Have you ever thought about using singing as an evangelistic tool? I'm not talking about guest musicians or band nights, but the everyday, garden-variety congregational singing.
Next time you open your mouth to sing along to the guitar or the organ, take notice of the words. Assuming they are Christ-centred, Biblical lyrics, then as you and the members around you sing, you will be evangelising everybody in the room.
This is at the heart of the imperative in Colossians 3:16. We are to let the word of Christ dwell amongst us richly, not poorly. We are not to short-change the Lord's message. Yet the means by which we can do this includes not only teaching and admonishing but also the singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
So, when an outsider hears our gospel-centred lyrics, they are hearing the gospel and in fact are invited to proclaim the gospel themselves as they join in the singing.
This has many important implications for our practices in church music…
Guard the lyrics
We must be militant against using lyrics that fail to proclaim the gospel with truth and clarity. Whilst we may be tempted to include a song in our church's repertoire due to its catchy tune or memorable "hook,' we must remember that our singing is evangelism, and we need to get the message right both for the unbelieving friends in our midst as much as the believing brothers and sisters standing with us.
Keep the energy up
We must recognise that it is right and proper to devote energy to our music ministry. It is a word ministry. And just as our preachers devote much attention to the preparation and crafting of their message, from illustrations through to the structure of their material, we must be prepared to allocate resources to the packaging of our singing. This extends from the creative energy given by the composer through to the time given by the band in practice.
Sing it like you believe it
We need to remember that the manner with which we sing our congregational songs shows the importance of the matter of which we are singing. If we sing "Come, Lord Jesus" with the excitement of a train station announcement, then by our actions we communicate the unimportance of the gospel in the lyrics.
Have the right person up front
Church music shows the importance of good song leaders. A song leader has the opportunity to help the congregation do that which they should otherwise want to do"”to proclaim Christ with vigour. When I stand in the congregation on a Sunday, deep down I want to sing the songs with passion and conviction. Yet, sometimes the rush of getting four kids ready for church can leave me lacking focus. A good song leader will lead the members of the church to give attention to the lyrics, and to recognise every member's role in proclaiming Christ as they sing.
The passion of the Gospel
Praise music shows the value of inviting outsiders to church. One of the most powerful testimonies to the truth of Christ is the passion of his followers. In our everyday lives this is shown through living lives of counter-cultural obedience, just as the slaves mentioned in Titus 2:9-10 make attractive the word of God through their joyful submission to their masters. Yet, when we gather together to proclaim Christ in both word and song, we demonstrate to the unbelievers our passion for the message that brought us salvation and brings us hope.
There is no substitute for the proclamation of the spoken word. The sight and sound of a person proclaiming the gospel should rightly stir the soul as the Spirit of the living God communicates to our own spirit and leads the elect to obedience and faith.
Indeed, a gathering without the spoken word is like a cricket game without a ball. And, to follow this analogy, the sung word of God in the congregation is like the sound of the crowd cheering the game. It emphasises the message, and together with the action on the pitch, should present to any newcomers the love of the game in the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Jodie McNeill is Year 13 Director and Youth Ministry Lecturer at Youthworks College. He is also the host and co-producer of the TWIST Music Conference. Read his blog at [url=http://www.jodiemcneill.com]http://www.jodiemcneill.com[/url]
