I mentioned this briefly on another thread, but not at length because it was not the best forum or directly relevant to the OP.
Now I have been a church musician (guitar and bass) at multiple churches in the past, so I am by no means pointing fingers at anyone. But it seems to me (and my past experience as a church musician would seem to confirm this) that the presence of a band of church musicians in worship (including just piano and organ) sort of smacks in the face of the priesthood of the believer because there is a separate group performing a distinct function of the worship, as opposed to the unity that is manifested when the congregation itself is the band.
In my reading of arguments for and against instrumental worship, this point has not been a common argument, but I feel it is strong and worth keeping around in the a capella arsenal, so to speak. The reason I bring it up is because I would appreciate comments (from both sides of instruments) on whether (and why) this is felt to be a strong argument or not. Now for the official question:
Does having church musicians distinct from the congregation necessarily have negative implications for how the priesthood of the believer is demonstrated in corporate worship?
(N.b. I am aware that giving everybody a tambourine would eliminate this problem, but that would be a strange church.)
Now I have been a church musician (guitar and bass) at multiple churches in the past, so I am by no means pointing fingers at anyone. But it seems to me (and my past experience as a church musician would seem to confirm this) that the presence of a band of church musicians in worship (including just piano and organ) sort of smacks in the face of the priesthood of the believer because there is a separate group performing a distinct function of the worship, as opposed to the unity that is manifested when the congregation itself is the band.
In my reading of arguments for and against instrumental worship, this point has not been a common argument, but I feel it is strong and worth keeping around in the a capella arsenal, so to speak. The reason I bring it up is because I would appreciate comments (from both sides of instruments) on whether (and why) this is felt to be a strong argument or not. Now for the official question:
Does having church musicians distinct from the congregation necessarily have negative implications for how the priesthood of the believer is demonstrated in corporate worship?
(N.b. I am aware that giving everybody a tambourine would eliminate this problem, but that would be a strange church.)