Today I read a really cool verse in Exodus 28:3. It says, “You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.”
Now before you get excited about me starting my own clothing design business, let me explain why I think this is an incredible verse. People often wonder if Christians should participate in the Creative arts or if there is a place for the arts during a worship service. This verse shows that creativity is a gift from God and that we can and should use that gift for His glory! “The spirit of skill” comes from God, and any gift that comes from God should be given to Him and enjoyed.
Some people argue that production should not be a part of worship services. They don’t think that lights or videos do anything to glorify God, but I disagree. Something that really appealed to me when I cam to Grace was their philosophy about the role of production in worship services. In the Gospels, Jesus would often preach to loud crowds. When he addressed them, he would either stand on a hill or a boat out on the water. This is because hills and water act as natural amplifiers of sound, and it allowed more people to hear and understand the message.
Lakes: A natural sound amplifier
We believe that production in worship services is just like the hills and water in Jesus’s day. We are not giving the message, we are simply amplifying it. Good sound and video allows more people to see and hear the message, good lighting helps people see the message, and good videos or testimonies can help illustrate the teacher’s message like Jesus did with parables. During worship songs, creative lighting can help people enter a reflective mood or help lift their spirits. Inspiring backgrounds can remind them of the awe of God’s Creation. The lights and the sound and the video should never be the primary focus of the participants. God should be. Production elements should only help bring people into His presence.
Some would say funny videos have no place in worship services,
but I think something like this one helps people see and believe deeper truths
(in this case, facebook friends cannot replace authentic relationships)
Production can be a place that is easy to get arrogant in (at least for me). Production people get to use cool and expensive equipment, they get to see results almost instantly, and people are more likely to compliment a funny video than a challenging sermon. But if you view your job as being an amplifier of the message, it is much easier to maintain humility. After all, the hill and the lake were always at the feet of Jesus, and were never the spotlight.
Lastly, I think production has a place in worship services because the person running lights can run them as an act of worship. The videographer can edit for God’s glory. The mic man can monitor frequency and honor God as He does this. God filled these people with the spirit of skill, and they have just as much right to use their gifts for His glory as a guitar player in a worship band or a preacher uses his gift to teach.
