Choosing a song for a congregational worship gathering should be more than finding a catchy and unique tune. Today, there is an overwhelming number of songs to choose from. The congregation wants to offer the very best to their God, thus the plethora of resources allows the gathering planner to be picky. Numerous questions should be asked in considering music, but we will explore two primary questions.
1. What does the text say? Before listening to the melody, it is imperative that the text is evaluated. Music is influential; reading the text before hearing the music will guard against perceiving poor lyrics more highly than one ought. The text must be able to stand on its own, it is the only part that actually says something. Text should also be supported by Scripture either by quoting, paraphrasing, or at least reflecting Biblical concepts. The planner should be able to articulate, to any member of the congregation, as to how the song aligns with scripture.
2. Will the song be used for congregational singing? If so, can people sing it? Corporate worship is to be just that–corporate. Thus, one should attempt to include everyone as best as possible. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the melody mostly fits between Bb (below middle C) and D (13 whole steps above middle C).
The previous two questions will narrow down song options greatly, but one should also consider the context of the church and community (does the song stylistically fit within the demographics of the church and community) and the variety of songs (do they reflect the various attributes of God). Bottom line, we can and should be picky with the songs we choose.
Written by: James
Don't forget to subscribe to receive posts delivered to your reader or e-mail.
