What is harder and certainly more fruitful is to lead them in loudly singing something like, “And on the cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied.” The point isn’t how loud we sing, but why we sing so loud. It’s not hard to get a crowd singing “oh oh oh” at the top of their lungs. As I lead a congregation, my hope is that they’ll be most excited about who God is and what he’s done for us in Christ. In fact, at times I’ve heard crowds at their loudest when they’re singing generic syllables. Single syllables are easy to learn and people tend to belt them out passionately. Being relevant is helpful until it undermines the message we’re seeking to communicate, which is that words matter because truth and doctrine matter (Rom. That’s a bad standard to use in determining what’s best for your congregation or the people you’re leading. There can be a sense that a song isn’t modern unless it includes generic syllables.
But when every third song we lead incorporates vocal sounds rather than words, we’re developing an unhealthy pattern and could possibly be teaching people that the feeling of singing is more fulfilling than the truths we express. If there was one song or even an occasional song that used “oh’s” as a filler, this would be a non-issue. Plus, instrumental interludes can provide space for people to think about what they’ve been singing, what some scholars think is meant by Selah in the Psalms. Our voices can be used to sing both “ohs” and lyrics that mean something. Is there a difference between say a guitar solo and a group of people singing “oh, oh, oh?” I think so. And to be clear, this post is about singing, not worshiping instrumentally, which I posted on here. It could be a moving experience and a beautiful sound, but everyone brings their own interpretation to it. 3:16, it’s clear to see why Christians don’t typically meet together to hum or sing “ahs” congregationally. When we’re simply making sounds the number of potential thoughts people are having increases exponentially. Music serves as an instrument to deepen the emotional impact of the lyrics and possibly even help us hear them in a different way. People may be experiencing different things internally, but at least a common vocabulary helps them combine truth with music. They are enabled to express thanks, lament, praise, and prayers together. When words are being sung, congregations have the opportunity to gather around the truth of the gospel and God’s Word. Beyond that, music helps combine doctrine and devotion, expresses our unity in the gospel, and is a foretaste of the songs around the throne. Singing enables the word of Christ to dwell richly in us and also provides a means of teaching and admonishing one another. 3:16 is the clearest direction God has given us for why we sing. Is this a good thing? Does it matter? Music and WordsĬol. Crowds are singing lengthy portions of songs using vowel sounds rather than actually singing words. My good friend Matt Boswell reminded me that Paul begins his doxology in Romans 11:33-36 with “Oh,” the depth of the riches… There are times when an emotional “oh!” is the most appropriate lead in to a life-transforming truth.īut something more has been happening. They also can carry meaning as they give expression to a burst of emotion that either respond or lead in to lyrics that actually say something.
And the Beatles did just fine with “ob-la-di, ob-la-da” and the epic ending to Hey Jude (Na Na Na Na na na Naaaaaaa).īut recently an increasing number of modern worship songs feature syllables like “oh, ooh, and whoa.” Generic syllables can be enjoyable to sing and can provide a musical segue that involves the congregation. We sing, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la” and don’t think twice about it.
I remember singing, “Lai lai lai lai lai, lai lai lai lai lai lai,” as the last verse of the song in the 70s that was called “Then shall the virgin break forth into dance.” I think it was supposed to be the dance section. I’ve been thinking about the use of generic syllables in congregational singing for a while now.