Please be nice.
This blog has several million viewers every year, and many of them are not believers. They are watching your interaction with one another.
I know I am touching on several sensitive subjects in one post: the loudness of music; lighting in the worship center; music preferences; and performance versus participatory singing.
But here is the clear reality in many congregations: congregational singing is waning in many churches. In some churches it seems to have disappeared altogether.
I will try to discuss this reality from a dispassionate perspective, at least for the most part. And I don’t consider myself the expert in this area, so I asked the guru of church worship, Mike Harland, to help me understand some of the technical decisions we make.
Ultimately, though, this blog is my own, and I take full responsibility for its content. What then are the primary reasons fewer people are singing in church? Why has that act of worship before God become nominal in so many contexts? Here are six reasons:
- Some church members do not prepare themselves for worship. We come to judge, to check off an obligation, or to go through the motions of a habit. We have not prayed for God to do a work in us through the worship. If we do not have a song in our heart, we will not have a song in our mouths.
- We don’t know the songs. We sing the songs we know. That is obvious. But if we are introduced to a steady influx of new songs without sufficient time to learn them, we don’t participate. The best congregational singing includes both the familiar and the new, but the worship leaders teach the new songs until we know them and love them.
- The songs are not sung in a range where we can participate. Many trained musicians have a wider range in which they can sing. Most of the rest of us don’t. If we are expected to sing in a range that is beyond our ability, we won’t try. Worship leaders make the decision, intentionally or not, if they want to lead the congregation or perform for the audience.
- The lighting communicates performance rather than participation. We participate in singing when we can hear each other and see each other. If the lighting for the congregation is low, but it is bright for the platform, we are communicating that a performance is taking place. We thus fail to communicate that the worship by singing should include everyone present.
- The music is too loud to hear others in the congregation. There have been quite a few comments at this blog about the right decibel levels for music in a worship service. The greater issue, however, is whether we can hear others. If we hear the voices of others, we are encouraged to join in. If the music is so loud that we only can hear ourselves, most of us will freak out. And we will then be silent.
- The worship leaders are not listening to the congregation. If worship leaders truly desire to lead the congregation in singing, they must be able to hear the congregation. Some can only hear the instrumentation and platform voices from the monitors. And some have ear monitors where they are truly blocking the voices of the congregation. Congregational singing becomes powerful when it is well led. And it can only be well led if the worship leaders can hear those they are leading.
Your own perspective about this issue may be one where you really don’t care if the congregation can be heard singing. But if the desire is truly to lift all the voices before God, some things will need to change.
Now it’s your turn to comment. Be kind. Be gentle. Be Christlike.
This article was originally published at ThomRainer.com on October 24, 2016. Thom S. Rainer serves as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and seven grandchildren. Dr. Rainer can be found on Twitter @ThomRainer and at facebook.com/Thom.S.Rainer.
People are not being taught WHY we sing (or why we do much of anything else) and what singing accomplishes in the Kingdom of God. We are not taught that singing is obedience, not choice. Most churches are “you can’t make me if I don’t want to”. I hear so many say that they can’t sing or don’t sing. Many people don’t sing because they don’t want to. Range is so important. I re-key most songs and teach my worship students why. Lesson learned from then six year old son about why he liked a song. He said “it feels good to sing”. Me…thinking it was the message or melody…gets schooled by “no, mama, (as he stroked his throat), it ‘feels good’ to sing”. People do not sing harmony so will struggle to jump octaves…awkward. Performance/lighting/volume issues have always been around and are not limited to contemporary venues. There is a balance between standing out as some do not like to be heard, and having the sonic input of those around you that encourages participation. I think one issue that I don’t hear much is that people don’t sing anywhere else but church. Our feeder systems are gone. Many kids can hit junior high and high school and never sing in a group. Our church feeder systems are also gone. Many school programs and even churches now are using canned everything. People don’t learn how to sing. I don’t buy the “we don’t know the songs” thing. If you can sing the latest pop or country song after one hearing or the jingle off the commercial, you can learn a song quickly. I have been in churches of all flavors and styles that sing and don’t sing. Does your pastor sing or just watch? Is good singing and participation being modeled by leadership? I visit a church that has all the cool lighting, all the equipment, new songs all the time, and the people ALL sing, and with enthusiasm. They have been taught that that is how it should be. I also have the gal in my church (a very good musician) that will only sing if it is in the hymnal. She stands stoically during the “worship” songs. Did observe her picking up a line or two the other day, so we’re wearing her down 🙂
I probably make a comment about 4 or more of these points almost every week (to my husband). I really don’t like singing in the dark 🙂 There used to be a lot said about having a music style that appeals to the “unchurched”, but I believe the joyous sounds of a congregation that knows and loves the songs being sung will have a much broader appeal than just a few voices singing while the rest are just standing there (maybe point 7 should be about not standing for every song).
I would agree with most of these. I would say for #5 though, the opposite is true. If the music is not loud enough, the congregant will feel more exposed and not sing. Of course you don’t want ear shattering levels, but it needs to be loud enough to encourage the congregation to sing out. Almost like a friendly nudge from the band to sing out more if the congregation has a LITTLE competition from the band. Obviously it should not be overdone.
I agree on all counts. With point 5 in some congregations the music is so loud I cannot even hear myself sing!
About #5… in our congregation another stumbling block is when the piano/organ isn’t loud enough many folks are afraid they WILL be heard so just mumble quietly. Somewhere in there is a middle ground, loud enough to support but not so loud that one is totally drowned out.
We are a small church in Taos, NM. We are volunteer led and have members of the church join us on stage. Visiting worship leaders find themselves doing spontaneous special music. Our worship belongs to our congregation and they fully participate. Thanks to our many years of attending Worship Leadership conferences at Glorieta and Ridgecrest, and sitting under Mike Harland’s teaching and hanging with Craig Adams, we have avoided many pitfalls. People enjoy our blended services and visitors frequently come talk with us after the service. I choose the songs based on singability, theology and sermon topic. You are so right…
Thank you so much for your article. I was particularly interested in reading it as my Doctoral research is in this very area, along with solutions to the issue. With me, it started as a hunch in my own church. I quickly realised that it was a worldwide church issue. Music making for worship is such an important component; I just cannot dismiss it as a passing fad or tradition.
I would add another: emphasis on “excellence.” No, I’m not talking about music leaders, but the congregation. Men, God gave you the voice of a bullfrog, He’s not going to be offended by your lifting your full-voiced croaking to Him in praise! Never mind what Sister Sally in front of you thinks. Ladies, if He gave you a voice more akin to a crow than a canary, have at it! Unashamedly.
What if Paul and Silas had refused to sing in prison out of self conscious concern that they might be a little flat on the high notes? What if in that upper room after Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (all twelve pairs of ’em!), only the three with the best voices sang that hymn before they went out to the garden?
God teaches us in His Word that He inhabits the praises of His people. I know that it’s possible to praise without singing, but think about the worship at your church. What part is most likely to be “praise?” Yup, the singing! Now picture 60% of the people refusing to sing because someone might think they don’t sing well. Add another 10% who have actually been told that, and another 15% who are so intent on judging – the preacher, the musicians, the friendliness of the greeters, or whether the song being sung is on their Top 100 list – and maybe the 2% who truly are tone deaf, and you can see that our so called “committment to excellence,” when applied to a congregation’s singing, can be used by the Destroyer to drain God’s praises from His people!
As a life-long music minister, it pains me to say this, but it’s true: if I had to choose between perfectly polished choirs/praise teams/instrumentalists and fully involved, often off key congregational singing, I’d go with the crowd, every time. I’m thankful I don’t have to make that choice, of course, but perhaps we professional church musicians have helped to create an atmosphere where only the qualified participate. If it’s up on the platform with a mic or an instrument, sure, let it be. But if it’s among the people, this expectation can be deadly.
If you have all the vocal refinement of a bullfrog or crow, go ahead and use the voice God gave you in total abandon in singing His praises in the congregation, even if I do give you permission to leave the mics to someone else.
From an older person’s viewpoint, if the accompaniment drags, everyone of course drags and loses any enthusiasm they might have had. Also, people seem to prefer to be entertained rather than participate. Why, I wonder?
Singing anywhere is waning. But when the church loses its desire, music and singing always suffers. Our passion for the thing of God is waning. The staff think that by boosting the audio level, you increase worship frenzy. Shouldn’t be that way.
I do not disagree with these reasons, but this article is strictly a critique of contemporary congregational singing. I have had issues with people not singing at all, including traditional music, because they are self-conscious or even because they are bored with the music. THE most important thing is the heart of the worshipper. A heart filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit will sing. Congregational singing is not about style or instrumentation or musical gifts and excellence. It’s about participating in UNITY in the praise of our Lord. Congregational singing is the body being of one voice and heart, coming together before the throne of God. Participation is necessary not just out of obedience, but also in order to bring the congregation into unity with one another. Again, not a style issue, but a heart issue.
I like your comments. I am a trained musician with a degree in church music. The few times that I have been able to visit other churches, I can’t help but resent that if I don’t know the song, I have to learn it by repetition just like centuries ago. I want the music. Isn’t that part of the reason why we started producing hymnals? It just feels like such a backward step to me. So that hinders to some extent my ability to get in the full worship experience through music.
We have TWO set of drums in addition to all of the other ear piercing electronic gear. It is the saddest place I go to. I cannot worship, there is no choir for me to sing in anymore, I’m not hip enough and to old to be on the worship “team”, nor would I want too. My our 33 year old children stay out in the coffee shop or don’t show up until the “music” is over. My heart and spirit is broken over what has become of church music.
So what does a congregation do, then, if the leader is more about his performance, thus not listening to hear the congregation?
It is more often the leader’s show of fast lyrics that are challenging to process & his voice overbearingly loud in the mic. It’s very disheartening.
Good read, but I think there are more basic issues that should be addressed which lead to the things you mention. Some not even tied to church, theology, or Bible, yet have had an impact : .
1) reduction of choral singing in schools (due to cuts in funding) and community groups (as more diversions have developed over the years) — people no longer grow up with choral music, being part of a group
2) in popular music, there has been an even greater shift to the soloist, the star and the rest is just backup — so who wants to just sing/play backup?
3) these, then, have influenced church music — we added solo “specials” as well as the choir anthem (and soloists get the applause) AND that meant a little less time for congregational singing
4) as these performance aspects began to develop, there also developed musicals, pageants, sound trax — and so more musical productions came about for people to come hear but not participate in
5) buildings also became a problem — today many are too big to sing in and padded — acoustically, once a ceiling gets over about 20 ft in height and the width grows, it is more difficult for people to hear others sing, and so they sing softer to hear others — AND with sound absorbing upholstery and tiles, it doesn’t help
6) reliance upon artificial sound reinforcement does not replace natural acoustics — it just gets loud (as noted in the blog) — that coupled with taking the organ out of the equation, an instrument made/meant to support congregational singing and forcing solo instruments to fill the void via mics and amps — well …
7) many kids have grown up with children’s choir with directors who had little knowledge of music and used recordings, thus losing training them musically, so they grow up not fully appreciating singing
8) many parents no longer push their kids to be involved in music things like chorus or private music lessons because of so many diversions these days so they grow up without much exposure to group singing
9) Also, due to so many diversions, they just do not come to church as often
10) And, as noted by one respondent, we just do not teach about why we sing as much, if at all — this is coupled with the increase in the individual in our society — that is people only want to do and behave how they desire to do and do not want to be made to do something — they do not want to singing because they do not feel like it, because they think they can’t, because it does not seem natural (thus, reflecting the aforementioned) — without a “why” being taught and self being placed over the whole body in corporate worship, congregational singing has waned
11) increase in people leading music for contemporary style and little training in the traditional to appreciate the choral/congregational aspect and, so, do not really know how to address it
I could go on and on — but all these factors and others are what has lead to some of what you have mentioned and, thus, a decline of congregational singing
I have been in ministry for 37 years. Spent 22 years in Music/worship ministry, 9 years as a Senior Pastor and the last 4 years in Music/Worship ministry. I have stood in pulpits and conducted hymns backed up by large robed choirs and watched people stare back at me never opening their mouth and I have stood behind a keyboard and led worship with a small praise team and watched the same thing. The reason congregational singing is waning is the same reason that church attendance is waning and baptismal numbers are way down. it is the first statement made in this blog. Congregants do not come prepared to worship. They come with their spiritual cups empty and want the music man, choir and preacher to fill them up. Churches have a burger king theology – they want it there way. Psalm 22:3 NASB states that God inhabits the praise of His people(Israel). Not the building, the hymns, choruses, organs, or praise bands, lights, smoke or stained glass windows. Here it is in a nutshell once a persons heart is prepared to worship properly everything else is personal preference. There are churches on every corner that sing nothing but hymns played by a little old precious lady taking them as slow as you can. There are churches that have large pipe organs and orchestras who play them fast and loud. There are churches that sing and play the newest stuff on Christian radio. They here it on Monday and you here on Sunday of the next week. So lets properly prepare our hearts to worship then find a church that does what you like and invest yourself there. Sing loud and proud because if you are born again you have much to sing loud about!!
Thank you for saying this! You are spot on! It’s a matter of the heart!
I am catholic and go to early Mass because there is no music whatsoever . I don’t like music in church .
I havent read the comments but my wife is pentecostal and im.baptist.
That being said i see so much wrong with praise and worship. Such as repetitve lyrics of the same thing as to enforce on point. And there is no real depth or meat to it. Its also from what i see very ego driven in lyric a lot.of “I’s” in it. And they dont teach or reinforce doctrine.
We are sacrificing the Hymns which have depth and meat and teach and reimfoce doctrine. We are losing the.mellinual generation amd creating weak christians. There also is no gospe in praise and worship.
Secondly is as the article pointed out in a round about way are we going to church to learn worship and be changed and fed or are we going to.be entertained by a rock concert. (I have no.ought against contemporary christian music im the right setting but church is not.it)
Also are we just feeding the.musicians egos?
I know i leave church empty when.praise and worship.is sung
I am so glad to have this discussion. And thanks to the ones who have replied kindly. I agree with the blog article and most of the comments. I too feel the congregational singing has declined over the years. I noticed it first when the many band instruments were added to the organ and piano (which were quickly drowned out). The drum beat just seemed somehow wrong. That being said I have one other issues to add. When did the music leader/director/minister become the “worship leader”? Is music the only form of worship? Do we not worship when we pray, open and read the Word, listen and respond to the spoken word, or even fellowship with other believers? Is that not all worship? We let the meaning of words get changed and distorted. Also when we refer to the podium as the “stage” and the sanctuary as the “auditorium” we are conveying words of “performance” which subtlety implies that those “up there” are the performers and we are the audience when in fact, we are all the performers raising our voices and hearts to the audience which is our Great God! Can I get an Amen? 😊
How bout this…? The songs these praise bands sing are really designed for a soloist. The construct of the songs are not singable for a large group. The rhythms are jerky….the melodies are boring….the words are sappy…
Just sayin….
I’m a professional classical/jazz pianist who grew up directing choirs as a teen. I was away from church cause you holy folk don’t really feel comfortable around gay people.
But….even the gay oriented churches have this insipid music going on.
Very unappealing to me.
#5 amen and amen. I don’t care if you sings hymns or praise songs, (I do have a preference but that doesn’t matter to me) what makes me sad is feeling like I am at a concert every Sunday to hear the praise band. They can lead out, but after that, all I really want to hear is the other worshippers and I never can. I can’t even hear myself. I can only hear those leading the worship. It makes me not even want to sing. I do sing because my worship is for God, but I am sad to be performed to. Some sound guys even turn down the mics of people on the praise band who don’t sing well. Seriously. So I guess that explains why we aren’t allowed to hear each other either. Sigh.
#5 amen and amen. I don’t care if you sing hymns or praise songs, (I do have a preference but that doesn’t matter to me) what makes me sad is feeling like I am at a concert every Sunday to hear the praise band. They can lead out, but after that, all I really want to hear is the other worshippers and I never can. I can’t even hear myself. I can only hear those leading the worship. It makes me not even want to sing. I do sing because my worship is for God, but I am sad to be performed to. Some sound guys even turn down the mics of people on the praise band who don’t sing well. Seriously. So I guess that explains why we aren’t allowed to hear each other either. Sigh.
Being a believer for over 35 years and having been involved in services from non-instrumental to full blow “rock” style, the issue remains the same. The church is going the way of the big concert format – lower the lights, turn on the light show and crank the volume. When I watch something like the latest Hillsongs, Bethel or “name the music house here” video, I am seeing a performance based event. Yes, they cut to show people entering in. But these groups are not the answer, it is our culture as a whole. When I accepted Christ in the early 80’s the venues of the church was pretty much what had been through the 20th century. Very few had instruments other than piano and/or organ. Still I can recall that even those “glory” days, the church was already in migration mode as we “entertained” by the choir – the bigger the better! And let’s not forget how every church had to have a quartet or trio to show off perfect harmony. People as a whole love to be entertained, if not then why do we make such an ado over pro sports. The church’s real issue is within itself – we have chosen to be entertained rather than enter in! It is not the songs, it is not the lights, it is not the beat or the volume but rather a heart issue. Jesus told the woman at the well that the day would come that all would worship Him in spirit and truth and not because of a specific place or format! It is time each of us take the issues we see, make them into prayers to our Lord and then choose to be the example of heart-felt, spirit-led worship to our Lord no matter the venue. If we cannot worship because of a song or a sound, we have a heart issue that we need to address within….been there, done that.