On announcing hymns

Sometimes I do my best writing in casual responses to questions, usually via email. Below is a portion, pasted nearly verbatim, from my original response to a question regarding To Announce or Not To Announce Hymns. Of course, that is not an issue in many denominations. This one is Presbyterian:

“I think we might try to define the duty of the hymn announcement. Is it to make sure everyone has the right hymn number and the right stanzas? Is it to make the transition from what has come to what follows? Is it a necessary link between speaking and singing? Is it a necessary link between silence and sound? Is it just an encouragement to sing? I like your word “calling” the people to sing, rather than, say, “instructing” them.

“Perhaps the announcement of the hymn itself is not as important as providing a link between what has come and what will follow. Something like, “Let us stand and sing to God,” might serve the purpose well enough, without announcing the more mundane information such as hymn number or omitted stanzas, which can be found in the bulletin. We could even use different approaches within a single service: Hymns at the more powerful moments might launch better with no announcement, such as the opening hymn or the Doxology (never announced, anyway). Other hymns that serve as a transition themselves (such as after the Children’s Sermon or after the Sermon) might be well served by an announcement. If the opening hymn follows an informal Welcome rather than a more formal Call to Worship, it might need an announcement just to avoid confusion among those who are waiting for a Call to Worship. If the Sermon ends with a prayer, then that prayer might be transition enough.

“With rare exception, I use a moment of silence to let something ‘settle’ before moving on, such as moving from a prayer into a hymn or moving from Moment for Mission into a hymn. I ALWAYS let the Offertory settle for a moment, just so there’s no question to anyone that the Doxology is, in fact, gearing up. I allow much less silence to move from the Call to Worship into a hymn. It depends on the context of the moment, and I think that the context would allow mixing and matching hymn announcements within a single service without being confusing.

“The strongest opinion I have lies in maintaining 1) a routine and 2) a high liturgical IQ among the congregation. I want them to be in the habit of checking their bulletin for service information without waiting to be told, just as we all want them to refer to the inserts and the church newsletter to make note of their duties and opportunities without having them pointed out. If there is no hymn announcement, I always provide enough introduction of the hymn so that everyone has time to find it, stand, and get ready. I’m confident in my ability to provide them enough time to prepare in body. If we feel that some sort of announcement would further prepare them in mind and spirit, I have no problem with it.”

Only someone like me would give something like this so much thought, huh! Nevertheless, it can be a recurring, awkward moment week after week that we’re too used to to do anything about. But as my flight instructor used to say, “Take care of [whatever] now, before it turns into a problem.”