An emailer wrote:

I noticed in your video clip titled "good congregational singing" that there was a song leader, song books, and that
someone started with a short do,me,so,do solo before the congregation sang, also during the singing there were
times when women only sang and there were times when men sang only.. how is this "congregional" when not all are
singing all the time??... then I noticed at the conclusion of your video clip there was a quartet singing while other
members of the congregation were visiting/listening/being entertained etc.  Just curious where the Bible instructs
these items take place?? Please do not post my name or e-mail address just respond back to me with specific book
chapter and verse instructions authorizing the above.

IN REPLY:

I appreciate your desire to follow so closely to the scriptures, as this is a desire that I and my fellow brethren at
Garrett's Creek share.  I will attempt to answer your questions in the order they were asked.  If I miss anything,
please let me know.

I will lump together the book, chapter and verse for the use of a songleader, songbooks, and pitching the song (do,
me ,so).  Here it is:  

Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord,          

And here:

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.          

Now, you are probably thinking that I am just a little off at this point, because those verses mention none of the
things that you asked me about.  Please stick with me for just a little longer.  We have a command in these verses to
do a certain thing,  that is to sing and make melody in our hearts.  Now in this command, there are certain things
that we can infer.  To help make clear what I mean by this, I want to use another verse here as an example:

1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches
of Galatia, so you must do also:   2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside,
storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.          

Now in following the command in these verses, we infer certain things and understand that there are some things we
can use in order to carry out this command without violating the scriptures.  For instance, the use of a treasury, or at
least a common place where these offerings will be collected on the first day of the week is a necessity that can be
justly inferred by this command.  We have the liberty to use a basket or box or bag, etc for the collection of these
offerings.  We must infer that someone must be in charge of collecting these offerings into a common place and
keeping track of such funds.  These are necessary and expedient to carrying out Paul's command.  Now it would not
be necessary and expedient to take up a collection, say EVERY night or only on certain sundays, because this
would violate the command to do this 'On the first day of the week'.  It would also be a violation of this command to
collect funds in any other way than the freely given contribution from the saints on the first day of the week... this
would exclude making money via bake sales, church bazaars, apple butter sales, quilt raffles, compulsory tithing
determined by W-2s (and yes, some churches actually do this) etc.  because these are not a necessity or a help in
carrying out the command.

I say all that to say this.  In the command to sing, there are certain things we can infer as necessary.  In order for us
to sing together, we must all start at the same time, stay together, and all be singing the same song.  In order to do
this, a songleader and a  songbook of some sort is necessary in order to also follow the command of 1 Corinthians
14:40 to let all things be done decently and in order.  Paul also looks at a cymbal or a trumpet that makes an
uncertain sound as being wholly unprofitable.  (1 Cor. 13:1, 14:8)  Any group of people attempting to sing together
must start on the same (or in the ballpark anyway :) pitch, otherwise, I would say they wouldn't sound much better
than clanging brass, or an uncertainly sounded trumpet.  Therefore, pitching a song, is also necessary and
expedient for a congregation to sing together.  Some things that are NOT necessary, would be a piano... while you
could argue that a piano will keep everyone on the same pitch, this can also be done by a songleader, and a piano
most definitely cannot, “sing with understanding” so this would fall outside of the command to sing.  I have spent a
lot of time trying to explain this, and hopefully I have managed to relate the idea that I wanted to get across... if not,
please let me know, and I will stive to find a better way to explain my meaning.

You also mentioned that there were times when only the women sang and times when only the men sang... In this
particular clip, that is incorrect.  It is true that at some points in this song, the men and women sing different parts at
the same time.  There are some songs that we sing that do have times where men only or women only sing.  This is
still congregational, as far as my sense of the meaning goes.  It is congregational in as much as it is not a solo
performance, and it is not being sung by a choir, a quartet, etc.  All in the congregation are contributing to the
singing of the song.  I will use the example of communion.  In participating in the Lord's supper, all participate as a
congregation, but not all are actually eating/drinking at exactly the same moment... this is still a congregational
participation.

You then state:   I noticed at the conclusion of your video clip there was a quartet singing while other members of
the congregation were visiting/listening/being entertained etc.

This is true, and if this was happening as part of a church service, it would most definitely be unscriptural.  However
this took place after the assembly had been dismissed and not as part of any services of the church.  (this is
explained in the caption under the video found on THIS page of our website.)

We often do things today as a church that were not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament.  One glaring example
of this is the very fact that you ask for 'book, chapter, and verse” for authority regarding these practices.  I often ask
for the same, yet we never see anyone in the early church asking for such, because the Bible didn't exist then!  Yet
we can both see that using a written copy of God's word divided into books, chapters, and verses is necessary and
expedient to teaching, sharing, and studying God's will.

I hope this helps, please contact us again at anytime!

Justin Murdock, for thegospelfortoday.com and the Garrett's Creek Church of Christ