I get emails —
I’ve been reading through several of your posts (for years). I have enjoyed many of your articles and those of the guest authors on your pages. As a church elder, you (clearly) read often and spend much time in thought and prayer concerning things that are best for your flock. It is with these thoughts that I come seeking your insights.
I ask for your recommendations for a congregation that seems to be caught with two clear groups in regards to worship. One group seeks a more contemporary (non-instrumental due to feasibility and not due to doctrinal beliefs) service while another group seeks the traditional services of the Churches of Christ. How should a responsible and faithful (to God and not as many of my friends use this term) congregation proceed?
As I understand the question, no one is fighting over actual doctrinal differences. This is just a question of differing styles of music, with the music to be a cappella in either case.
Here are some scriptures that bear consideration —
(Heb 13:17 ESV) 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Obviously, the elders have to make a decision, and whether they go with one, the other, a blended service, or two services, someone will be unhappy. Those who are unhappy need to be among the first to show up for the new services and thank the elders for their difficult work.
Passive aggression, threats to withhold contributions or to leave, and any other tactic adopted to wrest power from the elders are all sinful. There’s no sin in asking legitimate questions and expecting thoughtful answers. It’s entirely okay to expect the elders to give all sides a fair hearing. But any tactic designed to remove from elders the discretion God has given them is wrong.
(Phi 2:1-4 ESV) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(Heb 10:24-25 ESV) 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The Philippians passage requires me to put others ahead of myself, just as Jesus did. It’s not advisory. Rather, Paul is speaking from the deepest depths of what it means to be a Christian.
The Hebrews passages tells me that my purpose in the assembly is to encourage others. I don’t attend to be encouraged but to encourage. The voice is active.
The issue reached a fever pitch at my own church many years ago until the preacher explained it this way. “We’re going to have blended service. Some songs will be traditional. Some will be contemporary. And we’re going to try to blend them in a way that flows.
“Why traditional? Not because some of our members have demanded it! But because the rest of us know that when we sing traditional songs, we are speaking in the heart-language of some of our oldest, most committed members — and because we love them, singing in this way gives us joy.
“Why contemporary? Not because some of our members have demanded it! But because the rest of know that when we sing contemporary songs, we are speaking in the heart-language of some of newest, most impressionable members — and because we love them, singing in this way gives us joy.”
Therefore, selfish demands are entirely out of order. The question isn’t what I want but how I can best serve others. The elders will hear the voice of the Spirit most plainly from those who speak in the language of the scriptures — who are more concerned about others than themselves. The submissive, the servant-hearted, and the sacrificial are those whose hearts are most nearly attuned to the Spirit.
I must add —
(1Co 14:24-25 ESV) 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
The assembly is about the edification of the church, but this edification must be done in a way that might lead a visiting unbeliever to fall on his face and worship God. Paul speaks particularly of prophecy, but more generally, he’s addressing how God has come to live within the membership to transform them. What style will best reveal the transformation of the church into the image of Christ? What style will help the visitor see the presence of God in your assembly?
There is also a pragmatic truth or two worth considering.
First, most people are more persuaded by experience than by theory. Those who are opposed to a more contemporary style likely are unfamiliar with the style. If they were to experience contemporary worship in a non-threatening environment, their views may well change.
My church moved from a traditional to a more contemporary style over a period of years. Occasionally, we would conduct a Sunday evening service in the traditional style — until some of members said to the elders, “We know that we were opposed to this new music, but don’t you ever do this again!!” Over the years, they’d come to appreciate the benefits of a more contemporary (albeit a cappella style), but hadn’t realized it until they’d been reminded of the old, slow, traditional style! (And we still make a point to sing some traditional hymns — just not at 15 beats per minute.)
Hence, sometimes it just takes time. Sometimes it helps to implement a blended style, so that there are no winners and losers and the contemporary style gets a fair hearing.
It is critical, however, that the contemporary style be done well. There is no reason to deal with the pains of change only to change to something done badly. Visit churches that do it well. Talk to their worship leaders. There’s no need to re-invent the wheel.
Why the performance review approach?
Grizz, I’m confused a little by your question. Where do find the “performance review approach?”
This old liberal prefers the old hymns. Besides, to those who have never been exposed to them they are true poetry that many of us have taken for granted. I remember when the movie PLACES IN THE HEART came out. The hymn of the last scene, IN THE GARDEN, grabbed the hearts and imaginations of many who had never heard it; more than a few spoke of how beautiful it was. Anyway, I came to love the hymn even greater than I did in my childhood when a certain circle of legalists started to discuss whether or not it was a scriptural song, being that it spoke of walking and talking with the son of God. And we wondered why people looked at us in such a strange way. When the Bible speaks of being a peculiar people, I do not think that is what it has in mind.
That being said, there is a place for the contemporary, if, as Jay says, it is done well. Anything contemporary done badly is seen as “Johnny come latelies” trying desperately to catch up, but found wanting. And we should be honest; we do care, and actually should to a degree, about what people think. The apostle Paul was quite concerned with how outsiders responded to the gathering of the disciples. Jay touched upon this very well.
Indeed, the last word is “Love”. We can have out personal likes and, yes, dislikes. But, “a dislike does not a sin make”. Love lets us bend without breaking. I would think that most of us would have learned that lesson living with our spouses.
The “no music no notes” trend on Powerpoint is a bothersome one. Most visitors don’t know our songs, but many of them played an instrument, or had music/chorus in school. Having notes on a Treble and Bass Clef gives them an immediate connection.
From a practical perspective: Most CCM songs are composed to be acompanied by a band – they are hard to sing a-cappella. When i say “Most”, I add: Not all.
Jay, you mentioned the idea of singing certain songs because of the joy it gives some group of persons… I remember a 2nd mission trip to Peru.. at worship one night the Peruvian church sang a song to us who came from the US.. They sang it in English. I still get a little tearing eyed thinking about that moment and that expression of love toward us.. Whatever worship should be… that had to be a moment that would be included.
Jeffrey wrote,
Amen!!!!!!! And not having the notes limits the kinds of songs you can sing. It’s particularly annoying when the praise team has the sheet music — because they need it — and they expect the congregation to sing along, as though we would know the parts by magic.
And it makes it harder to introduce new songs. I could go on.
One of the true beauties of our a cappella tradition is our ability to sing four parts and to sight-sing. Why throw that away? It’s a gift from God that should be celebrated. Why throw that away?
(And thanks for joining the discussion. I don’t recall seeing your name here before.)
Alexander! Wilkommen. Wie geht’s? It’s been a long time. Glad to hear from you again. I hope you are doing well. (I try to keep up with you on Facebook, but my German is far too rusty. High school was a long time ago.)
And, yes, you’re exactly right. Many CCM songs do not work a cappella. But those songs written especially as worship songs — such as much of Chris Tomlin’s work — can be excellent when well arranged. We enjoy singing many CCM songs at my church — although I must admit that sometimes they don’t really click. (Of course, some traditional songs fall flat, too. You just have to be willing to experiment a bit with both old and new.)
Why not both. Songs like “0 Lord, Our Lord” with the blending of the voices is meant to be acapella when sung the way it is written. I could be wrong but if you know the song I’m talking about you know what I mean. Many great hymns that have deep theological value can be sung with contemporary praise and worship. There shouldn’t be any worship wars if we have a renewed understanding of different types of songs…hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs.
Clark asked, “Why not both?”
No reason. In fact, I know of some churches that intentionally blend a cappella with instrumental. Of course, LOTS of churches blend contemporary with traditional hymns, all sung a cappella. This can often work very well.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of much contemporary music where congregational singing is diminished. I think the instrumentation should be kept at a level that encourages the church to sing — so that the singing can be heard. (I have the same complaint with the organ music in many churches — too much, too loud.) Organists and guitarists both can yield to the temptation to impose a mood and to intrude where not really needed.
PS — Clark, welcome to the blog. I don’t think I’ve seen your name before. Delighted to have you commenting here.
Even in a Capella churches and synagogues, the songs can be selected with consideration. There are hymns which, though completely scriptural, do not work well for a funeral, Palm Sunday, Easter, etc. also, there is no reason why two services must have the same songs. That tells me no one put any thought into the service. I know many in the cofC do not believe in planning a service in advance, but some thought should be put into it. Also, in a multiple-service church, why can’t One service can be traditional and the other be modern? Or try something new one Sunday night per month? As long as it is reasonable and respectful, why the anger and disgust over a different style of service?
From making too many power point slides for teaching, I can tell you it is easier to paste words onto a slide than it is to locate a high res image of the musical notes and words. Sounds to me like a case of someone being a bit lazy and not thinking of anyone but himself.
I work for a congregation in Nashville that often (undeservingly) gets labeled as an old fashioned ultra conservative church. Often when people come in to visit, they are blown away by the fact that we aren’t just singing old songs. In fact, I would put our worship service up there with anyone who thinks they are doing a good mix of old and new.
The reason it works is because we have a confident leader who is prepared, ready, and unafraid of the critics. That makes a giant difference in how the congregation follows along. I am proud of our older family members who embrace the newer songs, and excited to see our younger families cherish the older songs.
It works if those in charge of planning don’t force, but just let it happen. Don’t make a big deal about “now we’re going to sing a brand new song” or “tonight we’re just singing the classics” – because if God is timeless, He truly doesn’t care when the song was written. He just loves to hear it sung.
We do offer a Praise and Prayer class on Wednesdays in the winter where we do teach these newer songs, but we don’t just teach new songs, we again, mix it up with a variety each week – so that people don’t get worn out learning just new songs.
Singing strictly newer songs doesn’t make you a progressive church, and singing strictly older songs doesn’t make you a conservative church – but singing with all your heart makes you a great church.
I read this blog a lot, but I’ve never commented (that I remember) until now. I’m glad there are some within the C of C who are rethinking and reconsidering our approach to theology over the past 100+ years.
I was the worship minister at a large congregation for 4.5 years. ( and for 2.5 years at the church your sister goes to before that :)) We had a traditional service and a contemporary. Both were a cappella. It was much like having two churches, two families or two bodies. There was contempt on both sides for the “other service”. They shared little except for the building and the staff. There were a lot of hard feeling there over the worship wars of the past.
Likewise, I’ve been a part of planning blended services. I think, at this point, I lean more toward that approach, though it’s not easy either. In both cases the challenge is for both “sides” to respect and love the other and count each other’s worship offering as valid and acceptable to God. I think we spend FAR too much time critiquing someone else’s offering of worship.
As you can see, the discussion will never end with “contemporary” or “traditional” because then people will argue over what is “contemporary” or “traditional”. And from there it will move on to which contemporary songs are appropriate to sing, should solos be permitted, projecting the music or not (as already has happened here), etc. The list goes on and on. My point is that this conversation never ends which is part of the reason that, as of right now, me and my family do not worship at a C of C. Frankly, I’m weary of it. Until the people can learn to just worship from the heart and be happy about it and that worship is not about them at all, the style of worship will continue to distract us from the real point of worship.
I love the C of C tradition, but for now I need a break from it. That’s my jaded 2 cents.
(p.s. – I’m not as grumpy as my avatar suggests. Just can’t seem to change it.)
Look around while songs are being sung and I’ll wager there are far more singing when an old favorite is being sung and far less when one of the new ones is being sung.
The new ones that seem to be written by some amateur song writer, maybe the song leader himself, get old after one time sung for many of us.
Trying to be different from the conservatives takes us on a slippery path sometimes and being different can look pretty silly sometimes, especially if all can see that is the purpose.
I would not like to see young ones laughing or being disrespectful if an old ones was sung. A swift kick in the butt would be the appropriate response and if their parents objected, they need one too. Actually all the parents I know would thank you for leaving a footprint on their disrespectful childs buttocks.
I have never attended a church where more than 10% of the congregation could read music; I think the musical notation lack is not a problem.
Pastor Mike,
I got my question from the way Jay ended his original comments. He wrote: “It is critical, however, that the contemporary style be done well. There is no reason to deal with the pains of change only to change to something done badly. Visit churches that do it well. Talk to their worship leaders.”
1. Why single out contemporary style for needing to be “done well.”???
2. It seems to me that the change to contemporary music also often comes with a change to a more laid back approach to worship. Not less serious, but certainly less formal. Groups who are able to make that transition (to a more casual worship – in dress and in demeanor) are, in my experience, more easily able to make the transition to worship using songs more contemporary in style, whether sung a capella or with instrumental accompaniment.
3. I really like Clark’s comment about using both traditional/classic hymns and contemporary songs, whether with or without instrumental accompaniment. Choose songs that focus on the emphasis in that assembly as much as possible, too. Find ways to have at least 2-3 people echo the central points of the preacher’s homily, whenever possible, too. Repetition is a great aid to memory.
Blessings,
Grizz
Alabama John? Don’t try that when you visit a NW Indiana church. Administering a swift kick to the pants of an underage teen will get you a charge of assault on a minor around here. Even if it is your kid, somebody will call the authorities. Or were you just trying to be clever in your sarcasm?
Yeah, right.
Grizz
Hey Brent. Good comments, first-timer. Thank you for contributing.
Where I live there are few all a capella churches of Christ to be found. I could have made it an all-day journey to insist on a C of C down the highway into Illinois or further east into Indiana, but I chose instead to attend a nearby independent Christian church.
I have been one of the worship leaders for the past 7 years at 2 neighboring congregations. And you know what? The same issue that we are discussing here is an issue among independent Christian churches, too. I have had several meetings with our elders recently to discuss ways to integrate more traditional songs into the assemblies without losing the contemporary appeal. The results have been mixed, even in our younger congregation. Oddly enough, just like music in the ‘secular’ world, (pardon the term, please), we have generational preferences in our religious assemblies.
The real issue, or so it seems to this 53 yr old preacher/worship leader/pastoral care provider, is that we religious folk do not communicate across the generational gaps very well at all. And because we do not bridge the gaps in inter-generational communication effectively, it seems strange that we would think we could bridge the gaps in musical preferences any better. (And YES, a capella and accompanied music both have their contemporary and traditional elements – elements which boil down to stylistic preferences, whether we like to admit it or not.) So let’s work on communicating more effectively and see how that impacts our musical issues, shall we?
Grizz
Alabama John – It’s that same attitude and generalization that has contributed to my family leaving the c of c.
Grizz – I totally agree. We have divided ourselves by generation. We need more activities that cross generational lines, more communication and more mutual respect for each other.
However, the argument is not just an age thing. I know many young people (i.e. college age and down) who love hymns. I also know some younger families who wouldn’t be caught dead in a contemporary worship service. Likewise, I know many of the older generation who would rather worship with a newer contemporary song and a praise team. It’s all about attitudes and the spirit of the people.
I also know that this is not an issue that is only in the c of c, but most of them seem to struggle with it at some point. Where my family worships now it’s a non issue. The leadership has set an intentional design and plan for the worship and everyone goes along with it. (I’m not part of the worship team btw and don’t do any leading anymore) If you want to be traditional, great. If you want to be contemporary, great. If you want to be blended, great. Just pick something and go with it. Believe in your decision and trust in God that you’ve made the right one and he will use you for good things.
http://thechristianpundit.org/2013/07/17/young-evangelicals-are-getting-high/
This is a link to a post about the growth of “high church”, not psychotropic substances.
Laughing at another age groups preferences in worship songs, especially of those older is disrespectful. Period!
Doesn’t have to be underaged to be younger. could be in their 20’s or 30-40’s. If underaged, then the parents need the boot for not teaching more respect to their child. Would they laugh the same at their high school or college dean or teachers song preferences?
Where I live that is not only COC thinking, but, any denomination or athiest or neighbors with any salt and teaching of respect will feel the same as me.
Grizz, guess that is one more difference in the thinking of the North and that of the Old South.
Its amusing and also sad to see some wanting to not be conservative anymore and how they are choosing to show it in dress at church (shorts, shower shoes, tee shirts, whatever is different from the conservatives). We, including me, have tried to change the COC in some ways, but, it may be going overboard in some areas.
Lord help us if this trend to be and show a difference continues as who knows where it will end.
Songs may be just the tip of the iceburg!
But respect goes both ways. The older people may not disrespect the younger verbally, but they just have the power to tell the younger that they can’t have any song they might like sung nor a sermon which the younger might benefit from. I grew up knowing that church was for old people, not everyone.
Run your meeting as you like, but I do not believe Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every city so that they would have somebody to exert decision-making power over song selection. That is a job for the board of your local religion club, lest they lose control of the meeting agenda which is the raison d’etre of the club’s existence. If the elders aren’t going to control the meeting, then we don’t really need them until it’s time to fire the preacher.
The main reason that music style divides a group is because the members have their identity in the meeting. To change the meeting requires changing their identity, which meets powerful resistance. To me, this is as valid as dividing over where you park your car during the service. But we are meeting-centered, and we suffer the consequences of that folly.
I want to add my “amen” to Jeffrey’s comment about the “no music no notes” trend on Powerpoint. I would love to be able to sing along with some of the contemporary songs, but I can’t figure out what to sing. It’s really frustrating!
I suggested that we should use notes in our powerpoint, and was told that “we don’t want to intimidate our visitors.” This in Memphis where casual visitors often have a background in professional music.
Most of us say we don’t like it when the organ, piano, guitar, band are so loud you can’t hear the singers. I have felt that way about the single song leader and his microphone!
I would “Amen” to all that see a great value in the notes being displayed. I have been in attendance at churches for over 70 years, and really don’t know the meaning of a single note. I also do not have an ability to sing any songs all the way through with out injecting a wrong word. Memorization of songs or text has not one of my attributes. But that said, I have been so accustomed to observing the notes as I sing that when they are missing I even have problems singing songs that I have known all my life. I have noticed though that when a song that I have never heard before is sung and the notes are available, I can usually sing along as well as anyone that is singing near me that already knows the song. I have also observed that others must have similar problems as you look around and see who is singing when a new song is sung with out notes.
I observed another concern. I recently attended a very good sized church where a commentator on this blog who is an Elder whom I respect greatly attends, I asked him if he would mind if I discussed some of my feelings about my experience that day. Well I never put forth the effort to follow up, but the direction of the communications today has renewed my need to explain what I have felt.
A short time before this we had been discussing on this blog about the indwelling of the Spirit within Christians. I understood that we should all believe that the Spirit does this 24/7. But, one of the songs that was sung in that service was a new song to me “Surround Us, Lord”. The lyrics within this song seemed to me to portray that the Spirit was not within us as Christians, and that we were begging him to come to us in this service. I did not even get the impression that he would remain with us after the service was ended. I am fully aware that some of “other church members” whom I have had discussions with in the past do believe that the Spirit is only with them while they are assembled and they make a very powerful effort to seduce the appearance of a force they can identify with as being a Spirit, maybe that has clouded my understanding of the lyrics. What do you think, is there some of the songs that many like to sing because of their tune or tempo, that actually teach differently than the message in the scriptures?
I am a 51 year old woman, brought up in the Church of Christ. I agree that it would be very helpful to have the notes displayed with the newer contemporary songs. It is difficult to participate/sing along when I don’t know the songs…But this is NOT a topic that is the source of my salvation. I wish the church would focus on matters that are relevant to salvation- not topics of tradition. There is a difference. I am blessed to have been brought up in a church that is progressive and the Elders make decisions based on scripture, not tradition.
Thanks Jay I look forward reading and posting more.