by Tim Edmond
During each Sunday service, the body of Christ participates in one of the most formational tasks that we can do together, and that is the congregational singing of songs to our Lord. Every so often, you may hear the statement, “I would be fine to just hear the preaching and go home.” While this may come across as a noble and pious statement, please allow me to express a few reasons why congregational singing is important, even necessary, nay, REQUIRED for the body of Christ in our time of gathering.
The first reason that congregational singing is important and required for the local gathering of believers is because we are commanded to do so. Ephesians 5:19 sees Paul’s command to the church to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” We even see the command to sing in Psalm 96:1-4:
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
He is to be feared above all gods.
All throughout Scripture, we see the command to sing—a command that we cannot deny. The one instrument that God has created that has no mechanical equal is the human voice. What more reason to sing do we need other than the command from our Creator and the desire to present to Him the fruit of our lips.
The second reason for congregational singing is that we teach each other theological truths through the songs that we sing. Look at the instruction from Paul in Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Paul sees the importance of using song to teach each other. Consider the following words:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
We are teaching each other what we believe about the Trinity. Another example would be the words found in this song, “That on the Cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” Singing those words to each other teaches what we believe about the atonement.
The third reason for congregational singing is that not only are we teaching each other theological truths, but we are also presenting an example to those who are not part of the body of Christ. While this is not the primary reason for singing and gathering, it is an important reason to consider. Pastor Rick Thompson put it best when he said, “When I teach a theological truth, they may hear it and get it, but if I can get them to sing it, then it is more likely to become ingrained.”
Hopefully these three reasons will give you all the excitement and expectation to continue to sing out with joy to the Lord. We want to be involved in the congregational singing together knowing that we are commanded to sing, to teach each other through songs and to present an example to those who are outside the body of Christ. So, sing out with all that is in you. Cherish the time together lifting your voice with others sharing the same beliefs about our amazing God.
Author Bio
Tim serves as the Worship Director at Council Road Baptist Church. Previously he served as Worship Minister at several Baptist churches throughout the North Texas area. A graduate of Texas Baptist College at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the area of Vocal Performance, Tim desires to help the local church bridge the gap between artistic performance and church ministry with excellence and solid theological foundation.
