National Working Group on Worship
Theology and Discipleship
Using Contemporary Song
in Uniting Church Worship
Within the Uniting Church, people of all ages
(and especially young people) appreciate
lively and joyful praise along side the more reflective moments of worship.
Worship
the Lord with joy;
come
before him with happy songs. Psalm 100:2
For them, faith and church is something which
needs to be lively and relevant. Culturally, music is one of the most apt of
ways for this to happen. This has long been the case. John Wesley in his Seven
Rules for Singing Methodists urges the faithful to "sing lustily and
with good courage ...". Of course, Wesley gave equal time to singing of a
more sombre note!
At the outset, let's not limit discussion on the
use of contemporary song to worship involving
young people. National Church Life Survey data strongly supports the
notion that all ages want
opportunities to use contemporary song in their worship of God. We need to go
beyond the hymns v. choruses debate, and realise that choruses are just one
contemporary style out of many currently in use in Uniting Church worship. The
guidelines which follow suggest at least seven varieties of contemporary music
for worship.
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Why the impact and
desirability of contemporary song in the church today? I would suggest at least
three reasons (among many others) for this:
1. Contemporary song .... as with many hymns, is often TO
God, instead of ABOUT God.
Christian music both
passes on the beliefs of the church down through the ages and expresses what faith in God means to the here
and now. When someone has reached a milestone in their journey of faith and
discipleship, they will often want to give relevant expression to this. The
melodies, rhythms, moods and lyrics of contemporary song will aid this
expression; they are the moods of our lives - joy, hope, longing, love,
sadness, excitement ....
2. Much contemporary music is catchy and
memorable. Is there wrong in a Christian, hours after
worship, singing to
themselves a “chorus”, Taizč or Iona
piece in which God, often through the
direct singing of
scripture, has impacted on their life? I think not. Yes, much contemporary song
will be "here today, gone tomorrow". But once we can acknowledge it
as an opening for the movement of the Spirit of God, and an encounter with the
discipleship demands of the crucified yet risen Christ, we can be giving thanks to God for the gift
that contemporary song can be.
3. Rhythm is a strong feature of contemporary music, and not
just within the genre of rock music.
When "moving"
to music (even if that movement is purely handclapping), many worshippers are
able to enter more purposefully into the song, making the writer's words,
rhythms and melodies their own. Hymn
singing also gives wonderful opportunities for life and creativity; a challenge
to churches which lose sight of this possibility.
Some guidelines ...
1. Be balanced.
Avoid an
almost-exclusively “praise” orientation. This denies the opportunity in worship
for music that is confessional, intercessory or educational. The danger of a
narrow praise orientation is that it presents a less than holistic picture of
faith and discipleship. The Lutheran All Together series and Willow
Connection’s As One Voice 1 & 2 collections significantly rectify this imbalance.
2. Use it with purpose.
Use it as a genuine act
of praise, a response to the word of God, to nurture Christian community, as an
act of offering and commitment to God.
Never as a "filler" or to whip up emotion.
3. Is the material theologically, musically, lyrically & culturally
appropriate?
Worship leaders,
preachers and musicians need to choose material responsibly. Always
remember the “demographic” composition of your people; keeping in mind
children, the disabled ...
4. Select
from a variety of sources.
At least nine sources of
contemporary song come to mind ...
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1.. Australian
and New Zealand writers such as Robin
Mann and Trisha Watts, Publications like the All Together .... series,
Praise for All Seasons, Covenant Songs and New Journeys
Songbook have gained wide usage. 2.. Resource
Christian Music, “The Source”, Scripture in Song, Vineyard Fellowship
resources and similar publications, with music primarily from the U.S.A. and
Great Britain. Much of this music is
based specifically on scripture, and emphasises healing, praise, personal
faith, spiritual warfare etc. Graham Kendrick is a respected exponent. 3. Together
in Song (The Australian Hymn Book 2) released
mid-1999 brings together the “best”
of the AHB & Sing Alleluia, supplemented by a wealth of extra
music. Version 2 also caters for
those using overheads and CD-rom/computer technology in music preparation and
leadership. Excellent Biblical and thematic referencing. 4. The
music from the Taizč and Iona communities -
surprisingly appreciated by young adult-age people who in this life
stage are often deep in their search for spirituality. The music of these
communities ... with their ecumenical / world church perspective has gained wide acceptance in the church
worldwide. 5. Contemporary
hymn - a considerable quantity has been written in recent years; often using
older tunes to new lyrics. Shirley
Murray, John Bell, Brian Wren and
Elizabeth J. Smith are contemporary writers. Keith Pearson (Ready to go
forward, Celebrating God’s goodness) is a well-known Uniting Church
writer in this mould. 6. Music
of a similar variety from Australian writers such as Geoff Bullock, Phil
Pringle and Darlene Zchesch ; Songs
such as Shout to the Lord, The Power of Your Love, My Redeemer
Lives , All Things are Possible and Fear Not are well-known songs. Hillsongs is a well-known leader in this field. 7. The quality contemporary music from the Roman
Catholic church worldwide. The St. Louis Jesuits and Marty Haugen in the
U.S.A, Bernadette Farrell in the U.K., and Monica Brown & Frank Andersen
in Australia have been in the forefront of this genre. 8. The new music
written for and/or popularised through such events as the biennial
National Christian Youth Convention. Songs like Why Do You Love Me, Dreams
and Visions, Breaking New Ground, We Will Love and For you,
deep stillness have moved into the contemporary song repertoire of
many congregations across the land. 9. The 1991 World Council of Churches
publication: In Spirit and in Truth has material drawn from around the
world, all of it contemporary. |
5. Use contemporary song in a wide variety of worship contexts.
Don't use it solely with
young people. Just as young people will benefit from hymn-singing, older folk can
be enriched by contemporary song ... often in surprisingly refreshing ways.
6. Think in terms of Christian "song". Sing
a new song to the Lord Psalm 96:1a
The concept of Christian
"song" (not "songs") can prove a helpful one in breaking down
traditional v. contemporary .... hymn v. chorus biases.
7. Ensure the "song" chosen is appropriate for the
liturgy.
This will mean taking
into account the tempo, melody, mood and other attributes of the music.
8. Teach the song adequately.
... without labouring the
process. Greater use can be made of the cantor-antiphon approach.
9. Encourage variety in the singing and instrumentation.
* have a good blend of shorter - longer, up-tempo - reflective
etc.
* multiple repeats of shorter choruses are not always essential
* unaccompanied singing
can often be appropriate. It's amazing how some voices often hidden
"beneath a bushel" can suddenly be used for God's glory in ways that
can truly lift God's people in their worship.
* vary the instrumental arrangements. If a band/orchestra is
used with worship, members need not play in every song.
* use "brackets" or medleys of music with a common
theme or musical key.
* use a variety of tempos and styles within the contemporary
"song" chosen.
10. Ensure musicians and singers undertake
appropriate preparation.
This implies both
spiritual and practical preparation. Too often, the worst advertisements for contemporary
song are not the songs themselves; rather the attitudes and preparation of those who lead the congregation in their
use!
11. Look for songs directed
to God, rather than to ourselves.
The best contemporary
song avoids the over-use of the pronouns "I", "me" and
"us", and instead are songs from the community of God's people
offering worship to God. Having said this, it must be remembered that our faith
response must always be grounded in the personal relationship we have with the
triune God.
11. Avoid too much
"new" song.
In a service of worship,
limit the amount of new music to two pieces, and ensure that for these, there
is opportunity in the near future to re-sing them. This will help break down
the impression of contemporary song, especially choruses, as instantly
disposable.
11. Be prepared to explain
the wording of some song.
This way, those present
will better enter into worship.
11. Copyright
With the development of
copyright licence agencies, the scope exists
more than ever for the "picking and choosing" of song from a vast
variety of material. In this way, contemporary song can have a richness about
it that Hymnody has long had.
For churches to truly use
contemporary song with variety, creativity and integrity; consideration must be
given to obtaining several copyright licences. Using the categories listed in
guideline 4: select from a variety of sources, the following copyright
licences will apply:
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Category 4 & 5 Christian Copyright Licensing International
(C.C.L.I.) 2,3,
& 8 Copyright Agency
Limited (C.A.L.) 2,3,6,8 Licensing (Mediacom) 6 Word of Life Please note: this allocation is far from
exhaustive and is simply meant to assist those wanting to make headway in the
area of copyright. Synod agencies will be able to give far more comprehensive
assistance. |
Conclusion
Let’s heed the words of
Marva J. Dawn in her excellent: Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down:
Let us reach out in the
Church and to the world with the best music we can offer from the Church’s
entire history, from the distant past to the present. The congregation can “sing a new song” not because we are trying
to appeal to the culture, but because God is present in our midst in new
ways. As we respond to God, the subject
of our worship, our song will reach out to the culture surrounding the Church
with the Church’s best gifts - without dumbing down the faith.
David MacGregor (Assembly Working Group
on Worship) January 2000
** revised from a paper
written December 1994, (for the National Commission on Liturgy - Uniting Church in
Australia)
Contemporary song
options for worship ... just a sample!
Element of worship Song suggestions Source
Adoration and praise Come Let Us Sing SIS
As
the Deer SIS
Santo,
Santo, Santo ISAT
Shout
to the Lord HS/others
This Kingdom HS/Geoff
Bullock/others
Jesus
Put This Song SIS/ATE/others
Behold I make all things
new WGWG
Lord I lift your name on
high P&W
Confession The
Power of Your Love HS Kyrie
Eleison TAIZE
Change
My Heart, O God SIS/others
Refiner’s Fire (Purify My
Heart) P&W/Vineyard
Bible reading Thy
Word ATE
Creed/affirmation of faith Lord, Be Glorified SIS/others
We
Believe SIS/others
Dreams
and Visions ATE
The
Lord is My Light TAIZÉ
Together
to Celebrate NCYC
'91
Offering Jesus, Take Me as I Am SIS
Give
Thanks SIS/others
Prayers of the people O Lord, Hear Our Prayer TAIZÉ
Baptism You draw your people, gracious
God GWPY
Father Welcomes ATN/various
Welcome BKGU
Holy Communion Ubi Caritas TAIZE
Eat
This Bread
There
is a Redeemer SIS/others
Around the Table P&W
Jesus Christ, you came
among us GWPY
Sending out Christ
be our light ATO/others
Here I Am, Lord SIS/others
Thuma
Mina ATE/others
The
Servant King ATE/others
We
Will Love NCYC '93
Community of Christ IECS
We are marching P&W
/ various
Blessing/benediction
Father
Bless Us ATN
Benediction (May the
kindness ...) Various
(Andrew Dutney)
For you, deep stillness NCYC
‘99/Robin Mann
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SIS ................
Scripture in Song TAIZÉ
.......... Songs & Prayers from Taizč
ISAT ............ In Spirit and Truth (WCC) ATE ............. All
Together Everybody
HS ............... Hillsongs ATO
............ All Together O.K.
NCYC .......... National Christian Youth ATN ............. All Together Now
Convention P&W ............ Praise & Worship
WGWG ........ Wild Goose Worship Group (Resource Christian Music)
(Iona Community) GWPY ........ God we
praise you (Keith
Pearson)
IECS .......... In every corner sing (Shirley Murray) BKGU ........ Big kids, little kids, grownups, everyone (David MacGregor) - JBCE