This is a sensitive issue with a lot of musicians. If you don't beleive so, look at all the threads that ask, "Should musicians get paid?" "How much?" "If musicians get paid, shouldn't singers get paid, too?" "What about the MOM that doesn't play; should they get paid?" Etc, etc . . . the list goes on.
Now part of this answer, really, goes to you personal integrity . . . . are you laboring? Or just volunteering a gift?
Are you
laboirng? Meaning do you have to put in hours to learn a song and memorize all the progressions, spend money on yourself to perfect your gift, buy CD's and go to other churches and concerts to keep up with the lastest songs, turn off the TV to learn songs when you could be relaxing with your family, organize and direct people who often have attitudes and moods, rush to get to services because people are waiting for you to supply a service that not everyone can provide, answer to someone who is over you, use your own personal equipment to minster to others . . . in my humble opinion,
that is laboring.
if you enjoy music and have a gift for it, in my humble opinion, that is
volunteering a gift. I have directed choirs off and on since I was fifteen, and never recieved a penny and never wanted to because I just volunteered my gift. I was blessed with good rhythm and even though I couldn't sing very well, I could get others to sing for me. It wasn't the same as what the musicians did . . . I didnt sweat for hours to get a song right, memorize progressions, choose two or three keys in case we were sharp or flat that Sunday, etc.
Now, that aside . . . . a plantation mentaility is that someone should labor for nothing.
Oops.
That is
exactly what a plantation was. Some labored with back-busting labor and sweat, and
someone else profitted from it.
Oops again.
See, it is GOD's system that labor carry reward.
When a person labors and is denied their reward, it steals hope from their souls[/u].
Bit by bit they get bitter, lazy, medicore . . . because they are not laboring in hope.
Rewind and repeat. Some of you are getting delivered right now from a plantation mentality. . . . whether you are keeping someone else on a plantation by making them sweat for nothing, or whether you are sweating for nothing, Iknow in my spirit someone is being set free right now.
Rewind and repeat. When a person labors and is denied their reward, it steals hope from their souls.
I know that some will not agree, so let's go to what the Bible says. This is what Paul said to those who criticised him for taking up an offering: Mine answer to those that examine me (criticize me) is this, have we not the power to eat and drink?
Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own expense? Who planteth a vinyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock and eather not of the milk of the flock?
For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth GOD care for oxen? Or saith HE it altogether for our sakes?
For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (I Corinthians 9: 3-4, 7, 9-10.)
Now this is not to say you should march up and demand something for playing. Some churches honestly can't give anything but their sincere love and gratitude. And more than anything, we go where GOD sends us, because we are not hirelings . . . we care for the people GOD sends us to.
But even if you are one of those churches who can't give anything . . . could you not take up an offering once a month to give to the musician to show that you love him or her? Could you not bake some cookies, a cake, take them out to dinner? Couldn't you give them some reward, so that when they labor they labor in hope?
Laboring without hope keeps people on the plantation. Whether it is your pastor, a minister of GOD, or your musician or Sunday School teacher who labors to teach your children . . . . don't deny a reward to those who labor for your blessing. Come on, folks . . . let's leave the plantation.
Be Blessed