A while ago, Richard wrote in to ask:

“Do you think there is an advantage one way or the other for a congregation to sing from a hymnal and songbook/sheet (so that they are all looking down), or singing from the words on a large screen in the front of the room (where they are all looking up and facing the same direction)?”

First, I think that people can sing from hymnals and still be “facing the same direction,” and that you can sing from a hymnal and still be looking up. However, I’m not making a case for using hymnals. Or not using them. Actually, I’m surprised at how strongly people defend one position or the other in dealing with this issue. There are good reasons for doing both, and God doesn’t make perfectly clear in Scripture which one He prefers.

The benefits of singing with lyrics projected on a screen? Here are a few:

* more freedom to respond physically while singing
* easier to add new songs to the repertoire
* people look up more naturally, making it easier to sing
* you don’t have to read music to participate
* people sing unison, so it’s easier to pick up the melody
* you’re following the Scriptural practice of passing on melodies orally

The benefits of using hymnals (or other written music):

* the congregation can sing in parts, which makes the sound more beautiful
* people who have never heard the song (and can read music) can sing it immediately
* centuries of enduring hymns are at your fingertips
* people can buy the hymnal (or music) and sing the songs at home
* words can be reflected on more readily as they don’t disappear as soon as you sing them
* singing in parts models the Scriptural principle of unity in diversity

Perhaps it works best when a local church chooses one primary way to sing songs, and then seeks to overcome the weaknesses of that method. If you use a projection screen, you might teach songs more carefully (to make sure people learn them), sell hymnals in your bookstore, incorporate doctrinally rich hymns into your meetings, provide ways that people can take the lyrics home, and use a font size that allows more words to be shown at one time. If you use song sheets or a hymnal, you can intersperse simpler songs that the congregation can learn by ear, make it a point to regularly introduce new songs, and have the congregation sing melody on the first verses of song (so that newcomers can learn them).

All things being equal, I think history favors songs that can be orally transferred. Notated congregational music wasn’t all that common until the 16th century, when Martin Luther and others revived congregational song. But problems continued. Congregational singing was so poor in 18th century America that “singing schools” were established to train Christians in the basics of theory and note reading. Some of those still exist today. Still, having notes in front of you doesn’t insure whole-hearted, thoughtful engagement.

Which is more beneficial for a church - singing with notes or without? Neither. What’s most beneficial for a church is to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in their hearts to God. ( Col. 3:16Colossians 3:16 [16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)

13 Comments »

1. Thanks for your wise and gracious treatment of this. The best bits of both, then a reminder of what is biblically fundamental.

   Comment by westlakeal — February 3, 2006 @ 8:40 am

2. I couldn’t agree more. So often we want to defend our preference as opposed to the fundamentals of Scripture. One of my pet-peeves is Worship Leaders/Music Ministers simply latching on to the latest craze or fad for use in planned worship gatherings. While there may be nothing wrong with some of the newest fads, it is the motivation that bothers me most. Sticking to Psalms HYMNS and Spiritual Songs is what God prefers, regardless of how it is presented (screen or hymn book). All too often these days, Hymns are left out of the equation. This breaks my heart as there are so many tried and true, Theologically rich Hymns that are God-honoring and uplifting. Stick to the Book (Bible) and you’ll get it right!

   Comment by Mike — February 3, 2006 @ 11:53 am

3. Thank you for this. I go to a church that uses hymnals but in music ministry outside of the church I always project lyrics on screen. Thank you for pointing out the benefits of hymnals as just recently I was beginning to get frustrated with my church’s approach.

   Comment by Debz — February 3, 2006 @ 1:50 pm

4. I affirm you final conclusion, but with a few caveats on how you got there: 1) Commending the use of high-tech projectors and screens as “following the Scriptural practice of passing on melodies orally” seems a bit odd. Paul didn’t have power point, and screens are still a visual medium. And, while they didn’t have hymnals in the first century, neither did they have bound Bibles. Both are the product of the 16th century, a time of renewed doctrinal faithfulness and a time of renewed congregational singing. 2) True, one doesn’t need to read music to sing from a screen, but it’s not necessary to sing from a hymnal either. 3) I do fear that the art of singing hymns in parts is being lost for most evangelicals. For those raised in churches with screens and no choirs singing in parts is completely foreign. Further, when I’ve sung hymns in churches that don’t use hymnals, the instrumental harmonies used often clash with the standard vocal harmonization (minor chords substituted, etc.) so that even those able to sing parts from memory are prevented from doing so.

   Comment by Russ — February 3, 2006 @ 4:21 pm

5. Russ,

   Thanks for the insightful response. You’ve helped to sharpen my thinking here. My responses:

   1. Great point that we didn’t have bound Bibles either until the 16th century. However, for the greater part of history, including New Testament times, congregations have sung by ear rather than by written notes. In spite of the absence of the written Word at certain times, God clearly commands that it be read ( 1 Tim. 4:131 Timothy 4:13
   [13]Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading
   of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. (ESV)

   This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

   ; Col. 4:16Colossians 4:16
   [16]And when this letter has been read among you, have
   it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that
   you also read the letter from Laodicea. (ESV)

   This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

   ). No such command exists for musical notation.
   2. Never thought of the fact that you don’t have to use the notes to sing from a hymnal. Talk about missing the obvious…
   3. While I appreciate the effect and beauty of singing in parts (Martin Luther was especially emphatic about that), I’m not aware of any place in Scripture where God says that melody alone isn’t sufficient for praising Him. We’ve also found that when a congregation sings unison and the musicians reharmonize the tune, it can cause people to hear lyrics in a fresh way. While I agree that there are numerous benefits to preserving harmonized evangelical hymnody, I stop short of being insistent that churches should practice it. I’m trying to recognize the difference between what is primary in corporate praise (singing) and what is permissible and pleasant (singing in parts).

   Comment by Bob Kauflin — February 4, 2006 @ 12:16 am

6. I love this: “What’s most beneficial for a church is to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in their hearts to God. ( Col. 3:16Colossians 3:16
   [16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching
   and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms
   and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your
   hearts to God. (ESV)

   This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

   ) And that’s something that can be done well with notes - or without them.”

   If you accomplish the aforementioned; I have to agree that everything else just becomes the ‘means’ of how you get there, but never becomes as important as the ‘destination’.

   Comment by Marcguyver — February 4, 2006 @ 1:16 pm

7. Bob,
   As always I am refreshed and instructed by your teaching. I really DO thank the Lord in every remembrance of you my friend. Thanks for serving the church in this way.

   Comment by Rod Fultz — February 4, 2006 @ 5:54 pm

8. Bob:

   I remember that awhile back you wrote an article that presented how one is to blog as a means of worshipping God. I have just posted my article “Blogging in the Context of the New Testament Church,” which I hope places blogs in the proper Biblical perspective. This is a difficult subject of which I have much to learn.

   Thank you,
   Evan.

   Comment by Evan May — February 5, 2006 @ 1:23 am

9. Bob:

   I wouldn’t argue that melody alone is insufficient. In fact, I’d be quick to add that vocal melody alone is sufficient even when unaccompanied by musical instruments, but I suspect (the excellent a capella Glad recordings notwithstanding) you would agree that there would be a loss if all instrumental accompaniment of congregational singing were to disappear tomorrow. I can (and have) worshipped in churches that were committed to unaccompanied exclusive Psalmoldy, and believe that is genuine worship, yet I appreciate what hymns and instruments add. The distinction between what is primary and what is permissable is vital, but there is also a danger (and one that I think evangelicalism more often tends toward) of discarding what is inessential yet still valuable. It’s analagous (roughly) to your earlier posts on theology. It might be enough to believe that Jesus loves me and died for my sins, but the simplicity of that belief does not allow one to discard the pursuit of deeper theological understanding.

   Comment by Russ — February 6, 2006 @ 6:15 pm

10. Russ:

    I was telling my wife on our date night how much I appreciate these kind of interactions. I can’t thank you enough for sharpening my thinking in these areas.

    Yes, I would agree that there would be a loss if “all instrumental accompaniment of congregational singing were to disappear tomorrow.” I also think that evangelicalism tends toward “discarding what is inessential yet still valuable.” I think this frequently happens when we prioritize what is inessential in lieu of what is essential (God’s Word and the Gospel).

    My burden is to guard against making what is inessential sound like it’s essential. In the process, I don’t want to sound like secondary issues are irrelevant and unnecessary. God gave us music to celebrate and reflect His glory. Harmony, rhythm, dynamics, etc. can all contribute to that goal. But at the end of the day, a congregation can sing unison a cappella for 100 years and never lack in its expression of God-honoring biblical worship, only in its appreciation of the many ways God has given us to express that worship musically.

    Comment by Bob Kauflin — February 6, 2006 @ 9:20 pm

11. Hey there guys! GREAT to have discovered this site, and to find people that are interested in these things! Our church has decided to install a projector and screen. The congregation consists mostly of elderly ladies who are dubious about technology and adverse to change generally (trying not to stereotype here). I’ve been put in charge of writing an article for the parish magazine - ‘benefits of the up and coming screen to our worship’ (or something similar). Any more suggestions for points i could raise within this article???? Any help greatly appreciated

    Comment by Hannah — March 2, 2006 @ 2:37 pm

12. At my church, we have the lyrics projected onto a screen and in the bulletin the page numbers are listed, at least for the songs available in the hymnal. I always pick up the hymnal and look up the song. I love the feel of this timeless book in my hands and being able to see the music. I also enjoy being able to see all the lyrics on one page instead of waiting for the words to progress on the screen.

    Comment by saraann1987 — April 25, 2008 @ 11:46 am

13. Saraann,

    You highlight a number of the reasons it can be beneficial to use hymnals. Thanks.

    Comment by Bob Kauflin — April 25, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

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