One of the first tasks that will be given to any church pianist is that of providing a weekly offertory. While some may consider the presentation of a solo one of the easier aspects of the position, I feel that the quality of the weekly offertory is one of the major factors that distinguishes a good church musician from a superb one.
Because of the role music plays in the church service, the offertory must be selected with care. Think about where the solo will occur in the order of worship. Are you following a lively choral anthem that will lead right into the congregational worship? Will the offering follow a generally somber prayer for the needs of the congregants? If you find yourself in a church without a strong liturgical tradition as I do, the positioning of the offertory may be altered weekly. There are few scenarios worse than a grandiose arrangement that follows a quiet time of meditation. Without advance thought and planning, you can sometimes find yourself in an awkward situation.
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Most of us have surely heard the church building on the corner referred to as “the house of God.” Have you ever heard the Word “Ichabod”? Other than the first name of the schoolmaster character in Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” – the word “Ichabod” was originally mentioned in Scripture. “Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel! “because the ark of God had been captured,” (1Sam. 4:21). The original meaning of Ichabod is this: “the glory has departed”.
Logic tells us that the word “has departed” denotes simply that there used to be glory, and now there isn’t. The term originated in reference to what many refer to as “the Shekinah (SHE’KEE’NA) glory” which is the manifestation of the glory of God in the temple at Jerusalem – the place where God resided. This “Shekinah” was displayed in several ways in Scripture including the burning bush, the bright light when the angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, etc. The Shekinah was only present when the Ark of the Covenant was in its proper place, in the Holy of Holies. Historically, whenever the Ark was NOT in the temple, the temple was said to be “Ichabod.” The real substance and meaning of the temple was missing. It was merely an empty habitation at that point because the essence – the glory of God – was gone.
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Many churches have difficulty finding quality musicians to play for their church services. “We’ve put up notices” they tell me. “And no one responds!” Even worse, they find themselves stuck with musicians with either inappropriate skills or poor attitudes, and have to make do because they couldn’t find anyone better.
If you want to have the best odds for finding the right musicians for your church services, follow the guidelines I am sharing here.
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