Minstrels in the House Of God
From the time I started to learn how to play the guitar in 1973, I knew my only purpose for playing was to play in the house of God. With my first real experience at leading worship, I realized I wasn’t very good at singing, but the Lord showed me that he could use me in spite of my weaknesses. Yes he wants skilled and cunning musicians, but he also wants people who give their best and who are committed to do his will in spite of themselves. In 1988, I went to a church in PA that was just starting and my first time there the worship leader was excited to have a guitar player, as there was only himself and one other person. He asked me to come the next Sunday ready to play. He asked me to be there 20 minutes early to be sure that we were musically and spiritually prepared. I was there five minutes early and I learned the first lesson in ministering in the sanctuary. God does not accept a cavalier approach. Neither did Floyd, the worship leader. I didn’t play that Sunday, nor the next several Sundays. Floyd took the scriptural path and required a time of testing and proving. As the three of us began to play together, I began to learn that leading and playing in the house of God was more than just making music. It was a prophetic gifting, meaning that the Holy Spirit can speak to people just through music prophetically played unto the Lord, and that such prophetic music is powerful in the supernatural world. Remember that David played on his harp skillfully and with cunning (prophetically) and the evil spirit would leave Saul. The keyboard player and I began to experience times when we would play together spontaneously, during periods of worship, neither of us knowing what the other was playing or would do next. People would think we had rehearsed the music and we would be hard pressed to even know what we had played or to repeat it. As more people joined the team, we began to realize the value of fellowship, ministry and worshipping together during practice times. We attended worship leading seminars and learned the Scriptural principles that are laid out in the following articles. We also learned how to more effectively lead and minister in the house of God. We began to work with other worship teams in both training and learning from them. My career would take me from my home church, therefore I would be referred to what ever church in our fellowship of churches was nearest to me. I worked on several worship teams that way and learned much. In all the experience, we made many mistakes and learned many things not to do. We also learned about unhealthy attitudes that entire worship teams can acquire. We learned how one member can all but destroy the effectiveness of an entire team. We learned how to spot pride, the number one enemy of a ministering musician. Some of the songs we wrote together became known in other churches and are either still being sung or are being resurrected presently with the aid of modern recording equipment. During a particularly difficult time in my life, I decided to lay down my gifting and my music. I would have never played in the house of God again. But during that exact time, the woman who is now my wife, having no knowledge of this or contact with me for many years, began to pray that God would not allow me to lay down my God given music and talent. I had already sold some musical equipment and my guitars were up for sale. I suddenly felt a conviction from the Holy Spirit that my decisions were wrong and I repented and retrieved my guitars and other musical instruments. I began to play again at various fellowships, churches and gatherings and again felt that anointing that I had not felt for so long. In 2004 Rita and I were married and the Lord began to extend both of our musical abilities. Rita began to play her flute by ear as we believe that playing by ear is essential to spontaneous musical worship and prophetic instrumental worship. It was as if the Lord gave her a gifting in that area. We felt led to acquire and build modern day versions of biblical instruments such as psaltery, and other stringed instruments such as dulcimers and various types of flutes. Both of us learned to play these instruments, especially Rita who seems to have a God given gift to learn to skillfully play new instruments. We began to play together at various events such as fund-raisers, coffeehouses, fellowships and gatherings. As we have learned together to play music in public places that touches the heart of God, we have found that people are drawn by the Spirit of God, not to us but to the music of his Spirit. This presents many opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers or to just share and fellowship with believers. In our church in AL, we were the worship leaders there and again the Lord taught us many valuable lessons about the sacrifices of worship, praise and spiritual warfare. As you read the associated articles, it may seem as if there is an edge to the wording. That is not the intent. There are thousands of articles on the internet about the subjects of worship, praise, worship teams etc. which utilize a text book approach. I have tried to relate the same scriptural information and at the same time apply it to personal experience and lessons learned. At the same time there is a certain degree of righteous indignation for the cavalier and lackadaisical approach that is displayed by so many musicians who play in the house of God about something that he has ordained to be very solemn, sacred, sanctified and holy unto Himself. Chuck Hilton |