Guitarists with GAS

The above is a great video on how to get different sounds from your guitar/amp/pedals rig. Loads of good ideas and funky combinations from the guys at Worship Central.

As I watched this video, though, I started to get a bit uncomfortable with the 'bit of funs' and 'kinda cools'. The more I thought about, I realised that the problem I had was with encouraging guitarists in a worship team to pursue a certain anorak-ism about guitaring that required the purchase of all sorts of fancy gadgets and gizmo's, notwithstanding the time and effort required to dial in settings, tap tempos, pump treadles, and then there's all the sticking on of little bits of velcro, the plugging in of little jack-to-jack-leads, arranging little cables... I can't tell the difference anymore between guitar players and guitar nerds! I think that the goal-posts for church music are being.

I am a guitarist, and one of the fun things about being a guitarist is the glittering treasure-trove of things you can buy - guitars, effects pedals, amps, slides, Ebows, pedal boards, power supplies... you end up with what's known as GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome - and no guitarist is truly immune. Macari's and Rose Morris in Denmark Street were like Santa's Grotto to me. I would spend afternoons in there just making puddles of saliva on the floor. For the record, I play a Tokai LoveRock (sycamore-topped beauty), through a Korg Pitchblack strobe tuner into an EHX LPB-1 '68 reissue booster set at 9 o'clock into a Boss Super Overdrive with a low gain and bit of treble boost into a vintage Boss CE-3 chorus(c. 1982) with low rate and high depth with the A out going into an EHX Holy Grail Plus reverb set to a wet-ish spring into the amp, and the B out going to a Samson S-Direct DI to the desk. I have a tendency for GAS - in spades.

But before I started building my rig, I was aware of the tendency to become like a child in a sweet shop, buying the latest gear, poring over magazines, and just generally believe satisfaction will come with next acquisition of gear. I wanted to use music to help people respond to God's Word sincerely in song. So I bought a good guitar that would be easy to use and play on stage, and a few basic effects to allow me the variety necessary to sit in the mix well. I dream about Giga-delays and Crybabys, but I am actually quite satisfied with what I have, and besides constantly improving my technique, there's enough sonic landscape to explore on my little pedalboard for a long time yet. I am a servant in ministry, so my brief is to serve, not to wow or make noises that are 'kinda cool'.

Maybe I can summarise what I'm trying to say in a few points:

• The simplest worship music is often the best. Trying to get too complicated will tend to narrow your field of view, causing you to disengage with those around you in corporate worship and to enagage more with the music you're creating. It's a small step from here to windfans in front of the stage...
• As a guitarist, don't overdo it. You're only there to point people to Jesus. Learn to ditch anything that might come in the way of that. If you like pedals, make sure that you are still being a good steward of the money God has given you, and keep them for private pleasure. Church is not an opportunity to play around with your latest Keeley-modified T-Rex Mudhoney. Effects pedals are not from the devil, but they are not the Holy Grail of music in church either (unless you're talking about my reverb unit).
• Don't lose the plot; be a servant; glorify Jesus.

Grumble.

The Leaner and Fitter Music Group

Evangelicals Now runs monthly magazine in the UK. The articles can be accessed online at http://www.e-n.org.uk. Of particular interest is the Music Exchange column, written by Richard Simpkin of St Helens church in London. Have a read of this month's article, entitled The Leaner and Fitter Music Group. I now have a piece of paper on the wall over my desk, reminding me to pray for the music team, and more specifically, what to pray for them.

iPod Oblivion = Gospel Oblivion?

I know, but this is still about Christians and music!

On Tuesday, I spent some time mowing the lawn. To make this unenviable task slightly more bearable, I took out my tiny (PRODUCT)RED iPod shuffle (social action at work here) that my lovely wife gave me as a graduation present, with our names laser-engraved on the back. I stuck the little white buds in my ears and I was in a happy place - shuffling through Velvet Revolver, Dido, Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Feist, Pearl Jam, Regina Spektor, The Fray...

I was in a state known commonly as iPod Oblivion. In New York City, legislation is under review that will make it illegal to use an iPod while crossing city streets. In 2007, two people were killed in Brooklyn and Manhattan after failing to notice cars bearing down on them as they crossed streets. In one instance, bystanders even screamed for the victim to "Watch out!", but she didn't hear.

But what if the little world I retreat into with my iPod wasn't just affecting my own safety, but that of others? As I mowed my lawn on that Tuesday, it drew nearer to 5 o' clock. I live in a complex, and that is just about the only time when you see people outside of their little boxes and on the streets and lawns of the complex. There are people getting out of the car to open the garage door, people taking the kids or the dogs for walks, people going on their after work run, people in their gardens spending some time in the green after working in the grey. What a wonderful opportunity to meet people and chat - and even try to have Gospel Conversations! Instead, the only contact I had really was the sight of some limply raised hands of greeting.

But here's the Christian with his loud lawn mower, bright white ear-buds firmly in his ears, and admittedly, not very approachable. It is probably quite an antisocial sight. But in this window of opportunity, I should be the one saying "Watch out!" to the unsuspecting victims of God's wrath. My iPod oblivion is nothing compared to their 'Christ Oblivion'.

As ambassadors for Christ, as those who have God's light in our hearts as treasures in jars of clay (2 Cor 4), as those whom God has chosen, we should be making the most of every opportunity. Whenever we are around other people, there is always the opportunity to chat and tell someone about Jesus.

When you are in the garden, out for a run, on the train or the bus or the taxi, at the gym, think twice about what opportunities you may have for the gospel, and don't put things in the way of that - because it really is the reason we're still here.

As for me, I'm going to mow the front lawn open-eared from now on, ready at every moment to switch off the motor and pass the time of day with my neighbours, get to know them and maybe even ask, "What church do you go to?"