Why Do God's People Sing?
Guest post by Chris Otterson
Many churches have devoted large portions of their corporate worship time to singing. They've invested thousands upon thousands on sound systems, microphones, projection, and instruments so that every week you can stand in a room with a bunch of people and sing songs together.
But why?
As a worship leader I have spent my whole adult life studying the craft of leading God’s people in song with pastors, professors, and other worship leaders. Our favorite topic is almost always "worship is more than music."
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. (Romans 12:1, Message)
So if worship encompasses everything from sleeping, eating, going to work, etc., why is singing in church such a big deal?
Here are 5 compelling reasons why congregational singing is not only permissible but vital to the life of the Church.
{1} Singing is SCRIPTURAL.
There are over 400 verses that refer to singing in worship in the Bible. And at least 50 of them are direct commands to sing to God in worship. Take Psalm 47 for example:
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with a jubilant cry.
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over the whole earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses for us our inheritance—
the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. Selah
5 God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, with the sound of trumpets.
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!
7 Sing a song of wisdom,
for God is King of the whole earth. (Psalm 47, CSB)
This is God’s word. He is literally telling us that we should express our worship to Him in song. The book of Psalms is packed full of prayers that were intended to be sung. But Psalms isn’t the only place where singing is used to bring glory to God. There are examples of singing all throughout scripture, but there is one verse in particular that I find especially compelling:
The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in his love.
He will delight in you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17, CSB)
God sings.
There’s some debate about whether this is a poetic metaphor. The great preacher Charles Surgeon was convinced that HE DID SING and I am inclined to agree. Can you imagine it? Yahweh, the creator of the universe, the One who made everything out of nothing, who hung the stars in the sky, the one who created the earth and everything living thing, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit breaking into song and singing over the redeemed.
{2} Singing is COMMUNAL
Congregational singing unites us in worship. Singing has always been something that communities have done together. It’s the reason why people love singing Christmas carols even as the religious foundations of Christmas become a distant memory to western culture.
Another great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once wrote this about singing in worship:
“Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak and pray the same word at the same time. In other words, because they can unite in the word.”
He goes on to say:
“It is the voice of the church that is heard in singing together. It is not you that sings it is the church that is singing and you as a member share in its song. Thus all singing together makes us see our little company as a member of the great Church on earth and heaven joining in God’s song.”
Singing words of truth has a formative effect on us, not just as individuals but as communities. Singing truth and scripture unites us and shapes us together.
{3} Singing helps us ABIDE IN GOD’S WORD
16 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. (Colossians 3:16, CSB)
One of the great commands of scripture is to “remember”, and one of the purposes of memorizing scripture is growth in godliness. The problem with rote memorization is that it doesn’t work for everyone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to memorize scripture, it just means some of us will learn God’s word better when it's set to a tune.
Have you ever heard an old song on the radio that you haven’t heard in years, and then find yourself singing along? Of course you have. There’s something about rhyme, rhythm, and pitch that that just sticks.
Its why children’s programming like Sesame Street and School House Rock are full of songs; its because singing aids memory.
Another aspect of using music to teach is that it also helps us process what we’re singing on a deeper level. It takes words of truth a