This past Sunday I woke up, poured myself a cup of coffee, and opened up my Bible to Psalm 107, which begins with this hearty exhortation:
As church leaders (pastors and elders), we should structure the worship service in such a way that encourages congregational participation, especially when it comes to singing. In an article entitled "My Congregation Barely Sings; How Can I Help?", Mark Dever and Matt Merker offer several helpful suggestions, like:
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,The psalmist then goes on to describe four accounts of people in distress whom God rescued:
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble....
- Psalm 107:1, 2
- Some were homeless, hungry and thirsty
- Some were confined to prison or hard labor
- Some were suffering as a result of their own sin
- Some were on ships caught in a deadly storm
In each case God delivered them in a miraculous way, thereby demonstrating his steadfast love. Thus each account ends with this refrain:
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
(vv. 8, 15, 21, 31)
After the fourth and final refrain, those whom God has rescued are called on to express their thanks to the Lord publicly, when the whole worship community is gathered together:
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
(v. 32)
According to this psalm, the primary way we express such thanks is through congregational giving and singing: "And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!" (v. 22). The psalm closes with this appeal: "Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD" (v. 43).
As God's people, we should constantly be meditating on the many ways in which God has blessed us, and looking for ways to express our thanks, particularly through our singing and our giving in the public worship gatherings of the church. John Piper asserts,
... the realities of God and Christ, creation and salvation, heaven and hell are so great that when they are known truly and felt duly, they demand more than discussion and analysis and description; they demand poetry and song and music. Singing is the Christian's way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.
- Occasionally sing a cappella
- Model enthusiastic singing
- Look for a balance between new and old songs
- Vary the way a song is sung
- Use songs that represent a broad range of human experience and emotion
Here is a general (not absolute) principle: the more a song depends on the musical accompaniment and cannot be sung by a couple of children in the car on the way home, the more performance-oriented and less congregational it probably is. Congregational songs tend to have singable and memorable melodies. Just because a Christian artist has created something wonderful does not mean it is appropriate for the congregation. The melody may not be very melodic. It may be too high, too low, or wide of range. It may be too rhythmic, perhaps syncopated in a way that’s difficult for untrained singers. It may be too complex through bridges, tags, or multiple keys. Such music might sound wonderful with the recorded accompaniment. Maybe the praise band can perform it just fine. But the more a congregation needs the musicians up front to get through a song, the more you can expect them to mouth the words while watching the band do its thing.What else can we do to promote better congregational singing? How can we promote better congregational participation in other aspects of the worship service? I'd love to hear your suggestions!