After church yesterday Jay and I had a quick conversation about a song we’ve done a lot of at Sunset over the past 3 years. The response from the congregation yesterday felt less than was usual in the past, and the overall feel of the song over the past few times we had sung it was going that direction. This prompted me to ask whether or not we should give the song a long rest or as we’ll call a song “retirement.”
We’ve done it with other songs as well. Now and then a song loses the life it once had in a church because it has become too familiar or comfortable.
Usually when we make a decision to “retire” a song for a period of time it is because the song once brought people to life and had energy and has since seemed to lack all of that.
Just as there is a danger of doing too many new songs, there is also the danger of only doing what is familiar and comfortable. Both can suck the life out of the worship times for a community.
For you worship leaders: what songs have you recently had to retire for a while?
For you church attenders: what song does your church need to retire?
