Our Theology of Singing

-I thought it would be a good time to remind you about our theology of singing.  Singing has long been a part of Christian worship, and obviously most forms of worship, Christian or not.  The longest book of the Bible, the Book of Psalms, was the Hebrew hymnal.

  At one time, every psalm was set to music, and sung on various occasions.  People of faith sing.  Why?  Because it is reverent and holy.  When we gather for worship each Sunday, the congregation has 5 oppportunities to sing, the choir another two, and those opportunities exist so that God may be praised and worshipped as God has always been, through song.  When we sing in the context of worship, our audience is not the person next to us, nor the people around us, it is God.  We sing our songs to God. 

Sometimes we don't feel like singing, or we think our voices are bad so we don't do it, but these are unacceptable excuses, really.  God doesn't care if we sound like a Mary Poppins-era Julie Andrews or not.  God doesn't care if our voices are pretty, or on key, or in tune.  God doesn't care if they crack, creak or growl.  God doesn't care how we sing, merely that we sing.  So this Sunday the choir of 1PC will offer their praises to God through song, as it has always been done.  They will sing well, and they will be on key, and they will sound good even to human ears.  But for those of us who won't, those of us like me, who couldn't carry a tune if you put it in a bucket, we too would do well to remember that we are singing to God, and God is listening.  This Sunday, and all Sundays, let us praise God with song.  As it has always been. 

Prayer:  Holy God, help me to remember the purpose of my worship.  Remind me that you are always the audience for my songs of praise, and that you love to hear me sing.  I want to praise you and I want to love you.  Please help me.  I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

[Phillip Blackburn, First Presbyterian Church]