Thrill Chills

Last week I was gathered in a hotel ballroom, in Louisville, KY, with a few hundred church geeks. Most, if not all, of us are serving the church in non-pastoral positions. The vast majority of us are serving in the realm of church administration and polity. In the midst of our time dealing with various degrees of church politics I experienced “thrill chills” on two occasions. Both times came during worship opportunities. Both times, two difference worship services, came as the group was singing the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.”

We did not have overly amplified instrumental music. We were accompanied by a simple keyboard. We sang from the new Presbyterian Hymnal “Glory to God.” What gave me “thrill chills” was the full-throated harmonic singing I seldom experience in congregational worship. In those moments I could truly say/sing, “It is well with my soul.”

Some time ago I read an article about why people, especially men, don’t sing in church anymore. I did a Google search trying to find that particular article. In my searching I discovered a score of sites addressing the lack of singing in worship. It is a malady I often observe. Time and again I have heard people say one of the reasons they like presbytery, synod and general assembly meetings is the rich full on signing which occurs, especially including the male voices. Often they remark they too had “thrill chills.”

I confess I am not a good singer, but I love to sing in a large group. That way my voice does not stand out from the rest. I do not feel I am signing alone as so often is the experience in worship spaces designed for two hundred with only 50, or fewer, scattered worshipers in attendance. As a pastor, I unsuccessfully fought the battles of trying to get people to cluster together more. For a long time I selected hymns for their words more than their familiarity and singability. After several years I decided it was more important for the congregation to sing a familiar tune with a bit more gusto than to feebly sing an unfamiliar tune which had the right words. I wore out the metrical index to find more familiar tunes to go with the words of unfamiliar hymns.

Karl Barth once said, “There is no finer sound to God’s ears than vox humana.” I cannot give a specific citation for that, but it has stuck with me for many years. One of the heavenly images in Scripture is that of heavenly choirs perpetually signing praise to God. I do not imagine that as a choral presentation. I imagine it as the whole gathering of saints in full-throated harmonic musical praise. I imagine is as a cappella void of praise bands and billowing pipe organs. (Personally, I do love to hear a well-played pipe organ with deep 16’ or 32’ bass pipes rattling the rafters.)

One of the congregations in the presbytery I once served did not have space up front for the choir, as many chancels are arranged. When it was time for the choral offering the people came from the pews to stand in front for their song. The rest of the service they were seated and sang among the rest of the congregation. They led the singing of hymns from among the people rather than separated from the people. (I think there is a general leadership point in that.) Why do we take the best singers from among the people and put them in the choir loft either up front or in back in the balcony?

My prayer is that we could all experience “thrill chills” in the singing of hymns, psalms and spiritual songs during worship.