A Strange Song in a Familiar Land: Introducing New Music for Corporate Communities

Discussion Starters

After reviewing some orders of worship from previous weeks, discuss some of the following:

• How/ Why is the song important to your worship context?
• Identify what motivates your congregation to sing well.
• How much does your congregation sing in a worship service, and how does the singing help advance the dialogue in worship?
• What is being done to teach your congregation to sing thoughtfully?
• Does your congregation actively encourage your musicians? In what concrete ways?
• Is your song diet balanced? Is there a fair representation of the three forms of songs? [see above]
• Is your song diet balanced? Is there a fair representation of the three spirits of song? Hymns, Psalms, Spiritual Songs

Ways to introduce text and tune:

• Organ/piano/choir/children’s choir as a Gathering, prelude, postlude, Sunday School classes, Bible Study, litany, prayer.
• Once the text and tune has been introduced in a variety of ways, the congregational is ready to sing.
• Offer a formal introduction of text/tune writer(s).
• Tell the story behind the song.
• Rehearse the song one more time before worship begins.
• A brief note about the song in the worship order.
• Choir/ Congregation/Children (when appropriate) alternate verses.
• Use the song again within the next few months.