To download an mp3 of this talk right click on this link and select “save to disk”: “Starting a new conversation on worship music”

I don’t often enjoy forwarded emails. But many years ago, when I was running the music at a university Christian group’s mid year conference, I was sent one very timely gem of comic relief. For the whole week I was losing sleep trying to make music, which would keep everyone happy. And, with the auditorium full of zealous young Anglicans, Baptists, Charismatics, Salvos, Presbyterians, Uniting Churchers and independents, it was proving a discouraging task. One of the group’s amazing staff workers, Caz Andrews, thought I could do with some cheering up.

It still brings a smile to my face. It’s an mp3 recording of an actual telephone message left by a well meaning parishioner for the pastor of a church in Minneapolis. It begins “hello pastor… I was at your church last saturday night” and from there begins an earnest rebuke of the church for allowing one of the song leaders to tap her foot to the music … not just that, in fact: at one stage (the caller reports with grave concern) she was “wiggling her butt back and forth from side to side”!

It makes me smile every time. Not because I mean to mock the caller; because it shows that what is mundane and acceptable to one person (keeping time to the music with your body), might be outrageous to another. I didn’t realise there was a rule against foot tapping and butt wiggling, but now that I do, I’m glad someone is keeping watch.

If you’re in music ministry then chances are that you’ve had many a conversation begin like this. I recently made a list of some of the rules I’ve been asked to observe:

No performing, No swaying, No standing in the middle of the stage, No standing on the stage, No Standing in front of the crowd, No Singlets, No Smiling, No jazz chords, No holding the mic close to your mouth, No holding the mic away from your mouth, No holding the mic, No calling worship worship, No closing eyes, No drumsticks, No talking during songs, No songs during talking, No guitar solos, No drum solos, No bass solos, No more than 2 songs in a row, No more than 2 and a half bars intro, of course No hands in the air, No modern songs, No extra biblical songs, None of your songs, No “I” songs, No “my” songs, and definitely, absolutely, No Hillsongs.

I’m sure you could think of many more. When you consider this list, is it any wonder that many people when they sing in church look more like they’re in a courtroom than a joyful meeting of freed prisoners! A list of regulations is the recipe for stifling legalism, not fertile soil for creativity and expression and God honouring songs of praise.

Please don’t misunderstand me: there may well be great wisdom in every one of these rules (at least for some churches, at some times, in response to their own particular challenges). But if our conversations about worship music start and end with the rules — if “no” is all we have to say — then what kind of music will we end up with?
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