James T. Lima
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
~ Psalm 95:1-2
We must get the role of congregational singing in musical worship right. Notice that I say, “Musical worship,” and not just, “Worship.” “Worship” is not merely synonymous with the part of the service that involves singing. The whole of the service should be engaged in as an act of worship—not only our singing, but our prayers, our giving, our attentiveness to God’s Word. But the musical element of our worship is significant. And as I said, we must get the role of congregational singing in musical worship right. Or on the flip side, you could say that many of the issues that pop up in church music stem from getting the role of the congregation wrong (or at the very least, not considering enough the role of the congregation).
What is the role of the congregation in musical worship? I find it helpful to summarize two of the major approaches to congregational singing as a concert model and a choir model. First, consider the concert model. Think of the last time you attended a concert—whether your favorite bluegrass band or the local symphony. What is the role of the majority of people in the room? Spectators. You find your seat in the audience and wait for the real professionals to get started. You may be invited to sing along, but that is the extent of your active involvement—singing along. This is also what we do in our car when we sing or hum along to our favorite songs.
This is often what Christians do when they go to church. The trained musicians ascend the stage, and the congregation sings along or, for many people, doesn’t sing at all. It is often reinforced by the lighting, design and layout of the room, the style of singing, and the volume of the music that the voices that really matter are the ones up front. I’ve been in times of musical worship multiple times where there were many hundreds and even thousands of Christians in the room and you could barely hear them. And don’t think that this only happens with “contemporary” worship music. I’ve seen organs, orchestras, and church choirs express this model of church music in much the same way as twelve-person contemporary bands.
The concert model of church music both accommodates and feeds the culture of individualism, consumerism, and constant entertainment in which we all swim. You’re there to watch and be entertained by your favorite songs. When you do join in, it’s just you singing along with the band or having a personal time of worship between you and God. Whether or not you can even hear the voice of the person next to you is essentially irrelevant. The “us” of corporate worship is (to use a musical term) muted.
Contrast this with the choir model. In the choir model, the congregation isn’t an audience or a group of semi-passive onlookers. Instead, the congregation is the choir! The congregation’s voices matter, and not just as individuals, but as a whole—as a choir where each part comes together in beautiful harmony or powerful unison. The introduction to the Trinity Hymnal includes a helpful address to the congregation:
God has called us to be worshipers. To glorify God in this way is our chief end, both in this life and in the life to come. Too easily the pews become seats where spectators sit to enjoy a performance by others. The Bible knows nothing of such a passive dimension in worshiping God. Worship involves the entire congregation in performing for the enjoyment of a divine audience. The pastor and other leaders are there to guide us. Worship is ours to do, and to do as well as we can! One key place where all of us become active is in the singing of hymns.
God is the audience, we are the choir, and the music leaders are the accompaniment adding direction, structure, and beauty to the singing of the choir. It is our role to sing together, and to so to the best of our ability, for the glory of the God who made and redeemed us! It is not that someone else sings and we sing along, but instead that we sing together and each of our voices matter. Musical worship is not the work of a few professionals but the work of the whole body. Whether accompanied by a piano, organ, string quartet, guitar, or no instruments at all, the main thing is the congregation lifting their voices together in worship. As my professor and friend Mike Glodo once told me, “Everything must start from the standpoint that God is the audience and the people are the performers in worship. A lot of things fall into place if that is followed consistently.”
The importance of the voice of the congregation is further reinforced when we realize that we sing not only to praise God but also to build up one another. Consider Paul’s exhortation to the church in Ephesus, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 4:18-20, emphasis mine). How often do you consider the “one another” aspect of our singing? We need to hear and be built up by the voices around us! There have been Sundays when I could hardly sing through my tears, but I could stand surrounded by the voices of my dear brothers and sisters. And even as we are built up, we need to sing as we are able so that our brothers and sisters may benefit from our voices!
Pastors and music leaders, consider if your practices enable or disable congregational singing! What does the room you meet in for worship communicate about what is happening and what the role of the people is when you gather? Are the tunes of your songs singable and in singable keys? Does your musical accompaniment aid or draw attention away from the singing of the congregation? Do people know when to start and stop singing? Can the congregation hear one another? Can they see one another?
Church members, consider the importance of your voice in musical worship! Consider how you can step out of your comfort zone and lift up your voice with your brothers and sisters. Consider how you can grow in your singing ability. I am firmly convinced that anyone can learn to sing (yes, even you!). Are you a confident singer? Then sing in a way that will help those around you to join in. Whether or not you are a professional singer (or even a good singer), God has given you a place in his choir! May we glorify God and build up one another as we lift up our voices together in song! O come, let us sing to the Lord!
