One offshoot of the conversation about how long should a sermon be has been some conversation about how much time we should give to singing. In jest, intended as a bit of a light hearted poke at the way people were getting dogmatic about the 20 minute or the 40 minute sermon, I ran a… Continue reading Time to sing?
Tag: singing
Joy, enjoyment and singing
In my article on singing the other day, I talked about the importance of enjoyment and joy when we are singing. I wanted to expand on a little footnote I included in the article. There I commented that: Incidentally, when I talk about joy and enjoyment here, I don’t think that means we are meant… Continue reading Joy, enjoyment and singing
On singing when I don’t enjoy it
This week, Steve Kneale answered the question “If I don’t enjoy the songs at church, is it okay not to sing?” I broadly agree with much of what he has to say in his article. We live in an individualistic age where we believe that our desires and preferences come first. If we see church… Continue reading On singing when I don’t enjoy it
Making Expository Worship happen
How can we encourage an appetite for Expository Worship? Here are a few more thoughts. 1. Get people to look at what they are singing. For example, before you sing a hymn, ask people to look at a verse – what stands out to them? Are there lines they like? Where are we getting this… Continue reading Making Expository Worship happen
Updated data and thoughts for church COVID risk assessments
As promised here’s an update on where I think we are in terms of COVID-19 and its impact on our return to in person church gatherings. First of all, here’s an update on the data. The first important graph is the one showing case growth. As you can see, we saw a return to positive… Continue reading Updated data and thoughts for church COVID risk assessments
Singing Lessons
In recent posts I’ve suggested we might need to be cautious about the assumption that the 19th July will immediately inaugurate the return of full churches, no masks and a return to congregational singing. I suggested that an interim step might be to encourage different parts of the congregation to sing either a whole song… Continue reading Singing Lessons
Maybe we can sing a bit sooner …
This is a postscript to yesterday’s post about singing. No sooner was it up on the blog to read and the Welsh Government changed the dynamics a bit. They put out new guidance allowing for congregational singing. There were specific conditions attached including thorough risk mitigation and guidance about the prevelance of the virus in… Continue reading Maybe we can sing a bit sooner …
How might the Psalms help us in our walk and worship?
Yesterday I wrote about why we do not need to sing the Psalms. In response, I’ve heard from people about how helpful they personally and their churches have found singing them. It is important not to confuse two things here. It is very different to say “you don’t have to sing them” to saying “you… Continue reading How might the Psalms help us in our walk and worship?
And breathe – you don’t need to sing The Psalms
One of the big changes with The Reformation was a movement towards congregational singing. Prior to that, the expectation was that the laity sat and observed whilst the clergy performed the mass. So Reformed and Lutheran churches seeking to involve all members in gathered worship began to provide metrical versions of Psalms (with words set… Continue reading And breathe – you don’t need to sing The Psalms
Are we commanded to sing?
This is a little follow up to my articles on singing in our hearts and on the Creeds. One of the questions that keeps coming up is about the command to sing corporately. This is particularly important for people who follow what is sometimes referred to as “The Regulative Principle.” There are two approaches to… Continue reading Are we commanded to sing?
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