Technology can either support the moment—or compete with it.
If we take a quick look at the development of praise and worship music alongside the technical support in the church, we will see a trend. As Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) was gaining more acceptance over the last 40 years or so, the technology that supported it received more attention as well. Projectors were getting more popular. More churches upgraded their lighting from chandeliers and can lights in the ceiling to theater lighting fixtures such as Fresnels, Ellipsoidal, and even intelligent lights. The demand for technical excellence has increased dramatically, partly due to the growing popularity of the CCM industry.
Avoiding excellence can be just as misguided as chasing it
However, at times the question comes up regarding the legitimacy of pursuing technical excellence in worship. In some Christian circles, they would prefer a more simple, less commercial, stripped-down arrangement of worship music without professional-looking stage lighting and high-resolution screens. A good FOH mix with plugins that dress up the vocals is deemed irrelevant. They prioritize a low production-valued worship environment because to them, high-tech worship services come across as flashy, unnecessary, a waste of money, or even unspiritual.
While I appreciate their commitment to authentic worship, to avoid technical excellence only due to the fear of being seen as focusing too much on entertainment would be an unfortunate consequence. I would argue that to do so would actually prevent us from obeying God’s commandment of stewardship: maximizing the potential and impact by utilizing what God has given us.
No matter the budget or level of technological requirements at your church, it is crucial to have a firm conviction of why you do what you do from a theological point of view. How do you know that you are honoring the Lord with your craft as tech? How do you know what you do each week in the sound booth, probably in a black T-shirt standing in the dark, actually brings God glory?
In Matthew 25, Jesus gave a parable and taught us that stewardship matters in the Kingdom of God. God gave us resources and abilities for a reason. We are to use and to invest what we have been given so that the Kingdom of God will increase its impact. Ignoring one’s resources by playing it safe is not a virtue. It is an offense worth condemnation by the One who gave us the talents, time, and money in the first place (vv. 24-30).
God gave us the ability—He expects us to use it
God created us with the ability not only to think but also to feel by using our senses. We are more than just intellectual beings. Our worship is not limited to the forms of text and language. Instead, all of us can and should express worship through art. If we only strive for the bare minimum necessities for worship, we are running the risk of neglecting a big part of what makes us human. We would become lousy stewards of the creativity and artistry that God has given us.
God Himself cares about art. A.W. Tozer says in his book The Attributes of God, Vol. 1,
“Some people are afraid of color. They think that spirituality consists in being drab. But God made color! He made all shades of colors. Look at the sunset-what is it, just something scientific? Do you think that God splashed the lovely, beautiful sky with rose, cerise, blue and white and wasn’t smiling when He did that?”[1]
God did not have to add colors into our lives, but He did. Colors are there for us to enjoy. Colors let us see the beauty of our Creator. Instead of black and white, a colorful sunset puts us in awe of the greatness of our God. God did not create the universe with the bare minimum just so that it can function. Why should we think worshipping Him with the bare minimum would somehow please God more?
Philosophically, what we do each week as tech directors and volunteers is an act of worship in and of itself because church production reflects the beauty of God. We do not show up at church “just to turn things on,” or “just to push faders up.” In contrast, we contribute to the effectiveness of spreading the gospel, admonishing and teaching the Word of God.
Authentic worship is not defined by the absence of technology
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” If we are careless about our job and let a microphone RF issue persist in the sanctuary, for example, people might actually miss important words from the preaching. If we fail to understand how the audio is being received for those who have hearing impairments in our pews, we might actually exclude them from hearing the gospel message. Church tech teams are hugely significant because we have a direct impact on transferring the life-transforming messages from the Bible.
Just because excessive production doesn’t always achieve elevating the glory of God in corporate worship, keeping everything at a bare minimum doesn’t always award us a badge of authentic spirituality either. What really matters is our attention to stewardship. Whether your church can afford a lot or very little in audio and video production, use what you are given and do the best you can to enhance the worship experience. Remember the parable in Matthew 25.
There is great value in doing your work diligently. Set your lighting cues so that people can sing and be immersed in an environment that allows them to leave their burden at Jesus’ feet. (And getting good key lights on the pastor’s face so that he doesn’t look like a raccoon isn’t a bad thing either.)
EQ the instruments and vocals so that each person in the worship team can contribute to reflecting God’s glory in their best audio frequency space by getting clear definitions and avoiding a muddy FOH mix.
Check the spelling and scriptural references before putting them on the screens because we are handling the very Word of God. There were theologians who had to sacrifice their lives (literally burnt alive) because they wanted to translate the Bible from Latin into languages that common people could understand. Don’t be lazy and assume that everything is correct on the screens. Take the Word of God seriously. Biblical accuracy matters. Be a diligent scribe when proclaiming the Scripture on screens.
High-tech worship services don’t have to be unauthentic. High production value doesn’t have to be an enemy of spirit-led worship. Improve your craft and increase your knowledge. Worship the Lord by giving him your very best: from your most careful planning to your most excellent execution.
