Amateur theatre and amateur choirs and amateur anything carry with them a built-in tension. Is the primary focus and purpose of the engagement one of excellence or community, putting on a quality performance or having a good time? Before the words, “we want both!” form in your mind please understand that while both may be a proper goal every such gathering I have ever participated in has tilted more to one side of that spectrum than the other. Even the most community-minded person like me wants productions of all kinds to be “well-done” and I try my best to know my lines and know my part. And even the most focused person on “excellence” wants the experience to be fun, at least at the edges. But when push comes to shove there is a tilt and those who organize or coordinate these gatherings always show their hand as to which side of the ledger they are coming from.
In the “world of sports” I used to lean to the “excellence” side of the spectrum. When we would gather at an old tennis court to play street hockey I would dread the player who showed up and had no idea how to play the game. I wanted to play at a certain level and lamented those who watered down the quality of the game. This was true when I played baseball, hockey, basketball, etc… Then I was not as concerned or as interested in the art and experience of community-building. Activities then were about the activity itself and because I was relatively skilled at sports I was frustrated when the level of play did not reach a level that challenged my skill-set.
I believe that all of us need and want places where we can take our skills and push them to their limit, be with others who are similarly skilled and stretch to be the best we can. But as I have grown older I now see the need to have community around activities that are not necessarily based on high-end skill but instead on the gathering of the community. Yes, there needs to be a basic level of skill, knowing one’s lines in a play, singing one’s part in a choir, knowing the basic rules in an athletic contest, but the evaluation of the experience should be less about the skills being offered and more on the organic connections that are deepening in the group.
More and more churches and other places where people find community and need community need to be aware that those who come are not as likely to be looking for “excellence” and perhaps understand that what is needed is an accessible and life-giving opportunity to connect. Practically speaking what this means is letting go of expectations around the quality of the presentation and the participation. I do “get” that there is frustration when persons are offering their “part” who appear to be doing so in a rather unprepared and unconcerned fashion. There is a difference between people offering their best and that best not being “professional” and persons offering less than their best because they just don’t care. The latter makes the event less than it could be because those who are trying feel the community is not “all in”.
Community does require some level of commitment. Where communities who require less “excellence” can be compromised occurs when participants confuse “everyone offering what they have” with “just doing whatever.” There is a difference and thriving communities understand this and find ways to inspire commitment without it becoming a burden. Living in that tension and bringing out the best in all of us is a skills that organizers bring to the fore. It is a gift.