One morning during corporate worship, I leaned toward one of the little girls in our church, Summer, who was trying to read the lyrics and sing along, and asked her, “Do you like church?” She replied, “Not really, but I like the singing.” I appreciated her honesty!
A lot of Christians may agree with her. They really enjoy musical worship but do not care much for the other aspects of the gathering. On the other hand, a lot of Christians do not care for singing and would prefer not to have to do it. I recall talking to a friend about a church he was attending, and he told me, “Yeah, I don’t like the music at all, but I enjoy the preaching. That’s why I like to arrive 10 to 15 minutes late.” I tried to persuade him to rethink this practice.
In a sense, our culture does not help us with our singing in the gathering because we live in a world of concerts, where we go to watch a performance and enjoy the atmosphere but are not in any way central or essential to what is going on.
What are we to make of all these ideas? Why do we sing together, and does it really matter? A brief survey of Scripture reveals a number of reasons why, and how, Christians sing.
Two reasons why singing matters when we gather: first, we’re commanded to sing; second, we’ll enjoy the Lord as we do so.
The Bible is filled with commands to praise the Lord. You only need to open the Psalms and read them! The Psalms have been called the “hymn book of the Bible” or the “prayer book of the Bible,” and they provide us with a rich source of praise, prayer and lament in worship. Over and over, we are told to praise God (for example, Psalms 146 – 150).
The psalmists tell us that it is good and fitting to sing to God (see Psalm 92:1; 147:1). And in commanding us to praise him, as C.S. Lewis pointed out in Reflections on the Psalms, God is also inviting us to enjoy him. Here, then, are our first two reasons why singing matters when we gather: first, we’re commanded to sing; second, we’ll enjoy the Lord as we do so.
Two particular texts on singing in the New Testament really stand out. Both highlight not only the admonition to sing but also emphasize how our singing instructs and encourages other believers:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 5:18-20)
Spirit-filled, word-saturated believers are called on to sing a variety of songs, to the Lord and to one another.
So the third reason to sing is this: our singing can contribute to the encouragement and well-being of others. As a new Christian I never really thought about how my singing could encourage someone else, but that is what Paul says it does. In our time, it has been very common to have this “me and Jesus” feel in worship services. The lights over the congregation are down, the lights on the stage up, and no one can see anyone in the room. But that is not what Paul is thinking of and exhorting us to do. It seems best for lights to be up so that you can see your Bible and so that you can see your fellow church members as you sing with and to them, for the purpose of encouraging them.
Spirit-filled, word-saturated believers are called on to sing a variety of songs, to the Lord and to one another.
You may be thinking, “Yeah, but I’m not a singer.” I can identify with that problem! Thankfully we can “make melody to the Lord in our hearts” (Ephesians 5:19). God hears what no one else hears, and a believer who pours out his or her heart in praise glorifies God. Singing is more about our hearts than our voices. And our singing—whether or not we are in tune—can strengthen a weaker brother or sister who is struggling. The voice of God’s people has a powerful way of encouraging others.
Singing, then, is for every believer, not just for those with good voices or who are trained musicians (as thankful as we are for such individuals!). It’s a gift to our own hearts, and it’s our gift to others in the gathering. Our aim should not be to produce a concert but rather a group of family members singing cherished songs with their arms around each other, or the feel of old friends at the pub singing local songs that they grew up with, or Boston Red Sox fans every eighth inning or England soccer fans before and after a game singing “Sweet Caroline” at the top of their lungs.
Singing is more about our hearts than our voices. And our singing—whether or not we are in tune—can strengthen a weaker brother or sister who is struggling.
We do not gather to watch the gifted, but we gather to participate as members of the body. As our worship pastor often says, “The most important sound in corporate worship is the congregation.”
This article is a short extract from Gather by Tony Merida. What makes gathering as the church special? How does this influence the way we approach church life? Read the book to learn more, and use the free small group kit to dig deeper into this topic with your church.
Tony Merida is Pastor for Preaching and Vision of Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, NC and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of a number of books, including Love Your Church, Ruth For You, The Christ-Centered Expositor, and Ordinary. He and his wife, Kimberly, have five adopted children.
