Performance Versus Participation (Part 2)

By Reed B. Waggoner. Read Part 1.

Why Participation in Worship Is Vital

There is a better way to think about and structure music in the local church: through the paradigm of participation. Participation in worship locates the center of worship in the gathered church rather than those who lead from the stage. Worship is not something that happens at the front; it happens in the pew! The purpose of leaders and instruments is simply to aid the congregation in collective worship.

Participation means that every saint is engaged in worship when the church gathers. It does not, however, imply that a worship team or a worship leader is out of place or unwelcome. There is still a place for leaders and musicians to encourage participation from the entire gathered church. Singing praise to the Lord is not just for a group of specialists and musically talented individuals; it is vital for us and our churches.

Participation in worship is vital because it is commanded by the Lord. In numerous places in the Psalms, we are directed to “praise the Lord!” Psalm 96 is a striking example. It instructs us to “declare His glory” (96:3) and “ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name” (96:6). Worship of the true and living God is not optional.

Singing, in particular, is commanded of saints in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Psalm 96:1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song!” Similarly, Paul wrote to the Colossians,

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)

Participation in worship also shows our oneness in Christ. There is no priestly class of Christians to whom belongs the ministry of worship. By affirming the priesthood of all believers, we affirm that every believer ought to be a participant, not a spectator, in worship. The apostle Peter stated,

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1Pe 2:5)

The sacrifices offered by New Testament believers is the sacrifice of our lips—our praise (Heb 13:15).

Finally, participation is vital because it is a means of serving one another. Colossians 3:16, which we referenced a few moments ago, tells us that singing is the way we “teach and admonish” one another. The way we “speak” to one another, according to Ephesians 5:19, is through “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”

We serve one another when we sing God’s truth together. To have whole portions of the congregation silent fails in a task that is designed to draw the church together as one. The church worships best when the whole church worships.

How to Encourage Participation in Your Church

It is one thing to affirm that participation is a better approach to worship than performance. It is quite another to promote participation in the local church. Even in churches without an expensive light show or thundering concert, church members may frequently assume that worship is the task of a few qualified individuals at the front. Let me offer a few suggestions for how to encourage worship participation in your church.

1. Remind Believers to Be Involved in Every Part of Worship

We tend to have a very narrow view of worship, often equating it solely with singing. While singing is an essential part of worship, it is necessary to cast a larger idea of what worship is and how we can participate. We participate in worship through giving, singing, and prayer. Even the sermon, which may seem like the least participatory part of Sunday morning worship, is the greatest opportunity to be involved. By listening with an open Bible, we worship the Lord by hearing and heeding His Word.

Someone told me recently that she had never served in worship, meaning that she had never served on stage with a worship team. I corrected her, “You have served in worship. Every Christian who lifts their voice before the Lord in the congregation is serving the whole body of Christ and is truly worshiping the Lord.”

I used to believe that the value of a worship team was providing musically gifted individuals a way to use their talents to serve the entire body. I still believe that is a value, but my view has shifted. The musically gifted individual can serve the body not only by occupying a place on the stage but by singing to the glory of God in the congregation. They are still using their gifts to serve when they sing as part of the congregation rather than just in front of it.

2. Select Songs that Everyone Can Sing

People can only sing songs that they know. Many well-known hymns have stood the test of time, sung by congregations around the world. There are also many wonderful modern hymns and songs, while not as familiar, ought to occupy a place in our worship. So, we shouldn’t lock onto a handful of familiar songs and ignore everything else. There is a time to teach new songs to our people without tossing out the old.

This is in contrast to what prevails in many modern churches, where novelty is celebrated. Trendy worship songs come and go like the evening news cycle. Before congregations can even learn them, the worship team has already cycled them out in favor of the latest CCLI Top 10 songs. Rather than focus on novelty, we should choose songs that people know and teach them songs with a timeless quality.

Songs we sing should be theologically accurate and substantive, but if we want people to participate, they should also be singable. There are some excellent songs whose message is sound, but they were written by a recording artist with tremendous vocal range and talent. While admirable in many ways, the song is not meant for corporate singing. We shouldn’t be surprised when we introduce our church to an unsingable song only to find out no one sings!

Nathan Burggraff writes,

Of utmost importance, however, is to choose songs that allow our congregation to actively participate in corporate worship through singing while avoiding songs that are a hindrance musically and theologically.^*

3. Simpler the Better

Simplicity, rather than complexity, is far more likely to encourage participation. Intricate musical introductions and over-the-top bridges make it difficult for listeners to know when they are supposed to begin or where the music is going. Though it may be musically appealing, it actually distracts from the task of worship.

There are, of course, times when complexity is unavoidable or when it may be very desirable. But as a general rule, simpler is better when it comes to corporate worship. Sometimes, the simplicity of a piano or guitar is preferred over a large band. There is certainly nothing wrong with a large band, but the band should actively consider how best to present the music to encourage participation, rather than focusing on how “cool” they can make it sound. By encouraging participation, we promote what worship is all about—the church praising her Savior!