5 Ways to Increase Singing in Worship — Stop Missing Out What it Has to Offer!
I am often stumped when I play a song on the organ or piano for worship, only to hear the sound of crickets and coughs. So. Many. Coughs. I ask, “why doesn’t anyone sing?”
Worship should be a place where people make music. That doesn’t mean you went to school to study music or that you’re Beethoven or anything. It means that you sing with some kind of excitement and conviction. You believe what you’re saying and singing and you are singing it because you believe it.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be religious or anything. It certainly helps, especially with all the Jesus language. But for congregational singing, it isn’t required. Here is some advice from my experience that will help people to sing more!
1. Singing for Everyone
That makes sense. Anyone can sing! You don’t need schooling to sing. But the thing is, many people think that you do. I mean, it certainly helps! But in church, the purpose of singing is different. Many pastors like to tell people that when you sing, you are praying. That might be true. I don’t know. I am more practical and stay away from poetic language if I am trying to get something done. For me, singing at church is more for the sake of community. How many times have you walked into a public bus and then immediately couldn’t wait to get out? Lots of us I’m sure. Churches can feel like this! But when we sing together, we are singing for each other. You are singing for the person in front of you and to your sides. It is not only about singing your faith. American Idol likes us to believe that singing is about coming from your heart. That’s all well and good but it seems kind of lacking in community to me. The people next to you need to hear your voice and they, hopefully, will be inspired to sing as a result. We sing for each other, as a community!
2. Singing in Worship is about Gaining Something New
Have you ever taken the time to read your hymnal? It’s amazing. I honestly tune out sermons often. I have heard them all. Thousands of them. And they aren’t that effective for me. But that’s me! I’m not here to tell you to not listen! The pastors prepare well for them! But the thing is, if the ownership is on me, I pay attention. The hymnals give me a chance to reflect on the words. Check out the hymn below. It’s called As We, Your People Gather by Howard Maple:
As we, your people, gather with wearied hearts,
O Lord, let prayers be now uplifted for peace to be restored.
May healing and repentance in every land be known,
as sword is turned to plowshare and seeds of trust are sown.
Now this is only the first verse but WOW, what a way to start! We humans love images and have vivid imaginations. Even though I’m not very good with poetic language, I love it when it’s used well! This hymn creates a solid image of a sword becoming a plowshare — a weapon becoming something that looks toward the preservation and well-being of the future. I gained something new and if I sing it loudly for the people next to me, then they will get it too!
3. Listen to your People
This one is hard for lots of leaders. It takes a lot of humility to be able to do this one. A while ago, a lady came to me after service. She was nice enough and appreciated my organ playing. But then came the critique. I braced myself! The organ was too loud. Too. Loud. Well, I thought, TOO BAD! But I listened cordially enough and took a step back when she said, “people want to sing. They just can’t hear themselves.” Wow. Her reasoning was solid. People want to hear themselves. If we can’t feel the difference we are making, then we tend to shut down immediately. I was lucky. She felt comfortable enough with me to tell me! Most people go to church day in and day out until they die without every having said a word to the musicians at the church about the music. Not on the list of priorities for everyone, I know, but it can be! That doesn’t mean that musicians have to abide by everyone’s suggestion but it creates a trust between people to communicate these things. I am more likely to sing if I know that the director of music has my best interests in mind. This takes lots of time so be patient with yourself!
4. Make it Personal
I heard about this one recently at a conference. Know your hymns! Pretty straightforward. The more you know about hymns and songs in worship, the more you can engage the music and make it personal for the worshiper. For example, everyone knows Silent Night. But most people don’t know that it seriously could easily have NEVER been written?! It was made purely by accident. In 1818, the organ of the parish church in Oberndorf in Tyrol broke down just before Christmas. Franz Gruber, the organist, and Joseph Mohr, the priest, wrote the song and sang it just in time for Christmas Eve! Not every hymn or song has some amazing story to go along with it but the more we can uncover about the tunes and text and how it applies to today, the more the listener will be inclined to sing it!
5. Make it Relevant
This one never gets old. Make your hymnody relevant. It’s easy for musicians to punch in and punch out of the church. I’ve done it for sure. But the more we realize that it isn’t hymnody and singing that is irrelevant, the more we realize that they’ve been made irrelevant. Take this hymn, for instance, by Mary Louise Bringle called Can You Feel the Seasons Turning?
Can you feel the seasons turning, winds and waves grown wild and strange?
Can you feel creation groaning, fearful of the coming change:
ice caps melting oceans rising, homes and habitations lost?
Can you feel the seasons turning?
Can you count the bitter cost?
Powerful stuff, huh? Again, this is only the beginning of the hymn but you see where it is going. And it’s obvious what it’s referring to. We need to take care of our planet. Humans take up lots of resources so we need to be the best stewards we can of what we use. Again, the more we know about the song’s application, the more we can convey it to each other at worship, in the bulletin, in conversation, at Bible study, or wherever.
I hope this has been helpful! Check out your local music program at your church to see ways you can get involved in creating a more musical worship. Directors are always in need of energetic and enthusiastic people to help them. You don’t need to have Beethoven’s expertise to be helpful!
