The Slow Death Of Congregational Singing

Here's a few quotes from an article called "The Slow Death of Congregational Singing". It's one of the best and thought provoking things I've read for a long time.

"if you blocked out the 'worship team', all that was left around the building was a barely audible murmur. I opened my eyes and looked around. Most folk were either standing silently, not even making a pretence of singing, or were little engaged in the activity. I turned to a friend next to me and commented, "No-one's singing". He looked at me as if I'd just observed that no-one was flying. Of course they're not singing; we haven't really sung here for years...

...I travel around a great deal. In fact, I'm in a different church on most Sundays, and it's true of virtually everywhere I go. I can't remember ever coming home to my wife after church on a Sunday and saying, "Now, honey, that church really knows how to sing"...

...the singers/choir are the congregation's other preachers. People hear the word of God from the mouths of the pastors and the Bible expositors, but they also hear a sermon during the time of singing...Every song is a sermon, and it is critical that the God and the gospel that is proclaimed from the pulpit is the same God and the same gospel preached from the music team."



For some reason the link is a bit temperamental (the internets have got to travel all the way from Australia!) but persevere - it's well worth it.