'These aren't like Daft Punk. We wanted ones like Daft Punk...' Image from here
Perhaps in the distant future, the distant future - but not now.
So we can't expect people to instantly shift into singing mode. If part of what music does is give articulation and expression to an emotional response to God, we probably need to pay closer attention to music as:
1. Emotional
and
2. Responsive
1. Music seeks to elicit and give expression to our whole-personed (including emotions) response to God as he is revealed in his word. But when I first walk into church, whatever emotions I am experiencing probably have more to do with the fight I just had in the car on the way to church, or my concern about whatever has been happening all week, than they have to do with what God has done for me in Christ. Either that, or I'm just in 'getting stuff done' mode - I have been rushing to get the kids in the car, get to church, find a park, etc. etc. I need a little time to unwind and refocus.
I think this is why singing a few songs in a row is a good idea - people are just like that. Music in church isn't the same as a gig, but people are people everywhere. And if you go to a gig, the band isn't expecting people to be going crazy and loving it during the first couple of songs. They take a few songs to warm people up. We should think about doing something similar. (You might like to check out this post on Sydney Anglicans to a similar effect)
2. Music is responsive. It's not just a way to get everyone to come and sit down because the service is starting now! It's how we corporately respond to what God tells us about what he has done for us. I reckon this means we need something to respond to before we can sing - we need a testimony of God's faithfulness: someone's personal testimony of God's grace to them during the week, a passage of Scripture, etc. Otherwise while we are singing I am just expected to kind of mentally recall all that stuff and respond to whatever I can dredge up - if I can even be bothered. In real life, I reckon what most often happens is I stand there singing the first song, thinking about something else. Give me something to respond to when I'm singing.
People aren't robots. We don't instantly shift mode. We need both motivation and time to switch into a mode where we will be able to sing in a whole-person kind of way to God and one another.
