Not all churches have choirs. Why say this in an article about choirs? I think it’s an important truth to name because those of us who love choirs often assume it to be a norm in a church. While this article is mainly about choirs, the same assumptions might apply to praise teams or technology. If we are used to ensembles and equipment in worship, we may come to expect them as norms, like sermons or candles or air conditioning (not all churches have air conditioning either). So it is important to remember that some churches worship without choirs. A larger church may have a choir that, unlike thriving former years, is now shrinking; this may be a lamented “problem” that a tiny church would be grateful for. Church choir redux Pause a moment and note the music, images, associations or assumptions that may already be in mind at the mention of the word “choir.” If every reader sent a description of “choir” to the Presbyterian Outlook, there would be as many descriptions as … [Read more...]

What is the relationship between music and mission? I believe they are closely related. God has given humanity the wondrous ability to create beautiful and powerful music. Throughout the Bible we are instructed to “sing a new song” and to play instruments to God’s glory. During Sunday worship, throughout the church at large, members of the choir and congregation raise their collective voices in song to offer praise, glory and honor to God. Stirring organ music or other instrumental music, along with Word and Sacrament, inspire us to leave our sanctuaries of worship and to go into the world to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to tend the sick and to visit the prisoner. As we sing powerful hymns, we often find a new resolve to help the “least of these.” With music, in the context of a worship service, the Holy Spirit often inspires us to play our respective roles in God’s mission to provide both spiritual and physical sustenance for all of God’s children. The relationship … [Read more...]