Date

5-2017

Department

School of Music

Degree

Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology (MA)

Chair

Keith A. Currie

Keywords

Congregational Singing, Discipleship, Mission, Missional Living, Worship, Worship Renewal

Disciplines

Ethnomusicology | Music | Musicology | Music Performance | Music Practice | Music Theory | Other Music

Abstract

Numerous articles, blogs, and books have been written in recent years about the lessening of congregational participation in singing and many have called for a renewal of worship and changes in worship practice within the church. Yet, most of the solutions offered are aimed at bettering what happens inside the worship event—singing songs with more theologically rich lyrics, incorporating more scripture and prayer, striving for more creative ways to engage the congregation, more resources and training for worship leaders, and many other valuable ideas. As excellent as those solutions may be, they are incomplete unless we also focus on that which happens outside of the worship event. This study examines the impact that discipleship has on participation and perceptions during congregational singing. Results indicate that those who have been discipled to actively participate in God’s mission of redemption in the world are less dependent on that which occurs inside the worship event to engage them in singing because of what they have experienced outside of the worship event—namely, God using them in his mission of redemption. Conversely, those who have not been discipled to actively participate in God’s mission of redemption in the world tend to be more dependent on that which occurs inside the worship event to engage them in singing. Clearly, discipling people to engage in God’s mission holds great possibilities for a renewal in worship and congregational singing.

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