Back to the Basics

A few years ago, I took my son Jeff and headed off to a nearby city for a drumming clinic. This evening event was to be held at a store which has since changed its name from Musicstop to Long & McQuade. I have played drums since my Bible College days, which was in the 80’s. My son’s interest in drumming was both genetic, as a result of me and my musical wife, and environmental. The environmental part is due to the fact that he was raised for the first 12 years of his life in Africa. When the only instrument that you hear, the majority of your church going days, is a drum of one kind or another it is bound to affect you. In case you’re wondering, my son’s drumming ability, and all other musical abilities, have far surpassed my own.

The drummer we were going to hear and learn from was named Charlie Cooley. I had never heard of him, and I doubt my son had either. Nonetheless is was a great “father-son” evening where a shared interest could be enjoyed. As well there were a ton of give-aways including SABIAN cymbals (one of the sponsors of the event). Our hopes were to walk away with some freebie. This dream was dashed as we came away pretty empty-handed.

As we arrived and got ready for the clinic, the first thing was the insertion of earplugs. At first I figured that this was for the wimps that were in the room. However as Mr. Cooley began to play, I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving that there was a sponge barrier protecting my eardrums from his incredible and incredibly loud playing.

As we got to the teaching part, Mr. Cooley began to talk about his practice routine. He travels everywhere with his drum pad and a metronome. He is continuously working on his rhythm and timing. I was struck by how many hours he put in on “the basics” on a daily basis.

How I am reminded of the importance of “the basics” in our day. Sadly, far too many feel that the basics are only for the beginners. Some “mature” past the basics and fail to realize that there are some schools in the Kingdom of God from which you never graduate.

We need to spend time on the principle of prayer every day. We need to be dedicated to the principle of fasting on a regular basis. Our lives need to be honed by the principle of the Word on a daily basis. How sad when we think that we are too professional to worry about such fundamentals.

The key to successful drumming is not in mastering intricate rolls and runs, but rather keeping rhythm and having consistent timing. All of the fluff, bells and whistles don’t mean a thing if you are off beat.

To have a successful church does not hinge upon how wonderful our programs are, how fancy our multi-media systems are or how well we appeal to this modern age. While all of those things may be a part of the overall package, it all comes down to basics. Ask yourself these question: Are we a praying church? Are we a fasting church? Are we a Word-focused church? Are we a holiness church? Do we still baptize in Jesus name? Do we still see people filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues?

You can have all the extras that you want, but if you don’t have the basics, you really don’t have a thing!