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| "I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours; it is the gift of God." - Martin Luther |
Dear Pastor:
About a month ago, two of my friends and I visited your church once while in town. Looking for a congregation of my fellowship at which to hear God's Word and worship, I did research and found your parish, and it appeared to be a promising, confessional Lutheran assembly.
Settling into our pew near the back of the ornate, historical sanctuary and locating hymnals, we were instructed by the HD flatscreen to join in hymn 593. We did so. Glancing about the room, I was shocked - not one member of the 20 or so present sang along. Perhaps about half of them had hymnals open and were leaning over to read the words, yet no lip movement. The others, all of whom were seated towards the west end of the church, faced straight ahead.
My friends and I continued along, leading the hymn in equal volume to the organ, splitting into parts, adding a descant, and so on as we were used to doing. The sermon ironically concentrated on enthusiastic outreach to the community, and consisted of primarily third function of the law - not misfitting within context. To close the service, you and your vicar planned to supplement the message on evangelism with a video on abovementioned flatscreen, but after a solid five-plus minutes of attempts, the presentation was adjourned.
Following the benediction, a woman in front of me, who had been silent for the whole hour next to her restless teenage son, turned around and complimented me on my singing voice, interested in knowing if we were musically trained. I explained to her that although I am an organ major and have had limited vocal instruction, I enjoy singing hymns and think it is an important part of the Divine Service. Upon shaking your hand, Pastor, I thanked you for chanting the cantor's part in the psalm. You apologized for your weak singing voice, but I tried to encourage you for setting a good example for your church.
What we saw and didn't hear was disappointing, not because we were graduate music majors, but because we were Christians who believe that hymnody and liturgy is a central part of worship. It has nothing to do with how "well" people can sing. If anyone thought he or she could please God or be a better Christian by the quality of the sacrifice - if that is how congregational song is viewed - there is no way even I could impress God. Yes, to some extent worship concerns rendering the Lord His due honor, as expressed in Scripture, but even that is for our edification as well. A church musician named Louis G. Nuechterlein wrote, "The music of the congregation derives from the triangular shape of Christian worship...God Himself communicates with His people in Law and Gospel; Christians communicate with God in prayer, praise, and thanks; Christians teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)."
The Lord does not need those He has created to tell Him His attributes in order to possess them. By singing the Word in church, the Holy Spirit brings the salvation truth to the believer personally, and he or she actively confesses the good confession (1 Timothy 6:12) in a way that increases memory of those doctrines like no other method. Additionally, though aside from experience it is difficult to explain, singing hymns in church connects one to the believers of the past as well as others living elsewhere, reassuring the believer that "no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
I fear that if this is a habit and not an isolated circumstance, it is a symptom of a larger problem. Do they feel self-conscious compared to the other worshippers (who in turn are also not singing)? Do they lack interest in Scripture in metrical form, or any form for that matter? Does the use of a screen possibly confuse some of the older members? Might there be a way you could call upon some local students of the fellowship to assist in leading music from the pew?
Here is an excellent description from Carl Halter and Carl Schalk's A Handbook of Church Music:
The music of the congregation is not that which is sung by the clergy or choir in the congregation's behalf, with the congregation as an attentive and appreciative audience. Nor is it music scheduled for all the people to sing, but in which only a faithful few participate while the majority stand with hymnals open but with mouths shut. The music of the congregation in that in which all those gathered for worship take an active part, regardless of ability or vocal skill. Even those very few who cannot carry a tune join unabashedly in the singing, using their limited vocal resources in the praise of God (136).
It is my sincere prayer that your parishioners will learn that song is not something others do for them, but their own treasure to have and enrich in the one true faith.
Sincerely,
A concerned Christian and teacher of the Gospel in song
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