What Is the Purpose of Our Singing?
When it comes to singing the hymns and choruses of faith, how do you feel about your congregation’s level of investment?
I have pastored four churches thus far. Quite frankly, the most passionate singers that I have encountered in those four pastorates were the folks in the 75-member church that I pastored as a seminarian during my years in North Carolina. They sang with conviction, as though they believed the message in their music were nothing less than urgent in its content. They sang with joy, as though they believed that they were actually supposed to be happy about what they were singing. They sang loudly, as though they believed that mumbling their way through a hymn were simply not an option.
It is not at all my intention to disparage the other congregations that I have been privileged to serve. They are dear to my heart as well. But, when it comes to singing the faith, those saints in rural North Carolina taught me some things. They taught me that our hymns and choruses are not simply liturgical connectors linking one part of worship to another. Nor are the hymns and choruses merely preparation for the proclamation of God’s Word. Rather, our music IS the proclamation of God’s Word. Beyond that, our music is our only appropriate response to a God who deserves more than the mundane tones of a spoken voice. God, in other words, deserves the multi-tonality of a singing congregation.
One of my great frustrations in ministry is the singing of some of our congregations. Some congregants simply stand there and look bored until the singing stops, stubbornly refusing even to mouth the words. Some bury their faces into a hymnal (which, by the way, is not much better than staring blankly at a video screen). Some read the bulletin to fill the time until the final chord is struck. Such an environment makes me all the more grateful for those who sing with a spirit of vibrancy and joy.
I am not insensitive to the fact that many worshipers are tone deaf and otherwise musically challenged. I am not suggesting that every worshiper has to be a gifted musician. My sense, however, is that the blandness of much of our congregational singing has less to do with musicianship and more to do with a lack of spiritual investment in the discipline of singing our faith.
I am currently reading a book by Paul Minear entitled THE BIBLE AND THE HISTORIAN (Breaking the Silence About God in Biblical Studies). In the book, Minear devotes a chapter to this great hymn of faith incorporated by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippian church:
Though he [Christ] was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness…
(Philippians 2:6-7)
Minear offers these insights concerning the importance of this hymn to the first century church:
The hymn functioned in such a way as to shape the mind of the congregation and to clarify its sense of vocation. Emerging from deep levels of communal experience, the song articulated in both verbal and musical terms a rich cargo of nonverbal affections and emotions. It elicited memories that were relevant to meeting current dilemmas and dangers. The hymn assumes that the story of Jesus is prototypical of the story of the Messiah’s family. By singing it the congregation affirmed a hidden conjunction between God’s exaltation of Jesus and God’s design for all things. (THE BIBLE AND THE HISTORIAN, page 249)
I find myself wondering how many of our people look upon the hymns and choruses as a clarification of our vocation and “a rich cargo of nonverbal affections.” How might the tone and spirit of our congregational singing change if people understood worship music to be an expression of the “conjunction between God’s exaltation of Jesus and God’s design for all things?” What can I do as a pastor to help the congregation (including yours truly) to grow in its theological appreciation for the purpose and function of music in the church’s liturgy?
These are some of the questions that this humble old pewboy is asking as he prepares to lead his congregation in worship once again.
I have thought a lot about this same subject. The last church I served was traditional and did not sing with any urgency. The congregation I now attend uses media and praise and worship songs and does not sing with any urgency.
I think our culture has trained people to be spectators rather than participants. I think people listen to the music and are impacted by not only the words but the tune as well, but do not participate because they are trained to approach life as if they were on the outside looking in.
I think the issue says less about our approach to music and more about our failure to train people to participate in life in community. Most people look to the sermon because they see it as an abstract teaching with which they can agree or disagree. Listening to a sermon has become a private experience for most. They don’t have to react, respond or share with others.
But singing forces one out of that private moment into an expression of community they don’t often experience in other spheres of their life.
I think people fear this and that is why singing does not occur with boldness in most congregations. What the answer is…I don’t know. I just wanted to critique the culture.
Thanks, Randy.
You raise some interesting questions about the connection between communal singing and community—and the resistance to both.
Eric-
A dear saint named Ann from CUMC (wish I could remember her last name–I think she moved before you were appointed there.) once asked why our worship of God was not every bit as vibrant as is the enthisiastic “worship” displayed at a Steelers game. I live in hope that someday I’ll see that kind of demonstration in the pews. It makes me adapt my own involvement in worship and also makes me grin.
Dear Hummmmmble old Pewboy:
First of all I don’t concede that you are old, but I recognize the wisdom God has granted you beyond your years.
I like Randy’s point. To add to it. I think something we are losing is singing in harmony. There’s nothing like the old hymns in 4 part harmony to draw you out of your shell and into a community participation. Maybe that’s something the Noth Carolina folks had.
Another trend I sense with our youth is that they socialize and talk while music is being sung. I wonder if it isn’t part of the constant background of music that we drown ourselves in with ipods, etc., as a backdrop to our existence. It cheapens music. Does anyone else sense this as well?
Brad
Debra…Ann sounds pretty cool!
Brad…great points. Truth be told, the folks at the North Carolina church were not musically accomplished enough to be all that interested in harmonization. There wasn’t a whole lot of that going on. It had more to do, I think, with the vibrancy and enthusiasm with which they sang.
Your point about the youth is an interesting one indeed.
eric,
i think that when you sing song’s durning your sermon from your childhood people pay attention. they love to hear songs that a little kid would sing by their pastor.my mom will go around the house sing this song or that song for a day or two. and soon enough we’ve heard it so much all of us are singing it. i don’t know why we sing songs that little kids would sing and not the ones from the hymnal. i think they’re more exciting to sing to.and maybe for some the message is clearer in the song. i don’t have any clue on how to get people to sing with more excitment.it seems to me like the people who know the songs sing with there heart and the people who don’t know the songs just sing and try not to mess up.
sarah
I am the tone deaf member of your church. My experience with singing came when I bought a Casio and began singing Christmas songs as loud as I wanted (when no one but the cat and I were home). She came up and started talking to me about my singing and I thought she really liked it so I sang louder. She jumped up on my lap ( I thought to join in), but only to bite me on the cheek to shut me up. Yes, that is me, the tone deaf, but still singing member of your congregation.
Heh, heh…
Keep right on singing, my friend!