By David Shead
The song choosing process
It’s time to actually choose the songs! How do we go about doing it? It involves planning, preparation and order.
Let’s look at planning.
Sermon: Unshakeable Confidence (Romans 8:31-39)
‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Rom 8:28). What a promise! Yet, the promise here is not that ‘all things’ will be good – but that in ‘all things’ God would do what is good.
How do we know?
Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:28-39
Talk – Romans 8.31-39 (Outline)
– Ken Noakes
Choosing what we sing in Church: Five principles for choosing songs (Part 5 of 9)
By David Shead
Principles for choosing songs
How do we choose the right songs for the right times? The following are five principles to keep in mind.
Sermon – Groaning in Hope (Romans 8:18-30)
Amid the many challenges we have in life, both as Christians and as participants in a fallen and broken world, we need not waver in hope. God himself is with us and working in and around us in everything to ensure that what he has promised us in Christ will indeed eventuate. So we wait patiently, relying on him.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:18-30
– Josh Ord
Choosing what we sing in Church: What makes for good and effective singing? (Part 4 of 9)
By David Shead
What makes for good and effective singing?
Allow me to suggest five aspects which make for good and effective singing in church.
- Good and effective singing in church relies first of all on a clear awareness of what corporate worship is about and what contribution singing can make.
- Good and effective singing is singing that helps to bring God’s people together in honouring him, in receiving his word, in prayerfully relying on him and in strengthening each other to serve him.
- Good and effective singing in church is singing by the church for the church and in praise of God.
- Good and effective singing is not measured by its musical quality or volume or frequency or style; good and effective singing doesn’t have to mean guitar, bass, drums and three professional vocalists (nor does it have to mean organ and robed choir!). In fact (and this is a topic for another occasion), “good music” and “good corporate singing” sadly too often seem to be almost mutually exclusive. Some of the best corporate singing I have ever been part of has been unaccompanied, or very sparsely (acoustically) accompanied, and some of the worst has been in the context of a high quality, highly produced, professional musical “performance”.
- Good and effective singing means the right song at the right time carried in the hearts and on the voices of the congregation to one another and to God (Ephesians 5:19)
For more in this Series:
What is corporate worship? (Part 1 of 9)
Why Sing? (Part 2 of 9)
What is the ‘shape’ of the corporate worship gathering? (Part 3 of 9)
What makes for good and effective singing? (this one)
Five principles for choosing songs (Part 5 of 9)
Choosing Songs – planning (Part 6 of 9)
Choosing Songs – preparation (Part 7 of 9)
Choosing Songs – order (Part 8 of 9)
Choosing New Songs (Part 9 of 9)
Sermon – God’s Own People (Romans 8:5-17)
The most important thing for Christians to do – especially when we find ourselves continuing to sin – is not to do, but to be; to be “in the Spirit” – that is, to belong to God through Christ and submit to his rule. Pleasing God is the work he does in us by his Spirit, as his Spirit leads us and confirms that we are God’s children and heirs, and enables us to call him “Father”.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:5-17
– Dave Swan
Choosing what we sing in Church: What is the ‘shape’ of the corporate worship gathering? (Part 3 of 9)
By David Shead
What is the “shape” of the corporate worship gathering?
Why don’t we just sing, and nothing else, when we gather for corporate worship?
We need to be careful that, in seeking to understand the importance of corporate singing, we don’t end up distorting our gatherings.
Sermon – Is God ever Satisfied? (Romans 7:7-8:4)
The unthinkable is distressingly real: Christians continue helplessly to sin. But our continued acceptance by God is not secured by trying harder to be good, but in the same way that we were made acceptable to God in the first place: through faith in the sin-bearing sacrifice of God’s Son in our place. Therefore there is now no condemnation, not for those who try harder, but for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 7:7-8:4
– Dave Swan
Choosing what we sing in Church:Why Sing? (Part 2 of 9)
By David Shead
Why sing?
What is the place of singing in corporate worship?
Of all the things we normally do when we gather together for corporate worship (singing, prayer, Bible readings, teaching, etc.), singing is not more worship or more “worshipful” than the other elements. All are equally acts of corporate worship. This is why it’s theologically misleading to refer to the song leader as the “worship leader”.
However, there is a particular and important contribution that singing makes to our corporate worship (just as there is a particular and important contribution that our corporate prayers make, or our instruction from God’s word makes, etc.). What is singing’s particular contribution? Why sing?
There are a number of important reasons:
Sermon – Whose Slave are You? (Romans 6:1-7:6)
The gospel of free grace – justification by faith apart from works – is not a licence to sin. Our old life of sin was put to death by Jesus’ cross, and we have been given a new life of righteousness by his resurrection. That means we are no longer slaves of sin, yet slaves of God, and so we are to live out our new life, by grace not law. It is unthinkable that a Christian should continue to sin – is that possible?
Read the Bible Text – Romans 6:1-7:6
– David Shead
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