Worship in Song
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Worship in Song
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16).
Introduction
A lot goes on today in the name of worship. Worship, and particularly worship in song, has experienced a radical contemporizing over the last number of decades. Evangelical churches everywhere have adopted a new and modern approach to the practice. So much so that you’d be hard pressed to find a church today without a drum set or an electric guitar playing during the singing. Big bands and serious production are the name of the game. Gone are the days of “that old time religion,” and in their place: lights, smoke, and modern vibes.
Why the shift in the first place, you ask? An apparent appeal. It seems to bring the kids in. Young people today supposedly aren’t attracted to the way grandma and grandpa used to sing in church, and so we have to take it up a notch. In order to get the kids to stay and listen, the music has to be new and edgy. It has to sound like the songs they sing on the radio. It has to have less words, simpler phrases, and catchy melodies. Otherwise, they’ll get bored and find other ways to spend their time on a Sunday.
My Intention
Before I write any more, let me qualify: it is not necessarily my intention to decry the ills of this method of worship. I recognize that this may take place during the course of this article, but my goal is not to tell you why I think drums and electric guitars are from Satan. I enjoy a good free bird solo as much as the next guy. Rather, my goal is to recognize that we have begun to lose our way. That within this movement to modernize and overproduce the way our churches do worship; we seem to have forgotten the reality of any biblical precedent whatsoever. The standard in this regard has essentially become: popularity among the youth.
As mentioned, I do want to recognize that we have lost our way, but more predominantly, offer a recovery of what the Scriptures actually prescribe. Because they do in fact prescribe something. Worship, and even worship in song, is not simply an aspect of church practice that God hands over to us to do whatever we want with; let alone gather our cues from culture. God is serious about his worship, song or otherwise, and gives us clear instructions as to what it looks like; for his glory, and our good.
I would offer the following biblical observations in this regard. They are by no means exhaustive when it comes to the subject matter. But hopefully they lay something of a foundation, at the very least, in properly understanding just what God says about the way our worship in song ought to be done.
The Word Defines our Worship
“Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity” (Jer 10:2–3a).
I know I’ve already stated this in another way above, but we need to develop the foundation before we do any more building. If we are to make assertions regarding music in worship, what standard are we appealing to? Who gets to define what or how we worship in church? The Word, or the world?
Clearly, the fact that some services are indistinguishable from a modern rock concert is an indicator that many are choosing the latter, whether knowingly or not. The question today is not whether or not it would please God, but whether or not it’s trending. And I find this deeply troubling. Not because music is the be all, end all, of the entire theological battlefield. But rather, it represents a pragmatic shift from orthodoxy, that if allowed to prevail, will soon reek havoc on all else pertaining to the church.
We are simply not looking to the world for insights in how to do worship, Christians. In fact, if the music in our churches begins resembling our culture’s, to a tee, there is probably a case for concern. The instruments, the melodies, even the organizational choices should be tailored to what can be determined by Scripture, and best reflects the character of God. It is him we are seeking to obey and honor; it is he who remains the sole object of our praise. Thus, in our commitment to this end, we must declare, “To the teaching and to the testimony!” (Is 8:20). For, all else is vanity.
1) The Definition of Worship in Song
On this basis, I offer the following initial insight from Scripture regarding the definition of our worship in song. That being: that the music of the church is defined by congregational singing.
Paul’s command to the church at Colossae at the top of this article communicates this very reality. Essentially, his entire description of music for the New Covenant church is designated as singing. Singing as a result of the Word, singing with thankfulness, but singing nonetheless. This was singularly descriptive of all things music related. God’s people were to be universally involved in, and committed to lifting their voices up together.
This is clearly the same mandate for Christians today. When it comes to our churches, congregational singing is to be the defining feature of the music in our services. It is what the Lord has highlighted as the major element. Meaning, all the other aspects that play a part in the music are meant to uphold and support the singing of God’s people. This does not mean that they are wrong or completely inconsequential. On the contrary, they are vital aspects in ensuring God’s people are singing powerfully. However, they must remain subordinate, in position and prominence, to the greater aspect: singing. The instrument of worship is the church, not the pianos, guitars, or worship leader up front.
A few questions to consider: is our music centred around the voices of God’s people singing praise to him? Do our practices uphold this aspect as the primary goal? Are God’s people encouraged in their singing, or is the emphasis placed elsewhere? Unfortunately, in the effort to update worship in the church, many have actually relegated its importance, or abdicated it altogether. The modern shift to have a huge worship team, a ton of instruments, or even a choir onstage is evidence of this diversion. Instead of furthering the importance of the congregation’s role, we have outsourced it to another “team” or “group” within the church; discouraging their participation and even supporting a consumer mentality.
We must ensure we understand this primary aspect of our music and do all we can to emphasize it. We want the voices of God’s people to remain primary, and encouraged in this role.
2) The Content of Worship in Song
Secondly, and built upon the first observation, I want to look at the content of our musical worship. And that is, that the content of our congregational singing must be scriptural. This comes from the same passage listed in Colossians.
Paul tells the church, even before he asserts anything about the actual practice of singing, to, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). His very first command about music pertains to the prevalence of Scripture in the Christian’s life. They are to have an understanding of it, its teachings are to flood their mind, its reading ought to occupy their time. The Bible itself, and its centrality within the people of God, forms the very foundation of all things musical in the church.
And I believe this plays right into Paul’s next statement in the following phrase, “singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Singing them on what basis? The Word of God, clearly. After all, one of them is literally described as a portion of the Bible itself (psalms). Scripture forms the basis of all that God’s people sing and make melody to God with. Not their feelings, not their sincere ideas about who God is, but the Bible itself; summarized as the doctrine that Scripture teaches, and the glorious gospel given to the church.
I’m not going to fill up more space in this article with lyrics, but go and find the words to Graham Kendrick’s, “Shine Jesus Shine,” and contrast them to Charles Wesley’s, “And Can It Be?” With all due respect, there’s hardly a comparison at all. It seems that over time, we’ve softened and dulled the songs we sing about God to the absolute bare bones, theologically speaking. In some modern worship songs, you’d have a hard time determining whether you’re singing to God or a boyfriend. And this is a direct result of trying to make God and Christianity more palatable to modern sensibilities. An unfortunate attempt to appeal to man in worship, rather than God himself.
The solution: ensure that what we sing is deeply doctrinal, and highly Christ exalting. A great place to start is with hymns, new and old. There’s nothing quite like the songs of previous centuries, whose grasp on God and elaboration of the gospel in song has hardly been repeated. That said, I rejoice that more and more new hymns have been created that evidence a similar commitment and understanding of the very same truths. We must be aware however, that a song’s appearance in a hymnal does not necessarily imply its doctrinal preciseness. Our churches must be committed to ensuring that what we sing, hymnal or not, is true to God’s Word, rightly exalting the glory of his nature. May we be devoted to this end.
3) The Substance of Worship in Song
Lastly, I offer the substance of our worship in song. Being, that congregational singing is a genuine outflow of the heart.
Paul offers a very insightful qualification at the end of his statement in Colossians. He tells the people to sing, “with thankfulness in [their] hearts to God” (Col 3:16). That with regard to their worship in song, their desires and their will was to be engaged. They were called to sing yes, but to do so out of true sincerity within. It was not enough to simply make a melody with their mouths, or choose the most doctrinal songs; their singing had to be the response of a people genuinely thankful to God.
So too must it be with us. Our singing in church must be the center of our music, it must also be biblical, but this does not mean that it will be cold and unfeeling. In fact, it must be the very opposite: the true response of a heart that is thankful to God. Our singing should be the outflow of love to the Lord and gratitude for the redeeming work of his Son.
After all, we worship a God who would lay down his life for unworthy people such as us. And in doing so, rise again to promise us reconciliation and eternal life. Is this not enough to stir our hearts? Raise our affections to burst forth in song and praise? Many argue that you can’t have this response without all the lights and sounds. To which, I would argue that such efforts will never accomplish more than excitement and euphoria. The heart must be dealt with, and dealt with as the believer articulates the great doctrinal glories of his God in song.
So Christian, are you thankful? Then sing your heart out. There is too much in God to be thankful for to simply mumble and whisper. On the Lord’s Day, during family worship, in each other’s houses, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Ps 100:1). Joyful; not necessarily with perfect pitch, but joyful. God has called each of us to sing praises unto him with thanksgiving. May it be said of those who pass by our building, that this is exactly what they hear.