The Corporate Voice and Instrument
One of my favorite references to a throng of people giving thanks to God Almighty in musical form is found in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah in the twelfth chapter. At this point in the story, the Lord has miraculously reconstructed the wall of Jerusalem through His people amidst threats, discouragement, and other setbacks. Now, the harps, cymbals, lyres, and voices are assembling together to praise the Lord for His mighty deed. The wall is rebuilt! One great choir has Ezra at the helm as they proceed down the right side of the wall. Nehemiah joins another choir to the left. Then all at once the sound erupts as Jezrahiah leads the musical procession as “they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar” (verse 43). Can you imagine the decibel level of the rejoicing if it could be “heard from afar?” My heart is filled with awe as I consider this glorious moment where God’s people expressed their gratitude and appreciation for all that He had accomplished.
When we “continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” as seen in Hebrews 13:15, one cannot help but be caught up in the moment of thanksgiving and join in the procession. The corporate voice and instrument is an incredible gift given by the Lord. It is the joyful expression of the Holy Spirit inside us declaring appreciation for all the Lord has done. None can be its rival!
For nearly twenty years, I have led corporate singing and music in the church. There are few greater joys than to hear a multitude of believers, whether hundreds or thousands, gratefully lifting their voice to the Lord in musical form. Of course, it comes with its fair share of challenges. Consider this for a moment: what other occupation exhorts a gathering of people spanning multiple generations, having a variety musical preferences, and “can’t carry a tune in a bucket” to fulfill a command of worship as in Psalm 95?
It is my joy to have this occupation. Each week we strive to encourage our congregation to actively participate in singing by providing songs that are singable, easy to follow, and compliment the theme of the service. We carefully select songs for our library that are “congregational” in nature, or singable. We can promote singing if the notes of the song are in a comfortable range for the average attendee. We can also promote participation if the song’s meter is not too complicated. The more predictable the motion of the song is, the quicker it can be learned and enjoyed. And finally, we want to be intentional with the theme of the musical portion of the service. We can strategically guide our congregation to express emotions of joy, trust, sadness, grief, and more using music.
Congregational singing and music is a gift God has given us. Many times, it helps us express emotions like gratitude and thanksgiving in a way that words by themselves just cannot. It is my prayer that worship leaders across the world see the beauty in empowering their brothers and sisters in Christ to make a joyful noise unto the Lord despite any musical preferences or inadequacies that their people verbalize. May the sound of God’s people rejoicing in who He is and what He has done be heard from afar!
