I’ve been in church my whole life.  For the past three years I have traveled the country, finding myself in several different types of churches and along with that, been involved several different musical styles of worship.  But there’s still one thing that stands out to me every time it happens.

Now, I’m not sure if you are one of these people, and if you are I’m hoping that you can explain something to me.  If not, maybe you can see where I am coming from.  What I’m talking about is the congregational background singer.  You’ve hear of them?  Or maybe you’ve heard them?

I don’t know what goes on inside these people but they are the ones that are singing words that aren’t on the screen.  They aren’t what the worship leader is singing, but it sounds suspiciously like something you might hear a background vocal singer bust out on a Tomlin record.

Now this is beyond the occasional harmony.  This is the full on “singing other words that lead up to a chorus” or something like that.  Maybe singing the chorus while everyone else is singing the verse, or adding words to the end of a verse or something.  You know what I mean don’t you?  Now, I’m not saying that this person isn’t worshiping, and I’m not saying that everyone needs to sing the same exact thing and leave no room for God and all that.  I’m just simply asking is where does that come from?  

Now I might offend someone with this, but I personally can’t help but feel like a lot of that is simply to draw attention to ones self rather than join in with the congregational singing.  Am I wrong?  It just seems like there’s no reason for the added lyrics or the over singing that goes on most of the time.  

What do you think?   Do you know the folks?  Am I off here?