Why 62.5% of Men Don’t Sing on Sunday
By Chris Denning
Yup, that’s right. 62.5%.
Ok. Maybe I made that up, but still, you get the point.
On the whole, a majority of guys don’t enjoy singing on Sunday. Trust me, I’d know, because I can see your faces each week from stage. #Busted
Now, if you don’t like to sing, don’t feel bad. I’m not into bashing people because they don’t like to sing at church. Mostly because I was one of you growing up. I didn’t start singing until later in high school and I used to think it was THE WORST.
The question still remains: Why? Why do a lot of guys not like to sing on Sundays? Here’s the Top 4 reasons guys don’t sing on Sundays:
1. They don’t like to sing . . . period.
Most men don’t really enjoy singing, especially in public. Maybe they enjoy singing the right song in the car by themselves, or maybe they can knock out a tune or two at karaoke, but singing around a bunch of other people isn’t the most relatable thing. This one makes sense to me, so one for the guys.
2. They don’t like to express themselves in that way.
Unless you’ve found yourself in a musical, most men don’t express themselves in song. Maybe Lin Manuel Miranda sings a song when he’s got something to say, but that’s definitely not what most guys do. Also, many of the songs we sing on Sunday express some pretty rich and deeply held beliefs, which can make one feel vulnerable when singing. That’s a good thing, but I can understand why some guys feel this way.
3. They don’t like the words.
This one is a song-by-song situation. There are some lines in songs that we sing that can make people uncomfortable with the intensity of emotion or faith that they convey. It could be that the line feels too flowery, or maybe that it expresses a belief/feeling that they don’t fully feel. I can respect this one, because I have felt a little phony before singing lines that I don’t fully believe in my heart. There’s something to be said about singing things in faith, but that’s for another post.
4. They don’t like the music.
Maybe they’re a country guy. Or a metal guy. Or an Eagles fan. Or . . . a million other things. I’ve been at concerts where the band isn’t quite my cup of tea, and even if they dropped into a cover of Purple Rain, I’m prob not gonna sing. (I mean, who am I kidding, OF COURSE I’m singing Purple Rain.) The music on Sunday might not be their favorite, which can lead to less singing.
These are all valid reasons but . . .
It doesn’t matter.
I really doesn’t. No matter their excuse for not singing, guys shouldn’t feel bad about not singing on Sunday. However, they SHOULD feel convicted about not engaging in worship.
Engaging doesn’t equal singing . . . necessarily. If singing isn’t your thing, guys, then pray the lyrics. Consider what the sentiment of the song is and try to meditate as the song plays. Find a way to engage your heart and mind with what is happening in the room.
You can be led in worship even if you don’t sing, but it’s up to you to allow yourself to be led. This weekend, I want to challenge you to take a step, however small that step is, to engage more in worship, in your own way. Consider what speaks most to you and make the choice to engage this Sunday.