We must restore the role of biblical femininity into the space of worship. The woman plays the role of sacred beautifier in history. The bride finishes what the groom begins. Adam was first, and Eve was second (I Cor. 11). The Ascension was first, and Pentecost was second. This chronology of creation is the starting point of any good anthropology. This is especially appropriate when it comes to worship.
When the woman sings, she glorifies what the man started. She enhances beauty. She cannot, therefore, be the initiator. This is why men must lead in worship as ministers or chief musicians and why women must follow as glorifiers and beautifiers of music.
This stated reality exemplifies why women are so easily enamored by harmonization and ornamental melodies. She adds the descant of the closing hymn, and she layers the music with happy complexities.
The voice of the Church’s music, however, must be dominantly male. The reason men are attracted to churches where male voices are dominant is that men were created to be starters, to offer the opening pitches, to make the first movements, and to utter the first poem (Gen. 2:23). Man leads the dance, and the woman follows.
The resounding voice is Christocentric, which means the prevailing sounds of a church singing are the sounds of a church leading into battle followed by a God/Man. In fact, the men lead with their voices as an act of protection for the women in the congregation. The men sing loudly to project to the enemies that we are doing warfare in the name of Yahweh God. The opponents of the holy Gospel should know that we are not interested in bargaining for a verse here or there, nor will we put the ones needing protection in front of the line.
Music is warfare, but if we change the order by giving the church a distinctly female voice, we reverse the chronology of creation. If we persist in putting the weak vessels (I Peter 3:7) meant for protection and honor in front, we are sending the message that the voice of Christ needs protection rather than the One who protects.
Therefore, it is even more crucial that men and women in the life of the Church pick up their hymnals and music sheets and proceed to train themselves to see music as their fundamental duty in initiating, beautifying, and glorifying the Church’s music.
