Postmodern Singing

One of the largest divides between modern and postmodern needs in the church would have to be styles of music used in worship. I'm old enough to be grateful when we sing the older hymns from the "red book, "which means it was probably published in the 30s and includes "It Is Well with My Soul" and "I Surrender All." I also appreciate songs from our current hymnal which includes many global songs like "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore " and "Santo, Santo, Santo." And I also enjoy praise songs with up-tempo and multiple instruments. Sometimes I videotape our contemporary band and from the back row I'm free to move with the music unchecked and unobserved. (except by the band???) I've attended several contemporary worship services at different churches and their volume is louder than ours, the singers are miked a little stronger to be heard over the instruments, and what I miss is the sound of the congregation. I find myself looking around to see if people's mouths are moving because I can't hear them. It's hard to imagine church without the strong communal voices singing "A Mighty Fortress is our God" or "Holy, Holy, Holy," but I also don't want to miss "Cain't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus." Research states that blended worship doesn't work; you aren't making either camp happy, but I like variety!

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Music reaches a part of our soul that the spoken word can only access from time to time. We hold fast to that music which makes us want to join in unrestrained voice. We carry those songs away from the service and find ourselves continuing to worship you in song for hours and days apart from the service. We find ourselves connected and blessed to further our veneration throughout the week in song and prayer. We bristle at new songs hoping instead to regale in our standards. We become disappointed and disengaged when we feel our own music has been displaced by another hymn, another style, another book, leading to another uncomfortable learning curve before we feel we can participate and experience wholly the holy. Let us grow in appreciation of a greater variety of songs that can encourage worship through fresh words and inventive chords. Let us build up tolerance for change yet also acknowledge that all generations have an equal voice to add to worship through music that brings connection and builds community. "How Can I Keep from Singing?" Amen