Jan 27, 2012
Women in Ministry Series: The Lesser Minister
We are lucky to have the multi-talented Alise Wright as our guest blogger for today’s post:
I don’t know if music can technically be a part of your DNA from a scientific standpoint, but I’m pretty certain that music was etched into my soul from the start. From my earliest days, music has played an integral role in bringing me joy.
Likewise, the church has always been a part of my life. Some of my first memories are in the church. I can’t think of a season when the church hasn’t been a key character in my existence.
It makes sense that the two would find their way together.
It started from an early age, singing and playing the piano with my family music group. We were like the von Trapp family singers, only with cassette tapes of Amy Grant and Sandi Patti. And there were only five of us. And none of us were running away from Nazis. But otherwise, just the same.
Later music and faith came together in our church’s choir. Then again in college at the Newman Center. I’ve played the organ for a small mainline church and a keyboard stack in a large mega church.
Music and faith are inextricably linked for me.
But music as a ministry? That idea was a bit more elusive.
The overwhelming majority of my church experience has taken place in congregations where women were not permitted to be leaders.
No one ever said that women couldn’t serve, they just couldn’t lead. Women could teach Sunday School or work in the nursery or beautify the church building or be a part of music. However, the distinction between serving and leading always seemed to make these things the lesser ministries, and because I’ve never been one who liked to be pushed to the sidelines, I simply didn’t think about playing music as a ministry. It was just something that I did as an act of worship.
Then music was taken away from me for a season. I was told that I could attend church, but not have anything to do with music.
I thought that I could put it away. I could still worship from my seat on Sunday morning. I could still sing along to my MP3 player. I could still play the piano in my home.
But though this was all true, there was something missing.
The ministry aspect of music.
No matter how much I wanted a more prestigious seeming ministry, music was the ministry to which God called me. Playing was a way for me to enter into worship, but it was also a way for me to help others do the same. By doing this, I was participating in ministry.
And when I was ministering to others, God ministered to me.
If the creator of the universe can minister to me without a fancy title, I don’t need a title to minister either.
About Today’s Blogger
Alise Wright is married to her best friend and is mom to four incredible kids. She loves knitting, writing, playing keyboards in her cover band, and eating soup. She also loves making new friends and you can connect with her at her blog, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
About the Women in Ministry Series
The Women in Ministry Series is a collection of guest posts that aims to:
- Provide an alternative to the women in ministry debates by telling the stories of women in ministry.
- Encourage women to explore their God-given callings.
You can stay updated on the latest post each week by signing up for the weekly e-mail list. (You also get a free E-book if you sign up in January)
Comment Policy: Everyone is welcome to leave a comment. However, this series takes for granted that women are called by God into every facet of ministry. This is not the place to debate that point and such comments will be removed. Women have been told “no” in far too many places. This is one place that is committed to saying “yes.” For more about the comment policy, read here.
Next Week’s Blogger: Tamara Lunardo (of Tamara Out Loud)
I appreciate your perspective, Alise. When you have been gifted by God with skills to minister, you go do it, with or without a title. Some of the truest leaders I know have led from the sidelines.
God knows who we are and what we can do through him; he will give us the grace to abound in every good work.
Amen. It can be hard, when the title is denied based solely on your gender, but it’s important for me to remember that my gifts aren’t dependent on the words of those around me. Thanks for your comment!
I have always felt that music ministry was one of the most important ministries. It has certainly had more hand in healing myself and others I know, as well as leading people to the presence of Christ, than any other ministry. I may be biased though…. I am a violist on a worship team.
Oh, I LOVE strings. I’m always a little giddy whenever we bring in strings players with our worship team!
Alise. My heart breaks to read stories like this, and I have a million more questions. How did you reclaim your music ministry? What reasons were you given to strip it from you in the first place? How do you feel now that you refused to be pushed to the sidelines? I applaud you for listening to God, rather than man.I want to know more. And why on earth are we comparing ministries anyway (I don’t mean you are, I mean, why do people do this?) as if, in the body, an eye is not as important as a mouth. Grrr. It all just makes me feel even more discouraged about the state of the modern church.
1) Honestly, I was dying without playing. I finally got the courage to ask the music director if I could sub in on keys as needed. Later, my now bff asked me if I’d join his band when the regular keyboardist left.
2) The kicked out was at another church. It was nearly the end of me & it was related to me simply refusing to be bullied by a pastor who said he supported me and then didn’t when push came to shove. I was called unsubmissive, which I guess technically is true, because I wasn’t okay doing what they said.
3) Playing saved my faith, and that is no exaggeration.
Nice work, Alise. That thing HE out in you to love is made to get out and touch others. That is how it is completed I think.
*put (I have fat fingers, what?)
Yup. For a long time I thought it was an idol and that loving it was bad. But nope. It’s just part of who I am.
One of my motivations for this series came from seeing how hard it was for me to sort out my ministry calling. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for women who have to deal with all of these mixed messages. Yikes!
Mixed messages is right, Ed!
I have known several women who were talented and gifted musicians AND worship leaders who were barred from exercising their gift simply because they were women. One was told, “You’d be a distraction.” Ugh.
So wish this wasn’t your story, too Alise, though I am so glad you are telling it true like you know it. I am a huge believer in the telling of our stories to one another, to listening to one another. It can be transformative, the telling and the listening.
Great series idea, Ed. I’m gonna subscribe!
Alise,
This was beautiful–from the Von Trapp (obvious) parallel to your final revelation not only about yourself but about your God, this was luminous. It’s a lesson for us all: we honor God when we behave how He has made us. Thank you for not burying your talent or allowing others to assassinate it.
Alise,
I’m so glad you were able to reclaim your calling to ministry in music. I wish I could.
Like you, music is so much a part of my life that I found myself in “music ministry” before I even knew what that meant. I started singing in church when I was a toddler; pounded out my joys and sorrows at the piano through my growing up years and into early adulthood; was privileged to be a lead worshiper for ten years. Then it all stopped – or nearly so. A new senior pastor came to our church who was a former worship pastor. It became abundantly clear that my gifts were no longer needed or wanted except as a fill in if there was absolutely no one else available.
At first I told myself that it was my choice to step down. After all I understood the realities of the modern worship culture and the truth is, I just did’t fit anymore. I’m a woman, (strike one) who plays keyboard instead of guitar, (strike two) and am in my 50′s (strike three – you’re out).
So I “moved on” to other areas of ministry. And though I am an ordained minister in a denomination that champions women in ministry (at least on paper), my “ministry” now mostly consists of leading women-only events and researching curriculum and sermon materials for my senior pastor and other male pastors on staff.
At first I thought this was fine. I was a little tired of the weekly stress of worship leading – trying to keep a multi-generational congregation happy is no small or stress free task. I too thought that singing and playing at home or along with my recorded worship music would fill the space left by worship leading. But soon I realized that I had stopped singing – stopped playing altogether. And that’s when the ache started. I didn’t even know what it was at first. It wasn’t until I was at a gathering of friends and someone asked me to play that it hit me. My reaction to her request was such a strong NO that it surprised me. I excused myself to the ladies room and broke down in uncontrollable sobs.
Now I’m in a waiting season. I am working on a Master’s degree and trying to prepare for whatever God has in store for my future. I believe that He’s not finished with me, even though it appears that my church might be.
I know I’m late commenting on this, but I feel like I, too, know how it feels to have a calling and not be used or wanted. I’ve got the 3-outs going that Vicki spoke about… plus I don’t have the “education” of a great musician, nor am I ordained…
I have managed to hold onto a tiny bit of ministry — I play the piano prior to the beginning of our church’s Sunday morning service. Sometimes, if I am very “lucky”, I am allowed to accompany the congregation for a “contemporary praise song” before the “real” service…
This morning was our new music director’s first Sunday and I have been scared since I heard he was coming. I don’t want to be “fired”. (It’s been done before when a man comes along who is deemed “a better fit” than a woman…
My heart and my prayers go out to all of you who are still staying in the church while not really being of it. And I hope you can find a friend and encourager who will stand with you while the war continues to rage.
linda marie