Sing What They Know

Like millions of other people, I tuned in to an online church service yesterday. I had determined that I would boldly sing along with the worship team while I was in my living room watching the broadcast. I was ready. But I didn’t know any of the songs they chose. The words were on the screen—which was good—but I didn’t know the songs. I felt like a spectator.

In a live service, it’s easier to do a new song. I always recommend singing a well-known song first, then doing the new song, and following it with one that is well-known again.

This isn’t the time to introduce new songs. It’s time to thoughtfully choose songs that people know so they will be able to sing with you or at least relate to what is being sung. We want to create an opportunity where people can engage with the online service.

During a different service broadcast, I heard a team doing a medley—one song leading immediately into another then others. They sang an old hymn that praised God first. My father, who lives with us, immediately began to sing along. Then they sang a song that was popular in churches in the early 2000’s, which everyone in my family knew. By this point in the worship experience, we were all singing and felt uplifted. The worship team transitioned into a song that only two of us knew, but it was beautiful and powerful and we all were encouraged by it. Finally, the worship team sang a song that all of us knew. We were all singing together. We felt like we had been included in the service, as if the worship team had said, “We know who you are and we want you to connect with these songs that deeply resonate to many people’s spiritual lives.”

In this time where we’re not physically together for a church service, worship can be a powerful encouragement as we focus on God. Regardless of whether your service is in-person or online, be thoughtful of the people and sensitive to God’s prompting as you choose songs for the worship experience.