Directions for Singing: Part 6 - Sing in Time

6. Sing in Time: whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

This is perhaps the most practical of all of Wesley’s directions. The goal here is twofold. 1) Again we see, as in Direction #5, he’s teaching his people to strive for unity. It should be remembered that this is his overarching purpose, but since we covered that in Part 5, I’ll not touch upon it here. 2) Wesley is trying to correct something that has obviously become normalized to the point that it has become quite useless or intolerable to many.

His last sentence is awesome. “This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.” You can hear it in his voice can’t you? His disdain for lazy singing. I imagine my experience as a youth in the First Baptist Church of Dreary Song was not unlike what was driving Wesley nuts here. I can see him squirm and fidget with deep breaths waiting for the agony of the eternal song to end. God love ‘em, but is there anything fast, quick, or snappy about an elderly lady playing piano in church? Minor annoyances aside, what I think Wesley is ultimately getting at here is that songs need to be sung appropriately. The clue here is when he says “just as quick as we did at first”. This indicates that they were initially sung in the appropriate manner. I think that is the crux. I don’t think Wesley wants to sing every single tune like an auctioneer; I think he wants to sing every single tune the way it is supposed to be sung. Tunes and texts which lend themselves to be sung at a quicker tempo should not be sung as a dirge. Solemn tunes should be solemn, not dead. These songs initially, were sung correctly, but they have since grown slow and dull. I want to use this as a springboard to think for a moment about how songs are supposed to be sung.

For the most part I would guess that generally the songs we sing on a weekly basis are neither boisterous nor somber. They are probably somewhere in between. There is nothing wrong with that unless they are always somewhere in between. There needs to be a healthy diet of Gladness and Gravity, of both deep sorrow and abundant rejoicing. I’m not speaking here of the healthy textual content needed within the songs (which is hugely important), but a healthy understanding of occasion and purpose; when and how songs need to be sung. To translate this to the dinner table, we need both party food and food to be served after a funeral, not to mention all the meals in between. The food meets the occasion. We eat turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, not on the Fourth of July. Beer and Hot Wings for the football game, not for Timmy’s first birthday party.

Let me get closer to (but not quite to) the point. I fear that we view our song intake much the same way the modern world views their food intake. They are always conscious of content to the exclusion and detriment of the context. In the modern mind you have Health Food or Junk Food. And often (and usually in the minds of the more health oriented) these become moral issues. Health food is good, Junk food is bad. And this leads some people to believe that because Junk Food is bad, there is now no good occasion for Junk Food. Health food all the time, for every occasion, or nothing at all. Content to the detriment of Context.

And because Health=Good and Junk=Bad, that means that we now have to have our Healthy Food look like Junk Food for the occasions that normally require Junk Food. Our football games still have chips and dips but they are now fatless and tasteless, or just plain gross. Or as St. Paul said, “Having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.” This sacrifice of taste is justified because it was deemed necessary for our health. Now I bring this up not to cause a food fight, but to point out the parallel I see in the songs we sing at church. We (like our health conscious friends) are looking for the healthy songs. The ones chock full of vitamins and nutrients. And this is great. There are a lot of songs that can rot the teeth out there. Some even cause cancer. But in our endeavor to feed congregations healthy songs, sometimes we force feed certain songs into occasions that don’t work.

The easiest example of this is always singing happy songs all the time. Here’s where our food analogy comes into play. The tendency is to think that Happy songs = Healthy songs so therefore they are Good songs; and Sad songs = Unhealthy songs so therefore they are Bad songs. I recall hearing a story about how Christian Radio stations were at a loss about what to play on 9/11. A huge tragedy had befallen the nation and when they reached into their archives to find appropriate songs they came up short. Tragedy upon tragedy! Because Christ is King over all things and Sovereign over all circumstances, we must have a song to sing for every situation. The great theologian Treebeard said, “Songs like trees bear fruit only in their own time and their own way” and I believe him. Songs must be sung according to their appropriate occasion and purpose, especially when we gather to sing to and about the Most High God and His glorious Son.

To be sure, the textual content of the song greatly aids in determining occasion and purpose, but not necessarily to the expense of the tune and tempo; the way in which we sing it. There is a reason we stretch and emphasize certain words of a song. Songs need an occasion and occasions need songs, and the wise will do right by figuring out the best way to join them when the church gathers each week.

That’s likely a little bit more than Wesley was aiming at, but I think it shoehorned in nicely enough.

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Previous installments of the Direction's for Singing series

Introduction

Part 1 - Learn These Tunes

Part 2 - Sing Them Exactly

Part 3(a) - Sing All

Part 3(b) - Sing, Weary Singers

Part 4 - Sing Lustily and with Good Courage

Part 5 - Sing Modestly

Directions for Singing: Part 4 - Sing Lustily and with Courage

In John Wesley’s first two points we have seen what to sing. His third point has allowed us to touch a bit on why we sing and specifically why we should sing together. Now in these final four points Wesley directs us how to sing. To be honest, this is my favorite instruction. Years ago when I first came across these “Directions for Singing”, this is the one that stuck out. It lingers about my mind nearly every Sunday morning.

4. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

A few posts back I mentioned an experience that contrasted with my normal expectations about congregational singing. After years of being formed by dreary, yawn inducing singing, I attended a congregation who taught me a lesson. We began with “Praise to the Lord the Almighty” and I thought the church would crumble like the walls of Jericho. The rumble, the boom, the power of that gathered voice, full of mirth and might, was almost overwhelming to my unaccustomed ears. It was this moment that gave me the clearest understanding of just how anemic my experiences up until then with congregational singing really had been. It was like being raised on rice and beans my whole life and then someone offered me a steak. These people were doing exactly what Wesley tells us to do; they were singing lustily and with good courage. And it made me want to join in.

Sing Lustily

What does it mean to sing lustily? Words like, vigorous, hearty, and mighty come to mind. There is oomph behind it. It’s warriors singing as they march to battle. It’s the National Anthem sung after a gold medal at the Olympics. It’s the seventh grade girl’s sleepover where hairbrushes are microphones.

Maybe the best way to think of it would be singing whole-heartedly. If we love the Lord our God with all of our heart and mind and strength then we should sing to the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and strength. That includes our voices. Which includes the volume of our voices. Which means your half-sigh-sing-along is less than whole-hearted. Which means your song is lacking in more than just volume. When you sing half-dead or half-asleep, or when you are ashamed of being heard, you are saying something to God and to the Church (and about them). You are saying that you are half-hearted. Which means the only thing you’re good for is to be spat out. Were that you hot or cold…

When I think of the epitome of whole-heartedness I think of my 7 year old son. When he sets his mind on something he doesn’t let it go. Ever. The kid is a pit bull. However noble (giving money to the church) or silly (playing a certain video game) he pursues his desire with every fiber of his being. His joy or misery hinges upon it. It’s his first thought when he wakes up and his last thought before his eyes close. Often it’s his whole-heartedness that gets him in trouble. The (fantastic) reason it gets him into trouble is because it gives him boldness. If he sets his mind on something he’s going to ask me to do it until I give in or punish him for asking for the 1000^th time…or he’ll just do it without asking. He “knows” that he will get in trouble if he asks “one more time”, but in his whole-hearted boldness he risks it anyway. He’s still learning how to be obedient and how to have self-control, but his whole-heartedness is a good thing. But for most of us, whole-heartedness doesn’t come so easily. This is why we need courage.

And With Good Courage

Courage requires us to risk whole-heartedness. Courage tells us to act whole-hearted without being whole-hearted to begin with in the hope that acting whole-hearted will lead to whole-heartedness. That’s a chewy one. I explain it to my kids like this: You cannot be courageous without being afraid. Fear is necessary for bravery. You cannot have courage without it. If fear is absent from your action, then you are not being brave, you are being normal (or stupid). Courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. Every time my kids say, “I’m scared” it is an opportunity to teach courage. Courage never feels like courage to begin with. It feels like anxiety. You only feel courageous after the deed is done (maybe).

So singing with good courage doesn’t mean you have to feel like it before you sing. In fact, with our understanding of courage, it means the opposite! You don’t feel like singing? You’re exactly where you need to be. Now sing as if you are singing with your whole heart. You feel like a liar? Because you are. Keep singing. You feel your voice isn’t very pleasant sounding? At least you know it. Keep singing. Whatever fears and excuses (legitimate!) you have, sing through them. If Christ has conquered Satan and the gods of this world, if Christ has conquered sin and death, then whatever fears we have that prevent us from singing whole-heartedly when we gather to sing will pale in comparison. Christ gives us courage greater than the courage of the world because He has already conquered.

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So sing out!

Epilogue: A word to the men of the church

My eye is heavily upon you here. Growing up, those who actually did sing were the ladies. It was the men with folded arms and furrowed brows with their traps shut. That taught me another thing I had to unlearn later: Singing is for girls. Such an impact is not just harmful, it is evil. The force behind such thinking is satanic. Satan is dancing to your droning. He’s giggling like the schoolgirl he makes you think you’ll be if you sing out. Though the fiery dragon has been dealt a mortal wound by our great Savior, his death throes are still dangerous. He still has poison and the power to enchant you. But God has given you a weapon to break the spell and fight back. What are you doing with it? Yawning? Martin Luther said,

The devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God…Music is a gift and grace of God, not an invention of men. Thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful.

Every Sunday when the church gathers in song, a sword is always held at someone’s throat; the devil’s or yours. Worship is war and your half-hearted singing is a position of pathetic weakness, a treacherous act. Your mumbled song is a whimper that only discourages your comrades and emboldens the enemy. Your children will see your defeat and follow you. What will their children do? Do you care? Paul encourages us to “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Singing is a way to guard and stand firm in the faith, so act like a man and sing with strength.

This Sunday sing with vigor and might. That means with oomph. Your guts are going to have to get involved. Intestinal fortitude two ways. If people notice then you’re probably doing it right. You’re not going to feel like it, but that’s where courage kicks in. Sing out and sing through. 

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Previous installments of the Direction's for Singing series

Introduction

Part 1 - Learn These Tunes

Part 2 - Sing Them Exactly

Part 3(a) - Sing All

Part 3(b) - Sing, Weary Singers

Directions for Singing: Part 3b - Sing, Weary Singers

Last week I took a bite out of the first sentence in John Wesley’s third instruction. Today I’ll finish the plate.

3. Sing All. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

After addressing the people to “sing All”, Wesley follows up by encouraging everyone to sing together and to push through if it is a burden, because ultimately it will be a blessing.

Join With the Congregation

Wesley is telling us to sing along, to join the throng. Everybody sing. In the previous post I told you about my experiences growing up in the First Baptist Church of Dreary Song, where verses were skipped and the singing was lackluster. Unfortunately I've heard the same story from many others. The gospel of Dreary Song is cross-denominational, a truly ecumenical movement. Symptoms include the mumbles, folded arms, blank stares and/or scowly faces, half-heartedness, lip-syncing, and possible eye-rolling. Frankly, some congregations are truly united, but only in their effort to not sing. Unity of this type is also found in the graveyard.

To make a point I will now get off the topic for a moment. Carl Truman wrote an incredibly helpful and needful article called, “What Can Miserable Christians Sing”. His point is that in our day and age the emphasis in church music leans heavily towards the happy, glad, and joyful, leaving those who are miserable or hurting without a song to sing. His solution to this Happy Clappy Endemic is (spoiler alert) the Psalms. Aside from the fact that it needed to be written in the first place, everything about the article is spectacular and I pray it finds its way before the eyes of every pastor and worship leader in the land. That said (back on topic!), in my experience, the problem isn't that everyone is singing only happy songs, the problem is that almost no one is singing anything.

There is an awfully heavy side to this that unfortunately I’ll only mention briefly here. When there a congregation that resists singing about the One who invented music and formed their vocal cords—not to mention the One who saved their souls from the pit of hell—the fear is that they sing not because they are saved not. This is a real and dreadful conclusion that cannot be reached lightly and so I’ll leave it to the discernment of those shepherds to whom God has entrusted such matters in their own flocks. For my purposes, in these instructions I have a believing congregation in mind. Perhaps it is full of folks who grew up like me, where they were trained that the songs they sing don’t matter much. Perhaps it is a congregation full of horrible singing voices and everyone is a bit self-conscious. There are likely as many reasons as there are non-singing congregations so I’ll get to the point.

I believe Wesley instructs his people to join in singing with the congregation as frequently as possible to encourage even more singing. We've seen in previous installments that singing is formative and that these hymns are meant to teach doctrine as well as praise God, so it would follow that more singing means more teaching and more formation, and as a result, more praise to God. But there's a bit more to it than that.

You Will Find a Blessing

"Just one more okay?" -said for the 10th time

Singing is a natural part of our original glorious, pre-sin, Garden of Eden, state. But we are fallen, which is why singing (and singing together) can be weary and burdensome. And by golly, I think we have our finger on the foundation for the Dreary Song Movement. Singing is a burden in the same way playing is a burden. Think about how damning of a statement that is. Playing is a burden! At first glance it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. Have you ever sat down to play make believe with a toddler? How long did you last? Long before my daughter brings me my 37th cup of tea I've been looking for a way out. I mean, she’s already given me 36 cups in under two minutes. I'm antsy and I can't blame it on being hopped up on imaginary caffeine. Go ask your mom if she wants some tea. Had we the time and had I the ability, she would keep this up for another, oh, 3 million cups or so. And that’s just me sitting on the couch, not moving.

Play is a burden and that it is a burden is evidence of our fallen state. Chesterton taught this to me.

The sun rises every morning. I do not rise every morning; but the variation is due not to my activity, but to my inaction. Now, to put the matter in a popular phrase, it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness, but to a rush of life. The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

In the same way, C.S. Lewis contrasts earth and heaven in those things (singing among them) which we consider to be frivolous: 

Dance and game are frivolous, unimportant down here; for “down here” is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment’s rest from the life we were placed here to live. But in this world everything is upside down. That which, if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is most like that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven.

Singing is a burden because we are sinful people. But singing is good for us because it is the serious business of Heaven. The glimpse we get of the Throne of God in Heaven reveals to us four living creatures who are continually, without stop day and night, singing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty”. Without stop! Day and night! And we think, what a burden!

So our weakness and weariness in singing is a sign of our fallen nature. Wesley wisely tells us to battle through such weakness. He says to take it up as a cross and carry it and it will be for our good. This flies in the face of that masterful tactic of Satan; the phrase, “I don’t feel like it.” How many times have we given credence to this phrase? Not that it isn't true (most of the time it is true!). But we never explore why it is true. Why does singing make us weak and weary? Because joy is the serious business of heaven and we are steeped in the serious business of the world. Of course we don’t feel like singing! We’re too weak to understand its power. Wesley is smacking our face here, not to be cruel, but to snap us into reality. Hey, wake up! Stay with me!

Singing together is like a magic cordial offered to the sick and dying. Those who refuse to drink because the taste (at first sip) is sharp, harsh, and nasty will remain sick and dying and likely unaware of their state. Singing will never quite sit well with them and they’ll believe the fault lies somewhere outside of themselves. However, those who realize their condition will push past the first taste because they know ultimately it is for their own good. They will soon regain their strength and develop an acquired taste that leads to greater complexity of pleasure and enjoyment.

The burden of song may not be fully lifted for many until Christ returns, but when we sing together we help each other carry the burden. In the church of the Dreary Song the burden is crushing. But in a congregation where everyone sings together the burden is lifted and eased. Everyone shares in the load and the work becomes a foretaste of eternal glory.

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Previous installments of the Direction's for Singing series

Introduction

Part 1 - Learn These Tunes

Part 2 - Sing Them Exactly

Part 3(a) - Sing All

Wesley's Reasons for "Directions for Singing"

When it comes to hymnody the Wesley brothers stand among a small number who could be called giants. Their shoulders have withstood the standing of countless men and women throughout the years. The reason for their vast influence is quite simple; their hymns, (Charles’ in particular), embody truth and doctrine with beauty. The Wesley’s not only used their hymns for praise to God, but also for discipleship. Wesley’s teachings and doctrines (like Luther’s before him) were dispersed through song. Methodism was strengthened and sustained through these hymns, and Christians, beyond the borders of Methodism, have benefited from the overflow of truth and beauty contained in their songs.

So it comes as no surprise that John Wesley sought to encourage his congregations to sing. He understood the value, purpose, and importance of hymns (to glorify God and edify the Church) and sought to instruct his followers to sing these songs so that they would be of the greatest benefit to the participants of worship. In a 1761 hymnbook prepared for his people, John Wesley included some brief “Directions for Singing”. He states:

That this part of Divine Worship may be the more acceptable to God, as well as the more profitable to yourself and others, be careful to observe the following directions.

1. Learn these Tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

2. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

3. Sing All. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

4. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

6. Sing in Time: whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

7. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your Heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

My plan is to offer some thoughts on each of these seven points of instruction on their own as series of separate posts.

But before we really jump into this series, I would like to look briefly at the reasons John Wesley gives for offering these Directions in the first place. He opens with the simple but informative sentence, “That this part of Divine Worship may be the more acceptable to God, as well as the more profitable to yourself and others, be careful to observe the following directions.”

For Gathered Worship

The first thing we can pull out of this is that Wesley envisioned these hymns for a particular audience and placed in a particular setting. Namely, they were to be sung as a part of gathered worship. First and foremost this hymnbook was not for the individual believer, but for the congregation of believers for “this part of Divine Worship”. Of course “this part of Divine Worship” is referring to congregational singing. (That Wesley speaks of singing as a ‘part’ of worship happily contrasts with those today who only view singing as some “truer” form of worship than preaching or partaking of the sacraments. How often have we heard in the parking lot, “The worship was great, but the sermon was a bit dull”?)

To Glorify God and Edify the Church

Wesley reveals these Directions for Singing have two goals in mind: That it “may be the more acceptable to God, as well as the more profitable to yourself and others”. In sum, the goal of congregational singing in worship is to glorify God and to edify the Church. These instructions seek to aid the church in accomplishing both.

We might also see here that the phrase, “acceptable to God” conjures (for us) a bit more than simply “glorify God”. To be sure, acceptable worship does indeed glorify God, but Wesley here is concerned with the way in which his people get to the point of glorifying God. By stating that there is a kind of worship that is acceptable to God, Wesley is also saying that there is a kind of worship that is unacceptable to God. Worship that is acceptable or unacceptable is as old as Cain and Abel. It is deep in our DNA, and yet the phrase “acceptable worship” causes us to cringe. It automatically puts us in a place of vulnerability. It leaves us exposed. It puts us on a scale. It leaves open the possibility that our worship might not be up to par. Wesley’s brief Directions do not cover this idea of worship that is ‘acceptable to God’ to the fullest extent, but there are glimpses in the instructions that we can expand upon further when we get to them. In the meantime, I’d like to think if someone asked him to further expand on this theme that Wesley would say, “Have you considered this song by my brother Charles?

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;

The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:

Before the throne my surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.”

A Pastor's Heart

The reasons Wesley provides are not ground-shattering, but they are helpful. Someone could read these Directions and in a huff write them off as legalistic or old fashioned. But they would be missing the heart of Wesley. A pastor’s heart aimed at shepherding his flock, leading them to the best grazing lands he can find. He wants to give them the deepest truths and have them behold the greatest beauties while in his care. At the end of the day John Wesley is saying, “In these hymns there is truth and beauty. Here are some ways, as your pastor, I believe will help you to glorify God, to see truth better, to behold beauty deeper, and to experience the joy of fellowship as best as we can.”

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The Directions for Singing series

Part 1 - Learn These Tunes

Part 2 - Sing Them Exactly

Part 3(a) - Sing All

Part 3(b) - Sing, Weary Singers

Part 4 - Sing Lustily and with Good Courage

Part 5 - Sing Modestly

Part 6 - Sing in Time

Part 7 - Sing Spiritually

Matthew Smith, Indelible Grace, and My Hymn Seminar Notes

Yesterday I attended a seminar on Hymns with Matthew Smith from Indelible Grace Music. If you are unfamiliar with Indelible Grace I would encourage you to check them out immediately. Indelible Grace is a group that Matthew Smith has participated in for about 10 years and they are rooted in the college ministry of the PCA called Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). They are doing something the church has done for a long time, which is putting hymn texts to modern music. It sounds simple enough but the practice, for the most part, has fallen by the wayside in our day and age of modern, cutting edge, happy-clappy worship songs. They are a driving force in the resurgence of hymnody today.

At the seminar Matthew Smith gave a brief history of his life as a worshipper and how he got involved with Indelible Grace. I was struck by how similar our stories are. He grew up in a Christian home, led worship for the youth group, and felt like a failed worshipper. Much of his guilt and feelings of failure were a direct result of the songs they sang and what he falsely thought worship should be. Matthew said he had a hard time explaining this feeling but I knew exactly what he was talking about. In some ways he felt as if worship meant that he had to ‘disconnect’ in some since and ‘attain’ a certain ‘level’ of worship for worship to actually occur. The songs they sung (as did I) were songs that said, “I want to” and “I will do” and he felt the weight of failure on his shoulders. Then he discovered RUF in college and was intrigued by two things; the acoustic guitar folk rock music caught his eye first, but what really kept him and drew him in were the hymns they were singing. The hymns placed all the emphasis on Jesus rather than on himself. Matthew had found that which released him of his feelings of guilt and failure in worship; instead of the world becoming a fuzzy disconnect that he always thought it should be, the world actually became more real, it became clearer and sharper in focus. I don’t know if this resonates with you but I completely understand where he is coming from, and so I found much encouragement and confirmation in my own story after hearing his.

After this Matthew gave a brief, but loaded presentation about why we need hymns and why he and Indelible Grace love the hymns so much. Before he began he made clear that when he talks about Hymns he uses the word ‘hymn’ as being distinguished from what many people consider as hymns, such as the Gospel Songs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Gather Music, etc.

I’ve listed the notes I took below. I summarized a bit but all of it is derived from what Matthew said.

Hymns engage our:

Imagination – Hymns paint a picture and they can be both personal and universal at the same time

Intellect – Hymns make you think about what you are singing – they help people engage or participate in worship more fully – the over all theme of a hymn should be understood after singing it once, but it needs to be sung over and over to better understand it.

Will – Hymns make you want to live differently rather than telling you to live differently – they have a shaping quality that assists the singer to change certain beliefs – Hymns say things you don’t want to say

Emotions – Hymns effect our emotions without being emotionalism and without manipulation – When you cry to a country song, it’s because the songwriter wanted/intended for you to cry. When you cry to a hymn it is because the hymn writer is crying with you. We share the emotion with the writer. (Matthew used the country song example because he knows of artists in Nashville that do it.)

Hymns are:

True – Hymns tell the truth about who we are and who God is

Good Theology – Hymns contain good (sound) theology – Kevin Twit says “Hymns are theology on fire” which means that hymns convey theology not in a stoic or stagnant kind of way, but it gives theology life and it spreads and is efficacious

Beautiful – Hymns are not just a tool to be used for practical purposes, ie. Just to teach, or for evangelism, etc (I tend to be guilty of this) – Art that is only practical is propaganda – ‘beauty’ does not equal ‘pretty’, beauty can be ugly – bad art lies and at it’s worst lies about the human condition

(As a side note I would add on my own that Hymns are also authentic. In that they were written most often for the hymn writer’s local congregation to aid in worship rather than written to be sold as a product to consume. I wish I would have thought of this during the discussion time to hear Matthew’s thoughts…anyway, back to the notes.)

Good Writing and Bad Writing

CS Lewis – he referred us to what Lewis had to say about the difference between good and bad writing. Although he didn't quote it, this is the quote he was referring to:

'In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please, will you do my job for me.”'

Bad Writing tells you how to feel (ie. That woman is beautiful)

Good Writing describes and displays the woman in such a way that the reader can only come away with the conclusion that the woman is a knockout.

According to this criterion, hymns would be considered “Good Writing” whereas most modern day praise songs would likely be considered “Bad Writing”. Where a modern praise song might say, “Jesus is amazing” a hymn would take three or four lines (or maybe the whole song!) describing and displaying Jesus in such a way that the singer can only come away with the conclusion that Jesus is amazing.

Then we moved into a Q&A/Discussion time that produced some great food for thought:

When asked what makes a hymn a hymn (as in distinction to modern songs) Smith said it has much to do with the form of the hymn. The secret weapon/advantage of the hymn is that it is Verse, Verse, Verse, Verse and develops a thought without interruption (the interruption typically being a chorus). But he was quick to point out that the chorus in many songs are not bad, but the verses of these songs tend to point only to the chorus so the development of thought isn’t always as strong as a hymn.

When discussing archaic language Matthew was not against changing language so that modern readers might understand, but he also felt it was perfectly fine to leave archaic language as it was written just the same. In doing so the singer will have to think and learn. He said he doesn’t have a rule about it because a hard and fast rule such as this destroys art.

The best part of the discussion was when the topic became sadness or darkness (in a sad since) in hymns as opposed to happy, peppy, chipper songs. Before I attended this it was a strong conviction of mine that the church must sing songs that prepare people for suffering, and sing them every week, and after listening to this discussion I am even more encouraged and fully strengthened that my conviction is valid. Here are four quotes that I wrote down during that discussion:

- When planning a service or when selecting songs: “Never aim for happy—always aim for joy.”

- “Mournfulness in songs doesn’t equal Mopey-ness.”

- “Jesus was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. If your songs don’t reflect that you’re picking the wrong songs.”

- In discussing how people at an A.A. meeting can often times be more honest than at church and how the church is a place for broken people: “The church should be a place where if you boast in yourself you should look stupid. Go play golf stupid.”

Following the seminar was a concert with Matthew and the Indelible Grace band. These guys not only love hymns and make a great case for them, they make excellent music for us to sing them to. I praise God for Indelible Grace and others who continue to put great music to great hymn texts.

Dead Air: Making the Most of the Inevitable Silence

As I pour over magazines, articles, and books for advice in leading worship, one thing I constantly run into is the subject of what to do in between songs. It is a common topic for discussion amongst song leaders as this must be dealt with every Sunday. There are all sorts of ideas that I have read about but each one boils down to one thing, and that is this; Do something! Do anything! But make sure there is no dead air!

There are countless reasons behind this, and many of them are even good reasons:

Silence is awkward.

If there is no ‘flow’ then dead air leaves a ‘stop/start’ feeling to worship.

People will become quickly bored.

A lack of smooth transition indicates a lack of excellence and God deserves our best.

But for the most part, the reasoning can be pretty much summed up like this: If there is silence in between songs then people are uncomfortable and therefore distracted and unable to worship.

Fill It In!

So the worship ‘experts’ then offer us ways to fill in this ‘dead air’ (which is just a code word that places a negative spin on the word ‘silence’). From my reading the most preferred method seems to be transitioning one song to the next without a pause in the music. When done right, this can be very smooth and pleasing to the ear. It also allows the leader to connect one theme with another quite seamlessly. I utilize this when I feel it is necessary, but it becomes impractical in many situations. Every Sunday just cannot be a five song medley.

So the next best ‘method’ is to fill the silence in with talking. This can be done in a variety of ways. Two of the better ways are Scripture readings and prayer. But most often, from what I’ve personally seen and read (and unfortunately, done myself) is spontaneous chatter. Some have called this ‘The Mini Sermon’, others have called it ‘Worship Cheerleading’ but most call it ‘Annoying.’

Fill It In?

The problem I have here is not the desire to have a smooth transition. I find nothing wrong with Scripture being read in between songs. But what bugs me is that these ‘fillers’ become nothing more than a ‘solution’ to silence. Instead of a 15 second pause between one song and the next, the popular advice is to ‘fill’ it with something. Eradicate and exterminate all forms of silence because, I am told, it makes people uncomfortable, distracted, and it hinders worship. Well I’m here to say it’s not true.

I’ve bought into this type of thinking for too long. Many times I have found myself standing awkwardly on stage in between songs, looking slightly fidgety awaiting the introduction of the next song. I’m sure my presence didn’t help the congregation feel any less awkward. But my thinking was always aiming to end the silence. And awkward silence, as I have found, will make a talker out of a mute. And talking simply to fill in the silence leads to unnecessary rambling and idiotic phrasings that edify and glorify no one. Well, I’m done with that. As I strive to increase my understanding of sound doxology I just cannot continue to participate in this game. Silence is inevitable and I aim to make much of Christ through it. I believe that the benefits of silence in between our songs can far outweigh our feeble efforts to fill it. I also believe that these benefits can prevail over the common concerns of awkwardness, distractions, and the inability to worship.

The Benefits of Silence in Worship

The first benefit is Authenticity. What is more fake than conjured spontaneity? As I pointed out above, in my experience, it just comes off as awkward. There are appropriate times for leaders to talk in between songs, but in between every song is unnecessary. If the Spirit is moving, I'm sure He can move just fine without me talking compared to whenever I open my sin filled mouth. If there are a few moments of silence while the musicians to end one song and start the next then so what? If it takes a couple seconds to turn the page to prepare for the next song, big deal! Is it less excellent to pause for a few moments rather than to play seven songs without stopping? Why should our music at church imitate a concert or a radio station? Imitation is the antithesis of authenticity! Authenticity through silence can serve as another reminder to us and our people that we are not professionals and we don’t aspire to be. That doesn’t mean we fail to plan or rehearse, but it means we make the most of the inevitable silence to come and not try to shoehorn in our often unnecessary noise.

A second benefit silence provides is Reflection; a time to think and a time for prayer. How many times do we as ministers provide opportunities in the worship service for the congregation to meditate and reflect on what they have just heard or sung? If you sing one song after another, without a break, and then seamlessly start the sermon, the congregation has never had time to ponder what they just sang. Many times the few brief moments of silence between each song might be the only silence available for the church to reflect. Mark Dever’s church has embraced the silent times in their service. He says, “We LIKE "dead air space." "Dead air space" gives us time to reflect. To collect our thoughts. To consider what we've just heard or read or sung. The silence amplifies the words or music we've just heard. It allows us time to take it all in, and to pray.” (Read Dever's full post here)

With that in mind, ‘dead air’ is also an opportunity for Participation. Instead of doing something to break the silence, do your best to participate in that silence. Dever continues, “Everyone works to be quiet. People stop moving their bulletins or looking for something in their purse. There's no movement. We, together, hear the silence. It engulfs us. It enhances our unity. It is something we all do together. Together we consider what we've just heard. Together we contribute to each other's space to think.” Active participation in silence actively works to get rid of distractions. Which makes me wonder when people say that silence itself is a distraction!

Lastly, another benefit of silence, and I believe the most important, is Worship. In fact, any benefit derived from this silent time should culminate in worship. Everyone talks about Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” but that’s exactly just what everyone does, talk. Rarely do we see this put into practice. The silence between one song and another is a perfect time to obey this command. In light of this passage it is quite telling to me when the ‘experts’ say that ‘dead air’ hinders worship. What that tells me is that either their understanding of worship is skewed or that they don’t understand what worship really is. If not, then they should really consider the logical outcome of their claims. To make the claim that ‘dead air’ causes people to not worship God is evidence that our faith resides in our methodologies rather than the Creator of silence. It is also a sign to me that many believe worship to be a product that can be manufactured or manipulated to produce an anticipated outcome, which is often called the ‘worship experience’. Many times this is based solely on feelings and nothing else.

One thing to be aware of is that just because silence takes place doesn’t mean that worship takes place. We need to train our people (and ourselves!) in the discipline of silence. And the best way I know how to train is to teach it and practice it. Instead of just expecting the congregation to ‘get it’, take a couple minutes and explain how the church can make the most of the silent times during worship. Explain how worship is not like any other venue in our culture and how silence can enhance reflection. Encourage participation. Take time to worship God when the opportunity of silence presents itself during the week. Even if it is for a few moments.

So instead of constantly trying to fill in the silence, make the most of it when it comes our way! And, most importantly, continue to measure everything we do in our worship services with Scripture to ensure sound doxology. Even the little things like the silence between our songs.

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Update 3-26-10: Bob Kauflin at Worship Matters has posted a three-part series called "What Do You Say When You Lead Worship?" He provides some humor as well as great advice.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3