Song Leader Guidelines

Chances are you have been setting in church when you are asked to sing a song that you have no idea what it means or it uses old english language. Why do we sing songs in old english or holy king james language? Doest thou thinkest this to be quiet atypical?

What is a night with ebon pinion and why is it brooded o’er the vale?

The other day we sang a song about how in heaven the polish on the door knobs will never fade.

I think there needs to be guidelines for song leaders to know if they can lead this song.

1. There can’t be more than 5 old english words. I know it is unrealistic to cut them out all together and sometimes we need a Thou to rhyme with how but there has to be a limit.

2. If you have to explain it or you don’t understand the words then you can’t sing it. I asked a song leader one day what a phrase in the song meant and he had no clue. This is just wrong to make us sing these songs.

3. It has to have a good melody. We are not some monks in a secluded space so we shouldn’t be chanting or singing some song that has a choppy melody.

4. You can never lead all the verses of the song. If you have to sing all the verses to get the meaning of the song then don’t lead it. Let’s face it many of the songs are weird and there is nothing worse than having to sing that awkward chorus 4 times.

5. Invitation songs can’t be about sinners coming. There is nothing worse than hearing a sermon wanting to come forward and then the song is “come sinner come” or “sinners God will receive” or “though your sins be like scarlet”. You already know you’re a sinner, if you come forward everyone else knows you’re a sinner (chances are they are trying to figure out what you did) the last thing you want is to come forward while the church tells you that you are a sinner.