Thousands of American churches closed their doors for the Lord’s Day during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, their female attendees returned post-COVID without their male counterparts. It seems, then, the men concluded gathering on Sunday wasn’t of interest to them anymore. Or even more plausible, the men were not interested in gathering on Sunday before the COVID waves hit shore and the closure presented ample opportunity to quit attendance.
Gathering with Christ’s body is a biblical command whether or not we feel the need to obey it. But the male dissidence presses a question: Why did they leave?
I’d like to posit the contemporary worship music so prevalent in American churches today does not fulfill its desired role as a general attractor, and, even, acts as a passive deterrent to men. We have access to the oldest and most glorious hymnal of all time—the Psalms—yet many churches across America are hesitant to utilize it. This shouldn’t be the case lest the church desires to further widen the gender gap in church attendance.
Before I’ve written on why the structure of contemporary worship is flawed, and how those flaws impact both the congregants and the actual worship team on stage. But it’s the music of contemporary worship that deters men specifically. While I believe these churches who hold a contemporary service don’t have ill motives, their error can’t be glossed over if they desire men to repopulate their buildings on The Lord’s Day. I say this with charity, but firmly.
Most contemporary tracks are monotonically sentimental and aim to rile the emotions in a manufactural way. Naturally, this bounces off men. Moreover, the pitch required to even participate in these songs filters men out because they do not reserve the appropriate vocal anatomy to even do so. Therein lies a significant barrier to entry, and it leaves many men to stand and watch while their spouse sways to the music. The male affections are laid inexpressible due to the quazi-emotional scene, but the man is asked to give his attention during the service despite this.
Corporate psalm singing amends these errors. When a congregation sings these scriptures all men are invited to integrate themselves. The errors of an unpracticed voice are masked among a sea of other voices, and simultaneously that same unpracticed voice contributes to a symphony. Masculine voices—however unpracticed they may be—are asked to join in despite their deep tone. The men are needed for bravato. Rather than feeling alienated the man is called to join in on something that is both like him and greater than him. The worship is like him because it includes other men who all have voices similar to his own. The worship is greater than him because it’s a people singing together, creating something more beautiful than they could solo. In losing his individual voice the man gains one of greater glory.
But this takes teamwork. When the psalms are sung, men are asked to work alongside their fellow man. Together they are working—working weekly—to achieve a tune. This cooperation appeals to the male urge to labor, achieve, and create with other men. This very same urge is what brings boys to play high-school sports—it is unique to man, ingrained in his very nature. Failing to speak this nature will result in disinterest.
Ironically this call to action is gentle in a way, and not so much of a yoke that it burdens or discourages. Men who have never sung the scriptures in their lives can fall behind experienced singers. In following experienced singers, the inexperienced can eventually learn to sing with the entirety of their voice. Not only do men desire to labor with other men, but they want to follow respectable leaders in that labor. Often, contemporary music leaves men with few (if any) other men to follow.
Lastly, the Psalms are diverse. And while singing them certainly brings one to pour their heart out, the psalms are much more than tender lyrics. These ancient hymns speak of God conquering his enemies, Christ as king, God’s burning righteousness, and David’s fighting spirit. Hatred of evil is mentioned regularly. Many psalms speak of arming oneself against the forces of evil for God’s glory, and other stanzas are imprecatory prayers. These holy lyrics excite the masculine affections of aggression and the desire to conquer. Contemporary tracks appeal mostly to sentiment and emotion. While there is nothing wrong with sentiment and emotion per se, men will become disinterested if those affections are the only ones appealed to.
Psalms singing integrates men in a way contemporary tracks simply cannot. Churches in this land ought to integrate and embrace the male nature on Sunday worship if they want their men to come back, and the best way to do that is by singing the songs God gave us: the Psalms.
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