A review

Time to publish something new today.

I am heartened by the responses to my response to Paul Jackson's question about where the balance lies for gospel singing groups between "ministry" and "entertainment". That is a subject that always brings out responses in fans wanting to weigh in on that issue....and I had several who weighed in on this latest explanation of my position on the issue.

Thanks to all of you who chose to respond, especially Paul himself, who has done more than his share of entertaining ministry for some time.

I don't necessarily want to perpetuate this discussion forever(and it CAN go on for some time, I've learned!), but I feel led to add just a little more wood to the fire here.

Many respondents speak of achieving "balance" between ministry and entertainment, and I don't understand that. Saying that infers that ministry and entertainment are two opposing forces...two different enterprises. And that, my friends, is not correct(IMHO).

Consider the definitions of each...

ENTERTAINMENT: (amiong others)The act of providing pleasure, diversion, or amusement.

MINISTRY:(again, among others)An act of ministering, a ministration, a service.

Now, I ask you, how are those concepts opposed?

The answer...they're not. Unless you can demonstrate to me how providing pleasure and diversion to people is not a service to them, it's clear we're not talking about opposing concepts here.

I have always maintained that, as far as gospel singing is concerned, the entertainment the singers provide IS their ministry. Music has power that few other things have to inspire and/or motivate people. And well-performed music about the greatest message on earth can drive that message home as effectively as any medium can....not to mention that it can please and comfort its listeners immensely. I can personally testify to THAT!

If that's not the case, why did Billy Graham, among many successful evangelists, hire people like Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea to deliver his message in music to complement his preaching of God's Word? Why didn't he just sing the songs and lead the singing himself?

And the answer is because Graham knew the power that well-performed music has to rouse audiences to consider the message in the lyrics to the songs...and he naturally wanted the most skilled and dedicated people he could find to bring his message home to his audiences as possible through music. In short, Shea's singing and Barrows' song leading were much more entertaining than Graham's could be on any day....at least in his opinion, anyway! And as such, it would be a much more powerful use of music to minister to his audiences than anything he could do.

Mike Wilkins brought up in his comment the work of the Couriers...a group that did as much as anyone to erase the false lines that people try to draw between "ministry" and "entertainment". And the secret of the Couriers is that their brand of entertainment WAS their ministry...and they reached millions of people far and wide with not only their musical talent, but the preaching of Dave Kyllonen following their singing. The fact that they continue to do the very same thing they did all those years today as Dave, Duane, and Neil proves the authenticity of their calling.

Back in the day, the Couriers never cared about putting labels on themselves to define their work...they just sang well, touched people, entertained them, and in so doing, ministered to them. Audiences sensed both their talents and their integrity...and they defined "musical ministry" for their generation, and for subsequent ones as well.

So you see, the "balance" is already there, by definition! Good gospel music is the best kind of entertainment there is...and that IS a ministry!

But let's let the people decide the authenticity of the ministry before we start throwing that word around like a catch phrase, and in so doing try to appear as pious as possible to our intended audiences...OK?:-) Because they do!

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