Developing Your Musical Repertoire

 

 

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How a corporate body worships is both indicative and formative of its understanding of God and its relationship to him. Because of this, the choices that a worship leader makes regarding content and form are very important. Decisions based solely on trends, pop culture, democratic process or personal preference do not acknowledge the important role that these songs play in the congregation’s spiritual journey. These formative and indicative choices need to be made on the basis of biblical and historically orthodox standards.

As a leader in a community, you have a limited number of opportunities for practice, leading, and teaching new songs. Therefore it is valuable to know your priorities as you build your team’s repertoire, so that your practice time is fruitful and the songs you choose to use are the very best. The following proposes a set of standards through which all songs and other materials used for corporate worship might be filtered. Throughout its history, the Christian community has always created awesome music for worship, but you have to be willing to dig for them. The Lord will lead you to the songs that lead His people best.

 

Foundational Standards for Worship Repertoire

Theological Depth

Theological Clarity and Integrity

Artistic Excellence and Integrity

Moral and Relational Integrity

Emotional Integrity

Corporate Integrity

Theological Depth: Use songs, readings, prayers, and actions in corporate worship that represent the height, breadth, and depth of the character, ways, and reign of God.

In Scripture, worship begins with a REVELATION of God, followed by a RESPONSE appropriate to that display of glory, which in turn results in the RENEWAL of the worshipper. Therefore, rather than using material that is shallow, simplistic, contrived, or cliché, or that relies on hype and excitement, use material that allows God to reveal himself in all his vast and awesome mystery.

By no means does this imply intellectualized worship, nor does it rule out simplicity. Scripture is very clear that the foundation of Christian devotion is a growing knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Colossians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 2:2-3; Philippians 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 4:16; Colossians 3:16). Similarly, the first signal that the gospel was being distorted was an ignorance of God (2 Timothy 3:7; 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:10b; Colossians 2:22-23; Ephesians 4:17-18). Using materials that reflect deep biblical doctrine mirrors the heart of the apostles for their churches’ establishment, growth and perseverance in the faith.

Questions regarding theological depth to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

  • What truth about God’s character, ways, and reign, or what biblical perspective of humanity, creation, cultures, the purpose of life etc. is this song, prayer or reading seeking to communicate?
  • Does this song, prayer or reading develop the truth/theme it is reflecting on? Is there a movement of progressive revelation and response? Does it skim the surface?
  • Can you identify Scriptures that this song, prayer or reading is reflecting or quoting from?
  • Does this song, prayer or reading rely on theological truth to motivate the worshipper to respond?
  • What truths about God and His world are lacking in your current repertoire? Is this song expressing one of these ideas? Is it expressing truth more effectively than a song in your current repertoire?
  • Is there a song, prayer or reading that expresses this truth more effectively than this one?

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    Theological Integrity & Clarity: Exercise biblical discernment about corporate worship materials, ensuring that they reflect, both as individual components and as a whole, an accurate and clear portrayal of Scriptural truths, emphases and language, and of reality in general.

    Avoid ambiguity, vagueness, and songs that distort Scriptural truth or misrepresent Scriptural attitudes and emphases. Even a subtle inaccuracy of lyric or worshipper’s misinterpretation of vagueness can distort a person’s understanding of his or her relationship with God.

    Questions regarding theological integrity and clarity to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

    • Does this song, prayer or reading present a complete and balanced picture of the truth it is seeking to communicate?
    • Is there a “song vision,” i.e. unity to the truths this song is expressing, or is it making shot-gun theological statements with little connection to one another?
    • Does this song, prayer or reading cover a realistic amount of theological ground, or is it trying to communicate more than one song should cover?
    • Is the theological perspective presented in this song, prayer or reading biblical and common to all Christian confessions?
    • Will this song, prayer or reading stand on its own, without explanation, defence or qualification by the leader who is using it? Are there any lyrics or text in this song, prayer or reading that cause you to hesitate before you use it?
    • Does this song communicate its particular truth more effectively than a song in your current repertoire?
      Is there a song that communicates this truth with better clarity and accuracy?

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      Artistic Excellence & Integrity: Use materials that skilfully express theological, spiritual, and relational truths with artistic excellence, and in a form that highlights rather than draws away from biblical content.

      Poetry/lyrics should be beautiful and fresh; music should be singable and memorable; music and lyrics should complement one another. Avoid material that is boring, cliché, pedantic, overly repetitive or unnecessarily complex.

      Questions regarding artistic excellence and integrity to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

      • Is the melody beautiful and catchy when you sing it a cappella, alone or with a few friends or band members?
      • Can you arrange the song effectively without a full band (i.e. with only a piano or guitar)? Can you arrange it effectively with the musicians you’re working with?
      • When you read the lyrics without music, are they memorable, original (i.e. a fresh expression rather than clichéd and over-used), creative and poetic? Would these lyrics be worth paying attention to if you quoted them as simple poetry?
      • Does the melody and arrangement bring life to the lyrics?
      • Is this the best melody to complement these lyrics?
      • Is this the best or most beautiful way to express these truths, lyrically or melodically?

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        Moral and Relational Integrity: Use materials that model the relationship that followers of Christ should have with their Lord: repentance, forgiveness, submission, devotion, obedience, dependence, etc.

        Avoid material that inadvertently models narcissism, idolatry, self-centredness, shallowness, over-romanticism, or an unwillingness to deal with sin. Also, songs should reflect a correct understanding of the basis of our relationship with God, including an acknowledgement of His initiative. Avoid songs that over-emphasize human initiative or that dwell on human activity.

        Questions regarding moral and relational integrity to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

        • Who is the focus of this song, prayer or reading – God or me? Given the content of the song, prayer or reading, is this appropriate?
        • What relationship to God is expressed in this song, prayer or reading? Is this biblically and theologically justifiable?
        • Does this song, prayer or reading accurately acknowledge or express the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s relationship with God, as He convicts of sin, brings light to Christ’s teaching and life, and produces fruit in the life of the believer? Does it allow worshippers the opportunity to open their lives to this work?
        • Does this song, prayer or reading capture a biblical relationship with God more effectively than the songs in your current repertoire?
        • Is there another song that is even better at expressing a true relationship with God?
        • Does this song communicate the justice and mercy of God and point toward the church’s role in contributing to this in the world?

       

       

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      Emotional Integrity: Use material that models Scripture’s language for the full range of human emotion, within the context of a covenantal relationship with a faithful God.

      The Psalms depict many emotions, corresponding to the circumstances of life: confusion, anger (even vindictiveness), desperation, shame, expectation, awe, celebration, victory, joy, devotion, gratitude, gladness, contentment, desire, and sadness. In Scripture, these feelings and the acts or appeals associated with them are always expressed out of a deep conviction that, though our circumstances change, God’s character never changes. Avoid techniques that manipulate people into certain emotional responses independently of biblical content. Conversely, avoid materials that express emotions that reveal a lesser view of God’s sovereignty over the circumstances of life. The latter may be a legitimate emotional representation of those who are growing in their understanding of God, but it is out of place in the church’s biblically informed corporate worship.

      Questions regarding emotional integrity to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

       

      • Does this song, prayer or reading communicate/motivate genuine emotion without superficiality?
      • Does this song, prayer or reading seek to effect an emotional response on the basis of God’s revelation, or is its emotional power only in the music?
      • Does the “honesty” of the emotions expressed in this song, prayer or reading acknowledge the sovereignty of God?
      • Does this song, prayer or reading express emotions that the whole congregation can identify with?
      • Does the melody and arrangement correspond with the emotions expressed in the song?
      • Does this song, prayer or reading add an emotional expression that is not currently reflected in your repertoire?
      • Does this song express an emotion more effectively than the songs in your current repertoire?
      • Is there another song that is even better at expressing this emotional response to God?

 

 

 

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Corporate Integrity: Use materials that affirm the corporate unity of the Body of Christ by inviting participation in worship by all members of the community.

Avoid materials that alienate people because of excessive difficulty (e.g. vocal range, speed of lyrics etc.), excessive novelty (e.g. using a style/genre far removed from the community’s normal practice), excessive innovation (e.g. introducing new songs at a pace that is beyond the congregation’s ability to learn), or excessive trendiness (e.g. songs that use language that is overly specific to a particular subculture). Seek to include a variety of media so that the many different people in attendance will have an appropriate channel of God’s revelation and of their response. This may include corporate Scripture readings, call and response songs, and even bodily actions. Also, the worship leader should seek to carefully and tastefully orient the congregation to the various actions of corporate worship, so that no one is forced to participate without understanding, or to refrain because of unfamiliarity with a specific practise. Unified corporate worship is inseparable from genuine personal worship.

Questions regarding corporate integrity to ask when you’re considering, writing or evaluating a song, prayer or reading:

 

  • Is this a song, prayer or reading that every member of the congregation can identify with, emotionally and experientially?
  • Does this song allow those who cannot identify personally with the experience of the song to stand alongside those who can?
  • Is this a song written in a range and pace that most people can sing, realistically? If not, does the melody lend itself to effective transposition?
  • Is it an accessible melody/arrangement? If it is unfamiliar, will the congregation be able to learn it well with a bit of patient teaching?
  • Is the language used in the lyrics or text of the song, prayer or reading timeless and transcultural? Outside of this community of worshippers, would it be considered strange, cute, or irreverent?
  • Does this song move the congregation toward a more global view of the church’s worship?

All page contents (c) Tim McCarthy. You may use these materials for personal use or for training your church's worship teams. Please do not use this material in any context where you will be receiving payment for the training you are providing. To obtain permission to use in any context other than that indicated, please contact me.

Question, Feedback or Contributions? Contact the team.