The writer of Hebrews challenges his audience to draw near to the presence of the Lord with boldness, in full assurance of faith. (Heb 10:19-22) This means any approach before God must contain thankful humility mingled with confidence, knowing He hears what we say. (Joh 9:31; 1 Tim 2:8; 1 Jn 5:14) This is great as a principle, but none of the apostles left the church with a song list that has survived the ages. We need nuts and bolts instruction when laypeople of advanced years imply new music has no soul and is only loud music with vapid repetition. What is the proper tact for addressing youth in local assemblies who wince and groan when the slightest reference is made to the hymnal or snicker while singing older choruses? This can cause serious uncertainty when trying to lead people into the presence of God and reticence is not good for the worship leader or the congregation. So how do we resolve this conflict and come near God with boldness? (Heb 4:16)

First, we must examine the differences in opinion presented above. On the one hand, we have the young element of a local congregation whom we will call progressives for the sake of distinction. Progressives feel their responsibility given by God is to move praise forward from the past into the present era. Youth listen to modern worship choruses and marvel at the novel chord progressions, the poetic language. They listen to the song performed live hearing the edgy guitar, the bass thump, the vocal inflections, the soaring response of the crowd and determine there has never been music like our generation’s music. As a result, they can be guilty of disparaging certain instruments, songs, genres, and even people. This group, while thankful for the foundation of the past, expresses a desire to move on to perfection. (Heb 6:1)

But there is another demographic that feels, “It is not broken so why fix it?” This group, whom we will designate traditionalists, are often older saints with a desire to strengthen the things that remain and embrace the old paths. (Jer 6:16; Rev 3:2) They speak in negative tones of those given to excessive change and hold the songs of their youth in high esteem. (Pro 24:21)

Traditionalists revere hymns from years gone by on the grounds that they have stood the test of time. These refrains represent some of the best dogma and inspiration of preceding generations. When we sing, “Old Rugged Cross,” there is an implicit pledge to always trust in the God of our fathers and cleave to the traditions passed down by our elders. As the congregation resonates, “Love Lifted Me,” elders hear the commitment to established method. We pledge to walk, “In the Garden,” and promise to remember only, “He Keeps Me Singing.” These songs have great meaning to older saints. We do well to understand strains from the hymnal brought direction in the midst of despair and comprehension when questions arose. To older saints facing the end of their years, hymns represent the church in its finest form. They are reassured when the young generation picks up the hymnal that the church is in good hands. More than just singing, we are ensuring a continuation of past tradition.

The wise Apostle Paul speaks to both progressive and traditionalist as one in his epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. He stresses the importance of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) For the progressive, we determine a regimen solely consisting of psalms focused on exultant praise to the King of kings, can miss an opportunity to minister to specific needs of a congregation at a specific time. This is where traditional hymns and spiritual songs are important. While there may be a psalm for every situation, some moments in a service are better suited to older melodies. Of course some may argue to effect that praise lifts us beyond our problems. By saying this they mean saints must focus on Jesus and not on the song. This is true for the perfect world, but we have not attained perfection.

Our congregations still need music that ministers to where they are. This means we must be careful to find fitting music that reaches the heart of God as well as the heart of the people. Here, traditionalists can get on the wrong track. With such a heavy emphasis on the individual or the church in most hymns, worship can become more anthropocentric than theocentric. Enter, “Here I Am to Worship,” and “How Great is Our God”. The insight to grasp is this: God did not set rigid rules for us in scripture regarding songs sung in the public worship service. There are outlines we may study, but He only tells us to give praise with all of our might, and make it glorious. (Ps 66:2; Ecc 9:10) Our responsibility is learning to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:10) The blessed revelation is He does not abandon us in ignorance but teaches us to lead His people.

Peter gives us a principle in his second epistle to the churches of adding to our faith. (2 Pe 1:5-8) We may adapt this attitude to leading God’s people in song. If you are a young worship leader, strive to learn and embrace the hymn book. It is not a dusty publication with dreary lyrics. There is gold in those hills. If you happen to be a praise director of advanced years, challenge yourself to break out of your comfort level. Stretch your limits. Extend your knowledge with new chords and songs; discover new leaders in praise and worship. If you feel you are well balanced, a good project is to keep track of your song selections for three months. You may be surprised to find the truth differs from your perception.

A great quote by Tim Hughes reminds of what worship really is about. He states, “It should be common in our churches to see people weeping in worship, overwhelmed at the sheer mercy of God. It should be common to hear people singing at the tops of their voices, passionately expressing the love that God has lavished upon us. It should be common to see people dancing like lunatics, freely and with abandon, responding to God’s salvation. It should be common to see people rapt in silence, lost in wonder, completely transfixed at the transcendence of our God. We have an amazing God, and our worship should be real, honest, authentic, engaged, expressive, and wholehearted; we should be holding nothing back.”

With these words reverberating in our hearts, let us take a look at the congregation we have been given responsibility to lead. Does our church reflect this vision of God’s church? If not, it may be time to open the hymnal and engage a dear old church mother with a journey through, “Rock of Ages,” “I Surrender All,” or “Nothing But the Blood.” Are these songs staples of your worship regimen? Then maybe you would do well to include “Here I Am to Worship,” “Forever,” and “You are Good.” Whatever it takes let us all seek to further the kingdom of God in our churches through the bold proclamation of the victory of Christ in songs, hymns and spiritual songs. Listen to your critics as they can be your greatest source of growth. But most importantly, listen to God as you seek to do His will.

*For the purpose of brevity, this article only deals with worship in the context of songs sung during congregational services. It does not deal with congregational prayer, scripture recitation or ceremonial rites as worship during a public service.

While singing may seem heavenly, vocal production itself is a down-to-earth physical experience, requiring athletic discipline as well as artistry. As any athlete knows, an effective warm up is essential for optimal performance.

Why should singers warm up? No one would expect a gymnast to stand up and perform back-flips after a full meal, but singers who are dinner guests are frequently asked to perform “on-the-spot entertainment,” after dessert and coffee. The wise singer will politely decline, rather than reveal his raw vocal product, which is further hindered by a bloated stomach! Warming up allows the singer to “get-in-touch” with herself or himself, both physically and psychologically, and to experience that kinesthetic self-awareness which is the foundation of a secure vocal technique.

Allowing time to warm-up . . . Ideally, the warm-up procedure should be unhurried — a leisurely self-exploration that allows adequate time for gradual loosening and coordination of countless muscles, large and small, which contribute to vocal production. Warming-up should be an enjoyable experience, comparable to a luxurious massage. All too often, unfortunately, the singer is warming up while rushing to a rehearsal, or frantically trying to learn his music at the last minute. The pressure of “too little time” results in physical as well as mental tension, and warming-up is difficult, usually ineffective, or even counter-productive.

The warm-up procedure . . . Singers develop distinctive warm-up regimens appropriate to their personal needs; these may vary considerably with changes in physical, mental, and emotional well being. Nevertheless, consistency in the overall approach is most beneficial. Many singers begin by warming-up the entire body with gentle physical exercise (e.g., stretching, yoga, Tai Chi). This helps to alleviate the muscular tension that interferes with vocal production, as well as to stimulate the deep breathing which is necessary for good support of the voice. The muscles of articulation, which include the jaw, tongue, lips, and soft palate can be loosened with appropriate exercises, which also can help to activate the singer’s expiratory air-flow. Before beginning to explore the day’s potential for vocal resonance, the singer should be relaxed, yet vital. If the singer is fatigued, or not feeling well, it will be necessary to “energize” himself, so that he can provide adequate breath support for singing. It is wise to begin vocalizing in the most comfortable mid-range of the voice, and gradually work out to the higher and lower extremes of pitch. High notes (faster vocal cord vibration) may require substantial air-flow and increased pharyngeal space. Low notes, which use a “heavier” mode of vocal cord vibration (thicker vibrating mass), also require appropriate support. Recent biomechanical studies at The Center for Voice Disorders have shown that singing at the extremes of pitch — both the highest and lowest notes of the vocal range — can strain the laryngeal muscles, and can result in undesirable (and potentially harmful) patterns of muscle tension. Therefore, it is good common sense to avoid the “outer extremes” of the voice until one is well warmed-up. In the mid range, the singer may safely begin the daily search adjustments in the size and shape of the pharynx. Considering the countless possible configurations of the vocal tract, the process of developing a resonant tone is an on-going one, even for seasoned professionals. Most of a singer’s warm-up is devoted to the objective of obtaining a beautiful vocal timbre through the use of an enormous variety of vocal calisthenics.

Finally, the singer is likely to test his vocal register transitions during the warm-up. Exercises that “blend” the “chest” (“heavy” laryngeal adjustment) and “head” (“light” laryngeal adjustment) registers eventually produce a smooth passaggio, resulting in an “even scale” from the “bottom” to the “top” of the vocal range.

Warming-down . . . The long-distance runner will spend a good amount of time stretching and massaging muscles after a marathon, and likewise, the singer who has extended himself should “warm-down” his voice, with exercises that “soothe” the vocal cords (vocalizing on “oo,” for example). If the singer has been using a “belting” voice, it is especially helpful to sing in the “head” register (or falsetto), which stretches the vocal cords and alleviates laryngeal tension caused by the “heavy adjustment,” or thick vibrating mass. Re-loosening the articulatory muscles, even without phonation, is therapeutic. Massaging the jaw — the masseter (“chewing”) muscles — as well as other muscles of the neck and shoulders, particularly the trapezius (which arise from the back of the head and vertebrae in the neck and chest, and extend to the collarbones and shoulder blades) provides welcome relief to the singer.

T. Radomski

Teresa Radomski, MM, is an accomplished soprano soloist and Associate Professor of Voice and Theatrical Singing at Wake Forest University. In addition, Ms. Radomski is a consultant for the Center for Voice Disorders, and a contributing editor of this newsletter. Her column, “A Singer’s Notes” is a regular feature of THE VISIBLE VOICE. Ed.

Worship Leader, Stephen Rivers

Singing The Word

Most Christians pray a specific prayer because they want to see God move in a specific way, but so many times in my experience of watching people during a worship service, is that often singing a song that may have a very specific and powerful request, for example songs like “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” “Draw Me Close To You” or “Change My Heart O God,” can be sung with more like wishful thinking (or singing in this case). And if we are not careful we can even sound like a young man sweet talking a young lady and saying anything to win her heart, even saying things that aren’t true. And let me add there is no way to over exaggerate God’s greatness and beauty, but I am speaking of singing with great fantasy and not really believing everything we sing, so because our unbelief or maybe even immaturity we are not seeing God answer what we are singing.

I have seen so many people sing great and some of the most powerful “Prayers” that you know God would answer if they would actually truly believe.

Psalm 119:171-172171 “My lips will pour forth praise, for you ,teach me your statutes. 172 My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.” These are the words of David.

David is our prime example of one worship leader that God called “A Man After My Own Heart,” he sung his way through the good and bad times and saw God answer many of his songs.

Our time in the worship service is another form of a prayer meeting, where we can seek God and cry out to the Lord and have him answer our singing. I pray that we all can approach the worship service with great faith and carefulness and that we make sure that what we sing is related to the word of God, and then we can see God move in our worship services on another level. I can look back upon my life and tell you about worship services where I belive I grew in the Lord.