When do we sing the anthem?

[Christbearer]

Is anyone else having this problem? I took a position about 6 months ago, and did a horrible thing: I moved the anthem from it's 'sacred' place in the middle of the service & now we sing when they take up the offering. I keep getting this from a few 'established' members every so often:

"I hope so much we will start back having anthems every Sunday. I really miss that and feel that it is an important part of the worship service. I would prefer them NOT to be during the offertory because that is distracting. However, I will take them any way we can get them! Thanks for all you do for us."

We sing an anthem every week, a soloist, or a small group.

Any thoughts?

[travisvwright]

Do you stick with english speaking countries? I love the Russian Anthem but don't know the words.

I'm admitting my ignorance what do you mean by an anthem?

[Christbearer]

An anthem would be (basically) a special song, sung by the choir. In the past there was a place set apart during the service for it. I felt it brought the flow of worship to a screeching halt, and felt it would be best at the offering.

[psalmsandhymns]

Seeing as we're in the real world and my initial advice of "kill it altogether" will probably cause more problems that you want to deal with, I'd say you're doing the right thing by moving it around. But I would go even further.

If you celebrate Communion regularly, why not use an anthem during communion one week? Or begin the service with it. Or have a choral benediction.

Full disclosure: Weekly "Special Music" is the bane of my existence. It takes far too much time out of my schedule. I wish I could get rid of it.

[travisvwright]

I also dislike the though of a congregation sitting back watching a show. Or only slightly better sitting back and watching others worship.

I know there is precedent when people are worshipping God and someone (guitarist, choir, whoever) steps in between them, that God has them eaten alive by worms. So I just stay away from that sort of thing.

[russhutto]

I like the idea of starting or ending the service with them. That way they're more of an introductory or send off element of the service and not something in the middle.

[mikeymo1741]

We do it, but quite sparingly. Major holidays and special events only.

I also dislike the though of a congregation sitting back watching a show. Or only slightly better sitting back and watching others worship.

I do have to say that when our choir sings there is plenty of participation.

[TruePraise]

do you mean like special music when the offering is collected?

[Robinskeys]

For our "traditional" service (don't get me started)... we do the anthem after the offering and before the sermon.
And there's ALWAYS drama surrounding the traditional service music. It's pathetic at best.

Whether or not there should even be an anthem and collecting the offering in plates where everyone is looking around during more music... lets just say I'm not up for picking that battle quite yet!

[Mortis_Alaska]

we don't use offering plates or anthems.... but I've been there in the past. I hated them in the middle if they weren't integrated into the theme or flow, so I moved them around a lot. We are, collectively, so sick with wanting what we want with no consideration for whether it actually means anything. Our peoples need help and that takes time.