The importance of congregational singing

We have been preaching from the Psalms in church this summer. The psalms, of course, are a collection of songs. So, as I prepare for these sermons, I keep reminding myself that I am not just studying written text; I am studying lyrics that were intended to be sung. This has got me thinking about how important corporate singing is to the life of God’s people. Here are a few scattered thoughts about singing ...

Did you know that the first thing the Israelites did after escaping from Egypt was to dance and sing to the Lord? Imagine that; after four centuries of slavery, the first thing they wanted to do was sing! (See Exodus 15)

Did you know it was prophesied that the Messiah would sing God’s praise in a context of corporate worship? Heb. 2:12 says that this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus.

Did you know that one of the last things Jesus did before going to the cross was to sing a hymn? (See Matthew 26:30)

Did you know that, in spite of all his accomplishments as a political and military leader, what King David most wanted to be remembered for was the way he sang in worship? (See 2 Samuel 23:1)

Did you know that the Bible considers the desire to sing joyfully to the Lord to be evidence of righteousness in one’s life? (See Prov. 29:6)

Did you know that the New Testament commands Christians to sing hymns and praise songs? (See Eph. 5:19 and James 5:13)

Did you know that singing praise is one of the activities we will do in heaven? (See Rev. 15)

Did you know that our singing is so important to God that he dedicated a whole book of the Bible to songs. (Psalms)

What does all this add up to? It reminds me that our congregational singing is an essential part of our life together. It is not the just opening act before the sermon; it is a vital part of our praise. So, next time you are in church, sing out with all your heart! (Don’t worry too much about how good you sound. Just sing!)