Col. 3:16. Why we sing...

Having the amazing privilege of leading worship was such a blessing. When the singing begins, I’m beholding God’s people praise God. And it is unbelievable.

Some eyes are close and some are open.

Some hands are raised and some are not. But the posture of their bodies is not the point.

Some hands are raised and some are not. But the posture of their bodies is not the point.

We’re singing the sixteenth century words of “A Mighty Fortress,” and I notice brother Bob was weary of trying to find a good church, shake his fist singing with all his might of a “bulwark never failing.”

We’re singing the 18th century words of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessings” and I’m hearted by the older saint Regina who has persevered in the faith for decades, still singing “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O, take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above.”

I look out and see, as we’re singing the 19th century words of “It is well” Denise, battles for assurance of salvation, raising her voice to shout, “My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought: my sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

Leeman, J. (2014)hy We Sing. 9Marks Journal.

sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought: my sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

We’re singing the twenty-first century words of “In Christ Alone,” and I see the talented young mother Jennifer, exult in her ambition of raising Godly children: “In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.”

As I sit, look out, and behold, my own praises to God are strengthened by the stories and songs of others.

My faith is invigorated and enlarged by his work in them.

Can you see a picture of how our lives are woven together as we worship Christ.

Can you see how as our interwoven lives praise and exalt Christ with gospel-centered songs, how that would impact a non-believer that might attend our gatherings?

Churches sing because their new hearts can’t help but echo the Word which has given them life.

Whether those songs were written in the sixteenth century or today, they should echo Scripture.

If there is any place where God’s Word should literally reverberate, it should reverberate in the church’s songs.

Remember, Scripture alone gives life.

Therefore, a church’s songs should contain nothing more than the words, paraphrases, or ideas of Scripture.

And churches sing together because it helps us to see that our hearts’ praises, confessions, and resolutions are shared.

We’re not alone.

Singing in the church, I believe, is about listening as much as it’s about singing.

Let’s see what Paul commands us to do: — speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,

If I’m to speak to others in song, I’m to listen to others as well. In fact, I do sometimes stop singing just to listen and thank God for the voices around me!

“These brothers and sisters share my new heart, my new identity, my Lord and Savior, my comfort and support, my hope and ambition, my glory and joy. I’m with them, they’re with me, and we’re with Him.”

WHY WE SING

Believers sing in churches because Christ has commanded us to sing (; ).

And we’re commanded to sing, because God means for creatures created in his image to do as he does (e.g. ; ).

Yet let me unpack what I’ve said so far by articulating three reasons

for why I expect God would command His people to

speak to one another not just in non-rhythmic words, but in poetry and melody.

We Sing To Own and Affirm the Word

We Sing To Own and Affirm the Word

Singing is how the congregation owns and affirms the Word for itself.

In the Bible, singing is one God-ordained way for the members of a congregation to respond to God’s revelation.

It’s how they raise their hand and say, “Yes, I believe and affirm these truths with my whole person.”

For instance, the Psalmist tells God’s people to proclaim God’s Word to others:

— Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation from day to day.

Singing and proclaiming of His salvation means we’ve owned it as our message.

We Sing to Engage Our Emotions with God’s Word

Singing is how the congregation particularly engages its emotions and affections with God’s Word.

When we sing, it’s hard to remain emotionally disengaged.

Just as the sense of smell can evoke strong associations and memories,

so the sound of music both

evokes and provokes the heart’s joys, griefs, longings, hopes, and sorrows.

God gave us music wholly to excite and express God-ward affections.

The Psalmist seems to embody this idea when he writes, “My heart is moved by a noble theme...” ().

Singing, I’d say, is the medium by which God’s people grab hold of his Word and align their emotions and affections to God’s.

It’s not surprising therefore that Paul would command churches to teach and admonish one another through the Psalms.

In the Psalms there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.

How can Christians express grief in godly fashion?

Or sorrow, fear, and doubt?

By echoing the Psalms, like Jesus did again and again.

Consider the Psalm’s balance of confession, lamentation, exaltation, and thanksgiving, and

seek to mimic something similar in our own hymns and spiritual songs.

Do we know how to lament in our churches through music? Or confess?

I’m convinced, of our singing in church, and our ability to emotionally encounter God throughout the week.

A congregation which learns to sing in church with robust confession and contrite praise

better knows how to sing to God with their hearts at home,

whether they do it to melody or not.

We Sing To Demonstrate and Build Unity

Singing is one way of demonstrating and building corporate unity.

Once again, it’s not difficult to imagine how Israel used the Psalms to demonstrate and build the unity of their hearts with one another.

Some psalms make this explicit:

[Call] — Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.

[Response 1] Psalm 118:2 — Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.

[Response 1] — Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.

[Response 1] Psalm 118:2 — Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.

[Response 2] — Let the house of Aaron say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

[Response 2] — Let the house of Aaron say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

[Response 2] — Let the house of Aaron say, “His faithful love endures forever.”

[Response 3] — Let those who fear the Lord say, “His faithful love endures forever.” (; see also 124:1; 129:1; 136)

[Response 3] — Let those who fear the Lord say, “His faithful love endures forever.” (; see also 124:1; 129:1; 136)

The psalmist makes a declaration, and then he asks three groups of people to echo him:

the nation,

the priests,

and then all who fear God (including any foreigners and Gentiles in their midst?).

The words “his faithful love endures forever” is the source of unity, but

the poetry and—perhaps—music

encourages the people’s hearts to

embrace,

own, and

rejoice in this glorious truth.

The context of Paul’s command to sing is worth noticing as well:

— And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Notice the train of thought: We’re to let peace rule, since we’re called to one body.

We’re to be thankful. And we can do all this by singing Christ’s Word together.

Again, the Word is the source of unity; but the music gives expression to that unity.

No doubt, this point can be combined with the last one.

Singing God’s Word is how a congregation tunes its heart together across the whole range of biblically-driven affections.

What should be clear in all three reasons for why we sing is that

singing in church should be about the church singing— congregational singing.

And musical performances outside the gathered church are wonderful.

congregational singing. Perhaps choirs and soloists can be carefully used to call the church to respond, as in the Psalm above or as an exercise in “speaking to one another in song.” And musical performances outside the gathered church are wonderful. But God has given music to the gathered church so that the people together can own, affirm, rejoice in, and unite around God’s Word. Far better than the sweet harmonies of a few trained singers is the rough and hale sound of pardoned criminals, delighting with one voice in their Savior.

And musical performances outside the gathered church are wonderful.

But God has given music to the gathered church so that the people together can

own,

affirm,

rejoice in, and

unite around

God’s Word.

Far better than the sweet harmonies of a few trained singers is the

rough and robust and vigorous sound of pardoned criminals, delighting with one voice in their Savior.

The most beautiful instrument in any Christian service is the sound of the congregation singing.

Leeman, J. (2014). Why We Sing. 9Marks Journal.

Leeman, J. (2014). Why We Sing. 9Marks Journal.