Why do we sing what we sing?
Why do we sing certain things?
You may come from a church that uses music in different ways than at an Episcopal church. This article can help you understand the “whys” behind the forms of music that we use in corporate or what I call together worship. ~Rochelle Felsburg
Overall, our worship follows four parts each Sunday (whether it be the traditional or contemporary service).
- Gathering time
(opening worship songs and prayers) - The Word
(Prayers, Lessons, Gospel readings, Nicene Creed and sermon) - The Meal
(Prayers, songs in preparation for Eucharist) - Sending Out
(Worship songs and prayer)
What is the Eucharist?
"Eucharist" is a term that many Anglicans use for Communion or the Lord's Supper. It means, "Thanksgiving".
Why do you have Eucharist every week?
The culmination of our service is the Eucharist, where we answer’s Christ’s invitation to remember Him
in His body and blood. Christ asked His disciples to do this often and to remember Him.
Our time together is unique in the entire world. It unites us as individuals, as families, and as a church.
You are a liturgical church. What does "liturgy" mean?
The wonderful thing about liturgy (this word means "work of the people") is that we encourage the congregation to participate in so many ways! We do not think of church as a "show" or a stage-centered event. It is a "gathering" event around a table. Each week we come at Christ's invitation to celebrate an Easter feast! With the many seasons of the year (Advent, Christmas, Ephipany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost) we can worship in many ways. This includes music to suite different moods from penitential, (sad, remembering Christ's suffering) to jubilant (rejoicing in God's power).
A liturgical service is not dry nor dusty as some think; rather it is a breathable framework which can contain many wonderful elements using the modes and cultural colors that the particular congregation lives in.
This site gives a great overview of the different kinds of songs we sing:
http://www.churchmusic.org.uk/reference/musicitems.php
Traditional vs. Contemporary
The traditional service uses music from our 1982 Hymnal, it's companion, Wonder, Love and Praise, and various other hymnals from Baptist, Lutheran, Evangelical and Methodist traditions. No one denomination has a corner on the market for music! I believe that if music is doctrinally sound and is good to sing, let’s use it, no matter the church source.
It is interesting to note that the Anglican Church was the first to publish African American Spirituals in their standard hymnal.
So, yes, we love to sing spirituals!
We also sing the Psalms occasionally. The Psalms comprised the ancient Jewish song book; it was meant to be sung. Singing Psalms connects us to the Bible in a meaningful way.
Our contemporary service does not necessarily “throw out the old for the new”. We still incorporate time-tested
hymnody. Hymnody is our wonderful heritage and we must be careful to cherish it. We use modern instruments (drums, tambourine, guitars, etc.) to create a more contemporary sound, but the melodies and fabulous texts are untouched.
How are the services different in music?
What makes music "contemporary" vs. "traditional" is not the text, but mostly musical elements, harmonies and instruments used. Often I use the organ in the traditional service for that older "churchy" feel. Drums automatically bring the ear into the 20th century of church worship, as they were first employed in the mid 1960's in inner city churches and then grew from there. The instruments, though stylistically nice in our age of consumerism, are not the end to the means. Our end is always to think and sing upwardly to our God, with His Spirit flowing through us. Psalm 150 gives a grocer's list of instruments to use. I'm so glad our God encourages creativity in His worship!
We sing modern praise songs from the 1970's up until the present day. When choosing a praise song, I always ask:
1) Is the melody singable for a congregation?
2) Is the text Biblically sound?
3) Does it point to Christ?
4) Does the melody or beat overpower the text? We never want the style to usurp the substance.
5) Is it appropriate for the service?
In any number of weeks at Church of the Messiah, you will participate in music from all eras of Christian history: Psalmody, hymns, Gospel songs, classical pieces, Latin melodies from 1000 years ago, and modern praise music. We do not restrict ourselves to one style or “sound”.
After all, worship is not something we “go to” on Sunday. Worship is what we bring to God in the congregation of His saints.
Weekly worship is a dress rehearsal for life containing prayers, singing, encouragement, Scripture, holy pageantry, Eucharist and fellowship with believers. It is our time to freely be together and one in the bond of Christ. Without this weekly time, how could we face a dark world each week?
We need Christ. We need His Word. We need His Church.
That’s something to sing about!
