Keith Getty Quotes

We sing because we're created to, commanded to, and compelled to.

There are ultimately no neutral lyrics. All songs share a message about how we should view the world.

Singing together bears compelling witness to the truth. It says to those watching on and listening in that, just as we sing the same melody together, we share the same faith, the Faith; not a self-made creed for a solo journey toward nowhere, but commitment to our one Lord of all, who transforms the life we live together and will bring us home to eternity.

The words we sing should include thoughts that stir us to action and challenge us with the call of Christ in our lives.

Your voice may not be of professional standard, but it is of confessional standard.

God designed our psyche for singing. When singing praise to God, so much more than just the vocal box is engaged. God has created our minds to judge pitch and lyric; to think through the concepts we sing; to engage the intellect, imagination, and memory; and to remember what is set to a tune... God has formed our hearts to be moved with depth of feeling and a whole range of emotion as the melody-carried truths of who God is and whose we are sink in.

Your singing on Sunday will bear witness to the Savior of the world and fuel your witness through the week to the Savior of the world.

Aim for your choices, like the Psalms, to give: * A vast vision of God's character * How we fit into God's redemption story * A broad understanding of human experience

Consider carefully the lyrics of the song you gather together for a particular service. Ask: * Is this true of who Christ is and all He has done and is doing and will do for us, in us, and through us? * Is this filled with the freedom of the gospel? * Does it provide language for sincere praise and renewed faith and loyal obedience? * What image of Christ is it giving to the unbeliever?

As you review the music afterward, ask: * Did the congregation sing well? * Was the Word proclaimed? * Was it honoring to the Lord?

Take liberties with style only where the congregation is confident in singing that song, so that what you are doing adds to, rather than detracts from, their ability to sing and enjoyment of it.

Sing to God and to those around you (or, if you're on stage, in front of you).

A good hymn is an organic whole where all the parts connect to one another in a thoughtful, coherent, and poetic way. When approaching a hymn lyric, we have found it helpful to imagine the hymn as a tree. We begin with the seed of an idea - what is the song about... Once that seed is planted in our imagination, we begin to grow the trunk and branches - the structure of the song. What is the thought flow, and what are the important ideas (knowing that a song can't carry everything you would ever want to say)? How will each verse develop the theme? If there is a chorus, what is the key thought that is worthy of repetition and that drives home the message of the song?

First lines are particularly important as they draw people in and help unlock the whole song. Last lines are also important, driving people toward a big vision or challenge of commitment or expression of praise. We are looking for delightful phrases, little twists on things we have heard before, both freshness and familiarity, easily understood but engaging.

One of the challenges in songwriting is aiming to inspire response through revelation and not tell or describe to people how to feel. Just as a joke only works if you don't have to tell a listener that it's funny, so it's much more effective to fill your verses and choruses about God than to tell people how to feel about Him.

John Newton, in the preface of one of his hymn collections published in 1779, wrote of those he was writing songs for that 'while my hand can write, and my tongue speak, it will be the business and pleasure of my life, to aim at promoting their growth and establishment in the grace of our God and Savior.

being vague and gospel-lite in congregational songs is not the way to be "seeker friendly." Communicating the gospel in a way that informs the mind and engages the emotions is. The gospel is the church's central lyrical distinctive.

Ensure that your church's song list includes hymns and songs that touch on all the major doctrines and seasons of life, just as the Psalms and historical hymnals do.

If you are singing the songs as a member of the assembly of the saints, then don't just sing, but think. What are you singing? How does it point you to Jesus as He reveals Himself in His Word? What truths are being laid on your heart, and how is your singing being used to lay them on the hearts of those around you? Which lines in the lyrics flood you with joy because they move you to consider Christ afresh...

The biggest difference between the Psalms and much of our modern music today is not (as many think) the length of songs, or the lack of repetition, or of the lesser use of the "I" pronoun - it is the breadth and depth of the character of God and how we as His creation humbly find our place within that.

When... you stand to sing, consciously focus on what is going on... Ask God to help you focus; think about the words you are singing and the images they are painting; respond in prayer to lines that particularly strike you; be mindful of those around you, enjoying being part of something greater than just yourself.

...what songs from your childhood do you most remember? What hymns do you know? What Bible verses and stories do you know because of songs? What hymns do you want to pass down to your children?

Creative types know that simplicity is often this highest form of creativity... it is often the most simple thing done well and sincerely in church that will make the most significant impression. A stunning melody with clear and moving lyrics, sung with gusto and authenticity by a congregation, is a more powerful statement than a song that's difficult to play or is awkward for the congregation to sing.

Are we communicating a deep faith through what we sing and how we sing it, or are we entertaining teenagers with something that will not hold water when they hit college or head out in to the workplace?... Biblically rich content in songs, sung by people who look like they mean what they are saying, helps teach the gospel as something that is credible and powerful rather than cultural and optional.