Congregational Singing

Introduction

What do you think about our singing?

Is it good? Is it bad? Is it compelling? Is it dull?

How do you evaluate the musical or song portions of a Sunday service?

Do you measure it by instrumental or vocal talent? Do you measure it by your personal stylistic preferences? Or something else?

What if I told you that one of the main signs or indications of a church’s health is its singing?

In early 2019, I was a month or so into a 5-month pastoral internship at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. I was holding Malachi, and Cassie and Micah were standing beside me. It was a normal Sunday evening, and we were singing with the rest of the congregation (about 700-800 of us) during the evening prayer and praise gathering in a 100-year-old church-building on Capitol Hill.

I don’t remember the song, but I remember how glorious it sounded to hear everyone singing so strongly together. It wasn’t unusual for the church members to sing loudly, but that night I was gripped with a desire for FBC Diana to experience what we were experiencing right then… a gathering of saints, singing their hearts out to the Lord and to one another.

With tears in my eyes, I told Cassie that I wanted so badly for FBC Diana to have this.

I look back on that moment now and that desire as one of the factors that ultimately motivated me to want to come back to Diana when the internship was over… and I’m glad I did.

About a month or two ago, some of us here this morning were gathered in our own auditorium for a Sunday evening prayer and praise service. I don’t remember the song we were singing then either (I think it might have been “All I Have is Christ”), but I remember hearing what seemed like everyone singing so strongly together.

In fact, I’ve noticed that those Sunday evening prayer and praise gatherings are becoming more and more a time of strong singing.

On Sunday mornings I sit far off to the side, and we are more scattered about the room on Sunday mornings, but even then, I’m noticing a move toward louder and stronger singing during our times as a church together.

I believe this is a sign of increasing health among our church.

In our singing, we will inevitably show and vocalize what we really believe about God, about the gospel, about our own struggles with sin, about our hope in times of sorrow, and about our anticipation of the life to come.

Do you sing?

Why do you sing?

To or for whom do you sing?

What sorts of songs do you expect to sing… when we gather each Sunday?

These are the questions I plan to address this morning, and I pray that God will grant us insight as we consider this topic together.

Let’s turn to Colossians 3, and let’s read God’s word together.

Scripture Reading

Colossians 3:12–17 (ESV)

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

16 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.

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Main Point

Congregational singing is one of the main ways the word of God reverberates through the church in grateful praise, mutual edification, and evangelistic zeal.

Message Outline

1) Worship is bigger than singing

2) Why do we sing?

3) For whom do we sing?

4) What should we sing?

Message

1) Worship is Bigger Than Singing

Worship is an all-encompassing way of life, living in a posture of gratitude and glory.

v17 says, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [i.e., for the glory of Christ], giving thanks [i.e., gratitude] to God the Father through him.”

One theologian said, “Worship in the [Bible] is a comprehensive category describing the Christian’s total existence” (Peterson, 18).

And he went on, “The worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible” (Peterson, 20)… “through him [Christ]” (v17).

We worship communally (as a body, a society, a people) on Sundays throughout our entire gathering (more on this in #3 “For Whom do We Sing?”).

There is no such thing as the “worship time” or the “worship segment” of our Sunday gathering.

The congregation is intended to be actively participating in every aspect of the Sunday morning service (i.e., worshiping).

When we read Scripture together, we all should be actively listening to the words, meditating upon their meaning, and clinging to their trustworthiness.

When we pray together, we all should be joining our hearts in praise, in confessing sin, and in pleading for God’s help.

When we gather around the Scripture together, to hear the Bible explained and applied, we all should be actively aiming to understand the preacher’s exegesis (his interpretation of the passage), to follow his logical arrangement of the sermon, to consider his probing questions, and to eagerly embrace his application (in so far as he’s being faithful to Scripture).

When we express thanks for God’s provision and we aim to invest in those things that God values (even as we forgo spending our money on some of those things the world values), we all should contribute, not out of compulsion, but cheerfully and as we are able.

And all of these are features of our communal worship… our worship as a church, a body.

Congregational singing is one aspect of our communal worship.

Along with all those other elements which I’ve already mentioned, so too singing together is a way that we worship God as a body of believers.

When we sing together, we all should join our voices in musical worship…

But we do more than praise when we sing… so much more.

2) Why do We Sing?

We sing because we’ve been redeemed! …gospel…what does this mean?…and how have we been redeemed?

The church in Colossae was called “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (v12), and it was from this indicative that the imperatives come:

“Put on then… compassionate hearts, kindness, humility...” (v12).

We are compassionate, because God has first shown us compassion in Jesus Christ!

We are humbled, because God has told us the truth about ourselves and offered us salvation, not by making ourselves better, but by trusting in a Savior outside of ourselves!

And, “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive...” (v13).

We forgive, because we know what it feels like to be forgiven of so much!

And, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (v16).

We sing! We sing because our God has given us joy we couldn’t have known and words we couldn’t have invented, even if we’d had all the time and opportunity in the world.

The central theme of all our songs should be the grace of God in Christ, because the gospel is what renews our minds, invigorates our hearts, and looses our tongues to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).

We sing, “Come behold the wondrous mystery, Christ the Lord upon the tree; in the stead of ruined sinners, hangs the Lamb in victory… See the price of our redemption, see the Father’s plan unfold; bringing many sons to glory, grace unmeasured, love untold.”

We sing, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

We sing, “My sin, oh the bliss of the glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord, it is well with my soul!”

We sing because singing is one of the main ways the word of God reverberates through the church.

I want to zero in on v16… “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” (v16).

The “word of Christ” takes deep root in our souls when we “teach” (teach sound doctrine) and “admonish” (warn, rebuke, instruct) by “singing”!

In times of tragedy and loss, we must remember God’s sovereignty and goodness.

so we sing, “Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee...”

In times of prosperity and comfort, we must remember the fleeting nature of worldly treasures and the glories of the life to come.

so we sing, “My worth is not in what I own, not in the strength of flesh and bone, but in the costly wounds of love, at the cross… I rejoice in my Redeemer, greatest treasure, well-spring of my soul; I will trust in Him, no other; my soul is satisfied in Him alone.”

In times of persecution and affliction, we must remember the present victory of Christ.

so we sing, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing… And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God has willed His truth to triumph through us...”

In times of guilt and shame, we must remember the unfathomable depths of God’s love and mercy for sinners in Christ.

so we sing, “What love could remember no wrongs we have done? Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum; Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore, our sins they are many, His mercy is more!”

In times of self-assurance and self-righteousness, we must remember our utter helplessness apart from grace.

so we sing, “Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus; naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Summary of point 2:

We sing (1) because we’ve been redeemed, and (2) because we want the truths of God’s word reverberating throughout our church family… when we’re gathered and when we leave this place.

These songs and many others give words to our joy, and songs stick with us much longer than any spoken word.

3) For Whom do We Sing?

We sing to God, in response to what He has revealed about Himself.

We praise God for His attributes… His creative power, His gracious kindness, and His supreme wisdom and sovereignty.

We should sing songs like “All Praise to Him”

“All praise to Him, the God of light, who formed the mountains by His might; All praise to Him who names the stars that sing His fame in the skies afar… All praise to Him who humbly came to bear our sorrow, sin, and shame, who lived to die, who died to rise, the all-sufficient sacrifice...”

We thank God for His provision… His daily blessings, His incredible work of redemption, and His trustworthy hand which sustains His children through to the end.

We should sing songs like “All My Help Comes from the Lord”

“When I am weak, He gives me strength. When I am lonely, He comforts me. When I am tired of the load that I am bearing, He gives me courage... to bear my share… All my help comes from the Lord.”

We savor and enjoy God, even as we glorify Him… for who He is, for what He’s done, and for what He’s promised to do!

We should sing songs like “All Glory be to Christ”

“When on the day the great I Am, the faithful and the true, the Lamb who was for sinners slain is making all things new; Behold, our God shall live with us, and be our steadfast light, and we shall e’er His people be; all glory be to Christ! All glory be to Christ, our King! All glory be to Christ! His rule and reign we’ll ever sing, all glory be to Christ!”

We sing to one another, participating in mutual edification.

First, the words “edification” or “building up” are not mentioned explicitly in the letter to the church in Colossae, but that’s what this letter was all about.

Paul was writing to them and praying for them to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...” (Col. 1:10).

Second, “edification” or “building up” is part of the essence of every local church’s mission to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:18-20).

Church members are to “strive to excel in building up [or “edifying”] the church [i.e., the rest of the members]” (1 Cor. 14:12).

“When [Christians] come together [as a church]… Let all things be done for building up [or “edification”]” (1 Cor. 14:26).

The “ministry” for which “the saints” are “equipped” by the church’s elders/pastors is the ministry of “building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12).

Third, in Colossians 3, the concept of “edification” or “building up” is especially found in v16.

Speaking to the “one body” of believers, who were bound together in “love” and in the “peace of Christ” (v14-15), Paul said, “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” (v16).

This is what I was getting at earlier, when I was talking about the word of God reverberating throughout our church body through the songs we sing.

Brothers and sisters, our singing on Sunday mornings is not meant to be your private worship session with God… The church member next to you needs to hear you sing!

His/her soul will be challenged, corrected, comforted, strengthened, and instructed when he/she hears you sing the truths of Scripture out loud… regardless of how well (or not so well) you keep in tune.

This is especially helpful for our children, but that brings me to a third audience for our singing...

We sing to those who do not know and follow Christ, giving testimony of the truth and joy of our salvation.

Our kids

They aren’t able to follow along with a sermon yet, and they aren’t likely to understand much of any of the prayers, but they hear the songs, and they learn the words… and they hear how you sing (or don’t sing) them.

If your kids stand beside you on Sunday mornings, is your Christian conviction believable?

When your kids are grown, will they have Bible truth rattling around in their heads from the songs they heard you sing with joy and hope throughout their childhood years?

Our lost friends and family who come along with us on a Sunday

They see a lot of stuff happen on the stage (praying, preaching, and singing), but we all testify (audibly and visibly) when we sing.

Is the gospel true? Does Christ truly satisfy? Are we really resting all our hope in the promises of God’s word?

Does our singing show it?

Nominal Christians in attendance

Sometimes, people who’ve attended church sporadically over the years will experience some life-crisis (job loss, bad doctor’s report, family dysfunction), and they will drop in on a church service to see if Jesus can fix things for them.

When nominal Christians see and hear the whole congregation singing with fervor, they will feel a sense of the reality that they are not like these others… and they just might be fascinated and drawn in by their curiosity.

Summary of point 3:

We sing to God (praise), to one another (edification), and to those non-Christians among us (evangelism).

4) What Should We Sing?

We should sing songs that are regulated by Scripture.

Not all religious efforts are good or even acceptable.

One theologian pointed out, “The fact that some worship in the Old Testament was regarded as unacceptable to God (e.g. Gn. 4:3-7; Ex. 32; Is. 1), is a reminder that what is impressive or seems appropriate to us maybe offensive to him. When New Testament writers talk about acceptable worship, they similarly imply that there are [some] attitudes and activities [which] are definitely not pleasing to God (e.g. Rom. 12:1-2; 14:17-18; Heb. 12:28-29; 13:16)” (Peterson, 17).

Not sentimental, but true.

Not theologically vague, but precise.

One application point here is that a local church’s pastors/elders should take ultimate responsibility for the weekly song selection.

We’ve done this in various ways here over the last several years, but most recently the elders have begun curating our overall list of songs, and Russ and the rest of the praise team have been making the weekly selections from this list.

The specific method of choosing is far less important than ensuring that our songs contribute to (and do not detract from) the comprehensive word-ministry of the church.

We should sing songs that most of us can learn to sing.

A key that most of us can reach, with some practice.

Lyrics that most of us can understand, with some effort.

A style that basically fits our cultural context, with much charity and humility.

“For every song that resonates with you [in it’s musical style], there are probably church members who are laying down their preferences for your sake” (Merker, 145).

We should sing songs that represent a full range of Christian experiences.

Carl Trueman wrote an article some years back, called, “What Can Miserable Christians Sing?”

His point was that, from his perspective, many churches today seem to have bought into the American dream, expecting the Christian life to be a series of blessings and progress.

Of course, many of us wouldn’t say it quite like that, but if we only sing songs that speak of the joy and triumph of the Christian life, then we are at least implying that we expect prosperity and happiness.

But what do miserable Christians sing? What do lonely Christians sing? What to guilt-ridden or grief-stricken or doubting Christians sing?

The Psalms provide us with a biblical example of how God-fearing people can express a full range of emotions in prayer, and many of the Psalms were written as songs… We should learn from this, and our song list should include songs of lament, confession, and grief, as well as songs of glory, comfort, and hope.

In short, because we are a body of believers, who have been redeemed by the person and work of Christ… and because we are singing to praise God, to edify one another, and to testify to non-Christians… we should all participate as well as we may in congregational singing.

Leeman says, “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” (Leeman, “Why We Sing”).

May God grant us joy in our salvation

May God help us edify one another in many ways, singing being one of them.

And may our non-Christian children, friends, and family members who observe FBC Diana on a Sunday morning be convinced that we really do believe this stuff… because of the way we sing.

Bibliography

Leeman, Jonathan. “Why We Sing.” 9Marks Journal, no. May-June 2014. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.9marks.org/article/why-we-sing/.

Merker, Matthew. Corporate Worship: How the Church Gathers as God’s People. Building Healthy Churches. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021.

Peterson, David. Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Trueman, Carl. “What Can Miserable Christians Sing?” 9Marks (blog), March 25, 2019. https://www.9marks.org/article/what-can-miserable-christians-sing/.