“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” David wrote the words of this song the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of Saul and his adversaries. He recognized the divine source of his deliverance and did not forget to exalt the God who made it all possible.

The Lord is worthy of such accolade in our song service. He has already given the best of heaven and deserves our very best efforts and attention in return. These suggestions to improve our song worship are not an attempt to put more emphasis on the music and mechanics, but are made with the realization that spirited congregational singing sets the tone for the entire service. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Remember, He is worthy.

Sing. One of the most discouraging things for the song leader is one who refuses to sing. It is your duty, your obligation, your privilege to praise Him who is worthy of all our soul’s adoration. Not just to sing, but to sing from your heart. You are communicating with the God who holds your eternal salvation and with your brethren who are striving to that end.

Look up. That’s why we have song leaders and not song starters. Now, I know there are times when we are learning new songs with unfamiliar words, but for the most part, we need to get our noses out of the books. Follow the leader—watch for tempo changes, holds, and verses where he wants you to sing softer. Let him lead you.

Keep up. That’s why we need to look up. It’s hard to keep 350 people moving at the same tempo, but songs that drag on can pull the rest of the service down with them. There are few things more disheartening to the leader and the congregation than hymns that are intended to be sung lively and enthusiastic that are dragged to a murderously slow and numb pace.

Stay together. Song worship is our collective effort of devotion. While we must make sure that our hearts are right on the individual level, we must also concentrate on singing together, pooling our resources for the betterment of the whole.

“Lord, may we come before Thee with singing, Filled with Thy sprit, wisdom and power; May we ascribe Thee glory and honor, Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!”