Come, Make Mediocre Music

Come make mediocre music with us at Old Union Church.

Over the past few years, many churches have begun “contemporary” worship, which typically features a praise band providing music at the beginning of the service.  Often, the band members are excellent musicians singing songs that are more complex than the “four verses and a refrain” that you’ll find in traditional hymns.  The quality of their music is exceptional, even if the style isn’t your cup of tea, and at times the production can be quite elaborate.  One of our neighboring congregations even uses a fog machine during the time of singing praise music.  You’d swear you were at a concert.

There’s just one problem.  Worship is not a spectator sport.  When the music leaders are offering professional-quality songs, you’ll want to be quiet and enjoy their music.  And if songs go beyond the what you’re able to sing, you’ll just stand and follow along with the words.  Church then becomes a place where you come to watch other people worship God, rather than praising him yourself.

You don’t have to attend a church with contemporary music to confront this issue.  Even when we sing the old familiar hymns, you may be tempted not to join in.  “I shouldn’t sing,” you may say to yourself.  “I don’t have as good of a voice as Sally or Stan.  I’d be embarrassed if anyone heard me sing.  All I’d do is ruin this hymn for everyone else.”  So you may open your hymnal and read along, or stand and listen while others do the singing.  When my father was growing up, his aunt told him that he didn’t have a good voice and that he shouldn’t sing in church.  No one should ever give this message to anyone seeking to worship God!

At Old Union Church, we are committed to being a place for each of us to share in worship together.  Our goal is to have music that every person in the sanctuary can use to sing their praise to God.  Worship is about participation, not observation.  We’ve just installed projection screens in the sanctuary not to change how we worship God, but to make it easier for everyone to engage more fully in the service.  Our gifted musicians don’t give a concert each week; they lead as we join our voices together in praise.

We have music in worship in order to lift up our voices to the only Audience who matters, our Lord and Savior.  He thinks that your off-key, half-a-beat-behind singing is more beautiful than any angel chorus.  After all, Jesus didn’t lay down his life for the sake of any angels.  He did it for you and me.  God is the one who gave you that tin ear and trembling voice, and he wants you to use it, and everything else that makes you who you are, to express your love and devotion to him.

If you want to hear concert-quality music, sung only by trained musicians, worship somewhere else.  But if you want to be one of the saints who offers your all to the One who gives you life and makes it worth living, join us at Old Union Church.