Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples! (Psalm 96:1-3)
I was blessed by God with natural musical ability, which my parents recognized and encouraged. As a little girl, I sat in choir practice with my mother and learned to sing the alto part because she sang alto. I started piano lessons at school in second grade and continued to take instruction from various teachers for about seven years. And before I was old enough to join the beginner band at school, I had already started learning to play my brother’s cornet. Halfway through fifth grade, I was promoted to the high school band. All of that to say … music is in my DNA.
But I know that is not everyone’s story.
God blesses every person with the talents and skills that He desires for them to have as He equips His body (the church) for ministry. Music is not a skill He gives to everyone. However, He created music, and He chooses to use music to glorify His name. Psalm 100:1-2 says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Emphasis mine.)
You see that word all don’t you?
All here means … all! That’s because music is not intended only for those who are skilled artists; it is one of God’s beautiful gifts to His creation – one that we can return to Him. Music is one way we can serve Him and worship Him; it is a tool we can use to reach out to the world with God’s message of hope and deliverance and salvation.
Here in the 21st century, it seems that every church is trying to figure out how to reach the current generation of students. There are parties and game nights and events and camps and … well, just about anything that sounds like it might attract a group of junior high and high school students.
However, have you noticed one thing that is not present in most churches these days? Student participation in leading worship. You can find it in pockets here and there, but it is mostly nonexistent in today’s churches – at least in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches with which I am most familiar.
My childhood and youth were spent in a small town in rural Mississippi, and my family was very involved in the ministry of the First Baptist Church there, which offered opportunities for all ages to get engaged and involved, from preschool to retirees. But out of all the ministries I loved and participated in, I think my most favorite was youth choir.
Our youth choir was very good. We prepared music to sing in worship services, and we presented musicals as well. We did not just sing easy arrangements to fill time on Sunday afternoons, either; we did 4- and even 6-part harmonies at times. We had a blast! Not every member of the choir was musically gifted, but all were welcome. And my youth choir was not an anomaly. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, youth choirs were present in pretty much any Southern Baptist church that had a handful of students. Today, though, it is my understanding that the church where I serve as pianist is the only local SBC church that has a youth choir … maybe even in our whole association.
That makes me sad.
I am also a chaperone for the Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir & Orchestra, which has been in existence for about 30 years. It is an auditioned choir and orchestra made up of high school students from Southern Baptist churches across the state. These students meet for rehearsal camp and tour over eight days in June. During that time, they learn and memorize a full concert in three days and then spend the other five days presenting worship concerts in various churches and facilities (e.g., nursing homes, jails, etc.) around the state. Apparently, such state-wide Baptist student choirs were fairly common across America in the past, but Mississippi is now one of the few states that still offers this opportunity to its students.
So where have all the youth/student choirs gone?
I have heard that some worship pastors say they just don’t have time for student choir. I have been told that some worship pastors are on board for it, but the student pastors are not. Those are issues that need to be prayed over with hearts that are willing to listen.
I have also heard comments like, “Students today just aren’t interested in that kind of thing.”
Really?
Have you seen the high school marching bands lately or realized that they spend hours upon hours in rehearsals and band camps and performances and competitions? Or have you seen the Facebook posts about this choir competition or that show choir performance? How about high school plays and musical productions?
It is not that today’s students are not interested in music. They are putting their time and effort into those types of activities where they are given an opportunity. If Christian students are not invited to use their gifts in their churches, they will exercise their talents through school and other secular programs, which should be the secondary outlet for a Christ-follower’s use of the talents God has given. (By the way, that applies to every age and stage of life!)
The church has ceded far too much territory to the enemy. Satan doesn’t only work through pornography and drug addiction and human trafficking and murder; he will gladly offer God’s people things to do that aren’t bad, in and of themselves. If he can distract us from our purpose of serving God and making Him known, we will not be obedient to share the gospel as Jesus instructed us to do. The enemy realizes that if we are mainly using our talents in secular arenas, we will probably be in the minority and therefore will not be likely to speak of God or make a bold stand in that context.
Can we use our talents outside of God’s church? That depends. Unless you have been living on a remote island without modern technology or “in a galaxy far, far away,” you have most likely seen a performer who got his or her start by singing in church … and who has long since left behind the true purpose of God’s gift of music.
News flash: This isn’t a new tactic! Satan has been counterfeiting God’s gifts and trying to distract God’s people since the beginning of time. Recall that line he used with Eve, recorded in Genesis 3:1: “Did God actually say …?” Consider the following passages (emphasis mine):
And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up” (Daniel 3:4-6).
Woe to those … who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp (Amos 6:5).
God did not give us His precious gift of music so that we would use it to worship other gods or that we would make music just for the sake of making music. Music has a divine purpose that can only truly be fulfilled when it is used to bring glory to the One who created it.
Therefore, if your church does not currently have a student choir, find out why! Talk to your worship pastor about investing in the students at your church and encouraging them to develop their God-given talents. And if God has gifted you with musical ability – get involved! Maybe the reason God brought this to your attention is so you will do just that. Don’t assume the students at your church aren’t interested; maybe they haven’t been invited. Give them an opportunity to bring their skills into the church. Help them find out how to serve God through the gifts He has given them.
Oh, and this goes for adults and children as well. All means all!
