MUSIC MATTERS
Music is a gift from God that connects the head and the heart. In worship, it helps us draw near to God with both truth and affection. Whether you’re a trained vocalist or a joyful “drone pipe,” we invite you to lift your voice and worship through song.
Each Sunday, we sing 3–4 hymns, Psalms, and spiritual songs from the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. On any given morning, we might sing a Psalm written 3,000 years ago alongside a hymn written in the last ten. We also close every service with a doxology, both to end in Trinitarian praise and to give even our youngest, pre-reading children a song they can learn and sing with us each week.
OUR COMMITMENTS TO WORSHIP MUSIC
With so many musical styles and instruments available, how do we decide what’s appropriate for corporate worship?
While we enjoy a wide range of music before and after the service, at events, and in everyday life, we use the following principles to guide the music we sing together in worship:
1) It must be true. Every lyric should faithfully reflect God’s Word. Worship music should reinforce truth, not dilute or distort it. Whether we sing, play, or listen, the content must be biblically sound.
2) It should be beautiful. God is beautiful, and His people are called to delight in beauty rightly. That doesn’t mean complicated or “fancy,” but music that is fitting, thoughtful, and crafted with care.
3) The words and sounds should fit together. The tone of the music should serve the meaning of the lyrics. Think of singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” on helium. It’s a silly example, but it makes the point: some songs lose their weight when the style doesn’t match the message.
We look for music where melody, tempo, and tone support the words we’re singing. That’s why we might say “Before the Throne of God Above” works well with guitar, while “Holy, Holy, Holy” gains strength from the majesty of an organ. It’s not always about right vs. wrong; it’s about good vs. better.
4) The lyrics should progress. Worship songs should take us somewhere. We want to sing songs that unfold meaning, stir the heart, and draw us deeper into the truth of the gospel. Some songs repeat a single point again and again. Others help us reflect, respond, and rejoice with greater depth. We aim for the latter.