The #1 REASON PEOPLE DO NOT SING IN CHURCH WORSHIP —PLUS 6 MORE
Most Want to Sing But Are Hindered
If you look around you will find more and more people just spectate and do not participate during the singing of praises to the Lord. Why? I think there are 7 main reasons. Here they are in order of priority.
The #1 problem - the songs are too difficult to sing.
This is really three problems…
(1) Praise songs are often unsingable due to complicated melodies and rhythms. And it's just getting worse. I have sung in traveling groups to churches, taken voice lessons, and still I have found myself frustrated that I cannot follow the complex melodies of praise songs even after several exposures. So I stop singing as I see most others around me doing the same, and I listen to the worship band and singers as I look at the lyrics on the big screen. Many of the new worship songs are best sung as special music, not for the congregation. That's how I treat them and enjoy worship my Lord, just listening.
(2) The songs are in a key too high. Worship music leaders may be blessed with high tenor or high soprano voice range, but the average person in the church cannot reach those high-pitched songs. Guys are generally less into singing anyway, why make it harder. The Catholic church castrated boys before puberty for several centuries to keep them singing high like female sopranos. A much less drastic approach is to drop the key to a singable range!
(3) To make matters worse the worship leader often deviates from the difficult melody and the high key to sing with some harmony part, or adds some cool-sounding lick. Why not just sing the melody so others can follow?
The #2 problem - the lyrics are too repetitive and shallow.
Two issues here…
(1) If the praise song lyrics are simple enough to sing, all too often they are repeated ad nauseam. Legend has it that a contemporary worship music composer was asked what he did and he answered, "I write praise songs, I write, praise songs, I write praise songs, I write praise songs, I write praise songs." These repetitious musical ditties have commonly been called 7-11 songs, seven words sung eleven times. This gets annoying. Do you remember the little kids ride at Disneyland, "It's a small world after all"? Hearing that tune and those words repeated even in a different language so often you want to scream, "Please stop!" That's what many feel like yelling in church after the same phrase is sung a dozen times in a row. And then that's repeated.
(2) We have too often sacrificed lyrical substance along with a contemporary musical style. I thank God the church has embraced the oft repeated biblical admonition to "sing a new song." But fresh contemporary passion need not exclude profound truths. Solid biblical lyrics are out there in new songs. Be selective, not trendy. Taking an old rich hymn with rich lyrics put in a contemporary style works well. And an old hymn is new song to the unchurched.
The #3 problem - the screens are poorly used.
Screens get our heads up and eyes forward rather than down in a hymnbook. But often the words on the big screen are too small to read. Worship is more like taking a tough eye exam. Then there is the stylish font style that is hard to decipher. Sometimes the background graphics are so busy, they distract, grabbing more attention than the lyrics. Then there is the one or two second delay on the screen for the next phrase people are to sing but are forced into a continual catch up. This vocal stuttering gets people more frustrated than closer to God. Sometimes the wrong words appear on the screen. I once overheard whispering, "Can't you get the damn words right?" Driven to profanity is not exactly a worship experience!
Incompetent use of technology ruins worship.
The #4 problem -- the band and singers are too professional, or too unprofessional.
Balance is needed here. When the praise leader and the band make it more of a rock concert performance people feel uninvited to sing, no matter the prodding from the platform. Genuine humility comes through even with the most skilled musicians. The praise team should each earnestly pray before every service the words of John the baptizer, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
The polar opposite to slick self-attracting music is sloppy music. One need not be on par with a professional studio cat to sing upfront, but off key vocalist and instrumentalists, make everyone cringe and not worship. The King of kings deserves excellence. Why is it the flatter the pitch the louder the vocalist?
Which leads to the next problem.
The #5 problem - the music is too loud.
Loud praise is encouraged in the psalms, but not a deafening volume that nearly makes the ears bleed. I literally fear that in our litigious society, someone will win a major lawsuit against a church for permanent ear damage due to the harmful volume of the worship band and singers. That drummer who thinks the singers are only background to his banging sticks fails to realize he accompanies the singers. Background. It's never a drum solo. Some may argue that rock concerts hit the 110 decibels. Yes, but only fools who wish to permanently damage their ears attend them without hearing protection. Hearing is a Christian stewardship issue of caring for our bodies, not a competition with the worlds rock concerts.
I have put an index finger in each ear with blasting praise bands. I sing, bounce a little, and smile to make sure those around know I liked the music, but just found the volume painful and harmful.
A basked of ear plugs at the entrance is the answer for some churches. My opinion-- better to train the sound techy people to get the sound plenty loud enough, but not too loud.
The #6 problem-- the worship song leaders are too talkative.
When the song leaders preach and the pastor sing, it usually spells disaster. Well-chosen few connecting words enhance the worship music experience. Often nothing said is best. Too much talk between songs, puts the congregation back into listening mode rather than singing. People get into a praise momentum. Sermonettes between the songs stall the praise flow.
One of the most effective practices a music worship leader can do is plan ahead songs and very brief comments too fit the sermon theme. Sometimes the connecting words are flawed theology. Why not run the prepared words by the pastor a few days before the worship gathering?
The #7 problem - unready hearts in the congregation.
All the blame for lack of congregational praise singing does not fall on those leading.
Music worship done right will not force a cold heart to praise God. That said, few things will thaw an icy, hard heart, or begin the mending of a shattered heart, like passionate praise, and worship music led by humble musicians.
People also need permission not to sing. Invite, but do not badger.
Sometimes not singing is a good thing, the right response.
--An unbeliever seeking God may not want to sing words that are not true to his life. They do not wish to sing a lie.
--A Christian may be in a similar place. "I surrender all" makes bold commitment of "all." As a pastor about to preach, I've had to give pause when I was singing something I could not honestly say I was committed to . My silence during the singing has been some of my most honest worship and confession times to God. Other times the song touched my heart so that tears came and my singing was stopped.
Address these 7 problems and God will get the praises he deserves when the church assembles for worship!