THIS MONTH 

Preparing for the New Year

Honor the Lord with Your First Fruits

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord my God is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.”(Isaiah 12:2)

HANAN YAQUB

Isaiah 12:2 tells the story of why we are here—because the Lord has saved us and given us a reason to sing. He has called us to be his worship leaders in song, to enable his people to lift their voices in praise to Him.
This is a high calling indeed. Music speaks to and for that which lies deepest within us. It can unlock a hard heart or give wings of expression to a heart that overflows with joy and gratitude. Martin Luther understood the profound power of music, as he declares in these words:
“Next after Theology, I give music the highest place and the greatest
honor. I would not exchange what little I know of music for something great.”
If music is so important, what should church music ministry look like? What are the goals? values? standards? What should we be striving for as choral conductors in the church?
I believe that there are at least 5 objectives that define a holistic and
biblical music ministry.
First—To Offer Music for the Glory and Blessing of God
This is the chief end of all of our musical activity. We therefore seek to offer the best music, in the best spirit, to the best of our ability to glorify Him. Our songs seek to articulate a well-rounded theology of the gospel throughout the world, not the disposable messages of our culture.
Second—To Assist the Congregation in Worship
Music must always serve worship, necessitating a variety of styles, so that all may find a means of expressing glory to God through singing.
Third—To Aid Our People in Developing their God-Given Gifts and in Using them to Express Themselves in the Body of Christ
Music is not just entertainment or adornment, but a pathway to that which lies deepest within us. It involves the whole being: body, soul, mind, and spirit, and embeds scripture upon the memory. We want to help our people develop musical skills so that they may have this form of expression and use it to God’s glory.
Fourth—To Educate Children and Adults in the Music of the Church and Increase their Ability to Worship through it
Noted children’s music educator Helen Kemp has rightly said, “We all like what we know. We must teach them to know more so that they will like more.” To know the great music of the church opens worlds of worship opportunities to our people. This kind of growth and skill development takes time and requires delayed gratification, as does growing in Christian discipleship; but it is time vitally spent.
Fifth—To Provide an Opportunity for Christian Fellowship and Prayer Supprt
All music ministry programs are built on a spiritual foundation, valuing not only musical excellence, but also the spiritual growth of all members. We are not here just to make music, but to worship God through it. The choir is a unique place of fellowship, crossing
barriers of age, personality, and social status. Where else in the church are such diverse people knit together in such a profound way?
Now, I believe that all of these dimensions of music ministry are important. But I want to focus on a particular issue that emanates from these objectives and that is the burden of my heart. I believe there is a major deficit in most church music programs, a deficit that does not need to be to nearly the extent that it is. What is it that we are lacking? Quality.
Frequently you and I have been in choral workshops or reading sessions and heard the clinician say, “even your church choir could do this piece!”— implying that the lowest form of choir imaginable is what you and I conduct every week.
Sometimes I hear from musicians phrases about certain church choirs or their conductors, that go like this: “they’re really good for a church choir,” “this is the best musical experience I’ve had in a church;” or, with amazement, “that choral director is actually a good conductor!”
The musicians saying these things sometimes think that they are giving compliments, but each time I hear these kinds of phrases, it grieves me. It devalues what I do. It devalues my profession and my colleagues. It devalues God and music that is offered
to His glory. I believe our vision is not high enough for the musical/choral/artistic achievement of our church choirs. We can do more than we’re doing. We can sing better. We can do more substantial art literature. To a great extent, your choir will be as good as you are—choir members are not the primary limitation: rather, it is our vision and our skill that place the ceiling on what we accomplish.
For the last twenty plus years, I have served as Minister of Worship and Music at Trinity United Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana, California. The Chancel Choir there is a rag-tag army of singers, like almost all of the choirs you know. We have a few excellent singers, a number of poor singers, and a large majority of very average singers. We have to work hard at what we do, and increasingly so, as skill levels of those entering the choir decrease. Recently, to mark my twentieth anniversary at the church, a number of choir members wrote me letters, which are marked by two major themes:
• thank you for making us the best we can be; and
• thank you for standing by me and my family in our hour of need.
It is not either/or. It is both. Jesus didn’t just call people or just comfort people. He did both. And he did plenty of the calling part: calling them to a higher level of discipleship.
I think we church choir directors, as a group, suffer from two negative syndromes. For some of us, our vision of musical excellence is too low. “The music isn’t the main point of the church choir,” some of us might say. “People are here for other reasons besides just the music.” While there is some truth in both of these statements, remember where we started today in talking about the power of music in our lives and in our churches: the gift of God that it is to us. It is important, and therefore it is important that it is done well: to the very best of our ability. We are made in the image of God: can you name one thing, which God created poorly? One thing that is made in a sloppy way? One thing that does not demonstrate fantastic attention to detail? One thing that looks like God just said, “it’s good enough?”
No. All around us we see the wonder of creation and the inexhaustible care of the Creator. The subtlety of nuance. The variety of texture. “Behold, God is my salvation,” and that salvation did not come through ease and comfort, but with angst and ultimate sacrifice that went all the way to the cross. Should our efforts in developing the gift of music God has given us mirror anything less than the Almighty Himself, the Creator and Redeemer?
To be sure, as in Jesus’ parable, in our choirs some of us are given one talent, some two, and some five. All of our groups are not equal in ability. But we are equally expected to invest and develop the talent that is in our care so that when the Master returns, he may say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” (Mt. 25:21, 23) We are not to bury our talent, just leaving it how it is. Under our faithful stewardship, it is to multiply to the glory of God.
But making quality music is hard work. Will our people want to do it? The answer is a resounding Yes! John Gardner of the Carnegie Foundation says the following in his book entitled Excellence: “The best kept secret in America today is that people would rather work hard for something they believe in than enjoy a pampered idleness...The only true happiness comes in squandering ourselves for a purpose.”
We in music ministry offer a purpose that is of ultimate worth—indeed, worth “squandering oneself” for. And it is in this kind of investment that the meaning in life comes, and the meaning in our walk with Christ. Ultimately, people value things that
are demanding. They may not always act like that’s what they want, but ultimately it is. Think back in your own life to the mentors, teachers, coaches, and conductors who have made the biggest difference to you. They were probably not those who just accepted you as you were and kept you there. We do not respect people who let us off easy—who do not make us be all that we can be. Tom Landry, long-time coach of the Dallas Cowboys, writes these words in his autobiography:
“The primary challenge of coaching in the NFL can be boiled down to a one sentence job description: to get people to do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they want to achieve.”
In keeping with Coach Landry’s insight, I believe in making rehearsals a demanding experience—physically, mentally, and spiritually.
• Physically, as we strive to use our voices to the best of their God-given ability, which requires the constant effort of good posture, proper breathing, optimal resonating space, and physical attention to musical detail. “OK” isn’t good enough.
• Mentally, as we tackle music that is hard for us and work under deadlines that push us—things that give a sense of urgency and importance to each rehearsal. (And I can tell you that more than anything else, a sense of urgency in rehearsal will improve attendance and degree of effort exerted by the singers. Do you struggle with faithful attendance at rehearsal? Choose harder music to help solve the problem, instead of the opposite, as many people do. This will help create the self-motivation of “I better get there or I’m not going to know what I’m doing!”).
And what about music that is hard for the choir, which they can’t appreciate right away? Doing some musical stretching is vital to our growth: so much so that I’ve come to believe that if there is not something they “hate” in their folders at all times, I’m not doing my job! It is often the things we initially hate that become our favorites in the end, as we go through the struggle of achieving new heights of skill, art, and worship. It is our job as leaders to have the vision and courage to “make them do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they want to achieve.”
• And spiritually, as the choir is challenged to think about what they are saying in the music, and to live it out in their daily lives. I do not believe in the church choir as a recreational activity. People ultimately want more than fun and relaxation and fellowship. They may resist you getting I do not believe in the church choir as a recreational activity. there, but they will thank you when it’s done. Pushing people shows that you care about them and you care about what they’re doing, and you believe in them. Pushing them shows you love them and love God.
Paul Salamunovich, the great choral conductor, has made this challenge and promise to us: “Demand the ultimate from your church choir singers and they will give it to you. Demand, and they will come!” My friends, most of us can and must do more and ask more of our singers. Yes, for some of us, our vision for musical excellence is too low. For others of us, it is our degree of personal investment that is too low. “After all, it is a part time job” (for most of us): “there’s only so much I can do.”
Again, there is truth in this way of thinking. Most people here are paid too little for what they are expected to do at their church. And most church choir directors spend the majority of their week earning their principal livelihood somewhere else. How easy it is, then, to give your leftovers to your music ministry; to relax into the job, or collapse into it when it rolls around at the end of the week. How easy it is to expend all of your effort on your school choirs or community choir and expect less of yourself and the singers at church.
And yet Proverbs 3:9 says, Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
As much as I believe we need to raise salary standards for church musicians, in reality, no matter how much or how little you are paid, it is more than just a job. It is an offering to God. Our calling, and that of each of our choir members, is to honor the Lord with our first fruits: our best efforts. Apply the best of who you are when you’re at church, even if your job only has you there a few hours a week.
And the promise is this: if you push yourself to give your first fruits to God, to make that sacrifice, the Lord will give back to you in ways you can’t imagine. For as Jesus said, Give, and it will be given to you—good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. (Luke 6:38)
This is the calling and the promise of God: Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine! You think you don’t have time to do more? Try pushing yourself a little harder and find how great is the reward.
For some church choir directors, both vision for musical excellence and degree of personal investment are too low, and that’s not good enough—not good enough for the almighty God; not good enough for the souls and bodies in your charge, for whom your ministry is probably their primary form of Christian discipleship.
Is musical excellence the only thing? No. But do this without neglecting the other things.
Are there obstacles/challenges? Of course. But don’t let them become excuses, but instead, opportunities. Sure, you work with a volunteer choir. You can’t require attendance for the sake of a good grade or a paycheck. You can’t do a lot of telling, but you sure can do a lot of selling: motivating people to be there not because they have to, but because they want to; to sit up and use their bodies and minds well because they have understood and bought into your vision of music ministry. They have sensed that they are “called” into ministry and accountable to God and to one another. Sure, most of our church choirs are made up of amateurs, but “amateur” does not mean “bad.” The word “amateur” comes from the Latin “amare,” which means “to love.” An amateur is someone who does something for the love of it. What a joy it can be to work with a room full of amateurs, and apply the best of our skill to taking these lovers of music to the highest level they can achieve.
Sure, music in the church is not an end in itself. The music is there to serve the worship, and this does involve some compromise at times:
• perhaps you can’t always perform the music in its original language;
• maybe you have to do some music in styles that you do not prefer.
But there is no reason to leave your artistic calling behind in the name of worship. Choose the best repertoire within a given style, with texts worthy of divine worship. And offer the best performance (yes, I said performance) that you can, to the glory of God. Don’t settle for “it’s the heart that counts” as an excuse: but let that be a motivator for best offering you can make. With David, let us say “I will not offer the Lord my God that which cost me nothing.” (2 Sam. 24:24)
Wouldn’t it be great if in our generation, we could truly raise the standard of church music? That music to the glory of God would be a high form, not a low form of music-making? We need more Paul Salamunovichs, who consider their church choir their primary choir. It begins here and now, with you and me.
What are some steps we can take?
As we begin a new year, this is an opportune time to set some specific goals for yourself and your choir.
Start with yourself Begin by raising your own vision. Maybe read a music ministry book, or learn more about a particular style of music or a composer. Maybe take a class, or private lessons, or sing in a choir again. Then consider how you can improve your time with the choir. Perhaps it is making a greater effort to plan rehearsals carefully, with clear goals; starting and ending rehearsals on time; being better organized. Maybe it is planning ahead and giving out special dates far in advance; or looking for more new literature, instead of repeating past successes; or choosing literature more thoughtfully, supporting larger church goals and themes.
This may be the year to focus on relationships. Get to know your choir members better; also the pastor, church staff, and congregation. Invest yourself more in the larger church programs/events. Build relationships: in so doing, you’ll be building supporters. Mend relationships—has there been a rift between you and someone else? Maybe you can work to bring about healing.
Maybe now is the time to build relationships with your church’s “contemporary” musicians and service leaders. Be supportive, showing an interest in what they’re doing and perhaps using some of their songs or styles. Work to break down divisions and avoid polarization.
Recruiting...text interpretation...tone quality...positive reinforcement...score study...motivational techniques...speaking to the congregation or Sunday school classes about music in worship—the list of possibilities is endless. Choose something as a personal goal for this year and achieve it.
Then, as you’re improving yourself as a musician/leader, also slowly raise the bar for the choir. Be careful not to change too much at once, and be sure to do a lot of selling and cheerleading along the way, celebrating each new effort and achievement.
Try doing something one step harder than you’ve ever done. Try an a cappella piece, or a polyphonic piece. Memorize a piece; sing in the round, or in quartets. Add a concert, or do more challenging music on the concert you’re already doing. Add a choir retreat, or a special rehearsal, “selling” the choir on why this is important.
Maybe the focus needs to be improving faithfulness at rehearsal. Even if everyone cannot be there every time, everyone can notify if they’re going to be absent. Do your part by following up weekly on the “AWOLs,” showing that you noticed they were gone and that you care about them, and you’ll find you have to do so less and less.
From punctuality to marking music with a pencil in rehearsal; from sitting up straight to learning to sight-read; from community building to improving facial expression—whatever you choose, set a goal for the choir and pursue it this year. But remember these things:
Choose what you want to change carefully and don’t try to hit all fronts at once. Choose one, two, or three areas of improvement for yourself, and one, two, or three for your choir. No More! If you set out to do too many things, you won’t accomplish any of them! But really hold yourself accountable for improving those few things you choose. (Maybe share your goals with someone else who will hold you accountable.)
Meet the singers where they are But do not stay there. Take them steadily to where they have not been. A story is told of a pastor who wanted to move a piano from one side of the chancel to the other. Having encountered resistance, he set about moving it just one inch per week. Slow but steady progress was made, and in time, the piano had been moved clear across the church, and no one really noticed.
Set the vision, interpret it (why it is important and what will be gained from it), and sell it by constantly keeping it before the people. Be consistent, and celebrate it when it’s achieved. Be positive, affirming, loving, even as you’re being more demanding. Be ahead of the choir, working harder yourself than any of them, developing your own skill and vision. Bring the best of who you are or were at the highest point in your musical development.
Is striving for excellence, to the glory of God, easy? No. Is it rewarding? Yes. Our choir members will love it, as they get better. They will be blessed by the Lord. They will run the race set before them, looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith. They will experience the deepest fulfillment in “squandering themselves for a purpose.”
And what about the congregation?
The choir being excellent will get you a lot further in this consumer age than the choir being mediocre—that means excellent in every way: aurally, visually, spiritually. And don’t settle for the choir cloistered off in a traditional service: we’re just a few years from extinction if we do this. The congregation, and especially the younger members, must know choral music, sung well and communicated effectively, to like it. Work to get the choir in all services as much as possible, even if it is more work for you.
There is lots of challenge in front of us today in church music—more than at any other time in my career. But let’s rise and meet the challenge and bring our people with us. Be tenacious. Be loving. Be informed. Be skilled. Be a salesperson. Be the finest musician and Christian leader you can be. And do not fear the future, because, truly: “God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; The Lord my God is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.”

creator@creatormagazine.com