Singing

 “... come before his presence with singing.” - Psalm 100:2

I've noticed a sad trend in churches. It seems as though we are departing from congregational singing and focusing solely on choir, group and solo performances. I must confess that I love to hear a good quartet sing. There is nothing like a gifted choir when they sing a powerful song. But when we remove most, if not all, of the congregational singing, we are losing something vitally important.

Psalm 150:6 states: “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” Notice that this Scripture did not say, “Let every one that is musically gifted praise the Lord.” When we depart from congregational singing, we turn a worship service into a performance. While it is possible to worship by listening to music, I can't help but think that we are missing out on a special blessing when we fail to sing ourselves.

I must confess that I am not a great singer. I can't stand to hear myself singing! Yet there is something special that happens in me when I sing.

One aspect of singing that is rarely taught is the fact that our singing should not be restricted to Sunday mornings. In previous generations, it was common to hear a housewife singing hymns as she worked at home. You'd often hear a man whistling, humming or singing a Gospel tune as he plowed his field. I realize that times have changed, but this fact should not prevent us from lifting our voices to God in praise. Praise Him as you work. Sing to Him as you drive your car.

Whether it is at the church house or your house, I think we need to remember three things as we sing.

1. CONSIDER OUR AIM

First, we should consider our aim. Most of us are not talented enough to be professional musicians. That doesn't matter. Our aim is still the same. We should sing for glory of God. When I sing at church, I am not performing … I am praising God. Our aim, whether in singing or anything else, is to bring glory to God.

2. CONSIDER OUR ABSOLUTES

Secondly, we need to consider our absolutes. In other words, we should picky about the songs we sing. Sadly, some “Christian” songs are very light with the message. In fact, I've been an outspoken critic of “Christian” songs that omit the Name of the Lord. Instead, some of these songs could easily pass as romantic songs. I guess the song writer hopes for a “crossover hit.” My belief is that if we omit Jesus from our music, we've omitted too much. We need to have some convictions about the message we sing. Whether the songs are new or old, they need to have a Biblical message. While my musical preference is Southern Gospel convention music, I also love the old hymns. Many of these old songs are precious because they are basically theology put to music. We need more of that today.

3. CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

Finally, we need to consider our audience. Whether I am singing in my car or in a congregation at church, the audience is the same. I sing for an audience of One. I don't want to fall into a performance mindset about singing or anything else. I want the Lord to be praised in all things. Unlike us, He is more impressed with the heart of the person than the voice. Yet He enjoys to hear His people praise Him in song.

I will never win a Dove Award for any song I sing. You probably won't either. That doesn't matter. Rather than seeking the applause of men, we seek to please the One we love most. If He is pleased, it doesn't matter what others think.

Let's get back to singing good Christian songs. Sing in your car. Sing as you wash dishes. Sing as you mow grass. Participate in congregational singing at church.

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”