Above the sound desk in our church is a sign that reads: ‘Teamwork makes the stream work’. It’s a very techie gag, but I have been spending a lot more time with our techie brothers and sisters during this last year, so I’m also learning to appreciate their humour.
The sign is also Biblical! Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 – wherever we see the body of Christ working together in the Bible, we see language like ‘build up’, ‘serve’, ‘common good’, ‘one body’, ‘unity’, ‘humility’. We see the various gifts given by the same Spirit, all given with the purpose of building up the wider body, and all under the head of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we work together to make the truth of God known in love. We also see the importance and precious value of every gift, whether considered ‘honourable’ or ‘dishonourable’.
This year has seen one of the more under-appreciated parts of the body of Christ become one of the more essential parts as we’ve had to rely so heavily our online ministry. It’s been an important lesson in humility for me as a church musician as I’m usually at the front of church, and the tech team at the back. Musicians are easy to spot, and therefore it’s easy to be appreciated. However, those on the sound desk are at the back of church, and are invisible until something goes wrong. Often, the only ‘appreciation’ they receive are from scowling eyebrows on twisted necks!
