Reflection: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
If an alien were to visit our church and we were to ask him, ‘Why do we sing in church?’, he might observe, ‘You sing at the beginning so latecomers can find a seat. You sing before the sermon to stretch your legs. You sing at the end so people can go out and prepare morning tea.’ Of course, singing is far more important than that.
In Ephesians 5, Paul echoes what we saw yesterday, about why Christians sing. Interestingly, in Colossians, Paul wrote, ‘let the message (or word) of Christ dwell among you richly’ (3:16). Here he writes, ‘be filled with the Spirit’. Where the word is proclaimed, the Spirit is working. This filling expresses itself in singing. When we sing, we teach one another. It has a horizontal dimension. But we also ‘give thanks to God’ (5:20). Singing also has a vertical dimension.
Christians sing not just because we’re commanded to, but because God deserves all the praise for who he is and all he’s done for us. John Piper says, ‘Singing is the Christian’s way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.’
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, today we lift up our hearts and our voices to you in praise and thanks for all you’ve done for us in the Lord Jesus. You are our God, our Saviour, and our Shepherd and you deserve all the honour, and glory, now and always. Amen.