By Filings on
Church & Ministry
Congregational Singing
Worship Music
Contemporary Worship
0

“In most churches today, the worship time has become a concert. People love the music, but they don’t know the words, and so they just watch. 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

0
0

Discussion

Tue, 10/27/26

The problem I see are:

  • For some churches the words are not displayed
  • For some of the music the style and song is great for an album but poor for a congregation to sing who may even not be familiar with the song
  • The music is sung by the worship team in a performative style in both music as well as words and not a congregational style
  • The instruments and singing are so loud that you can't hear yourself sing

0
2

Tue, 10/27/26

I was dreading another issue on music, but Phil Cooke gets it right. Many times, if the congregation does not know the tune, or the tune is too high/too low, people won't sing. David's comments are also helpful--you can pick up on a new tune of the words are on the screen. Really, part of the beauty of the old hymnals is that if you can read--especially reading music--you can pick up the new tunes. And miracle of miracles, you can put modern songs in a hymnal, too.

Then you have the issue of "how do people read a hymnal when the lights are dimmed and the fog generators are working?".

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

0
0

Tue, 10/27/26

All of David’s points above are relevant. Bert added one that applies to me — being able to read the music. Since I can read decently, if not great, I do NOT enjoy trying to learn a song from just words on a screen. The church should either hand out music sheets in the bulletin (that’s what my church does), or use things actually already in the hymnal.

Many modern worship songs, even if they have a singable tune in a good key and great lyrics with good theology, have timing changes or note changes at different points in the song, etc. I’m perfectly willing to learn, but I have no interest in sticking out when I can’t just “divine” the next notes and timing. So with these songs, without music I’ll typically either stay silent for the whole song the first time it is used, or I might chime in on the 3rd/4th verse if the song is regular enough. Thankfully, my church is fairly traditional, so there is no lowered lighting, fog machines, loud worship teams, etc. And again, for almost all new songs, song sheets with notes are handed out.

For new music, anthems, or arrangements of familiar music, a worship team or traditional choir (what my church has, and I’m in it) can be used. For us, it’s only one number out of the 4 or 5 sung, with the rest being congregational. There are a couple people who make no secret of the fact they think no music should be done that isn’t sung by the congregation, but that point of view is not shared by most, who generally think choir pieces add, rather than detract, from the service.

Overall, I agree, that article was pretty good. We should be doing all we can to get the congregation to participate in the music, rather than sit all of it out.

Dave Barnhart

0
0