We Need Salvaton, Does Our Worship, pt. 2
A couple of days ago I mused about the nature of some of the worship in our churches. My point was that some of what we do in the name of "worship" may not even be worship at all. Worship is by definition participatory, it can't be merely occupying a spot in a service and being a passive spectator. However, this is becoming more and more common. I'm not the only one to notice this phenomenon either. A quick google search will yield virtually countless articles, studies, and blogs about the marked decline in congregational singing, particularly in "contemporary" services. Of the services I attended during my sabbatical the most participatory, with the best singing was by far the most liturgical and formal. In fact, it was more liturgical and formal than what I perfer in a service. The purpose of my marination today isn't to broadly condemn contemporary services, since I lead one every week. Rather it is to think about why this might be the case, so that we can make our services better.
A story is told that in Morehead City, NC that years ago First Methodist and First Baptist Churches were virtually across the street from each other. In the days before churches were air-conditioned the sanctuary windows had to be open to let fresh air in during the summer, with the result being that the congregations could hear each other's singing. As one might expect from rival denominations and churches, Sunday mornings at times became competition to see who could sing loudest (if not best.) Even if we don't have that sort of environment now, what has happened to the thought of an entire congregation singing their hearts out in praise of the Triune God?
It's not hard to imagine dear old Aunt Sephonia dutifully banging out hymns on an old upright piano in little churches all over the land in years past. The purpose of "Aunt Sephonia" banging out hymns on the old upright was to enable the congregation to sing better. There's not much thought of her actually performing on it, and a lot of the time nobody would have wanted to hear her actually just perform. However, she got the people started singing and played the four part harmony in the denominational hymnal. This gets to what may be at the heart of some of the issues with congregational singing today. The purpose of musicians in church is primarily to lead, encourage, and enable the congregation to sing better. The average band in a church cannot perform one of Kristian Stanfill's great worship anthems nearly as well as what you hear on the radio. It doesn't need to though, it needs to be able to do it well enough to encourage and invite everyone else to join in.
Contemporary worship has several issues to address. First, it is a given that the music that is used is indeed very, very popular making those popular services. You get to hear and sing much of the same music you hear on the radio in the car. A drawback to this is inherent in the music. It is all unison. Without access to written parts everyone sings melody. The difficulty for music leaders is finding a pitch that is comfortable for everyone. The key that works well for some people will be very difficult for others, thereby discouraging them from singing. Another issue isn't so much with the music itself, but with the way it is done. At one service I attended during my sabbatical, the band was quite good, but was so loud that I couldn't hear myself sing, and looking around the large auditorium,not another soul was singing either. One last issue that constantly needs hard work is the technology that is inherently necessary for a good contemporary service. They are much more technologically demanding than a "traditional" service. The church must have good A/V and sound equipment and people. If there is a problem with the computer communicating with the projector or if there are sound bugs, the entire service comes off the tracks resulting in a metaphorical trainwreck.
I think the key to improving this worship lies in part in addressing the issues mentioned above. First, regarding music. It's not practical to provide four part harmony in a contempary service so nothing can be done there, except that the music leaders need to be sensitive to the key they choose. Leaders should be intentional in inviting the congregation to sing, and this may mean turning down the volume. Music leaders should also be mindful that not all good music is necessarily conducive to being sung congregationally. As much as possible, the music should reinforce the message of the sermon, so that the service is a cohesive whole. Second, the church cannot do a good service on the cheap. It must be willing to pay for good equipment and to train good people. If it isn't willing to do this, then it shouldn't undertake a contemporary service. Third, there must be ways to involve the whole congregation. Obviously, congregational song should actually be congregational. Beyond that, what in the service invites the people to participate? Is there a place for the Lord's Prayer, is there some form of creed or response from the people? Fourth, there should be multiple voices in leadership. The pastor shouldn't do everything. For example, I don't do the children's sermon because there are several people in the church who are much better equipped to do it than I am. If there is involvement from others, then the service becomes more the worship of the people than a production put on for the people. Lastly, worship should be a family affair. We shouldn't segregate off younger children for their service, the youth for their own service, and then expect them to magically appear at the "adult" service when they turn 21. Part of worship should be teaching and training younger children in what we do when we worship. Inherent in the greatest commandment in all of scripture, the Shema in Deuteronomy 6, is the command to teach our children.
When you go to church this Sunday think about what you are doing there. What do you do beyond breathe and occupy a seat? What are you offering to a sovereign God beyond passive attendance? What is being asked of you during the service and as you leave the service? In a couple of days I will turn to one more iten relating to worship that has been marinating since worshipping at two very different churches yesterday- worship as a family reunion.
A story is told that in Morehead City, NC that years ago First Methodist and First Baptist Churches were virtually across the street from each other. In the days before churches were air-conditioned the sanctuary windows had to be open to let fresh air in during the summer, with the result being that the congregations could hear each other's singing. As one might expect from rival denominations and churches, Sunday mornings at times became competition to see who could sing loudest (if not best.) Even if we don't have that sort of environment now, what has happened to the thought of an entire congregation singing their hearts out in praise of the Triune God?
It's not hard to imagine dear old Aunt Sephonia dutifully banging out hymns on an old upright piano in little churches all over the land in years past. The purpose of "Aunt Sephonia" banging out hymns on the old upright was to enable the congregation to sing better. There's not much thought of her actually performing on it, and a lot of the time nobody would have wanted to hear her actually just perform. However, she got the people started singing and played the four part harmony in the denominational hymnal. This gets to what may be at the heart of some of the issues with congregational singing today. The purpose of musicians in church is primarily to lead, encourage, and enable the congregation to sing better. The average band in a church cannot perform one of Kristian Stanfill's great worship anthems nearly as well as what you hear on the radio. It doesn't need to though, it needs to be able to do it well enough to encourage and invite everyone else to join in.
Contemporary worship has several issues to address. First, it is a given that the music that is used is indeed very, very popular making those popular services. You get to hear and sing much of the same music you hear on the radio in the car. A drawback to this is inherent in the music. It is all unison. Without access to written parts everyone sings melody. The difficulty for music leaders is finding a pitch that is comfortable for everyone. The key that works well for some people will be very difficult for others, thereby discouraging them from singing. Another issue isn't so much with the music itself, but with the way it is done. At one service I attended during my sabbatical, the band was quite good, but was so loud that I couldn't hear myself sing, and looking around the large auditorium,not another soul was singing either. One last issue that constantly needs hard work is the technology that is inherently necessary for a good contemporary service. They are much more technologically demanding than a "traditional" service. The church must have good A/V and sound equipment and people. If there is a problem with the computer communicating with the projector or if there are sound bugs, the entire service comes off the tracks resulting in a metaphorical trainwreck.
I think the key to improving this worship lies in part in addressing the issues mentioned above. First, regarding music. It's not practical to provide four part harmony in a contempary service so nothing can be done there, except that the music leaders need to be sensitive to the key they choose. Leaders should be intentional in inviting the congregation to sing, and this may mean turning down the volume. Music leaders should also be mindful that not all good music is necessarily conducive to being sung congregationally. As much as possible, the music should reinforce the message of the sermon, so that the service is a cohesive whole. Second, the church cannot do a good service on the cheap. It must be willing to pay for good equipment and to train good people. If it isn't willing to do this, then it shouldn't undertake a contemporary service. Third, there must be ways to involve the whole congregation. Obviously, congregational song should actually be congregational. Beyond that, what in the service invites the people to participate? Is there a place for the Lord's Prayer, is there some form of creed or response from the people? Fourth, there should be multiple voices in leadership. The pastor shouldn't do everything. For example, I don't do the children's sermon because there are several people in the church who are much better equipped to do it than I am. If there is involvement from others, then the service becomes more the worship of the people than a production put on for the people. Lastly, worship should be a family affair. We shouldn't segregate off younger children for their service, the youth for their own service, and then expect them to magically appear at the "adult" service when they turn 21. Part of worship should be teaching and training younger children in what we do when we worship. Inherent in the greatest commandment in all of scripture, the Shema in Deuteronomy 6, is the command to teach our children.
When you go to church this Sunday think about what you are doing there. What do you do beyond breathe and occupy a seat? What are you offering to a sovereign God beyond passive attendance? What is being asked of you during the service and as you leave the service? In a couple of days I will turn to one more iten relating to worship that has been marinating since worshipping at two very different churches yesterday- worship as a family reunion.
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