Dignity in the Church

My friend Joe and I were talking today. When we talk, we usually talk about worship and music and all the things I typically rant about. We had a good talk today and throughout our 4 hour conversation, he helped me to move my rant about the problems artists (or anyone different) face in the church, from something abstract into something much more tangible.

The problem that non-musical artist's face in the church, is one of dignity. Within the realm of the church, they have no dignity. They are given jobs, occasionally, but not ones that empower them and give them dignity…

Ok so that's kind of abstract, still. After going around and not really understanding each other, we finally reached a common ground, when we compared church to economy/government. It actually turned into a worthwhile conversation about poverty and capitalism also, and the parallels helped us to both understand issues in the church and in the streets. We were able to see that the needs of any oppressed group are the same.

Caring for the poor.
In an ideal capitalist society everyone has a fair chance to make it in life. The American dream was about people with nothing coming here and making a new, better, richer life for themselves. This is a nice idea and really a decent system--on the surface.

However, it makes it really hard to talk about poverty in this context. It is assumed (by the rich) that all those people need to do is have a little determination to "pick themselves up by the bootstraps" and move forward. People who don't do that are just lazy, according to the rich. It is quite convenient for us to think this way.

So then, why do people, in the richest nation in the world, get caught in this web of poverty? I think it is because the system and people who dominate it (i.e. the rich) don't share with the poor in a way that allows them to have dignity. The poor are told by everyone else that they will never become anything--so they don't. The jobs that are available to them (i.e. McDonalds) don't bring dignity (imagine working 60 hour weeks, with no chance of moving up and still not being able to pay the rent yourself--how would you feel about work in that context). They don't have people engaging their minds, helping them learn the meaning of work (beyond money) or even really believing in them.

Ending poverty is not about giving handouts (because that actually robs dignity) or imposing programs and creating low paying entry-level jobs. It is about helping people see their potential and helping them find work that has benefits beyond providing for themselves (or almost providing for themselves).

To succeed in a capitalist society requires that you work hard but to realize you have also been handed a lot of gifts as well. Those gifts may be an encouraging teacher, a parent that modeled success well, a good high school, parents who paid for college--whatever. People who have made it as capitalists work hard, BUT, have had some breaks too--breaks that allowed them to move up or gave them the dignity to work hard and succeed.

Because of these breaks, one that succeeds needs to be someone that gives breaks as well-breaks that bring dignity and facilitate people 'picking themselves up.' We must think of all the opportunities that we had, that others don't and must give them back to new people. So, I believe that the more we benefit from our hard work and a capitalistic society that allows us to get ahead, the more we need to work to build dignity to those who didn't have the breaks we had.

Caring for artists in the Church.
Church is a system, much like capitalism (whether you like it or not). There are people with gifts and skills that are valued and encouraged. I.e a child with some musical ability has endless opportunities to grow in their musical ability in the church and thus has lots of dignity builders: Christmas programs with lots of singing, a worship pastor that teaches music on the side, recitals held in the church, a youth group band, etc. Everywhere they turn, they are being encouraged to build their skills in music. Although they work hard to build their skills and 'move up' into worship leadership positions it is key to remember that they have also gotten a lot of breaks. There is dignity in being a musician in the church and that helps give them the strength to work hard and move up.

Now take any creative person that isn't interested or gifted in music (beyond, perhaps listening to their IPOD). They are usually completely ignored in the church (beyond coloring some prefab sheets in Sunday School) and in really progressive congregations they might be given jobs (a visual artist making flyers or ppt backgrounds) that use their gifts but don't really build them up. (kind of like flipping burgers doesn't build people's work ethic). The artists fill a need but are not allowed to build dignity. In many cases these experience even strip them of their dignity (an artist's work on a PowerPoint background ruined because a leader thinks they can change it or replace it with something they found on the Internet).

Artists don't need token jobs (like making ppt backgrounds for the songs or being allowed to slip a poem in between songs) they need work in the church that gives them freedom and dignity. They have been valued only on a surface level with lots of lip service, ignored completely or even been told that their work is idolatry.

My challenge to musicians in the Church is then:
Like someone that is rich needs to sacrifice in order to bring dignity to someone that is poor--you need to do the same.
• I challenge you to sacrifice your image as a church, your preferences and your music program so that other creative people can have a piece of what you have enjoyed as a musician.
• I challenge you to step aside and truly and deeply involve the artists in your church on their terms, giving them a voice and allowing them to have dignity within the church.
• I challenge you to be open-minded, because their ideas will blow you mind and your notions of church.
• I challenge you to be patient because its been along time since they've been allowed to do this and might not know what it looks like yet.
• I challenge you to consider making a non-musician a worship leader in your church. Someone that values music but does not see everything through a musical lens.


Of course if you are also rich, don't work so hard for the worship stuff and forget the even bigger needs of those in the community that are caught in a web of poverty. Work for that too--in fact, work and fight for anyone that is oppressed or poor in any way--it seems we are commanded to do that…

Mike