_ There are many people in the body who have a desire to utilize their gifts and talents for the Lord, particularly musical talents. This is a great ambition to have.  However, I’ve seen a troubling thing that seems to accompany the desire to serve in this specific area of talents.

I’ve been to several Christian based group events, meetings, bible studies and parties in the last several years, and I have repeatedly seen the same dynamic from the same type of people happening over and over again.

There are some people who want to believe they have a particular musical talent. Then again, there are some who actually have one. To distinguish between the two; the ones who are actually naturally talented, usually try out and successfully get into their church’s band, choir or praise group.

The other natural talent type like this, have been performing most of their lives and usually can play several instruments as well as sing. The exceptionally talented ones eventually try to get out there on their own in the music industry.

However, my focus today is on the ones who have picked up a personal hobby, like playing a guitar, and begin to imagine that they have talent. These are the ones that, for popularity’s sake, aspire to play an instrument, sing and lead worship.

They usually have no formal training, or natural talent, and don’t make the try-outs in any of the above mentioned, more professional groups. In fact, they arbitrarily dismiss the more professional groups, because they weren’t accepted due to their intermediate level of skill and talent. Subsequently, these individuals have a tendency to fall back into social events or fellowship groups in an attempt to get the spotlight.

A year ago, I visited one particular, popular bible study group and found several people who repetitively lead the worship there. They could actually play the familiar songs that everyone knew fairly well on guitars, and could hold a tune, so in that instance, their use of their talents seemed appropriate.

What seemed inappropriate with one of these individuals in particular was the fact that at almost every Christian based event in which she attended, if there was singing or worship of any sort, she always had to be one of the ones leading it.

Others deferred if musicians were already available, but she did not. She always carries her guitar in her car, ready for any opportunity at an event. Despite a sufficient amount available musicians and singers already playing and leading the singing, she pulls up a chair insisting on joining them.

In fact, within the most social groups from this particular large church, there seems to be a handful of individuals that appear to be starved for attention, who always have to be the center of attention, or in the group of people attempting to lead worship or singing of any sort.

I recall a cookout for some holiday, like Labor Day, or Independence Day, where people were moving between the outdoor pool and the interior of the host’s house. This same girl, let’s call her Kelly; had to get her cliché of giggly girlfriends - attention hounds, to do Karaoke.

This group of self-centered women took over the mike and sang goofy songs that only them and one or two other guys (which sang with them) saw the humor in. They made private jokes among themselves, because the rest of the host’s guests weren’t included, nor could they see the humor in it from what I witnessed.

It became the Kelly and friends show and comedy hour, but none of the guests except Kelly and her group, were entertained or amused by this. Everyone else looked bored and was talking among themselves.

Additionally, there’s always that one person in this cliché that claims to allegedly have “real” singing talent, yet is not competent enough to make it into the choir or praise singing group. Yet, this person will claim professional license as a former singer/performer of some well-known, famous place like Carnegie Hall.

This group all clustered themselves on one couch near the Karaoke machine and proceeded to completely entertain themselves. Once in a while they tossed a bone to some poor, nerdy, pitch-challenged sap that wanted to take a shot at the mike, but for the most part, they made sure that the outsiders that they let sing a song, could not out shine, or out sing them.

It was like high school all over again, and the alleged “pretty,” or “popular” (attention seeking) people who believed that only they had talent or should be seen; were the wannabe “stars” of a torturous show that the rest of us had to tolerate, due to the Christian attribute of grace.

Mind you, among the rest of the “alleged” no talent losers in the audience of the bored; were actually, a few musically gifted people. These were not part of the church band, choir, or praise team, but, all had individually performed in professional bands or venues before. Among the credentials, a soloist formerly from an Acapella choir, a multitalented musician, and a music teacher, and possibly a few others who could sing and hold a tune.

At one point, in a few blessed moments of silence from the attention seekers while they debated the next tune to bore us with; the music teacher and the musician attempted to give the crowd some real music with a good beat. The crowd liked the praise song they started playing, and began to sing with them, getting into it.

The music teacher was playing the piano, and the musician had turned a speaker box into a Congo drum, and was working some serious beats on it. They had started to play because we were all bored with the attention seekers. The majority of the guests were singing with these guys because it was real music that was played well, and all could participate.

Upon noticing the fact that they were no longer the center of attention; the attention seekers immediately began playing a different Karaoke song and singing loudly into the mike (which they turned up) to focus attention back on themselves.

Instead of being gracious enough to allow someone else (with real talent) to lead some music and singing; they selfishly started to compete with them, using the volume of the mike to their advantage to try to drown out the singing of the other guests, who were enjoying the music being played by the music teacher and musician. The attention seekers effectively disrupted the musical interlude that everyone was enjoying, only to bore us again with the same stupid Kelly and friends show.

So you are probably asking yourselves if I’m saying all this because I can sing. Actually, I can. However, I usually don’t volunteer to lead, and rarely volunteer to just sing at an event, despite the ability to do so. I love singing, and can do it fairly well. I’ve done both solo and choir, as well as lead singing and have played a violin for a number of years.

However, I’ve usually only sung in a group situation because others, who have heard me sing in the past, try to convince me to do so. It is one of several talents, but not one that I focus on. Usually, it’s more for personal enjoyment than anything else because despite my ability, I did not choose to pursue a musical career. My loves are natural health and writing.

Besides, you all should know by now, that God points these things out to me, so that I can write and point them out to you and initiate change. God has made it very clear to me that my experiences are for the benefit of others. My calling is to challenge perspectives, writing about the things that most people miss or are afraid to talk about and say out loud in this politically correct climate.

Prior to Kelly and friends, we had to suffer through a mind-numbing hour of what I call, Tarnished Tunes by Tom. Tom represents the guy, who thinks he can play a few notes on a guitar, and whether or not he can actually sing in pitch, or play the popular tunes correctly, he wants to lead worship, so he must lead it at all events.

Heaven forbid the participants sing the songs correctly while he’s altering the arrangement because he can’t play it properly. Don’t even think about telling him the way that the song actually goes, because he will snap at you, telling you, “I’m leading this worship, so it goes the way I say it goes!”

This is the single, social butterfly who is always seeking whoever (usually a female) is throwing the next group activity or event. The purpose is so that he can get together with them and “plan” the event, because he and he alone, must be the provider of the worship music. After all, this is his chance to be seen and be the center of attention.

If by God’s grace, he is unaware of the event in the planning stages; and the event coordinator, who knows him because he knows everyone; decides to ask some other person or group to do worship, he is indignant and belligerent.

“What’s wrong with me?” He demands. “Why can’t I lead the wo-orship?”

There’s more than one of this type, and I’ve seen them at several different types of events. Tarnished Tunes by Tom can come in the form of a bible study leader who arbitrarily decides that he’s going to perform and lead live worship at the bible study he leads. He never thinks about asking the participants if they would prefer live music to recorded praise music, because regardless, he wants to play and lead it.

Sometimes the participants or even the host or coordinator repeatedly say something to try to gently drop a hint that recorded music is preferred. However, the attention seeker, Tuneless Tom, is often too self-absorbed and focused on his own personal insistence of either the ability to play the music; or, his own desire to serve in this particular area that he is not called to. So, despite the lack of talent, the request falls on deaf ears, to the chagrin of all.

While struggling to actually play the music correctly, Tuneless Tom will comment about how he struggles with a particular song or is just out of practice. Often the host or coordinator of the group will say something like, “Oh, you didn’t have to bring the guitar. You should have just told me. I have plenty of CD’s of worship music already recorded and available for the study,” or someone else will say, “Oh, I didn’t know you were going to play,” in an attempt to drop a hint as to their preference for the recorded music.

Nevertheless, it’s of no effect. Tuneless Tom won’t receive the message because he doesn’t want to. His response will always be something like, “Well, we can alternate every other week.” All he is focused on is his insistence and personal desire to lead worship because he thinks he can strum a few notes on some steel. The fact that others don’t enjoy it has no effect because it’s all about him.

After all, people can see and hear the lack of real heartfelt participation in the worship due to participants being unable to follow the flow of offbeat music, and pitchy, tuneless singing of the wannabe worship leader; who’s inconsistent playing and hesitation is obviously the result of a lack of skill.

It interferes with the flow of the spirit when this untrained, wannabe cannot maintain the correct beat or the tune, and plays the song the way they want to, or in a totally different genre.

An example of this would be a well-known and loved praised song that is originally performed in let’s say a Latin or Caribbean genre. Everyone would start singing it according to the Latin or Caribbean style and beat they already know.

However, Tuneless Tom, a song writing legend in his own mind; decides to play and sing the song in a country, rock-a-billy style that no one but him can follow. This is because he is actually unable to play the song, and that is the only way he can even attempt to play it within the scope of his obvious lack of skill.

This actually becomes such a disappointment to people who really would like to get into the spirit of worship. Their heartfelt worship is prevented or hindered by the celebrity ambitions of an amateur performer; whose inflicted personal hobby is outside the scope of their calling or real talents. He’s attempting to be someone (a worship leader) he’s not.

It’s particularly frustrating when there is an array of available recorded worship music that is easily accessible and preferred by the rest of the participants. Even no music - Acapella singing, is preferable to this nonsense. Not only does this disrupt the flow of worship, but it annoys the participants at the event; who have to sit there quietly with grace and politely tolerate attention hounds like Kelly and friends, and Tommy with his Tarnished Tunes.

In addition, the selfish, self-centered behavior of this handful of individuals does nothing to edify anyone, nor does it glorify God. People need to recognize where their gifts really are, instead of imposing their envious behavior and desire for the spotlight on others. They need to get over themselves and stop using an opportunity to worship God as a popularity contest or their personal stage and opportunity for individual praise and adulation.