This traditional wedding adage for the bride is good advice for serving the bride of Christ musically each Sunday. While everyone has their favorite music, the bride of Christ represents a diversity of age, perspective, and preference. Every service has the potential of serving everyone while inevitably frustrating someone. If done well, each service will likely accomplish both.

1.     Something old

The bride wears an heirloom from the past to represent continuity with her heritage. This is done to show that she has a past with which she wants to remain connected. Musical choices in worship should reflect the rich heritage of the church’s musical worship past. Singing songs from the past demonstrates dependence upon the doctrine and practice of previous generations of worshipers.

2. Something new

The bride wears something new to show hope for the future. This demonstrates the newness of the marriage and anticipation for what is to come. Musical choices in worship should reflect this evidence of what is happening now in the church. Singing a “new song” demonstrates the relevance of Christ and his gospel to today’s generation of worshipers and hope for the future of the gospel’s work.

3. Something borrowed

The bride wears something borrowed typically from a happily married couple. This demonstrates the desire to honor the other couple by affirming the health of their marriage and seeking and hoping for a similar result in the new marriage. Music in worship should reflect this recognition of other groups who exemplify healthy, Christ-honoring music. Learning from others who worship well is a way the universal church can be edified by the example and practice of local churches.

4. Something blue

The bride wears something blue because the color “blue” represents love, purity, and fidelity. The implications here for both the bride and the church should be obvious. Whatever we sing should exemplify love for Christ, purity according to his word, and fidelity of the bride to Christ alone. Whether old, new, or borrowed, the ultimate test is the “blue” test. We cannot sing old songs just because they are “old.” Nor can we sing new songs just because they are “new.” And borrowing something that does not pass the “blue” test reveals a desire to emulate the wrong models. Whatever else they are, all of our songs should be blue.

This Sunday sing something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Someone will inevitably not be satisfied because it was not all “old” or all “new,” but if it is blue everyone will be served well and the bride of Christ will be encouraged to live like the true and faithful bride of Christ.