Rick Hill: Blog

So, I have been the pastor of Springfield Presbyterian Church for a month.  what drew me to this church is their strong interest in all things musical.  I share that interest.  So, a little about the role that music plays in a worship service.

Music is absolutely critical to a worship service.  It is the second most important reason that visitors come back (good preaching is #1).  My feeling is that music needs to be well integrated into the service.  I have found any number of churches that pick hymns, choral pieces, special music seemingly at random.  I like to have a theme then music that either supports the theme or moves it along from point a to point b.

In stepping in to the pastor position at this church, I found the music director had already chosen music based on the lectionary.  So, if I wanted the music to fit, I had to go along with the lectionary.  Now lots of folks think that a particular passage only has one theme or direction.  That is absolutely not so!  Any given piece of scripture can go in a number of different directions, so it is important that all the people bringing pieces to the worship service are on the same track.  Once I got copies of the actual music, I could see Linda's line of thinking, and then could build a service around the music.  This way the choral music is helping develop the theme and not just a nice break.

I also use music to raise or lower energy levels.  At the beginning of a service folks are coming in from a variety of situations with a wide range of energy.  Many are not particularly morning people, so they are dragging, others are bouncing with excitement.  The gathering music or prelude needs to have a lively energy to it, but not be too lively so that it is distracting.  We do a "centering" piece following the announcements.  The announcements can get a bit raucus, so the centering helps folks ...ummmm...center - get focused.  The first hymn needs to be something that is upbeat and either well-known or easily learned.  This gets some focused energy going.

Other pieces of music in the service will raise or lower energy levels as needed.  A song just before a prayer needs to be more meditative.  Songs sung as the offering is brought forward need to be joyous and, oh, yes, thankful!  The final song needs to get people feeling like they are ready to take whatever the world might throw their way.  Again, it should be well-known or easily learned.  It should be strong and memorable - you want folks singing it as they go home!

Don't let music become just an add-on!  It needs to be well-integrated into the worship service so that it becomes a worship experience!