Last year I took my son to his first game at Fenway Park. One of the highlights of our time was, of course, the singing of “Sweet Caroline.” Strangers, young and old, rambunctious and reserved, happily unite their voices, even raising their hands! This ongoing liturgy is the secular equivalent of church. It’s a magical moment, but it doesn’t happen often. Group singing seems to be something from a bygone era. Its remnants reemerge perhaps at a Red Sox game or at the occasional concert.

We take for granted how unique it is that Christians gather in churches that sing together every week. Yet congregational singing is unique. Whereas Sox fans won’t think much about who Caroline actually is and simply enjoy the tradition of singing a song with her name in it, Christians gather to “let the word of Christ dwell richly among them” (Colossians 3:16). Our singing is centered on the message about our Lord—a chorus of voices washing over us like a rushing river, reminding us of his glory and goodness.

Singing is the most fitting response we can offer to God as we worship him in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9). God’s holy people aren’t perfect people. They are ransomed people set apart for the praise of his glorious grace. No matter the size of the gathering, there is beauty in the united voices of the saints.

Yet, this precious reality doesn’t always seem to fit with our perceived reality. I’ve talked to enough pastors in small towns to know that a regular prayer on their list is “Lord, please send us a worship leader.” There are unique “problems” a small-town church faces. As they scroll through polished churches on their social media feed, ministry leaders silently lament their limits and lack of polish. Gary started playing guitar a year ago. He’s getting better, but stumbles over his chord changes most songs. Lizzy’s got a beautiful voice, but her shyness ensures a safe distance between her and the microphone. Some weeks are just awkward. You try to introduce a new song that nobody seems to want to sing. The worship leader’s prayer just keeps going. The guy in the sound booth needs help. On top of that, the pastor looks out to see first-time visitors. He hopes they’re charitable and mature, and becomes discouraged when it seems they weren’t. These are just some of the realities of worshiping in a small place. We work with what we’ve got, but it doesn’t seem like we’ve got much. We desire to see the glory of the Lord among his church, but that glory seems weak and obscure.

What if God’s glory is among us, but we’re looking for it in the wrong place? What if our weakness is actually our strength? In a culture that is mesmerized by high production values, the church is mesmerized by a much higher value that can’t be produced. The church is the community where the word of Christ dwells richly among us! That rich dwelling, according to the apostle Paul, happens through singing (Colossians 3:17). This simple reality can help us see the gift of singing in small places.

Small-town ministry comes with countless blessings. Among those blessings is the gift of being seen and known. That blessing is tasted in good times and bad. As we sing, our faith is sustained as we point each other to God and his promises with our voices. The whole church is ministering! Jill recently put her faith in Christ and now sings with a smile and tears in her eyes. Her joy is contagious. Kate and Tom are grieving their recent miscarriage. But there they are singing about the hope of the new creation and resurrection. As you sing, you are helping them; and as you see them sing, they are helping you. Angie is racked with anxiety, but there she is with her hands open, singing “It is Well With My Soul.” Gary may struggle to lead music, but he’s also going through the fire at work and yet shows up week after week to joyfully serve. As a pastor and worship leader, I have been brought to tears many times as I look out and see people I know lifting their voices and experiencing healing in the words they sing. This kind of ministry doesn’t need high production or polish; it just needs Christ and a room for it to happen in. The glory isn’t in us, but the triune God who is over and among us.

Here’s the bottom line: voices are the primary instrument in the church’s worship. This frees small-town pastors and worship leaders from the burden of musical complexity or even proficiency. The voices of the people simply need to be unleashed. Here are three helps for encouraging and amplifying singing in small places:

1. Teach a theology of singing

Does your church know the cosmic reality they’re joining into when they sing (Hebrews 12:22-24)? Do they know that their God is a singing God (Zephaniah 3:17)? Does your church know why they sing (Psalm 22:3; 66:2)? Do they know the vertical and horizontal aspects of singing (Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16)? Do they know that singing is commanded (Psalm 96:1-3)? Do they know that singing is an act of spiritual warfare (2 Chronicles 20:21-22)? Do they know that singing is one of the ways we endure suffering (Acts 16:25)? Do they know that God’s songbook The Psalms gives them a song to sing in whatever condition they may be? A rich theology of singing will help your people grasp the precious gift they have in uniting their voices together.

2. Give them songs worth singing

Notice in Colossians 3 that Paul exhorts us to let the word about Christ dwell among us. There are many songs that seem to be more a word about us than about Christ. Vague spirituality won’t sustain hungry souls that only Christ can satisfy. In the 21st century we are blessed with the treasures of historic hymnody, as well as many new theologically-rich, Christ-exalting songs. This doesn’t mean that songs should read like a theological textbook or retain dusty language or words nobody knows. Songs should be accessible and understandable. I’d suggest that both depth and breadth are key.

* Select songs of depth: songs that highlight the beauty of creation and God’s glory; the person and work of Christ; the glory of the Trinity; the mystery of God’s providence; the joy of salvation; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the character and promises of God; the hope of heaven and new creation.

* Select songs of breadth: songs that highlight the range of human emotions and experiences. Several years ago, Carl Trueman wrote an excellent article entitled “What can miserable Christians sing?” He writes, “By excluding the cries of loneliness, dispossession, and desolation from its worship, the church has effectively silenced and excluded the voices of those who are themselves lonely, dispossessed, and desolate, both inside and outside the church. By so doing, it has implicitly endorsed the banal aspirations of consumerism, generated an insipid, trivial and unrealistically triumphalist Christianity, and confirmed its impeccable credentials as a club for the complacent.” Though we are redeemed and have reason for great joy in our singing, we still live in a fallen world. The breadth of human experience is one that involves both major and minor keys. Small places grant us a great opportunity to select songs with particular people in mind. We can be graciously used by God to give them language to express their hearts.

3. Give them songs they can actually sing

There’s a reason songs like “Amazing Grace” or “Come Thou Fount” or “Holy, Holy, Holy” don’t go out of style. They are timelessly singable. They could be sung in a storefront or a cathedral. This attests to the fact that not all melodies are created equal. A song can have great words, but if it can’t be sung, it’s not worth singing. Choose songs that can’t help but bring the voice out. There’s no litmus test for what qualifies, but you know these songs when you hear them. The more singable the song, the more heart-felt the voices can be.

Singing in small places may be awkward at times, but it’s one of the best kept secrets of a small-town ministry. No need to impress anyone. The voices might be all you’ve got, but they’re really all you need. Soli Deo Gloria.

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