How does the sermon relate to the singing elements of the service? Here are a few thoughts:
Singing is not the warm-up. In some circles the singing elements of the service seem to function essentially as a warm-up before the main event, which is the preaching. While I don’t deny the centrality of the Word in the protestant faith, I don’t think the musical element of church life needs to be disparaged either. The Christian faith is a revelation based faith, and it is a singing faith. Churches do well to give their best musically, as well as in preaching, and in reality this requires different parts of the body to be functioning in their respective areas of gifting and passion.
Singing doesn’t have to just come first. In some settings it is traditional to have a period of singing, interspersed with prayer and sometimes notices (how to not overdo notices or kill the atmosphere is worthy of a blog in its own right!). This is then typically followed by the sermon at the end, perhaps with a song to finish. Some messages seem to set up the opportunity to respond in song, so sometimes it may be good to bring the message earlier and have musical response.
Singing isn’t always a good idea at the end. Sometimes the sermon ends, there’s a prayer, a sense of quiet, and then the leader flicks the switch and introduces a song. The closing song can be so powerful, or so counterproductive. If the song switches people out of Bible and faith mode into normal world again, then perhaps it would be better to omit it. The message of God’s Word, the stirring of faith, the gaze on Christ, etc., should all continue on into the week ahead, not stop abruptly with the singing of a closing song.
Tomorrow I’ll offer a few more thoughts on sermon and song . . .
Biblical Preaching 
Some additional thoughts . . . Praise IS the doorway to the service. A thoughtful praise set helps bring the congregation into a mood and focus on the Lord. Every congregation has certain songs with which they resonate. A set of all new songs, unfamiliar or difficult to sing, frustrates the congregation. As you would consider your audience for a sermon, likewise, you should consider the musical predispositions of the congregation.
Volume matters. An entire praise set which never varies in volume or intensity is pedestrian. A praise set which is ear splitting is overbearing. A thoughtful praise set elicits a range of emotional responses and, hopefully, ends with a piece aimed at the sermon topic.
Eclectic is smarter. Why is it that we must be ALL hymns or ALL contemporary as if there is no common thread of praise to the Lord? Eclectic mixes in praise bring the congregation together instead of segregating them demographically. We are blessed with a diversity of music traditions, why not mix them? Teaching the hymns to the young connects them to a vast body of astonishingly beautiful music. Teaching good contemporary praise to the old lets them appreciate the diversity of styles today.
Explain why we praise. Have you ever explained your praise set to the congregation? Do they understand the difference between the linear storytelling of hymns versus the circular theme emphasis of contemporary praise? Do you encourage understanding of the purpose of praise? Do you sometimes have the congregation read a hymn out loud, in lieu or singing it, to “get ” the message?
Last, let the Spirit move the praise. Break out of the rigid model of song-talk-song-song-talk-offering-song-goodbye. Let the Spirit surprise the congregation! Break into unexpected praise during the service . . .
Some may find this amusing . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzqaITA3IO0
“SUNDAY MORNING” !!! Hilarious satire on the formula contemporary praise set. Thanks for the URL.
A local church was reviewed here . . . and it began with this famous sentence: “I wonder how many people have been driven into the arms of Satan by this really awful music?”
I also wonder if there is a parallel version that skewers the amazingly dull manner in which hymns are sung?
With all the musical “genius” in American churches, how is it that we cannot find a synthesis of hymns and contemporary?
(Still LOL)
1. The Prayer Book service structure tends to deal with this well, though there is still the after-sermon hymn which can jar if not well-chosen.
2. Far worse, I think, than singing wrecking a sermon is the non-preaching minister who then decides that what he got out of the sermon someone else has just preached is what is important, and goes off into prayer or comment about the sermon. That really drives me mad! I know there have been several times when a congregation has been sitting and clearly deeply cogitating what they have heard when an insensitive minister who did not preach then destroys their thought process by introducing their ideas into the service.
Personally, when someone else preaches and I lead I always ask them to choose the hymn after the sermon, and I never add any personal comment or prayer other than the final blessing & dismissal (except on those occasions, rare, when the preacher has been utterly woeful)!
And in fact – if you have preached and then find the need to say more via ‘prayer’ or comment two things apply. 1. You didn’t prepare the sermon well enough (I put my hands up to that on occasion), and 2. Don’t do it – sit down and SHUT UP!