Why We Sing

We love to sing at Horizons. It’s part of who we are. It’s our culture as a church and it is not a mistake that we devote a good third of our weekend worship services to song. We come in, we sing. We sit down, we listen. We end the service, and, on occasion, we sing again. We are a people who were created with a strong desire to sing. God himself created the seven basic notes of music and created us with the distinct ability to mold and use those seven basic notes to be creative ourselves!

But why? Why do we do this? What does singing have to do with Christ’s church? We live in a culture that values music for the sake of entertainment. But I believe most would agree that it isn’t the most effective tool for personal growth on a practical level. Why, with all of the suffering around us, would God call us, his people, to gather and sing? Does it make sense?

Let’s explore this question. 

Truth and Gladness

Paul tells us that singing is a response to the truth of the gospel.

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).

The truth that God rules over our existence and our salvation is the solid foundation on which our faith stands. Without the truth, there is nothing. 

Desire

The unimaginable weight and irrefutable truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ compels us to sing. If we truly grasp the weight of what was done for us, the only response we can muster is to lift our unending praise to Jesus, and one of the ways that we are hardwired to do that is through song! 

What was the last incredible movie you saw? For me, it was The Greatest Showman. For a solid week after seeing the film, I absolutely could not enter a conversation without bringing it up at some point. After experiencing this film, I had an uncontrollable desire to share it and praise it.

Christian, your God is far greater than any created thing, movie or otherwise. Singing together of his perfect and precious name, with earnestness and sincerity, is at times the only appropriate response to the truth we have known and experienced together. We sing because it is what we do when we’re glad. It is one of our best ways to express joy. How often are you driving down the road on a sunny day with a smile on your face, singing obnoxiously to the radio? How often do you sing in the shower when the water’s warm and the day is looking good? We sing when we’re glad. It’s our hardwired nature. And we in the church sing because we feel the weightlessness of pure freedom in Christ and we give our praise (in response to truth) through our song (in response to joy). 

Love of the Fellowship

Coming together week after week to sing about the truth of Jesus is no accident. From the foundations of the early church, people have been singing together to remember who it is that they are worshipping. Our singing is a way to keep the “body” (meaning, us) of Christ alive! 

Paul tells us in Colossians to, “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit…” Singing, as Paul sees it, is an avenue for the church to keep the faith and rehearse the teachings of Jesus. All pure worship comes from a deep understanding of and love for who Jesus is, and what the Bible says about him. We teach one another and urge one another towards the truth through the songs we sing. 

In the same chapter that Paul tells the church to sing, he also tells them to love one another. “...put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body” (Colossians 3:14b - 15a). Part of the joy of singing is the fact that we are singing together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is together that we either thrive or die. It is the responsibility of each member of the body to make sure the truth of the gospel is flowing through the church. Through our singing, we help keep one another together in the faith, even when times are difficult. Singing about the truth of the gospel together is a way to love one another.

Why do we sing?

I submit to you that one of our best reasons to sing is because of the truth we know and feel. The gospel is no joke. Christ, our Savior, is fully risen, alive, and his Spirit is within us. So let’s do what we were all universally created to do, church. Together, let’s turn our joy into praise for God through our song.