Hmm, whenever I blog about God, I've always gotta think about whether I'm writing for Him or just using Him to get more comments and eprops.

I have that challenge every time I play a concert for violin.  I face it especially strongly when some freshman girl comes in and I get bumped from concertmaster, when I finally settle in as principal second violin and they inform me that next year, I will be playing viola because our viola section isn't big enough, and I will probably have to give way yet again to some freshman because I've played viola for all of... one week.  It helps to put things in perspective of salvation - I've been transferred out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and I'm worried about what some people in the audience will think of me?  That's ridiculous!  I just wish I didn't have to keep reminding myself of that... :D

Wow this post ministered to me in many ways. I came to my church hungry to serve but didn't know where I fit in. I have a technical background working with anything from building computers to filming and sound. Attending church regularly for about a year I was asked if I could help with the sound/technical ministry. I let the pastors and leaders know that I thought everything was running smoothly and they were doing a great job but I found out that the leaders working the sound did not have any experience at all, they were pretty much learning as they went along. For over an entire year I didn't notice any problems with the way everything was working.

What I learned from my church was that when you put things in Gods hands whether you know it or not he will make way for you. When I decided to help with the ministry I didn't want to walk-on being the hotshot who knows everything, I took a step back and realized God was in control. When we try to do things with our own will and desires God makes ways for you to realize "you ain't all that". Lesson learned when its our hands that touch it everything can go wrong but when its Gods hands that touch it there is no such thing as failure.

Everytime I serve it's a constant battle about whether I'm doing this for myself, to make me look good or to glorify Gods name. So what I do is just pray that God can use me, I am just a vessel. Anything I can do to help is because of God. In the end when all is said and done whether good job or bad all glory goes to God. If you do do a good job inside there's that tiny bit of pride that keeps saying "yea, I'm the bomb" but we have to fight and pray to never let it surface. Stay humble for God blesses those who do great deeds without being seen or noticed but those deeds are seen by God. Keep up the great work with ministry.  Bless you and thank you for the post!

You highlight a very important feature of church life here.  Apart from the "look at me" syndrome you infer it is often the people who do all the service support material like presentation, sound and lights etc have no time to actually enjoy worshipping.  They may well be important in helping others to worship but are too busy to worship themselves.

I am church organist and have the same problem with the hymns - I get little from them as I'm too busy trying to play the right notes and harmonies (I don't actually read music!) and listening to check which verse we are on.

People thank me for helping them to worship by adjusting tempo and/or volume in the right places but it's in the time choosing the hymns and deciding how to play them that I get the benefit and the closeness to God.

So all you guys out there involved in any way serving your church and helping to bring glory to God - do the job well but never forget it's God has given you the gift and do have your time of worship even if it's not actually during the church service.