How Can I Keep from Singing? The Power of Congregational Music in Worship

My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet though far-off hymn that hails a new creation.
…
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?

I love church music. I live for the opportunities to lead or sing with an enthusiastic congregation. A great theologian once said you can gauge the faith and spiritual vitality of any congregation by the way they sing. In my experience, that is unfailingly true. What is it about singing together in worship that not only nurtures and gives expression to our faith but also deepens our experience of God? The Holy Spirit is central, but the selection and leadership of congregational music make all the difference.

Singing in worship dates back at least as far as the Psalms that were sung in Hebrew Temple worship. Sadly, we have no idea what those tunes sounded like, nor do we know how New Testament hymns, e.g., Philippians 2:5–11, might have been sung. Our earliest known liturgical music comes from the third and fourth centuries AD. Initially, congregational singing was much more prevalent in the Eastern Church; it wasn’t until the 16^th century that a significant amount of music in the Western Church was given to the congregation. Even then, it took another 200 years for hymns “of human composure” to catch up with the Psalms in broad popular use. Hymns, Psalms, and spiritual songs have flourished nonstop ever since. As musical styles have evolved, the shape and texture of congregational singing have changed, but the principle remains the same—God’s people, learning and singing their faith together, is an indispensable part of Christian worship.

Why is what you select and how you lead so integral to the faith formation of your congregation? As any preschool teacher knows, we remember what we sing, and as any honest preacher knows, the likelihood of the average congregant remembering the closing song is far greater than the same person remembering anything from the sermon. Songs deliver their message in four important ways—we see the words; we sing them; we hear the music; we feel the music. Since the songs we sing impact our faith so deeply, the people who choose and lead congregational singing must take this opportunity and this responsibility seriously.

Lex orandi, lex credendi is a Latin phrase that translates roughly to “what we pray shapes what we believe.” To that I would add lex canandi: what we sing shapes how we pray and what we believe. Singing shapes our worship. Opening songs can gather the congregation from all our various distractions and preoccupations and point us toward God. Songs can prompt us to confess our sin, be assured of God’s grace, or prepare us to pray. Some songs can even function as prayers of confession, words of assurance, or the prayers of the people on their own. Congregational singing during Communion can create an invitation to the Table—remind us of the reality of Christ’s resurrection and of the peace that only Christ can give. Intentionally chosen final songs can serve as the exclamation point at the end of the liturgy, recalling the important themes of the day, and challenging God’s people to be living proof of God’s love.

When choosing worship music, remember that texts are what shape us—the music is only the delivery system. This can easily get turned around. In every culture and every generation, there are songs people love to sing because of their music. These may or may not have great texts. Then, there are the great faith-shaping texts that, when they are set to singable music, can become transforming. Every genre of church music has created texts and tunes that have been momentarily popular but ultimately forgettable; but every genre of church music also includes powerful faith-shaping songs that worshipers will still be singing centuries from now.

So, how do you choose music that will nurture the congregation’s faith and worship?

• Start by looking at the scripture focus for the day. Are there specific songs based on those passages or related to that theme? The topical or scriptural indices in most hymnals are a good place to look, as well as the corresponding sections of the SongSelect and Hymnary websites.
• As you consider a song, look at the text first:

Who is the subject of the text—God or people?
What does the text say about the subject?
What is the text asking you to do—praise? pray? reflect? forgive? submit? commit?
What is the text promising—joy? peace? protection? trust? understanding? unity?

• Now, look at the music:

Does the music fit the text/reinforce the theme?
Is the music familiar to your congregation or can it be easily learned?
Can your congregation sing it authentically in its intended style? This is particularly appropriate for music from other cultures.

• Is the whole song (text and music) worth the congregation’s time and effort to learn and make their own?
• If the text is perfect and the music is not, are there other tunes that would be more familiar or more easily learned? The metrical index in most hymnals is helpful here.

Questions like these can help you create amazing opportunities for your worshipers to sing their faith, deepen their experience of God, remember scripture, experience deeper community with one another, and be better prepared to fulfill their mission—taking the faith professed in worship into the rest of their week.

Selecting the music for congregational worship can be one of the most joyful and rewarding parts of ministry. May it be so for you!