The Secret That Keeps Men From Singing in Worship

It happened again yesterday. I was attending one of those hip, contemporary churches—and almost no one sang.

Worshippers stood obediently as the band rocked out, the smoke machine belched and lights flashed. Lyrics were projected on the screen, but almost no one sang them.

A few women were trying, but I saw only one male (other than the worship leader) making the attempt.

A few months ago, I blogged “Have Christians Stopped Singing?” I did some research, and learned that congregational singing has ebbed and flowed over the centuries. It reached a high tide when I was a young man—but that tide may be going out again.

And that could be bad news for men. Read More

Also See:
Texas Pastor: Worship is About Christ, Not Impressing Crowds

The swing of the pendulum away from congregational singing largely appears to be a Western phenomena. For an insightful discussion of the back and forth movement between participation and performance in the worship music of the Christian Church, see Betty Pulkingham's Sing God a Simple Song: Exploring Music in Music for the Eighties, in particular, Chapter 7, Follow the Leader... folk leadership in worship." This slim volume has informed, influenced, and inspired my own music ministry for the past 30 odd years.