An Important Dialogue About Worship Music

This has been floating around in many of the online circles I run in.  It's a very, very good dialogue between three guys who I admire for thinking theologically and pastorally about worship--Kevin Twit, Mike Cosper, and Isaac Wardell.

Here are some of my takeaways:

• On the topic of songs and "singability" of modern musical idioms:
  • It is often said that a lot of "contemporary" music is unsingable...too many flourishes, too many pop-vocal-isms.  People say that about U2's music--too high, too irregular.  And yet, for many reasons, you attend a U2 concert and you find thousands of people joining in songs, where many people who would normally say "I'm not a singer" or "I can't sing" find themselves singing away. There is something profound about this observation.

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Eleven Reasons Why Singing Is Important

As a worship leader who tries to engage people pastorally, I not infrequently encounter men and women who don't care one bit about the singing portion of a worship service.  It's pulling teeth for them.  There are a host of reasons.  Often times, it's personal--they don't feel they have a good voice, or the emotion tied to singing is uncomfortable and foreign for them.  Sometimes it's philosophical--they believe that the only important part of a worship service is the sermon and so they just want to "get on with it."

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Where Has All the Singing Gone?: The Bifrostian Vision

Isaac Wardell and Bifrost Arts offer a great reflection here.  In true Bifrostian fashion, the video is simple and artistic, with a strong and unique message.  Wardell speaks of Bifrost's own counter-cultural moves of in-home, in-art-gallery, in-church "hymn sings," where the goal is to enjoy the beauty of singing together in worship of God.  The vision cast in this video corroborates the mounting evidence that the tide is turning with younger Christians who are exchanging hype for history, lights for liturgy, passivity for participation, and hits for hymns. 

Choice quotes:

It seems like we're listening to more music than we ever have...but, we're making music together less and less.  We're singing together less and less... 

When I walk into churches, I notice a disturbing trend, that people are singing less and less in congregations.  While our music production values may be getting better, while many of us have churches that spend a lot of time thinking about the quality of the performance of our music, congregational voices seem to be fading into the background... 

More and more it seems like people show up to church and they expect to have a worship experience delivered to them rather than people showing up excited to sing together... 

I think it's important that we urge our congregants not to think of our worship services as a concert hall, as a time that we come to receive something; but to think of our worship services as a banquet hall where we come to participate in something together.

Bifrost Arts represents perhaps the "radical reformation" strand of the hymns movement in modern worship reformation, reforming not only text (through re-engaging old hymns), but music.  The indie, quirky, elegant, pop-orchestral, Sufjan Stevens-esque musical style is different and refreshing.  Folks like myself are on the other end of the spectrum, seeking similar reformation through building bridges by engaging the most widely expressed musical idioms.  Perhaps we're more analogous the "Lutheran reformation," seeking reform through as much continuity as possible.

Wardell's statements rightly question whether the musical idioms of mainstream evangelical worship music are conducive to the goals of musical worship, i.e. the glory of God through strong congregational participation.  Authors like T. David Gordon, author of Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns, obviously feel that the modern music enterprise is so bankrupt and devoid of substance that it cannot be redeemed (some day, Lord-willing, I will muster up the strength to write what I hope will be a fair but critical review of Gordon's book).  I think differently.  While I share some of those concerns articulated by Wardell and brought to their extreme conclusion by Gordon, I am comfortable to live in the tension, because: (1) I've participated in "arena worship" services that are successful in drawing the congregation out (thus proving that it's ultimately about the heart, not the level of production); (2) perhaps what we are doing by retaining culture's dominant musical idiom can be like a "gateway drug" for mainstreamers to begin to explore hymns in different, beautiful musical idioms, like those of Bifrost Arts.

In any regard, I give Isaac Wardell and Bifrost 100% of my support for their music and broader vision for a brighter day in Western church music.

Kauflin Shares Insights on Crowder's Church Music Conference

Bob Kauflin, Sovereign Grace pastor and worship leader, author of Worship Matters, and blogger at worshipmatters.com, reflects on his time participating in Crowder's Fantastical Church Music Conference last weekend.  As the time was drawing near for this event, I posted about why this conference was significant, especially from the perspective of the hymns movement.

See Kauflin's whole post, but here are some of my takeaways:

• Isaac Wardell and Bifrost Arts "led us in a low-key but engaging time of singing that was built on a more formal liturgy than most of us were probably used to. I thought they did an effective job showing how a liturgy made up of more historic elements, when well led and properly explained, can really serve to focus our eyes on the person and work of Christ."
• According to Kauflin, it sounds like Rob Bell was a little gray on the doctrine of the atonement.  Hmm...
• Four quotables from the "Why Do We Sing" panel discussion:
  --“Singing is a way we give ourselves away.”
  --“We sing to remember and re-member.”
  --“We are separate from the world and singing helps us remember that.”
  --“Singing involves relationship, faithfulness, and trusting in the work of Christ.

Wesley's Words to the Free-Spirited Singer in the Congregation

This is the third installment on a series of posts exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.

Reflections on Rule #1
Reflections on Rule #2

3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

Just as rule #2 was an expansion of rule #1, so this rule is a check on the previous.  Rule #2 encouraged us to “sing lustily” so as to not appear “as if you were half dead.”  Rule #3 places some boundaries around what Wesley means.

We’ve all experienced it if we’ve been in a worship context long enough: the free-wheeling singer who sticks out from the rest of the congregation.  Either it is their sheer volume, or it is their “theme and variations” we hear trailing off when the congregation is normally pausing or taking a breath.  Sometimes, people are just, as they claim, “in the Spirit,” singing freely and personally unto God.  Though I don’t want to discount our freedom in worship, there is a shocking irony in the fact that this rule comes from Wesley. 

If we know our modern church history, we’re aware that the holiness/Pentecostal tradition emerged out of that strain of Protestantism born out of the teaching and influence of John Wesley.  Pentecostals sometimes don’t realize it, but they are heirs of the Wesleyan tradition.  Ironically, it is perhaps the Pentecostal tradition (and its strong influence on modern evangelicalism) which most often departs from this rule of their spiritual grandfather.  Pentecostal worship is often a context in which people freely express their individual praise in a corporate setting.  I have been in some (moving and encouraging) services where open times of free singing “in the Spirit” have been created.  The sound is not quite cacophonous, because there is usually a tonal center (many times anchored by a keyboard pad) that tethers everyone to complementary melodies and harmonies.  But this is no doubt the sound of many individuals singing to God with their own song, who happen to be in the same room and share the same musical key.*

When we dial that down several notches, we experience perhaps what is more typical in some free mainstream evangelical worship contexts—one or two individuals singing more freely and loudly than the rest of the congregation.  You can hear them trailing off at the ends of phrases when others have stopped.  You can hear them singing drawn out “descants” above the congregation.  There’s certainly something I applaud and admire about this: they are unashamed; they do not want to let their fears about what other people think of them hinder their expression of their affection for God; they want to be an example of naked, undignified, David-style worship.

But Wesley’s words are appropriate here, and if you read between the lines, you realize he’s making a profound theological-philosophical observation.  Wesley is pointing out that congregational unity in singing is a symbol of our unity as one Church under Christ.  The oneness of our sound mirrors our oneness as the body of Christ.  Our doxology expresses our ecclesiology.  When we sing together we are making a theological statement about our unity, and Wesley is pointing out that something is robbed from that when individuals stick out.

This is admittedly tricky, and it probably requires some coaching of our congregations to have a rudimentary understanding of “choral sense.”  If everyone’s primary goal were to not stick out, we’d have a soft, weak congregational sound.  In choral singing, unification is not so much about everyone sharing equal dynamics (volume), but sharing a blended voice.  God made some voices naturally stronger than others.  So without making it overly technical, as we sing, we should listen to the people around us, seeking to match our tone, our vowels, and our overall sound.

One of the drawbacks of the dominance of the pop-rock genre in much of worship today is that you have to work harder to remind your congregation that they are, in fact, a choir.  The musical style is used to supporting soloists and more flamboyant vocals.  Some traditionalists say that this disqualifies pop-rock from being a good vehicle to carry congregational song.  I disagree, if only for the simple reason that I’ve seen plenty of counter-evidence.  Still, the worship leader should expect to have to fight the good fight of molding the congregation into a choir when they lead out of the pop-rock genre.

So let’s heed the good word of our mentor, Wesley, and let our praise reflect who we are—the one, glorious Bride of Christ.

*If you want an example of this, though not mentioned in my review of Hillsong’s album A Beautiful Exchange, you can note on Brooke (Fraser) Ligertwood’s song, “Like Incense / Sometimes by Step,” she says before an extended musical interlude, “Lift up your own song to the Lord,” ushering in a time of free singing to God.

Singing Corpses: John Wesley on Lackluster Worship

The following is part of a series of blog posts dedicated to exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.

Reflections on Rule #1

2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, than when you sing the songs of the world.

Wesley is obviously using rule #2 to press his admonition in rule #1 further.  When I read rule #2 to our congregation a few months ago, the line, “Beware of singing as if you were half dead” elicited laughter.  But it was a nervous laughter because it exposed the truth.  It is not an exaggeration when I say that over half the congregation really does look half dead or half asleep.  In my early years of worship leading, this shocked and discouraged me.  If you are a new or aspiring worship leader, you must learn to anticipate and then ignore this, or else you will find yourself perpetually discouraged.  If you are a Presbyterian or some other brand of Christianity whose history of worship expression has been marked by austerity and reservation (usually the more liturgical traditions), know that your “singing corpse” statistics go way up.

I fear that Wesley’s final sentence falls on deaf ears because, since his time, we’ve moved even further away from being a singing culture, such that we don’t really “sing the songs of the world” like he means anymore.  However, I think there’s an importable analogy in the way we use our bodies (or don’t use our bodies) in corporate worship.  For us, it seems like pulling teeth for anyone to raise their hand in worship above shoulder-height.  The irony is that these same people who claim, “I’m just not that kind of worshiper” go home and lift both hands high in the sky, jumping up and down, screaming, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” when their uniformed idols carry a leather ball across a certain demarcation on a big grassy field.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for exuberant football-watching.  But when those same “lusty fellows” tell me they’re just not that kind of worshiper, they are exposing a duplicity of the boldest kind.  I’ve more thoroughly developed this worship vs. football-watching reflection in a previous post, so check that out if the musings intrigue you.

Wesley’s point was about singing, of course, not use of bodies.  “Be not ashamed” is a helpful point for those who feel they don’t have a good voice.  Harold Best points out in Unceasing Worship that, regardless of training or lack thereof, the voice is the one instrument everyone has to make music to their Maker.  We should therefore overcome our anxiety about our voices and press on.  Each Sunday, I stand beside my co-pastor, Marty, and overhear his tone-deaf singing (he freely admits this, by the way).  He often moves up and down as the melody moves, but one is never guaranteed an accurate pitch.  What I appreciate about Marty is that he is not hindered in exuberantly singing to God with his voice.  And I don’t consider his voice a distraction…I consider it sincere, and in its sincerity, it is very beautiful to me.  Ultimately, the One we are supposed to please is God, and He indeed does look into our heart.  If our heart is saying, “I’m trying my best,” I believe God is more pleased with that one than a world-renowned baritone who is “singing as though half dead.”

Worship as a Cross to Bear: John Wesley’s Anti-Consumeristic Approach

The following is part of a series of blog posts dedicated to exploring John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

For every Sunday that I have led worship; for every special event where I have led congregational singing, there is always at least one person (but usually a measurable percentage, such as 5-10%) who refuses to sing, and stares at me or the band or the screen.  Their look almost always communicates one of four things—boredom, distraction, disgust, or anger.

The following reasons are the “usuals” that I’ve heard:

• They refuse to sing because it is a certain style
• They refuse to sing because they don’t know the song
• They refuse to sing because the song is too hard to sing
• They refuse to sing because they dislike congregational singing
• They refuse to sing because they believe they have a bad voice
• They refuse to sing because they don’t consider themselves a follower of Jesus and don’t want to give lip service to praising Him (in my opinion, ironically, this is the most honorable reason).

There are more, but these are the biggies.  Wesley has some important words to speak to the matter.  First, we must admit that his words seem very forward and maybe even offensive: “Who are YOU to tell ME how and when to sing with the congregation?  That’s MY choice!”  The individualism and idolatry of self had not yet wrapped its gnarly fingers around the neck of America when Wesley was writing this.  (But obviously something was going on which was significant enough for Wesley to put it into his rules…and put it first, at that.)  Why would Wesley demand that we “sing all”?  Because there are many reasons why it’s tempting not to.  Notice the word “tempting”?  Yes, the enemy takes pleasure out of robbing God of the worship He is due, and all our many “reasons” play right into his hands.  Wesley was aware of this.

Second, Wesley points out another worship-robbing idol: our own comfort.  The fact that, for some, to sing may be a “cross to bear” insinuates that it is still a worthwhile endeavor despite its difficulty.  In fact, it is a way that we become more like Christ.  For the person who says, “I just don’t like singing…I don’t get a lot out of it.”  Wesley’s answer is, “It’s not about you. Deny yourself and take up your cross.”  What a different approach to worship!  Worship (specifically singing) is not a product to be consumed by some and left on the shelf by others.  It is something we all must do, even if it means it is at times (or permanently) difficult for us.

John Wesley's Rules for Singing

Perhaps many have seen this.  It has circulated far across the world wide web.  I find it fascinating how relevant Wesley's points are today.  These rules for singing used to be a mainstay in Methodist/Wesleyan hymnals.  I've printed them in our worship bulletins, and they've elicited interesting responses.  Here they are:

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, then when you sing the songs of Satan.

3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, not stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.