Tag Archives: Singing

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July 18, 2012

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Worship

Why Sing the Bible?

This the second post on songs in worship. The first can be found here.

The major tool God has given us to cultivate music that honors him is the songs in the Bible, including the Psalms. The Lord saw fit to give us one hundred and fifty psalms along with numerous other songs in the Scriptures, such as Exodus 15, I Samuel 2, Isaiah 12, 26, Luke 1:46-55 and the songs in Revelation. The Lord did not intend for us to sing only these songs, but He did intend for us to learn these songs and use them as the foundation for newer hymns. Without making the songs of Scripture a priority, our worship is guaranteed to be impotent. It is odd that the evangelical church says they love the Bible, but most refuse to sing it.  One of great tragedies of the modern church is that she has left the Bible as the first source of her songs.

As we learn the songs of Scripture we will reap several benefits. First, we will sing things we have never sung before. There are not many contemporary songs that say things like, “You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.” (Psalm 3:7) Or, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.” (Psalm 72:8) Or, “They have shed the blood of saints and prophets and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” (Revelation 16:6). Often our language is influenced by movies, pop culture, or our friends. If we want our language to be shaped by Scripture then a good place to begin is the songs of Scripture.

Second, as we sing these songs we will be reminded that we have enemies and are engaged in a battle which only ends with Christ’s second coming. 137 out of 150 Psalms either explicitly or implicitly refer to enemies. Most of the songs in the New Testament have a similar theme. Look at Mary and Zacharias’ songs in Luke and the songs throughout Revelation. These are fight songs, songs of an army going out into the world to wage warfare and conquer for (and with) Christ.  Could it be that the Church is losing the battle because she does not even know she is in one? Singing Scripture will help rid us of this amnesia.

           Third, as we sing the songs of Zion we will find a great amount of variety. It is odd how many hymns and choruses sound the same both in tone and words. Scripture has similar themes, but these themes are expressed in an assortment of ways. There are short songs. (Psalm 117 and portions of Revelation) There are long songs. (Psalm 18 and 119)  There are songs of grief and pain. (Psalm 3 and 137) There are songs of great joy and gladness (Isaiah 26 and Mary’s Song in Luke 1) There are songs about God’s great majesty. (Exodus 15 and Psalm 111) There are songs about how men are supposed to live. (Psalm 1, 112, 128) There are songs with a repeating chorus. (Psalm 136) There are songs by Moses, Solomon, David, Hannah, Mary, Asaph, Isaiah, Zacharias and the angels.  We could go on and on. This means the songs in worship should have a variety of lengths, tones, and themes. Scriptures songs rightly done should never be boring.This does not mean they will all be fast or loud or that they will contemporary. It just means that there will be variety.

 

Fourth, the songs of the Bible give us words for all situations. And not just any words. We will have God’s word in our hearts and in our mouths. If we are sad let us sing Psalm 137. If we are joyful let us sing Psalm 150. If we are about to do our quiet times, let us sing a section of Psalm 119. If we are walking in nature let us sing Psalm 8 or 19. If we are considering Christ’s work on the cross let us sing Psalm 16 or 22. If we are rejoicing at the downfall of our enemies let us sing Exodus 15 or Psalm 7 or Revelation 11:17-18. If we have sinned let us sing Psalm 6 or 51. When we do this we are not just singing, but we are singing God’s Word. And His Word is sharper than any two edged sword, mighty to save, comforting for our souls, and strong to tear down the fortresses of Satan. 

Finally, as we sing the songs of Scripture we will find a truly majestic and holy God who is also our Father. One of the perpetual problems in the Christian faith, a problem expressed in our songs, is that Christians tend to see God as either very far off or very near. The first group views God as unknowable. He becomes so holy that we can barely know him. The second group makes God in our image. He becomes too knowable, like a buddy on our back porch. As we sing Scripture we find an excellent balance of both of these themes. First, God is certainly holy. Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4:8 have the angels singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” God is not our buddy who comes along to have chats with us as we meet with Him in prayer. He is a man of war. (Exodus 15) But God is also our Shepherd (Psalm 23), who remembers our frame, (Psalm 103:14) and is near to the broken hearted. (Psalm 34:18) As we learn the Psalms and other Scripture songs we get a balanced picture of God’s character, which will keep us from sinking into either error.
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July 17, 2012

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Worship

What Should Worship Songs Do?

            Singing is an essential part of the Christian faith. Song is not just in the Bible, but it is woven throughout the Scriptures. Adam greets his newly formed wife with poetry (Genesis 2:23-24) and the Scripture’s final book is filled with songs to the King of Kings (Revelation 4:8, 11, 5:9-10, 12, 13, 7:12, etc.). In between we have the songs of Moses (Exodus 15, Deuteronomy 32), Hannah’s Song (I Samuel 12), the Song of the Bow (II Samuel 1) the Psalms and Mary’s Song (Luke 1:46-55). Our Lord intended for singing to be part of our praise to Him and our sanctification of one another (Ephesians 5:18-20, Colossians 3:16-17). This is why at Christ Church we try to take our singing seriously.
            This is the first of several blog posts on songs in worship. In this one I will explain what role the songs play in worship. Throughout these posts,  I will focus mainly on the content of the songs and only slightly on the music itself. Perhaps in the future I will do a paper on what music is appropriate for church.
What Should Worship Songs Do?
Scripturally, there are three primary purposes for songs in worship.  First, songs are for praise.  We are the redeemed of the Lord. We are the ones who have been bought with the shed blood of Christ. Our lives should be characterized by praise and thanksgiving.  Here are some songs we sing that focus on praise: Psalm 45, Psalm 122, Psalm 148, Holy, Holy, Holy, and Christ the Lord is Risen Today.

Second, songs are for prayer and supplication.  Many songs are prayers set to music. We ask the Lord to help us, to remember us, to forgive us, and to deliver us.  In our songs we ask God to draw near to us and incline his ear to us. Many of the Psalms fit into this category, especially psalms of lament.  Here are some prayers we sing: Psalm 5, Psalm 6, Psalm 119, O God of Earth and Altar, and Be Thou My Vision.

Finally, songs are for teaching. The two reasons above are vertical. They are about our relationship to God. This third reason is horizontal. Songs are one of the ways we teach one another (Colossians 3:16). Of course, all songs teach us. But some songs are actually directed to one another. For example Psalm 1 is about the man who loves God’s law. It is not praise, nor prayer, but doctrine and teaching. In Psalm 100 we do not address God, but we address each other and indeed the whole earth, calling upon them to praise their Maker. Many of our Christmas songs are also directed to each other. (See, O Come All Ye Faithful and Good Christian Men Rejoice.)  Finally, we have songs like The Son of God Goes Forth to War and O Worship the King, which are more horizontal in nature.


Songs in worship have these three primary purposes, praise, prayer, and teaching. Next time you are in worship look at the songs we sing and ask which category they fall into. 
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April 6, 2012

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Worship

Learning to Sing

Last Sunday, based on Ephesians 5:18-20, I exhorted all of you to sing more. I encouraged you to sing with your whole heart to each other and to Christ. This can be rather awkward at first because we are not used to singing. Our culture is one that listens to a lot of songs, but does not sing much. We are those who watch, not those who participate. So how do you get started singing? Here are some suggestions:

1. Begin with worship. Worship is the easiest place to sing loud and with your whole being. There you have many other voices to help you, as well as the piano. You will probably know most of the songs we sing.  Use worship as fuel for the singing fires. Lift up your voices with joy and gladness in worship. You will find that if you throw yourself into singing in worship then you will start singing in other places as well.

2. At home, pick songs you know well and incorporate them into your daily routine. Our communion songs are a good place to start since we sing those for three months. First, pick a time to sing. Maybe it is dinner or family worship or your quiet time. Make it a habit to sing every day during that time. Then pick a song and sing it regularly. Find a regular time and regular song.  As you do this, you will become more comfortable singing.

3. When a song pops in your head sing it, unless it would be really awkward. For example, I often remember songs from worship as I work in the yard or do chores around the house. When I remember them I sing them out loud. Usually I know only one or two verses and am terribly off tune, but that is fine. The aim is to have singing a more regular part of your life. If singing is a sign of being filled with the Spirit, then when a song comes into my head I assume it is from Him and that He wants me to sing it.

4. When you gather with Christian friends sing a psalm or hymn.  It doesn’t have to be anything amazing. You may only know the first verse.  But sing anyway. Sing “A Mighty Fortress” or “Bless Now the Man Who Does Not Walk” or “Holy, Holy, Holy.” You don’t have to sing every time, but sing often with other Christians.  It reminds you of who you are and your unity together.

5. Encourage your children to sing loud.  Too often we tell our kids to quiet down because we think they are singing too loud and they are usually singing off tune. This is especially our tendency with boys. Obviously, we don’t want them screaming, but we do want them loud. Let the children loose so they can sing praises to their Savior.

6. Finally, the men at Christ Church should be known for their singing. It used to be that men sang everywhere. They sang work songs in the fields and bar songs in the tavern and love songs under the window of a woman. Men don’t sing anymore. Oh brothers, we need to find our tongues again. Men of Christ Church, sing loud. Sing with your whole heart. Forget your pride and how you look and how you sound. Raise your voices to God the King and to his Son who shed his blood for you.  Smash down the Devil with Psalms. Revive the downhearted with a hymn about Christ. There will be no true reformation in worship or the home without the men singing.