Singing in worship

Since my retirement at the end of 2020, I have often thought about our worship practices and especially the wide variety of hymns and songs we are now singing.  I appreciate many of the new hymns and songs that are being sung, and I certainly don’t wish to be a ‘wet-blanket’ on those gifted people who can write new lyrics with good singable tunes.  

However, I do have a concern that in the process of trying to be more contemporary, we are losing a richness of biblical theology in our singing.  I am occasionally invited to still lead worship services and send through a list of hymns or songs to go with the theme of the service, only to find that when I arrive, much of it has been changed because the worship leader, musicians, and singers don’t know the hymn or song I have chosen.  On some occasions I am only invited to offer one hymn for after the message and then that is even changed.

So here are at least two challenges going forward for our Church Councils, worship leaders, musicians and singers to consider.

Challenge number one.  Recently I suggested that we sing BoW 104 “Your Spirit O Lord, makes life to abound” as an opening hymn of praise only to be told by the worship leader that they did not know the hymn and have changed it.  Well, to be fair, they changed it to a nice contemporary song.  However, instead of saying, “we don’t know it and changed it” why wouldn’t they say, “wow we love the lyrics and we will do our best to play it well even if it is just one instrument to lead.”  I am sure that on this particular occasion, more than 90% of the congregation knew the hymn.

On another occasion, the leader of the music group suggested that the hymn I had chosen was too ‘slow’ and would not appeal to our young people or be in keeping with an ‘up-beat,’ more contemporary worship style they have adopted.  Really?  Sadly, very little thought if any was probably given to the theology expressed in the lyrics.

So that is challenge number one – musicians, singers and worship leaders, before you decide that you don’t know a ‘hymn’ or ‘song’ that has been selected, ask yourself, “Does the congregation know this hymn?  Will the lyrics prove to be a blessing to the congregation and exalt Christ’s name? Perhaps it is time to learn a new ‘old’ hymn” 

Challenge number two.  Church Councils, musicians, singers, worship leaders, ask yourself, “Are the hymns and contemporary songs we sing more about how we feel, or are they more about what God the Father has done for us in Christ?  It seems to me that so many modern contemporary songs are all about what I (we) feel towards Christ, rather than what God the Father, Christ his Son and the Holy Spirit have done for us.  Now you might think that this is splitting hairs, but I beg to differ.  Let me give you an example.

Example no 1. “How great is our God” - a rather contemporary song that is sung in many of our churches.  There are many others I could list, but here are the lyrics to this one -

“The splendour of a King, Clothed in majesty Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice He wraps himself in light, And darkness tries to hide  And trembles at his voice, And trembles at his voice (chorus) How great is our God, sing with me How great is our God, and all will see How great, How great Is our God  Age to age he stands And time is in His Hands Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End The Godhead, Three in one Father, Spirit, Son The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb (chorus) (bridge) You're the Name above all names You are Worthy of all praise and My heart will sing how great Is our God  (Repeat) How great is our God, Sing with me How great is our God, and all will see How great, How great Is our God (Repeat)”

Now I am not suggesting that the lyrics are necessarily wrong but when one looks at the lyrics closely, they are not only very repetitive, they say very little about what God has done to deserve our praise nor the wonderful salvation we have in Christ.  In fact, it is such a ‘broad-brush’ approach that even a modern-day Jew or Muslim would be happy to sing that song.  I mention that, for there is very little in those lyrics that God is personally caring and watching over us, nor that he has redeemed us in Christ whose ‘name’ is only indirectly mentioned.  Furthermore, unless we know and can sing about what God the Father has done for us through the Son, applied by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, these lyrics have very little to comfort or challenge God’s people. 

I am not suggesting either that it is inappropriate to sing praises about our God, on the contrary, it is very appropriate.  But then let us sing lyrics that describe him in depth and what he has done to make him worthy of our praise.  The Book of Psalms has many ‘praise’ Psalms, but they are never in a vacuum.  They always highlight God’s mighty acts of creation, providence, covenant love and his great redemption of his people, ultimately in and through Christ.

Example no 2. Space forbids me to include all the lyrics so just a line or two for each one mentioned.  ‘Abide with me – I need your presence every passing hour. What but your grace can foil the tempter’s power” or “Amazing Grace – how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see” or “When peace like a river – Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed his own blood for my soul…it it well with my soul” or “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so” or “Praise my soul the king of heaven – at his feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore his praises sing.”  Please, take time to read the lyrics of these hymns in full and may you be encouraged by the truths of Scripture contained in them and give you reason for singing rather than our fickle feelings.^[1]

So, Church Councils, musicians, singers, and worship leaders, please think carefully about the lyrics, and how they glorify our Triune God and comfort God’s people with the truths that are grounded in Scripture.  For then we will also be singing ‘good’ theology and it will be a great comfort and challenge for God’s people.  Remember, we are not always on the crest of a wave with our walk with God.  Sometimes, when you are going through a dip in your Christian faith and the devil is testing you with some trial, illness or even worse, we need to be reminded and be able to sing about the wonderful truths of Scripture, so we draw comfort and thereby take our eyes off self and cast them towards Christ our Saviour for that exalts His name.

Perhaps a rule of thumb to apply when singing a new song - “Is it more important to sing about my feelings towards God (Triune God if you will) or is it more important to sing about God’s love and provision for us, especially in Christ.  I would suggest the latter.

Another rule of thumb is having a look at how many singular personal pronouns are in the lyrics.  If there are too many ‘I’s” it is a sure sign that the hymn is more about our feelings rather than our Saviour God.  Our worship and singing is not in the first place about exalting ourselves and telling God how much we love him, but singing about our God and Saviour and the great love he has bestowed on us.  JZ

^[1] See YouTube clip: Alistair Begg: Knowing vs. Feeling in Worship - YouTube