Men shout joyfully...

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. - Psalms 95:2

It's hard for me to explain to those not present among us the Scriptural zeal and spiritual power God has granted our male musicians as they lead our worship each week here at Clearnote Church. And no, our musical leadership is not exclusively male. Just overwhelmingly male. Which is as it ought to be.

Those who give over the leadership of the congregation's songs of Zion to women must be suffering a terrible poverty of men; or they're lacking the most basic understanding of the nature and meaning of godly leadership and their musical worship suffers for it. Don't ask them how, though: they've been acclimated and now consider it an asset.

But back to our Sons of Asaph: the fruit of their leadership among us is overwhelming and, today, it is one of the principal joys of my life as I serve in this wonderful calling of the pastorate.

Each week as I enter the pulpit to preach the Word of God... I sense the work of preparation has born its fruit and the congregation is waiting expectantly to hear the Word of God. Under the ministry of these Sons of Asaph, the congregation has been brought to the throne room of the Mighty God. And seeing His perfect holiness and glory and wisdom, we are on the edge of our seats waiting to hear Him speak—ready to repent and believe.

For many years I was grateful for the strong leadership of women choir directors, pianists, and organists, although occasionally we had to work to reform one or two whose leadership was defective, who followed rather than led congregational singing. But now I hardly remember such days! And when I have to return to such weakness of leadership in other churches, I grieve for their dearth of manly leadership. Yet this seems to be the state of leadership everywhere today, particularly in Reformed churches of a certain vaunted doctrinal scrupulosity.

I tell you truthfully, move strong and humble men into leading your congregational singing of the songs of Zion and see if man's leadership is not a tonic from God perfectly fit to put a godly thumb in the eye of our postmodern androgynous and passive idolatry. Give the men their heads--don't hold the reigns too tight. Yes, they'll make mistakes; but mistakes are what men are for and outlawing their mistakes kills their zeal.

If your musical worship is effeminate, do some legwork and see if the elders' wives are not in control?

Thank you, Lord, for the Sons of Asaph here at Clearnote. What a gift!