A Defense for Vocal Assemblies: Beyond the “Amen” Bass

I grew up in a pretty big church (500ish).  Two or three times per sermon, someone (always male, usually over 50) would give a powerful, bass tone “A-men!”  I used to think you had to be a bass to get away with it.  I still think it helps.

The church experiences I’ve had are sit-and-listen services.  If you’re not singing with the congregation, or standing in front of a microphone, you keep quiet.

I think that’s pretty stupid.

I think we can do better in creating opportunities for more people to share in the assembly.  I don’t think we need to be nearly as quiet as our moms’ pinchers taught us.  I’m not advocating interrupting the preacher (though I’ve sat through sermons that should have been interrupted).  Asking for personal insights, reflections, verses, or songs is a possibility.  Have you seen similar opportunities that function well?

The question, perhaps, is doing it well with clear intent, communication and order.  I’ve seen roving mics passed around with fairly decent results.  I’ve seen mics set up in aisles that people then queue up behind.  But I bet in a lot of places, you don’t need mics.  Probably wouldn’t where I go to church.

But without getting too fancy, can we start by letting the tenors say “A-men,” too?  Not to mention the altos and sopranos.