Hearts are stirred and feet set to tapping by a rousing Sousa march, while another melody may move people to tears. Music, quite apart from an associated text, is capable of evoking powerful emotions. But it is also important for the congregation to know some of the great hymns of faith in order to have a sense that the Christian faith is both relevant and enduring, and to be enriched by the faith of the “great cloud of witnesses.” Hymns, both ancient and modern, which stretch minds, increase vocabulary, rehearse the biblical story, and teach of the nature and the mighty acts of God are essential for the congregation’s growth in faith. It is, therefore, very important that a congregation have a rich “vocabulary of praise.” Simple, repetitive music such as praise choruses and Taize chants are very appropriate in worship and can be very effective in moving individuals to prayer and to praise.
Through congregational song God’s people learn their language about God God’s people learn how to speak with God. 14:14-15, RSV).Ĭhristian hymnody contains some of the most tightly packed, concise doctrinal and devotional thought of the church. Noting that if one prays in a tongue, the “spirit prays,” but the “mind is unfruitful,” the Apostle Paul vows, “I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also” (1 Cor. It is through the sense of the words that God’s people learn of the nature and character of God and of the Christian life. Here again, it is the meaning of the text that is of primary importance. Since people tend to remember the theology they sing more than the theology that is preached, a congregation’s repertoire of hymnody is often of critical importance in shaping the faith of its people. Through congregational singing Christian faith is not only expressed to a very real degree it is formed. The people of God sing what they sing and how they sing are important issues.
But greater variety and options in music call for greater discernment and care in planning and implementing the music ministry of the church. Such diversity is to be welcomed and celebrated it reflects the diversity and richness of God’s creation. The church also has greater access and has shown greater openness to a greater variety of music-from classical hymnody to Christian rock, from European cantatas to South African choruses. Much of the popular music (including popular Christian music) composed today is for performance rather than for participation. Outside the church there are few occasions or opportunities in North American culture for people to sing together. Yet much of the time music functions as “background” rather than as an opportunity for serious listening, much less participation. People’s lives are surrounded with music-television and radio, the background music of video games, the muzak of shopping malls, CDs, and synthesizers. Contemporary culture and modern technology bring new possibilities and new challenges to the music ministry of the church. Music and song continue to play a vital role in the life of God’s people today. Theological Reflections on the Role of Music in Worship And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. The Apostle Paul instructed the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teach and admonish one another in all wisdom and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Hymn singing was practiced by Jesus and his disciples (Matt. The Psalms bear rich testimony that in joy and sorrow, in praise and lament, the faithful raise their voices in song to God. Singing was part of Israel’s formal worship in both tabernacle and temple (1 Chron. After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord (Exod. The role of music in worship is biblical.