Congregational Participation

Congregational participation in corporate worship is in fact a direct application of the biblical doctrine of (and the Reformation re-emphasis on) the priesthood of all believers: unlike Israel, we have no priestly mediators who perform the rituals of worship on our behalf - our great High Priest has, by the offering of Himself as a sacrifice, opened forever the way for us through the veil and into the presence of God (Hebrews 8--10). Thus congregational participation in worship is in itself a powerful testimony to the nature of the New Covenant.

The Singing Congregation

Music is a gift of God ideally suited for the praise of the Creator -- in heaven and in the church on earth. The congregation is, as William Rayborn has pointed out, the most important singing group in the church (the wonderful ministry of the choir notwithstanding). Following are some ways the congregation can be brought into a greater participatory role in worship through song:

Give them credit. Almost all of them can read! Therefore, announcing every hymn number found in the bulletin, or every song title projected on the wall, is almost an insult to the intelligence of the worshiper, and certainly can detract from a worshipful atmosphere. That is not to say that thoughtful words of introduction can't sometimes set the tone in an effective way; but a rote lead-in that is always the same would be better left out. The bulletin or projection tells the people what to sing; the instrumental introduction tells them in what key and tempo to sing; and the song leader shows them when to sing - - so why not just let them start singing?

Let the choir coach. Use the choir to sing through a song that is unfamiliar, then let the congregation join in the second time. If the tune is not too difficult, it is surprising how quickly the average group can pick up on it.

Let the choir model. Expressions of joy or wonder, enthusiasm in singing, and an obvious heart for worship go a long way towards motivating the congregation. In this way the choir members truly serve as worship leaders (and fulfill Kierkegaard's view of them as "prompters" for the audience "performers").

Use hymns creatively. There's no law that says all verses of a hymn must be used every time. In fact, if a theme is being developed, very often only one or two verses will pertain to that theme. (Count von Zinsendorf of the Moravian Brethren was known for stringing together individual verses of various hymns to develop a theme.) For example, the first verses of both "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" and "Crown Him with Many Crowns" refer to Christ as King (and the other verses do not), and so could be effectively incorporated into a service celebrating Jesus as King of Kings. Similarly, verse 2 of "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" praises God for His works of creation in a way that the other verses do not, making it appropriate to use that verse alone in a service dealing with God as Creator. If every hymn is not sung in its entirety, then when one is done full-scale (all of its verses, perhaps with modulations and/or choral descants) it will stand out more and be a more effective worship vehicle.

Try changing the tempo and/or dynamic range of a hymn. Taking a majestic praise hymn and giving it a contemplative, peaceful setting can greatly enhance the congregation's appreciation of the text (for example, the first and last verses of "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"). More contemporary harmonization's of some of these hymns may be found as well, which when combined with a slower setting produce a sort of praise chorus out of a verse of a hymn like "All Creatures of Our God and King." In fact, an effective way to add unity and coherence to a service can be to use such a verse at the beginning, and then to climax at the end of the worship time by singing all of the verses of the same hymn in its traditional majestic setting.

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