"1. More churches include at least one hymn in their worship services. ...2. Congregational singing is as important as the worship style. ...3. Hymnals are not rebounding even as hymns do. " - Thom Rainer
"Five praise music songwriters on how they handle criticism, work together, and seek to reach Gen Z through their work." - C.Today
"When we’re discussing hymns being 'well-written,' we’re not only referring to the lyrics but also the melody. Great melodies tend to gain staying power; they endure across generations." - 9 Marks
"Why is this singing so heartfelt, even though the accompaniment is so simple? How did they get so many men to sing their lungs out?" - TGC
McDonald’s sells more than burgers, Amazon sells more than books, and a AAA membership offers far more benefits than just roadside assistance. We easily associate a brand name or well-known company with a limited sample of its products or services when it actually produces or offers much more. If we’re not careful, we do the same thing in the church when we view or portray worship as the musical part of Sunday morning gatherings. I say this because worshiping God encompasses so much more than music.
We often describe the musical part of church gatherings as though there’s worship (i.e., music), then there’s everything else: announcements, giving, preaching, prayer, and so on. We inadvertently give the impression that when we’ve finished singing, we’ve transitioned from worship to preaching, as though preaching is not worship but music is. We say things like “Praise God for that uplifting time of worship this morning! Now let’s turn our attention to the preaching of God’s Word.” Though we don’t develop this subtle dichotomy deliberately (after all, we do call the entire gathering a “worship” service), we imply or suggest this distinction nonetheless. When we do, we encourage a deficient perspective on what we’re doing when we gather as a church on Sunday.
In this article I hope to remind us that we should approach the entire Sunday gathering, not just the musical part, as worship. I will also suggest some ways to promote a more complete perspective on worship in your church. Are you ready? Let’s go!
"In most churches today, the worship time has become a concert. ...I visit churches pretty much for a living, and as I look around during the services, the vast numbers of the congregation are watching the stage and listening – not singing." - Phil Cooke
"Several people responded to Aniol by posting Bible verses that describe people raising hands in worship...Psalm 63:4 and 1 Timothy 2:8... Aniol responded, 'Prayer. Not emotional singing.'" - C.Leaders
"When you read a well-crafted hymn such as When I Survey the Wond’rous Cross, you will feel the cadence, even if unaware of the melody composed for it. This is why composers can keep writing new tunes ... also why many people (particularly in ages past) would read hymnals as they would any devotional book, and even delight in the hymns they’d never heard." - C.Leaders
