Podcast
Do We Need a Worship Music Reformation?
0:00 / 0:00
Host Curtis Chang and Good Faith contributor Andy Crouch strike a chord in their exploration of the dynamics of modern Christian worship music. Their conversation covers the ways that average Christians are becoming limited in their singing abilities, the concert-like performance style of worship leaders in our sanctuaries, and the commercial influence of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Curtis and Andy contend a musical reformation in the worship lives of believers is needed urgently today, and offer some practical tips on how to get started.
Join us Around the Good Faith Campfire
Get the latest insights and updates delivered straight to your inbox weekly.
Thanks so much for this episode, Curtis and Andy! So thoughtful and such a needed word today. It brought back memories of childhood, when my parents would host a few friends for dinner and then at some point after dessert my mom would say, “Shall we sing a few hymns?” And we’d gather around the piano and sing. These moments were pure joy, and what strikes me looking back is how natural that seemed to the guests. I’m off to an ice cream-and-worship time on our front lawn in an hour, and feeling extra grateful for that in light of this episode.
Hey there, I just listened to your episode with Andy Crouch. Loved your discussion! I was a church choral/worship leader for many years. So much food for thought! The church can be so hard on worship leaders. I felt encouraged by Andy’s words. Thank you!
Hi Andy and Curtis–I wanted to tell you one encouraging story about a “house party” that became a church. In the late 1990s, a group of students and a few faculty members at Houghton College (now university), started meeting together in homes for a Mennonite House fellowship. The connections of the group to the Mennonite church were fairly tangential, but one thing that bound the group together was a love of singing in harmony. 25 years later, this fellowship has evolved into a small, storefront church (of about 20-40 people). Every week, we spend the first half hour of our worship service “building worship” (as we call it), by choosing songs from our hymnbook and singing them together. We have a strong amateur guitar player who is usually with us. He can play anything with chords. For part of the year, we have a retired piano professor who can sight read anything. If we don’t have musicians, we sing a capella. When people join us for worship, they are amazed by the singing. And there is no “music leadership” and no preparation. The children in our church frequently participate by calling out their favorite hymns–and we oblige them, even if it means singing Star of the East in the middle of July. We sing 19th hymns (like Come Thou Fount), hymns out of the Southern Harmony tradition (What Wondrous Love is This), hymns from the Black American tradition (Soon and Very Soon), world music (Amen Siakudumisa), really old hymns from the Genevan psalter (Comfort, Comfort but played fast with a djembe drum beat), and lots of new hymns (Marty Haugen is one of our favorite composers). A couple of tips for others who want to have a “house party” for singing. 1. Have a few people who can sight read music in the group. We don’t have professional musicians, but a good percentage of our congregants have sung in choirs. 2. Have music available so that those who can read music can lead. Our Mennonite hymnal is a beloved part of our congregational life. And we’re on our second edition. There was some grumbling when we changed hymnals four years ago, but we’ve adapted. And when our college students graduate, we give them a hymnal to take with them. 3. Acoustics matter. A lot of churches are “dead” for sound because of padded chairs and carpet. One great thing about singing in someone’s home is that you’ll usually be able to hear each other well. Our storefront church is resonant with wooden floors and a ceiling that bounces back sound. When we’ve worship out of doors, for example, it’s much harder to sing. 4. Let the Spirit move. We build our worship by letting anyone choose a song. We are less-polished and prepared. But our singing reflects what’s on our hearts that week. I hope this is encouraging that church music is alive and well in one little pocket of Christendom. If you’re ever in Belfast, New York on a Sunday, come and sing with us!