Singing the Gospel
Bibianna reflects on how Christians have been made to sing, and have reason to sing, not only individually, but together in community.
COVID disrupted our lives in many ways. There were many small things that we took for granted, that we suddenly were not able to do with ease. Things like meeting and socialising had to be regulated for a period of time. Even singing in public was not allowed. For two years, our services were muted, as congregational singing was also controlled. It is with great joy and thankfulness that we were recently allowed to resume congregational singing in worship!
But beyond just routine and tradition, singing is an important part of the Christian's life. For a start, singing is a part of the human experience. Numerous scientific studies attest to the physiological and psychological benefits of singing. Singing has been shown to relieve muscle tension and improve breathing. It improves our mood by releasing chemicals such as endorphins, dopamine and seratonin.
These benefits are not entirely surprising for the Christian! We were made to sing. Genesis opens with poetry and song, when Adam sees Eve that God had made (Gen 2:23). The book of Psalms is an entire book devoted to singing. In the psalter, are songs of different kinds — lament, praise, prayer, imprecation. Jesus too, sang, before he went to the cross (Matt 26:30). And Revelation is also filled with praise and singing, such as in Revelation 5:9-10.
But not only were we made to sing, we also have a reason to sing. These few weeks, we’ve been making our way through Galatians. We’ve been hearing again and again how wonderful this gospel is and how important that we do not turn away from it. The gospel also frees. This is reason for us to sing! In writing his epistle to the Philippian church, Paul breaks out in song when writing about Christ in Philippians 2. Speaking of the work of Christ and meditating on it, led him to respond in this way. This gospel causes us to sing,
"Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more"
And,
"Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die"
Even in death too, the hymn writer goes on to conclude, we will sing,
"When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save"
What is your story of grace? Praise God for what He has done for you, delivering you from the domain of darkness and transferring you to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:13-14).
And now, we don’t just sing alone, but we have a reason to sing with others. The psalter was a congregational songbook! The New Testament also has numerous mentions of singing together. Ephesians 5:19-20 calls us to sing to and with each other -- "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". This is why we love to sing at GBC, and love for the congregation to sing!
As Pastor Eugene reminded us recently, singing together also reminds us that we display the transforming power of the gospel when we come together. He pointed to the value of singing in parts to one song, and how the harmonies blend to form a richer melody. And we have a timely picture of what this can look like at our Reformation Concert, which will be held tomorrow.
Participating in the Reformation Concert has also taught me this valuable lesson. Over the past two months, young and old, men and women, those of different vocal qualities, different musicians came together to rehearse and prepare. It was heartening for me to see church members bring their children and leave them in the care of other folks who came by to help babysit. It was encouraging to have people pitch in to help in whatever ways they could -- to set up, to help those less mobile to walk around etc. Those with more music training helped those who were musically challenged figure out their notes.
Lord willing, we'll hold our fourth Reformation Concert tomorrow. As we gather to sing, and perhaps, you’ll be in the audience, participate and sing along. Cherish this privilege of singing, not just in isolation, but together with God's people! As our choir and orchestra lead us in singing, look beyond their musical quality to see the God whom we’re singing about. Each individual testifies to how God’s gospel transforms, and how He is at work to build His church.
We were made to sing and God has given us a reason to sing together with His people. If you are shy, don't be! Sing heartily unto the Lord, to testify to His wondrous grace. If you've been singing, occasionally pause and listen to the wonderful sound of God's people singing. This is but a shadow of what is to come, and one day we will sing perfectly, unencumbered by sin and sorrow.