Let's be honest, it sucks. No tech guy or gal enjoys making a mid-service cameo.
Channel light? On. Fader? It's up. Is he wearing his headset? Yup. RF? Nada. Is the pack on? Ugh. In the loudest silent stare possible, you glance at whoever's job it was to change out the batteries. And in one quick swipe, the drawer slides open, you reach for the spare body pack, only to remember it's still not working from the last time this happened, even though you had the best intentions of sending it right in for repairs. So you grab two AA Procell's—four to be safe—and thus begins, “The Walk of Shame,” those 50 steps from the sound booth to the stage that take only 20 seconds, but feel like an eternity.
Not even on your wedding day did 200 sets of eyes glaring straight at you feel so piercing. You can already picture the email for a special “brainstorming” meeting on Tuesday beginning to be typed out. You think to yourself, if the Rapture is gonna happen in my lifetime, now would be a good time. Ok, get it together. Here we go: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will…” Whew, made it to the stage. The pastor pulls the pack out of his back pocket and hands it over to you, pretending as if you're not there and neither he nor anyone else in the jam-packed sanctuary can see you or knows what's going on. Click. Pop-pop. Wait a sec. Good to go. Exit stage left. Breathe.
Anyone who has served in the tech ministry for any amount of time has experienced some version of this narrative. Whether it be forgetting to change out the batteries, a pack that dies, a headset that isn't fully screwed in, or my go-to mistake… putting one battery in upside down, there will inevitably be a time where you are certain all the pre-service boxes were checked, but come go-time, you will be taking the walk to shame. Let's be honest, it sucks. No tech guy or gal enjoys making a mid-service cameo.
Every stare from the congregation is a stare of justification for choosing to serve God in a ministry that by definition is the mitigating of problems.
When I began this article, I titled it “Overcoming the Walk of Shame,” however there's no “overcoming” it. Yet, you can make the best of it.
Consider Philippians 3:13b-14: “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (ESV).
Do not forget that no matter what happens during the service with technological mishaps, Christ will reward you simply for your choice to serve him in obedience. In the immediate context of this verse, Paul is saying that everything he has gained, he counts it as loss for Christ (vv.7-9). The goal is a future resurrection with Christ pressing on “because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (v.12). Notice that Paul is speaking in two distinct tenses here. There is a past tense of what Christ has already done, and a future tense in what Paul himself must do. Paul views all his clout as useless and his failures as ways for God to be gloried and for God to perfect him. In this way, our “walk of shame” was already perfected in Christ upon death at the cross and our coming to faith in him. Every step we take from the tech booth to the stage is a step toward the cross of Christ. Every stare from the congregation is a stare of justification for choosing to serve God in a ministry that by definition is the mitigating of problems. For you have chosen to step out in faith, obedient to the calling for which Christ personally made to you, and for that “our citizenship is in heaven” (v.21a), not the booth or long pathway of frustration, that is built upon “the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (v.21b).
Want to make the best of the situation? Beat your pastor to the punch. Email or text him first. Apologize for the distraction. Let him know that you will look into what went wrong, and you will put the proper checks in place to ensure it does not happen again.
Ok, so that may give you some level of confidence while taking care of the issue, and it can make you feel good now, but what does that mean in real terms? You'll still receive that text from the associate pastor as soon as you return to the booth, and an email from some other pastor asking if you knew there's a problem with the pastor's mic, 15 minutes after you've already fixed the problem. How will you make the best of that? Earlier in the Book of Philippians, Paul exhorts: “In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (2:3b-4). It's time for a gut check. If you are the TD or volunteer in charge with oversight of that aspect of the service, it is on you. Be humble, apologize, and understand that our mistakes do affect those around us. When the equipment goes down, even if it is something that you really could not control, it is still on you. What your pastor desires from you is a contrite heart that understands, and takes responsibility. Your honor is already perfected in Christ, but the deed still has consequences.
Want to make the best of the situation? Beat your pastor to the punch. Email or text him first. Apologize for the distraction. Let him know that you will look into what went wrong, and you will put the proper checks in place to ensure it does not happen again. “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph 6:10). The way to do that is to not blame the volunteer who forgot to double check the number of bars on the body pack, or blame the fact the budget was cut so you could not get new ones. Be proactive in understanding that we as technical artists also have an affect on the congregation and their receiving the Word of God. And if there really are bigger issues with budget or not enough volunteers, follow up later in the week after you have taken a proper amount of time to examine the situation, and let him know both what you are planning to do in the short run as well as attaching a request in writing explaining that this is a priority for the next budget cycle, because you do not want it happening again either. This is how a tech leader demonstrates leadership.
With every walk of shame comes a chance to grow in the character of God and in stature with your church leadership should you decide to make it so.
