking? (Stupid question)

Remember when applying “either/or” to Christianity that you are talking about a gig brought to perfection by a three-beings-in-one figure that was one hundred percent Man and one hundred percent G-d – and never saw any of that as being contradictory.

All to say, when it comes to the arts in church, quality isn’t the only thing.

It is very, very important. But there are other things to consider, things that carry equal and some times even more weight.

Such as…

Just my thoughts,

Sean