What’s So Special about “Special Music?”
My experience within fundamentalism began about 26 years ago. This is when I first remember hearing the idea of “special music” in church services. That term was and is used by churches to refer to a vocal soloist or other vocal piece sung by someone other than the congregation. Rarely are instrumental songs referred to as “special music” because they are overwhelming used as offertories. I realize there could be exceptions to that, but usually when a fundamental church has “special music” it is vocal in nature rather than instrumental.
As the years have progressed, I have often wondered why that term “special music” is used. Why is that musical selection “special” but congregational singing is not? And why do we feel uncomfortable about having instrumental solos or small groups play during a worship service, even though it may not be an offertory, or during the prelude or postlude?
This, frankly, is a phrase that is difficult to undo in minds, but I would submit that one of the reasons why congregational hymn singing may not be as robust as we would like it to be (generally speaking) is because we have inadvertently de-emphasized congregational hymn singing, and elevated the vocal soloist, et al. In doing so, we have created a culture of “mini-musical-celebrities,” at least that kind of mentality. For instance, if there is a mini-war in your church over who gets to sing “O Holy Night” as a solo at Christmas, you most likely have a problem that is not vocal in nature, but philosophical and even theological in nature.
Our job as church leaders is not to elevate any one person to a celebrity status in our churches, but rather seek to do what we can to de-emphasize the “musician as celebrity” syndrome while elevating the God of the musician.
I propose a few (of the no doubt many potential) suggestions for churches to help overcome these challenges:
First, at least from a pastoral perspective, do not refer to music as “special music” in your church. You can call it “prepared music” or a “musical offering” or some other appropriate designation. This is a small thing, but over time it can communicate something different to those who are listening.
Second, whenever you have instrumentalists play during your worship service, make sure the congregation has the opportunity to follow the song’s text. If they are just listening, they can reflect upon the beauty of the arrangement or the ability of the musician, but unless they know by memory the words of the song, they cannot engage in the worship of the musical offering being played. Following the written text helps divert the attention away from the “performer” and place it on the message being portrayed musically as part of the worship.
Third, make sure your congregation can sing the hymns. Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 make it clear that Christians are to be singers. Singing congregationally is one of the core elements of Christian worship. Make sure your congregation has what they need to sing, including words and music. The guests who come to your church may not know your songs that your congregation may know very well. Unless they have both words and music to look at, they cannot participate in the singing and will feel left out.
Fourth, don’t be afraid to have a congregational hymn sung during the offering time, and don’t be afraid to have an instrumental piece played during the service, even when it is not the offertory (or prelude/postlude).
My point here is that what is special in congregational musical worship is not a soloist, but the fact that God’s people get to corporately join hearts and voices together in song to our God who is worthy of all praise. I thank God for members of the church who are more musically trained than others and have prepared specific pieces to be played or sung with excellence. However, we should do what we can to “de-celebritize” (perhaps to coin a term) those opportunities, pointing people to the message rather than the individual musician.
Worship is all about God, not us. Therefore, no one of us ultimately deserves elevation in a worship service other than the one true and living God. Let’s do what we are able to help communicate this to our congregations.
Taigen Joos is the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Dover, NH.
Very good Taigen. Very helpful.
This is thoughtful and I agree with Taigen’s overall emphasis that all of our singing to God is worship, but what makes it special is that people who are specially trained to play instruments many of us do not know how to play or sing in a way that many of us cannot sing, does make it special. To hear God’s children use their special talents for God in music, when many use such talents for their own profit or even the devil’s service, to me makes it very special. When musically gifted and trained servants give their heart and talent to praise God in songs they have prepared especially for God and His people, makes that particular song special. The term in itself is not wrong in my estimation!
Thank you for your interaction pastor Recker. I respect your thoughts and opinions. I guess my thought in this article is the term but also the connotations of the term. For instance, we don’t preach “special sermons.” Yet we are trained, skilled men who are seeking to use our gifted ness for the Lord. Now perhaps there is the connotation of “special” in comparison to ordinary. For instance, we have “special speakers” and “special meetings.” But I think what we mean there is those are guests coming in and meetings/services that are not our ordinary or regular speakers or meetings. I just raise the issue in our terminology, so that we are not just using certain terms that have always been used just because they have always been used. If you use the term it might be good to articulate to the people what you mean by that term, and also what you don’t mean. Again, thank you for the interaction, and for your faithful stand for Christ in the city. Lord willing, I’ll see you in June.