How to Sing in the Church

How to Sing in the Church

Go ahead, Pull out all the stops

Sing like it’s your last day on this glorious earth

Even if you don’t have the chops

Praise is the main reason for your own wondrous birth

So crone with lot’s of emotion

Sing like no one else is in the cavernous room

This is part of your devotion

Let your heart-felt emotive praises fully bloom

Stay on pitch and remain in time

But also with controlled heavenly abandon

Play close attention to those rhymes

From the first alleluia to the final amen

That ought to do it.

Just Sing!

Sing a New Song this Sunday

“Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.” – Psalm 149:1

With our Pastor’s concurrence, I pick the music for our blended worship services. Sometimes I take this task for granted.

I once shared a comment from our Pastor with a friend of mine. In this particular comment, my Pastor mentioned that he particularly liked a contemporary song and that he in fact wanted to add it to his list of contemporary favorites. My friend replied that I was giving my congregation new and fresh ways to praise their savior and that this was an incredible privilege. He is right.

This is what singer/songwriter Michael Card says on the subject of new songs:

“To sing new words that have never been sung just this way before, to play combinations of notes that have never been heard, to wonder whether they will have the desired effect on the listener, whether people or God – the sharing of the new song is an experience unlike any other.

In the wisdom writings of the Old Testament (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) we see excitement about the singing of a new song. The simple act of writing and singing something new demonstrates that the truth contained in the Scriptures can now be placed in the heart of the community as they sing together the truth of who God is. By singing the new song, they have made this truth their own. “
– Michael Card

I think that we miss something as worshippers if we only recycle the same old songs. The next time that you sing with your fellow believers, imagine how the songs sounded to those who heard them for the first time. Notice how it affects your perception of the songs.

—

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song;play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 40:3a He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Psalm 98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 144:9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

Isaiah 42:10 Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song:“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Revelation 14:3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

—

He wants us to use a New song. A song that is Copyright 2012. Could it be that God wants us worshipers, and particularly us musicians, to keep writing new and fresh music for and about Him?. New music must be pleasing to God.

USE IT! – Consider introducing a fresh new song to your congregation this Sunday.

Practice Time

How much time does your musical team get together to practice? Our band currently has four members (two guitars, one keyboard, and one who plays light percussion and adds harmony background vocals), we all like to sing, and we lead the music on a monthly basis (one Sunday per month). In preparation for this monthly service, we try to get together about three times a month (taking one week off) for about one hour each week. This equates to about three hours of group practice for one hour of leading musical worship. To me this seems just about right because you can hear the songs really coming together by the end of the second or the third practice depending on the complexity.

Our band is made up of all seasoned musicians with a combined 100+ years of musical experience at our respective instruments so one might think that we don’t need much practice. But the thing is, each month we have new songs to learn so it’s important to get together to divide up who will be singing which parts, who will be driving the arrangement, what key signatures to use, how we will introduce the song, who will take solos and where (if at all), and most importantly to get the feel of the overall groove of the music.

When a band practices together to hone their craft, the result is a coherent musical offering that invites congregational participation and helps in the overall flow of the worship service. Group practice allows time for the bass guitarist and drummer to work together to build the groove of the song and for the guitars and keyboards to provide the body and melody of the music.

In addition to this week night practice time, we each practice solo at home and we listen to our monthly songs performed by the original recording artists on our individual MP3 players and email youtube versions of each song to one another. Finally, we meet together about a half hour before the worship service to check our balances and to run through that difficult part once more.

In the end, we know each other very well. We can interpret looks from one another during worship. We know each others signals when something isn’t quite right; maybe the tempo needs to be adjusted based on the congregation’s singing, or maybe one of us is singing off-pitch (usually me). We are not only a band – we are friends who support one another and pray for each other.

The bottom line is that bands need to spend time together because the worship life of the church improves when this happens.

This is My Story

“This is my story, this is my song” – Fannie Crosby

“We recite the story;
We proclaim the story;
We sing the story;
and
We are called to live out the story.”
– Robert Webber

This is one of my stories. It is a true story. It is not easy to put in writing.

I Dig Hymns

I wasn’t always into church music, especially Contemporary Christian music. If anything, in the context of worship, I dug hymns. I was into God and praising and glorifying Him but music was just a tool to do this. It was part of my Sunday worship routine. I sang hymns in church and I listened to popular secular music when I was home. I separated the two musical worlds and I was happy.

My world has since changed.

Wake Up!

I started playing guitar somewhere around age 14. But once a job, a house, a marriage and a child came, the guitar playing stopped. At some point in my mid to late forties, God shook me from my musical slumber by using a Synodical instrument known as “Parish Assistance”. After all, He gave me a gift that I was not using to His glory.

Some What?

In retrospect, our congregation was floundering, at least in terms of growth and that bugged us. I wouldn’t have said it this way back then, but that’s what was happening and that’s what caused us to reach out for assistance. Among other things, one recommendation (from Parish Assistance) was to try some contemporary music. Some what? Good Heavens!

The word went out looking for anyone who knew anything about Christian Contemporary music. I did not respond because I knew absolutely nothing. Zilch. Zed. The Bagel. Hymns –yes, contemporary Christian music – no. But God can work in mysterious ways. He used someone else in our congregation, who knew that I was a closet guitarist. I had long since lost my fingertip calluses but as most musicians can attest, I did not forget how to play.

Sign, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

“Faith means trusting in advance what will make sense only in reverse” – Philip Yancy

Looking, back, I can now see God’s handiwork throughout my church life. Too bad I didn’t realize it when it was happening right before my very eyes. Doesn’t this always seem to be the case?

The First Sign – Who are these Musicians?

So, two guitarists took on the task of accompanying a pilot contemporary worship service. And in this first service I received what I can only refer to as a “sign”. As I was playing, I heard other instruments carrying the song along. Piano, drums and bass. It was so real to me; a sign only for me; a confidence booster; a reminder of His presence, a gift and a blessing. My over active imagination no doubt, but perhaps manipulated by the Creator.

The Second Sign – Welcome Ruth!

At some point, guitarist number two left the congregation and I was alone to lead worship with an acoustic guitar. It was scary and I didn’t do a very good job. There were a lot of prayers for an accomplished keyboard player gifted in contemporary music. Very quickly thereafter Ruth enters. A music teacher, a vocal coach, and a gifted keyboard player who came to us from the “Sure Foundation” Mission church in New York City. She had been transferred to CT to work as a music teacher in Granby Middle school. Guess where I live. Granby, CT; a sleepy farm town with more horses, cows, llamas, goats and chickens than people, and, 40 minutes from our church. No one relocates to CT to work in Granby! But God pieced this odd coincidence together. The first thing Ruth told me was that she was not an organist and that she enjoys playing contemporary music. Hello sign number two and welcome to Messiah Ruth.

What if Church Rocked?

I still remember exactly the first time that I played a song with Ruth. We were singing “Forever” by Chris Tomlin. I stand while I play guitar and I am located right next to her as she is seated at the keyboards. I was amazed when I looked down at her and I vividly remember two things that I had never seen in my 5 decades of attending church. Namely, she was singing into her mic with vigor as she was playing and the entire keyboard was moving around as she hammered on the keys. She sang and played with such passion, focus and intensity. I wasn’t brought up this way. Could this really be church?

After the service, a member approached and said “I really enjoyed that song Forever. Where did the lyrics come from?” My answer – “Psalm 136.”

The Third Sign – Songbooks!

We desperately needed songbooks but had no budget. Out of nowhere comes a memorial donation. A member’s relative passes, happens to have been a guitarist, and requested that her memorials be used towards church music. But we are still short, and two retired ladies in the congregation approach me and say “We love hymns and we always will, we’ve been singing the same hymns for over 60 years, but we see a passion in you and we want to pay whatever your shortfall is.” What an awesome display of Christian love. So, song books arrive. The third sign. More prayers answered.

The Forth Sign – Off to Appleton We Go!

I get real close to our Pastor. It’s that Pastor/Worship Leader relationship that I posted about a few weeks ago. He in fact encouraged me to start this BLOG. But shortly thereafter He takes a Call to serve a congregation in Appleton, WI. Incredibly, I get a business trip to be in Appleton WI on the very Sunday of his Installation service so that I could be at a manufacturer in the area for a Monday morning meeting. My first and only trip to WI, let alone to Appleton. Coincidence? Perhaps not. It could be the Master Weaver. Again.

Growing!

There were a few stumbling blocks along the way but God provided and we have been growing ever since. From about 50 attendees per Sunday when this all started to a bustling 100+ right now. We have had to expand our worship sanctuary, have had to order additional contemporary songbooks on two different occasions, and have had to order additional sanctuary seating to accommodate the growth. I know that this growth is not due to the start-up of the monthly blended service. It’s in fact probably more accurate to say that we have grown in spite of my fumbling efforts. Make no mistake, the primary instrument that God used in our church for growth, has been our Pastor working through Word and Sacrament and staying faithful to that Word. It is the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not me, never was, and never will be. I am just grateful to be a part of his ministry team.

It’s Not Me!

Everything that has happened of significance to shape our worship of Him has been His doing. He just used me and people around me to accomplish His means.

He meant for us to reach out to Parish Assistance.
He meant for Parish Assistance to shake us up.
He meant for me to be nominated and to start strumming again.
He meant for me to hear other instrumentalists when they obviously weren’t there.
He meant to bring a keyboard player into our midst.

These signs may all seem minor or just coincidence to you.
They do not to me.
I lived through them.
I prayed through them.
I’ve sensed God’s prodding and blessings through them.
I continue to experience it.
I BLOG about it.
This is my testimonial.
This was my start.
This is my story.
This I believe.

There are no Accidents

Every single thing in history is interlaced in a million infinite number of ways. I do not have the wherewithal or the wisdom to make these decisions or to alter the course of history as God has done throughout my life. God overrules everything. He alone is sovereign. Nothing happens by accident and very seldom do we get the tiniest glimpse of how He is working in our lives for the good of those who love Him.

I am blessed.
I have seen.
I have felt His power.
I have seen Him move.
God is changing my life.
His love is not abstract to me.
It is real.
It is influential.
It is operative in my life.
God chose me.
I did not choose Him.
God persists to love me despite my pushing Him away.

Thanks

I am thankful for my Savior
Who continues to bless me though I do not deserve it
for my church which I do not deserve
for my Pastor who I do not deserve
for my family who I do not deserve
for my friends who I do not deserve
and to my Synod who I do not deserve.

To Him alone be the glory. Amen.

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Pastor vs Worship Leader

In my circles, the term “worship leader” is still a relatively new thing, and actually not even used in the majority of our churches unless you are referring to the Pastor. But there are a growing number of churches in our Synod that are starting to use some blended styles of music which is very exciting, and as a result, a league of young musicians are finding themselves in leadership roles. Here’s my take on the role of the worship leader compared to the Pastor in our Synodical setting. 

Pastor	Worship Leader
Is trained and educated in theology	Is trained in music
Is responsible for the flock	Is a member of the flockResponsible for the band (musically)
Prepares and preaches the sermons	Listens intently to the sermon
Chooses the hymns	Sings the hymns with gusto
Approves the contemporary song choices and sings the contemporary music with gusto	Chooses the contemporary music
Prays for his worship leader	Prays for their Pastor
Is the worship leader’s friend	Is the Pastor’s friend
Respects and trusts the worship leader	Respects and trusts the Pastor
Brings people into membership by teaching God’s word (Holy Spirit brings them to faith)	Auditions members for the band
Practices his sermon for hours on end	Practices their music for hours on end
Reads the bible and musty old theology books	Reads the bible, devotional books, song lyrics and instrumental instructional books
Uses Logos or BibleWorks software	Uses Pro Tools, Sibelius, Noteflight, GarageBand, ForScore, and other musically related software
Can actually use these terms in a sentence: sacristy, narthex, unction, adiaophron, flagon, pericope and exegesis	Can actually use these terms in a sentence: trill, modulate, gliss, timbre, resonance, palm-muting and capo
Teaches bible class	Attends bible class
Knows Isaac Watt’s music pretty well	Knows Chris Tomlin’s music pretty well
Knows his scripture	Knows their scripture
Teaches God’s word to the flock	Teaches young musicians the tools of the trade, tips, tricks and secrets
Administers the sacraments	Is a grateful recipient of the sacraments
Writes papers	Writes lyrics
Is physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted after worship on Sunday	Ditto
Would like to meet Jesus, Paul the Apostle, and/or Martin Luther	Would like to meet Jesus, King David and/or their favorite contemporary artist
Is the worship leader’s Facebook friend	Is the Pastor’s Facebook friend
Know’s the original languages (Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic)	Know’s all the key signatures
Packer’s fan (because most of our Pastors come from WI)	Local sports fan to wherever the church is located

 

The Psalm of the Day

Our traditional liturgy has a chanted responsive singing of a Psalm each Sunday.  To me, this is a powerful and enjoyable part of our traditional worship services that I did not want to dispense of in our blended worship services but the format just did not fit.  We tried several different approaches of including a musical Psalm reading and eventually landed on a format that has been working for us for over a year now.  Here’s how we do it:

Our approach is to read the Psalm responsively and pair it with a contemporary song that’s based on the Psalm text. The musicians start by playing through the song softly and in the background.  The Pastor starts the responsive readings shortly thereafter as the musicians continue to play music in the background.  The Pastor and the congregation continue to alternate passage readings along with the musical backdrop.  At a pre-determined point (as defined in the bulletin), the readings stop and the congregation joins in singing the song while the musician’s  increase the volume of the musical accompaniment levels.  After the congregation has sung through a verse and chorus, the alternating responsive readings continue.  This process proceeds until the Psalm reading is completed.  A sample of this technique follows:

Psalm of the Day Responsive Reading (from Psalm 100)

Song:  “A Shield About Me” (BOB#2)

Note: soft accompaniment starts

M:       I love you, O LORD, my strength.
C:        The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
M:       My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
C:        He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
M:       I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
C:        and I am saved from my enemies.

Note: Musical volume picks up as the band joins in

Congregation Sings: Verse, Verse, Chorus

Note: Keyboard plays softly in the background.

M:       In my distress I called to the LORD, I cried to my God for help.
C:        From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
M:       He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
C:        he drew me out of deep waters.
M:       He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
C:        from my foes, who were too strong for me.
M:       They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support
C:        He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Note: Musical volume picks up as the band joins in

Congregation Sings: Verse, Verse & Chorus

– – –

Personally, I find God’s word read over a musical backdrop to be very powerful and effective.

Here’s some advice for the musicians to play in this type of format:

1. Keep the volume soft during the reading portions.
2. Choose songs that have a nice simple flow and that are not too complicated.  Songs with verses and choruses work well but avoid more  complicated pieces that also include bridges or other parts.
3. The Psalms are emotional and the mood of the music should be chosen to match the mood of the readings (heartfelt, anger, joy, sadness,  remorse, introspective, uplifting, confessional, etc.)
4. We limit our band to just the keyboard player to back up the readings and the full band joins in during the singing.  This helps to identify the exact point where the congregation is expected to join in with the singing.
5.  While you are playing during the reading; try to listen to the readings and let the tone of the readings shape the mood of the music (loud, soft, fast, slow, etc.).  Don’t be afraid to put a musical space (Selah) in your music to highlight some real powerful portions of the reading.

It’s interesting that music in scripture is sometimes associated with affecting people’s hearts.  We see this in 1 Chron. 25:1, 1 Sam. 10:5-6, 2 Kings 3:14-16, and Eph. 5:18-19.  Maybe the Spirit can use this form of musical accompaniment described above to cause your people to hear His words more intently.

We do need to be just a little careful here because we don’t want the music to be manipulative or to take center stage; after all, scripture does not need to be flavored by music.  But if done properly; with quiet, simple and beautiful music, you will find that this technique  can slow the pace of the readings and allow our busy minds to settle down a little – at least it does for me and others in my church as I’ve been told.

Lastly, as a musician, it is an honor to accompany the Word with song!

Try a Little Variety!

Do you use the same singing routine week after week? 

• If you use only hymns – try a few contemporary pieces.
• If you use only contemporary songs – try a few hymns.
• Try singing a familiar congregational song acapella.
• Try a “call-and-response” type song.
• Ask a few talented singers in the pews to sing in parts during a congregational song.
• Break up a multi-versed hymn with an instrumental interlude.
• If you always use acoustic guitars, try an electric guitar.
• Try singing along to a music video that has projected lyrics.
• Try a song that includes a spoken part of scripture.
• How about writing a unique song for your congregation to sing, whose lyrics are suited to your unique situation in God’s kingdom?
• Accompany a hymn with the piano or keyboards instead of the organ or vice versa depending on your norm.
• Guitarist, there is probably more than a delay pedal on your pedal board!
• Keyboard players, you have more than an “electric piano” sound; try adding some strings or brass!
• Limited on musicians?  Try MIDI, a drum loop or some backing tracks.
• Be daring, have someone tap a tambourine in time with a hymn.
• Try some dynamics, ask the congregation to sing the verses in a quiet voice but to belt out the chorus.

 God has given us so much variety to enjoy in our lives; He is the author of creativity:

Look at the dazzling array of colors.
Look at all the types of animals, fish, insects and birds.
Look at the beautiful flowers, trees, nuts, plants, fruits and vegetables.
Look at all the different cultures, languages and people in the world.
Look at all the differently shaped snowflakes.  They are infinite.
Look at all the different fingerprint designs.  They are also infinite.
Look among a sea of faces.  Each one is unique.
Look at all the stars, planets, moons and galaxies in the universe.
Look at the four seasons.

Doesn’t He deserve a bit of our own creativity and diversity (which He gave us) in our worship towards him?

Just do it.  He has already seen to it that the musical variety is out there and readily available through the Web.  You probably have the talented people who can pull this off; He has seen to that as well.  You have the diversity in your membership; again, thanks to Him.  So enjoy it and marvel in Him who has blessed you with endless creativity and variety.

Variety is one of the best ways that I know of to prevent worship leader burnout.

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Interviewing a New Candidate for the Praise Band

We ask:                       Do you practice your instrument on a regular basis?
We should ask:            Are you committed to God and to a life of worship?

We ask:                       Do you have any band playing experience?
We should ask:            Can you control your temperament?

We ask:                       How long have you been a member here?
We should ask:            Are your children and your spouse all believers?

We ask:                       Are you dependable?
We should ask:            Are you loyal?

We ask:                       Do you know your scales?
                                    Can you read music?
                                    How long have you been playing?
                                    How is your sense of timing?
                                    Do you practice with a metronome?
                                    Can you play improvisation solos?
                                    Can you transpose on the fly?
                                    Are you bothered by syncopation?
                                    Can you play to chord sheets, lead sheets and full musical scores?
                                    Do you know the difference between cut time and 2/4 time?
                                    How about between ¾ and 6/8 time?
                                    Can you sight read?
                                    Are you sensitive to dynamics?
                                    What’s more important to you; the lyrics or the beat?
                                    Can you work with the Pastor?
                                    Are you a tenor voice?
                                    Have you ever played to a click track?
                                    Who do you listen to in your leisure time?
                                    Do you write your own music?
                                    Play something for me from memory.
                                    Do you know David’s secret chord that pleased the Lord?

We should ask:            Do you know and read the scriptures regularly?

The essential qualities are spiritual qualities and not necessarily artistic or technical qualities.  These latter two will help, but the spiritual qualities are a must have.  I don’t mean to downplay musical abilities; these are of vital importance; let’s just not forget that we are interviewing people to lead God’s people in worship and not to entertain.  Both require musical perfection as close as we can get it, but only one requires spiritual qualities.

 Notice what comes first in the following scripture passage; “heart” or “skillful hands”:

 “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” – Ps 78:72

Speaking of David, I’ll take this as the correct answer for the secret chord that pleased the Lord: “Well it goes like this; the forth the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift”

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society