Are We Really Listening?

Right now I'm listening to my new minidisc player. I started recording our services at the church so I can give constructive criticism to my sound guys. If you have ever been to our worship auditorium, you will know that our room is horrible. Without the chairs set up, we have almost a 4 second echo. That is bad in acousitcal terms. Add to that non-musician sound people and a bunch of rock and roll stars in my praise band and you have the recipe for not so good things. They do ok and we're working to get them better. We have some new people also interested in joining in. That is exciting!

With sound, its interesting what perceptions people have. Every musician has their own opinion. Every 3rd or 4th musician thinks their opinion was authored by God Almighty himself. (We musicians are quite peculiar creatures) Add to that the common complaint of everything being too loud from the old people and too soft from the young people. All the while, sound techs are caught in the middle.

One would hope that things were not so much a tug of war in the church. When we stand on such phrases like, "love one another" and "let the first be last and the last be first", one would think that the church is the place where everyone is forgiving, accepting, and willing to minimize what their opinions and wants for the benefit of others. However, while we as the church are very schooled in hearing and comprehending, we are dumbfounded with the concept of understanding and applying it to our lives. We are what I like to call soapboxers. We stand on our soapbox and spew out our opinions for all to hear, accept, and take hold of. Somehow, this affects our ability to hear and appreciate others opinions like earplugs. Jesus called people like this Pharisees.

So tonight as I listen, I am filled with many emotions. The sound was not that bad this week, which gives me joy and hope. Not all together singers who sometimes muddy up the melody and harmony brings me concern. Conversations that I heard before the service cause me a fair amount of frustration. It puts it all in perspective and helps me realize that we don't have it all together. We are getting there, slowly. It also helps me realize that we don't really listen to ourselves. Listening in music helps you play as a band rather than individuals playing instruments. Listening in singing makes a great piece of music on a page come alive with a unity of multiple singers. Listening in sound means everyone is heard and present in the mix.

What does listening in the church sound like? Does it mean we actually quiet ourselves to listen to the lives and opinions of others? Does it mean we will actually put others before ourselves because "love one another" is something more than three words on the page? Will it cause us to be reflective and mindful of our own words and actions, so that we are not being soapboxers? If the church were to open her ears and really listen, I honestly think we would be different. We would at least be moving in the right direction instead of moving in wrong ways or standing still.

Are you listening? What do you hear? Or, are you drowning out the life around you with the sound of your voice, your music, and whatever else you claim to be yours. May we as the church continually remember that we must lose our life so that we can put on Christ and live!