WOW! What a GREAT list. I’d add

11. The people up front are just standing there like statues singing with their eyes closed and no one in the congregation feels like they’re ALLOWED to sing. (Yeah, it’s a variation on number 5)

I tell my worship teams that one of the key things they’re supposed to do in a service is give people PERMISSION to sing along, to worship freely.

Number 8 is also HUGE. So many times the band plays the song in that key because it was on the CD and it’s the only key the guitarist (who can barely read a chord chart let alone transpose a song) can play. I’ll give a specific example. “Your Love is Deep” by Jami Smith. The key she sings it in is IMPOSSIBLE for a congregation to sing along with comfortably. Great song, and one of my worship leaders wonders why no one sings along. I changed the key… and BINGO!

Peter is right (sometimes!) often it is about keys and ineffective leaders… unfortunately, I think the most pressing concern is often # 5.

As a lead worshipper, I need to be both worshipping (privately as well as on Sunday) and communicating what worship is to the church.  How many of us have wished for a more vibrant and passionate Spirit of worship in the church, but never really done a series on what it means to worship?

BTW - look in your NIV concordance for the 1st textual appearance of the word and you’ll soon learn it is more than MUSIC. 

I am currently in discussion with our church and our worship teams about some of these very issues.... good thought starter Todd.

This post - and our experience on Sunday - bring up another question: How do we “manage” people whose individual expressions of worship may be distracting or even detrimental to the corporate act of worship?

Paul addressed this somewhat in his instructions in 1 Cor 14, though his comments were specifically targeting tongues and prophecy.  Our experience on Sunday was with an individual sitting behind us who was singing very loudly, and my wife and I had different reactions.

Our church is contemporary and fairly free in physical expression of worship - lots of hand-raising.  Our worship pastor and his teams do a great job of leading us into the presence of God each week.  The congregation is predominantly white and from unchurched backgrounds.

Behind us on Sunday sat a black man who, throughout the “worship” (i.e., singing) time, sang in very soulful harmony - and very loudly.  I loved what he was doing, though it was definitely too loud; I honestly could not hear the mic’d worship leader or most of the instruments most of the time.  Sometimes the man sang (a little more quietly) his own ad libs during Ron’s prayers.  I definitely sensed the man was worshipping and, because I couldn’t hear the worship team, I found myself sort of worshipping vicariously through the man behind me.

When we got home, my wife expressed great frustration about the man.  For her, his ad libs and too-loud harmonies was a complete distraction that hindered her worship.  (A note:  My wife worships primarily through music; I don’t.)

So, what to do with a situation like this?  Should one person’s individual expression of worship disrupt or distract the worship of others?  Or should it be “managed” (probably a euphemism for “controlled") in some way?  I tend to think that Paul might have addressed this type of extemporizing in his words on orderly worship, had it been a problem in his day.

Thoughts?

I often wonder why a person can watch a group of men (myself include unfortunately) in church who stand stoic but when in the same group watch a football game and give hi fives, dance, congradulate, etc.

I’m not talking about pure emotions but more about conern of what others are going to think.

The psalms were deep, passionate hymns and poems from the heart that were wrought in passion and thought.

I think we don’t let go because of pride in what others are going to think.

How many remember the days of 911.  Utter defeat.  We’ve been rocked to the core - then when the firefighters raised that flag!  Our Banner!

Jesus is our banner and music and song are our opportunity to raise something out of the ashes and dirt.  Our voices.

Pastors should teach what worship in song and dance is.  In the old and new testament.  Victory.  This can be done fully through a teaching of His Charachter and Attributes in His Nature.

Good question Randy.  I don’t have an answer, but I do have a perspective on this.

I have gained an appreciation over the years for the way others worship. When I was saved I plugged in to a Baptist church, went to college at a Pentecostal school and have ministered in the Nazarene church for 9 years. I am currently in the process of starting a non-denomonational church.

When I lived in Oregon I would annually meet with a group of people from around the state for 3 days of prayer and worship; seeking God’s heart for various cities in Oregon.

Tom White, who facilitated these meetings, said one time that, because of the various backgrounds represented, true love in worship is not asking our brother or sister to refrain from worshiping because it’s destracting, but true love would rather say, because I love you I want you to feel free to express yourself in worship in the way that you are accustom to.

This helped me greatly to appreciate the beauty of worship. I suppose if someone was blatently out of order that would be different, but if it is that difficult for your wife I would suggest she politely move so as not to be distracted.

Hope this is helpful.

Overarching reason (and this subsumes several of those listed above):  The music isn’t designed for congregational singing.  This goes from all levels - from composition to sound systems to singers to lyric projection, etc.

To speak a little more narrowly:
11. The melody is only being sung by a woman.  This has nothing to do with appropriateness of a female leading singing but with practical matters of singing.  Men have a hard enough time singing when they’re following a man singing the melody - to pick out a melody that’s another octave away is next to impossible for the average dude in the seats who hasn’t grown up singing.  A greater percentage of ladies grow up singing and have less of an issue singing with a male leader than vice versa.

So, being (Baptist!)food or no food is not the issue.... it must be the coffee in their designer latte cups that restricts their vocal cords…

I have waited for several years for all those who want “TRULY only SCRIPTURAL worship” at their church to dance around in their undergarments as David did…

RE:
“Worship is a response to an encounter with God.  While that definition admittedly has its limits, I find that it is also quite broad in its application. How does it apply specifically to singing? How about this for a reason #11 in the above list: singing isn’t my primary response mechanism. I am most inclined to worship God in a position of humility, recognizing my own unworthiness. Thus, while I may be drawn to worship by music, my response may be to bow my head in prayer, to kneel, or in some cases even to lay flat on the ground.”

That is a good definition.  When we meet up with our Lord and Savior, worship is the only appropriate response.  And worship can and does take many forms.  However, in the congregational setting of most churches, there are space limitations which will not afford everyone the opportunity to prostrate themselves or, in some cases, even to kneel.  Though these postures are necessary for us in our private worship, standing and singing are more appropriate for extolling the virtues of our King publicly.  (BTW, the reason I want our congregation to stand is that one’s breathing is less restricted and one can sing louder and better.  Ask anybody trained in voice.)

In our church, I see a connection here with the post about cheering at sporting events.  We seem willing and able to celebrate our teams and our games and our birthdays and our accomplishments but when it comes to our God, we act like we have to be silent and “reverent”.

The scriptures are full of exhortations to praise God.  Many times they say with a loud voice or loud insturments.  Private worship is wonderful and necessary but so is congregational worship and when we are worshiping with a crowd, we should do so audibly if we are able.  Praying silently for the entire worship service may be good for you but it does little to contribute to the atmosphere of honoring our Savior by praising Him with a loud voice. 

It’s true, that “just because they’re singing doesn’t mean they’re worshiping.” It is also true that just because they have their head bowed and eyes closed doesn’t mean they’re worshiping either.  They may just be taking a nap.

So I would only change the above definition this way:
Worship is a response to an encounter with God with all that I am.  I need to respond with everything I am in a manner that is appropriate for the setting.  Worship is not simply singing and being noisy.  But it is not just being quiet and reverant either.  We need to experience both private and public worship in the appropriate manner for each.

Most of those reasons are divorced from reality and are downright naive. The better question to ask is ‘Why DO people sing?’

Go to a concert, and people sing along with the artist for two reasons.

1. They know the songs

2. They connect with the meaning of the song

The songs are in ridiculously high keys...and the people still sing.

Most of the people can’t sing worth anything...but the people still sing.

There are lots of manly men...and they sing.

If we have lousy assumptions about why people sing, is it any wonder that they don’t sing in our concert of praise?

Steve:

“And to connect with Him, for Him to be involved, we must have His anointing.”

Steve, where is the New Testament precedent for the “anointing” and the alleged fact that God doesn’t become involved in our lives unless we have “it?”

I won’t engage in deep discussions about what is and isn’t worship.  Just as my relationship with Christ is personal, so is my style of worship.  All worship is pleasing to God, right?  I don’t sing sometimes because the key is out of my range; even with my trained music background, it’s just physically uncormfortable.  I don’t raise my hands or tap dance in the pews either.  That’s just the “me” that God created.  I love to be around people that are gifted in a passionate style of worship.  It’s just important to remember that God wired us all differently and that includes everything down to our style of worship.  I’m careful to just not evalaute seemingly quiet folks as not being passionate.  My worship has been deeply intense and doesn’t necessarily manifest itself in a visible fashion during a corporate worship setting.  Where it does show is when I walk back out into the world and make choices and take actions based on a deep personal relationship with Christ.

The reason congregations can not sing:  That happens when you allow “Worship Leaders” instead of Music Directors.  A Worship Leader often times has another agenda in mind as opposed to your traditional music director.  A Music Director has perfect or relative pitch and hold to that standard and will not allow people to sing even if they can put on a show of trying to sing.  It is not healthy to hear persons sing who cannot sing on pitch.  These persons need to be told to stop and leave music to those God gave the gift to.  All kinds of charismatic singing to tears and talents to inspire verbally can not ever take the place of God’s true musicians.  God’s true musicians may appear to be very upset, argumentative, troublesome persons to you.  And they have every reason in this world to be that you to you.  Because you have disenfranchised them from being able to use the gift - GOD GAVE TO THEM AND NOT THE WORSHIP LEADERS.  I have met countless numbers of former church choir solo member who are not welcome in churches today because these Worship Leaders are so jeoleous of them and have made any efforts made by them look as though they are not correct in their attitudes, on and on with the psychobable nonsense the church has allowed to infiltrate the church and its pastoring.  GOD gave the talent to sing in perfect or relative pitch to only certain people and if the church rejects such people with lame jeolous inspired sabotaging techiques then music will die in your churches.  Your congregations will not be able to sing because you will allow the non-talented lead because they know the Worship Leader pshychobable words and they donate the money they got from their jobs which also are maintained by their unchristian controlling psychobable maneuvering set-up ways always to stop the truly talented ones.  Sure give gods singing angels on earth such a hardtime so that they look like they have an attitude.  AN Attitude - caused by persons coveting their gift from GOD - No one can take away the gift GOD gave you - but your jeolous peers can invent ways with psychology to strip you from ever being able to rightfully use it.  No wonder God’s real singers are rejected from the church that can not sing.  If they do show up and sing - every person around them in the congregation will tell them what a great voice they have you should be in the choir.  Then if they go in that direction, the jeolous Worship Leaders will treat them in unspeakable ways no one in that church would even believe.  They will not even talk with you because you sing better than they do and they will create situations to make you look aggravated that they aggreavated.  All because they want they glory of your true position and they can not always sing in tune.  Used to be NO ONE SANG A SOLO OR WAS IN THE CHOIR UNLESS THEY HAD PERFECT OR RELATIVE PITCH.  That standard has gone out the window today with WORSHIP LEADERS who substitute unchristianlike leadership for a voice not fit for the job.  They will defend this glory though by ruining the lives of those who God gave the gift to. So when is the church going to grow up?  I do not think it can - most mature Christians, meat not milk eating Christians - watch church on Sunday morning from TV by pastors that have churches so large this stuff does not happen.  Their are churches that have the seats in their church to grow and can not grow becuase they are a clique of people pretending to be Christians.  They are a clique that stands watch over their club that gets to spend the churches endowment funds so they can pretend to be singers etc. The last thing they want is for God’s chosen singers to show up.  They will fight them tooth and nail.  They do - and that is why you do not have congregations today that can sing.  The only way is by example through the use of God’s true singers.  If you continue to malign them for money donating jeolous “Worship Leaders.” then that is what you get - a church with dead music - at the level of pre-grade school - and out of tune.  A church with dead music is probably dead spiritually as well. Because no truly spiritual church would ever reject one of God’s singers, even if that person was not easy to get along with.  Not easy to get along with is your fault not theirs.  The reason they are not easy to get along with is you are disrespecting them and they are in shock.  They get new pastors or they run on interims.  The pastors are all schooled in psychobable and go along with condemning the disgruntled real singers.  Sorry to tell you the real truth.  When are the churches going to wake up and truly respect the true musicians?  Most of us are tired of it and have left.

Todd said:
“How many Sundays have you gone home thinking that you were a failure because it just didn’t seem like people were involved in worship (excited, singing, outwardly worshipping)?”

I’m 43, and never in my life have I ever felt worship (singing) was weak at any church I’ve attended, and I’ve attended numerous.  I guess that’s because I focus on myself, not others.  The music leader who is distressed is probably focused on himself, and the people’s response, rather than on praising God.  Quit judging yourself and start worshipping God.  Invite the Holy Spirit to be there and move, rather than thinking it’s up to you to whip up some kind of fervor.

,,,Bernie