June 2021

Tools of the Trade  

by Lynne Modranski

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV)

Psychologist Abraham Maslow said, “When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail.” This quote reminds me of some Christians. They have a desire to do the work of Christ, but their limited arsenal makes it look like they’re shooting rubber bands at Satan’s flaming arrows.

Those who work in the technical side of the church can easily fall into this trap. Every new gadget we add makes room for one more thing to go wrong. When Mohr wrote Silent Night, the organ bellows and heat in the stove were the only techie issues. But even that ancient church musician will tell you if something can go wrong, it will.

The problems we encounter drive home the need for more tools in our arsenal. Not an extra cable, zip tie, or wire cutter, but the armor.

In my church, I’m the worship leader and the tech guru. – If you knew my tech skills, you’d be sad for my church. – I’ve trained a few teens to click through the church presentation software, start the live stream, and hit the unmute buttons on the soundboard; and I worship. When we face tech problems, I simply continue to worship.

It’s not always been like that. I have allowed myself to get caught up in the problems. But I’ve learned to leave the problems for Monday through Saturday and give my attention to Jesus on Sunday, regardless of which slides don’t make it on the screen, the squeal in the sound, or the internet going out in the middle of the live stream.

Yes, even the tech crew needs every piece of the armor.  We need the belt of truth to remind us God is holding everything together even when we lose power to the computer. And the breastplate of righteousness will protect our heart against the lie we aren’t good enough.

All would agree cars need four tires and a walk in subzero temperatures requires proper winter wear. Yet many attempt to do the work of God without a growing knowledge of the Word of God. For every ounce of information we garner about the latest MediaShout worship software, we should put at least that much of the Sword of the Spirit within us.

The tech crew must always be ready for the unexpected, but more than anything else in the tool bag, we should be fitted with the gospel, because our real mission is to present the story of Jesus Christ in a way that connects, but doesn’t blend in, with today’s culture.

As Christian leaders with a goal to help grow the Kingdom, I challenge you to put on the armor. When those tech issues hit on Sunday morning, go to prayer before you touch a button. Polish the armor all week by participating in a small group to help you understand scripture and become comfortable sharing the gospel. Because, after all, if we’re going to be workmen in God’s kingdom, we’d better make sure our toolbox is full.

About the author:

Author, Speaker, Worship Leader

Lynne Modranski leads worship and small groups at Sycamore Tree Church in Follansbee, WV. She loves writing songs, devotions, and studies to empower the congregation. You can find more about her at LynneModranski.com