Center For Church Music, Songs & Hymns
Recent articles
- Kids Choir Camp 2012: A Soldier of the Cross!
- Kids Choir Camp 2011
- Billy's Questions: Session 1
- How I Can Help
- The Song of the Cross
Great Hymns of the Faith CDs
Categories
- Church Musicians
- The Weight of Glory
- Be Prepared
- Singing Hymns
- Singing Lessons
- John Wesley on Singing
- Singing: A Call to Excellence
- Lay People
- Billy's Questions
- C.S. Lewis on Worship
- Kids Choir Camp
- A Song of Christmas
- Singing Hymns
- Knowing Christ
- Christmas Eve Truce
- Pastors
- Music
- Church Musician
- Worship
Our Author
Music & Worship
The Weight of Glory Part 5c
< Previous Article | Next Article >
As the choir sings, we continually pray that the brightness of God’s Spirit will be reflected in all of its praise and worship. But, it is important to note that the choir’s real work is not for the choir, but for the congregation. The choir’s work enables the Spirit of God to empower the congregation, inspiring them to share in God’s glorious presence. That is, drawing them into the powerful privilege of praise and worship. God does the work, but He uses the choir as His instrument!
This is no small task: it requires significant vocal and spiritual preparation as well as the continual awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. While the fellowship and fun of choral sining is in itself a tremendous motivation for being in the choir, it is the understanding that the "choir’s voice" becomes the "congregation’s voice" that truly motivates the choir to greatness.
Beautiful tone, true pitch, dynamics and diction, all combine to draw the congregation into the choir’s ministry of music. St. Paul says:
We do not look at the things which are seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:18Focusing on the eternal requires uncommon effort. Each choir member must live/sing in two dimensions: the physical and the eternal. As the earthly music is sung in worship, God makes the eternal a reality for the choir. For as the choir sings, their music and prayers are continually going into the presence of the Lord uniting with all of heaven in praising God.
But at the same time, the music motivates the congregation to take the choir’s words and music, and make them their own instrument of glory.
Worship thus becomes a wonderful circle of blessing. God infuses the choir with His glory and then the congregation, sensing the presence of the Spirit, makes the music their peculiar "sacrifice of praise."
This is music ministry; partners in sharing God’s glory with the congregation!