The Next Generation Church Choir

Every fascination exists at the possibility of creating something no human has ever considered. Recognize the brilliance of a Benedictine monk, Guido of Arezzo (ca. 1000), who is credited with the idea of placing neumes (notes) on lines to distinguish pitch.¹ What developed was a dynamic system of communicating linear movement of tones through the dimension of time, forming a convergence of disciplines into a unified system through music notation. In simpler terms: It made music consistently repeatable through the use of music notation. By definition it is its own code that can be spoken, sung, sounded or silenced with precision. Once learned it has no bias and can be presented in myriad tonal shades of blue, dark, light, airy, soft, gritty, rich, or strong, in complex layers deep or as thin as a whisper of smoke on a breezeless summer night. It speaks through sound and silence, through vibration and stillness and can be interpreted with movement, with text, with light, even with nothing (John Cage’s 4’33”). It is the amalgamation of our combined experiences that gives music its dimension. In the church, it is the resonance of praise through the breath in our lungs for the generosity of selfless love and sacrifice that gives it our sincerity.

What does the next generation of church choir look like? What does it sound like? It looks like us. It sounds like us. The next generation are the seeds we plant as our lives are being transformed by Christ. We are all in fact the product of the previous generation’s changed life in Christ. The sound of the choir in a worship service is more than the vocalization of pitched vowels and consonants that form phrases in a thematic context. It is the heartfelt resonant joy of people who invited Christ in for fellowship when he stood at their door and knocked—Revelation 3:20|

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

This is more than the sound of many voices. This is a body, a community of believers who sing as individuals with the conviction that their voice is more than just the one of the many. This is their singular praise to the one who knows every hair on their head. The quality of their ministry is the direct result of leaders who shepherd and guide them on their journey. The directive comes from Jesus himself and is the call of the shepherd leader— to lead, to feed, to love and to protect the lambs and sheep.

Jesus Reinstates Peter | John 21:15–17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus revealed to Peter that the most important act of service and love for the Lord is to care for His sheep. How do we lead the sheep through a choir ministry?

A good shepherd is an effective musician/rehearsal technician

• Teach good technique. Breathe; focus on the tonal center; actively listen and be aware of your contribution. Make the application by teaching people to breathe in the midst of uncertainty and frustration; focus on Christ; listen more and speak less and be aware of your contribution to a situation.
• Know the score. Know where you are going! You have the score to guide you. Make the application. You have the Bible to guide you.
• Be musical. Speak the language, know your terminology, speak with confidence and boldness and be a mentor. Make the application to live and speak with transparency, define Christian terminology in easy to understand definitions, and train up leaders to care for the flock by giving them responsibility.
• Establish core values of musical excellence. Set a precedence of leadership that sponsors precision and accuracy but has room for grace and mercy. Make the application that we have to maintain a Christian code of ethics including our code of conduct in kindness, building others up, nixing power brokering and hidden agendas, and living to our fullest potential in Christ—full of grace and mercy for one another.
• Maintain a servant’s heart with a leader’s quality. The reflection of Christ should be the image that people see in us. Make the application that Jesus’ only agenda was to reveal and accomplish the will of his Father by providing the way, the truth and the path to eternal life.

The Way, The Truth, The Life | John 14:6–11

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Conclusion

Creating is part of our existence. Caring is part of our transformation. We create relationship opportunities as we are being transformed by the renewing of our own mind—revealing the good, pleasing and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). With good leadership, the next generation church choir will be a catalyst for change reflecting the light of Christ through their visibility in worship—pointing people to the One who truly is the way, the truth, and the life.

¹ Guido’s text is given in vol. II of the series Scriptores Ecclesiastici de Musica, published in 1784 by the Benedictine scholar Martin Gerbert.