Encouraging Congregational Singing

OPC Ruling Elder Podcast

Jonathan Cruse talks about how Ruling Elders can foster and energize congregational singing.
Further Reading
Resources by Jonathan

• Jonathan Landry Cruse, What Happens When We Worship, Reformation Heritage Books, 2020.
• Jonathan Landry Cruse, “What Every Elder needs to Know About Congregational Singing” in Faithful and Fruitful, Essays for Elders and Deacons, Eds. William Boekestein and Steven Swets, Reformed Fellowship Inc. 2019.

Books mentioned in the podcast

• Jonty Rhodes, Reformed Worship (Blessings of the Faith), P&R Publishing, 2023.
• Ligon Duncan, Does God Care How We Worship? P&R Publishing, 2020.

Jonathan’s three recommendations for every Ruling Elder

1. Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture, Drawn with a Scripture Pencil, or, Some Characteristic Marks of a Man Who is Going to Heaven, Banner of Truth Trust.
2. David Dickson, The Elder and His Work.
3. The Westminster Directory for Public Worship (The Westminster Directory for Public Worship discussed by Sinclair B. Ferguson and Mark Dever is currently out of print.

Two examples of John Wesley's Directions for Singing.
IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your Heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.