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why we sing….
this post could very quickly become irritating for many—so beware.
i’ve long wondered and wrestled with this question relating to worship: “why do we sing?” as i stood with a congregation in “worship” on sunday morning i looked around and was at a complete loss for what the point/purpose of this was. why singing? and why is this the only way we can worship corporately?
john smulo asked a question similar to this one yesterday—as well as a slew of others—and it continues to nag at me as i try and develop some sort of “theology of worship” especially as it relates to singing.
now before you try and answer the question, i’m looking for the “why?” i really want to know the point of it and what it accomplishes rather than just the same ol’ explanations. so, can you help me wade through the purpose of singing?
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25 Responses to “why we sing….”
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Singing allows us to actively participate in worship, quickening the response to our heart. Talking would do the same thing, perhaps even standing, but singing is fun. Created by God, for the purposes of God. And it works, that’s why. It is definitely not the only way we can worship corporately.
Outstanding question. Singing is biblical, historical, and heavenly–but still the question of “why” is a good one. I don’t know other than to link it to the value of the Psalms. Some truths are so devestating, beautiful and inexpressible that the only way we have of communicating them is through poetry and song. God has just constructed our souls in such a way as to need and appreciate this outlet. I would also say that on a practical level hymnody functions in the same way as stained-glass and icons. They promote memory, shared-language, and participation in the gospel among the laity in ways that a propositional sermon could never accomplish. Not sure that this is a thorough answer, but it’s the best I got for now.
I participate in worship through technical support of those who play and those who participate in singing. Until I screwed up my voice (years of radio work and loud public speaking), I had a great singing voice, which now is atrocious.
But I don’t really know why we sing. It doesn’t make much sense to me from a God-perspective, at least not a Christian one. From a Jewish perspective I understand the need for corporate actions, but I don’t really see it from a Christian perspective (mind you that the Epistiles and other post-Resurrection books don’t pertain to the preterist perspective I hold). I think it’s great for people to get together, but Eric’s thinking (to me!) is flawed.
God created sex for the purposes of God, right? So why isn’t FFing (Flirty Fishing) good? Shouldn’t we all have orgies for Christ? God created strength for the purposes of God, right? Maybe we should all arm-wrestle to praise Him and what He created for us.
True worship under Jesus’ terms is to embody God here on Earth by being good stewards, peaceful to all, and loving others beyond your own needs. THAT is worshiping in the Kingdom, in my opinion. When you support mass murder of foreigners and then turn to worship the Lord, what do you think that tells others?
I worship God most through using these hands, this mind, and this heart that He created me with — and then left alone to provide me with the free will that Christ allows us to live with (whereas God the Father did not).
It is a good question, Aaron. But, I think we can easily take over analyzing it too far.
Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Isn’t it just one of those things where it’s apparent that singing releases something that just standing there doesn’t, gets your Spirit in the river quicker than you could do on your own? Similar to a prayer language?
Why read? Why think? Why do service projects? Why go to college? Why get yourself educated?
It’s all an act of worship with God in the end. Everything we do should be to honor Him. Music is a gift just like any talent. Why do I do it? Frankly because I like music and the musicians are giving their talent to honor God so why not join in and be thankful for this art.
God is a creative God, and music is art correct?
good conversation so far! i’m going to respond to these one at a time cause i have questions for each of you, feel free to jump in!
eric, in your first comment you mentioned that singing is active participation in worship… my question is what part of our everyday worship isn’t an active participation? i’m not trying to downgrade singing-worship in any way i’m just trying to understand why it is considered so important over every other form of worship.
rags, i totall agree with and hear what you’re saying however i don’t see that in the modern/contemporary worship music that is prevalent in many churches today. rather i see the exact opposite—especially when it comes down to “participation in the gospel message.” i’m just not seeing that out of “jesus you are my best friend.” what you are describing would make sense, but in reality i’m not seeing it.
dada, no offense but you didn’t answer the question! you skirted the issue.
eric, in your second post you mentioned “overanalyzing it” and i can understand where you’re coming from with it, but when you get to the bottom you say that it’s just one of those things where singing releases something that just standing there doesn’t. my initial reaction to this is “not always.” this isn’t always the case because there are many times that i stand in worship and sing and it doesn’t do anything different than if i were just standing there. in fact, there are several times that i’m standing there singing that i just stop, because there’s nothing really different about it.
jason, i can see the tangible results of reading, thinking, serving, college, education, etc… i can’t see the tangible results of singing. i understand the creative side of things and music being an art—but why is singing the most important thing in our minds and in our praxis?
maybe i’m clarifying my question a bit—or just adding a new one, but why do we sing and why is it so important. maybe the first question we should ask is “what is worship?” and “how do we know we’re worshipping?” or better yet “what isn’t worship?” as a clarifying question…
unless that music is crap.
Haha, hilarious Matt.
And for what it’s worth, I think you’re on to something, maybe without realizing it. How often do we worship God with our talents in a way that is crappy, because we feel we MUST worship God with talents we don’t have?
I think that we should teach more in our singing. It alarms me that so many of my most underachieving students are musicians who feel that all they need to know is how to sing and play the guitar. Like I said before, hymnody and worship should serve an instructive purpose. We should sing music that is true and interesting (as well as musically sound) which is going to require some teaching from the minister of music.
Also, I have come to view worship in general as an act of defiance; a counter-cultural activity where we defiantly celebrate our worldview in the midst of our many “cultured despisers.” I can think of few things more defiant than a group of people united in purpose singing to their king. I realize that this is idealistic, but isn’t all worship on this earth going to be imperfect and idealistic?
Theologically, another thought…read about worship in Hebrews and Revelation. There is an element to where our imperfect worship here on earth is also the entering into something transcendant that is also going on in the presence of God. We worship in spirit and truth. We worship in the same Spirit as the saints in the presence of God, which is a pretty cool thought especially as I think about loved ones in my life who have “passed on.”
sometimes singing can come from the depths of me that other forms could not. Kind of like crying or laughing but all the same different.
you’re speaking my language rags: “worship as an act of defiance!” i like that, and it’s an interesting concept to think about and think through.
i think some of the best worship leaders were not only musically talented, but also scripturally/doctrinally sound in their lyrics as well as in their teaching moments… unfortunately (as you are no doubt seeing) that’s few and far between. it seems to be “all about the music.”
you bring up an interesting point, and one that i’ll have to investigate further. you mentioned the transcendance of worship as it relates to the saints that are “in the presence of God.” this reminds me a bit of the “thin veil” concept—that heaven and earth are separated by a thin veil and every so often we lift that veil and make way for a bit of the kingdom here on earth. if that’s the point of singing, if that’s the “why” then i can certainly understand—but the question then becomes “is this relative to the person/individual?” there are times that i’m sure for others the ‘thin veil’ is lifting, but i stand there and am bored out of my mind!
Ok, I’m at church yesterday, and 3 songs in, I realized I hadn’t started singing yet. But, my heart was really into it. And I thought of this discussion, and realized that it’s not ME singing that is needed for MY worship, it’s the melody in general that does something. Just like Psalms were all written as songs and not poems. Or take your favorite song, and read the lyrics alone without the music. They might be great, but with the melodies behind it, POW! Something just clicks. Music is a cool gift. Singing is one way of connecting with it.
expound on that a little more eric… i want to hear more.
could it be that we can worship through music just by listening? or by just reading the words? and if so, can that still be called “corporate worship” if we’re off doing our own thing during “song-time”? what would happen if everyone all of a sudden decided to just stop singing and read the words—what would that be like? talk about your alt. worship…
what kinds of implications would this have on a body during worship if these types of things were explored? what would the long-term benefits/long-term negative affects be?
you’ve got me thinking eric!
yeah, sorry. I think I’m answering the question that was never asked, “Why is music awesome?”
i like that… “why is music awesome?” also a good question… and also another question on the flip-side “why does music suck?” because you know there’s some pretty crappy music out there too! (and i’m not saying it is all in the church—although now come to think of it, a lot of it does!—i was mainly referring to country.)
good question..dancing is also a way of worship but imagine going to a church for the first time feeling really uncomfortable then everyone starts dancing..seriously i would turn around and walk out..but i think dancing is a good way of prasing because we are free and we should be free of worrying what other people think..ya well doesnt really answer the question but maybe its just a way to come into church and forget all ur troubles and come back into the presence of the Lord cuz there’s sum bible verse about coming into His house with joy
people also get drunk to forget all their troubles… how does that equate with worship if that’s the case?
Drinking for God’s glory! I like it! After all, 1 Cor. 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” So, how ’bout a cold one!?!? I’m game
Interestingly enough, we’ve got some conversations taking place that tie in somewhat with this conversation. Why do we sing? Hmmm…. Good question! Why do we need people to lead us in singing? Hmmm… Another good question. Can a “performer” lead in worship? Hmmm… Another good question. Sure, I’ve got my own thoughts on the matter, and maybe you do too.
http://livingroomfaith.org/Blog/?p=80 AND
http://livingroomfaith.org/Blog/?p=79
Monts,
Have you read Pope Benedict XVI’s lecture “Liturgy & Church Music”? (Well, he was Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger then: November 17, 1985). Here are a few thoughts from there that seemed relevant to your discussion:
The Incarnation is only the first step in a longer process which moves to a final and meaningful conclusion in the Cross and the Resurrection. From the Cross, the Lord draws everything to Himself and bears what is corporeal, i.e., man and the whole created world, into God’s eternity.
The liturgy is subordinate to this movement, which we might call the basic text to which all liturgical music refers: music must be measured from within by the standard of this line of motion. Liturgical music is a result of the demands and of the dynamism of the Incarnation of the Word, for music means that even among us, the word cannot be mere speech. The principal ways in which the Incarnation continues to operate are of course the sacramental signs themselves. But they are quite misplaced if they are not immersed in a liturgy which as a whole follows this expansion of the Word into the corporeal and into the sphere of all our senses. It is this fact which justifies and indeed renders necessary images in complete contrast to Jewish and Islamic types of worship. This is also the reason why it is necessary to appeal to those deeper levels of comprehension and response which become accessible through music. Faith becoming music is
part of the process of the Word becoming flesh. But at the same time, this “becoming music†is also subordinated in a completely unique way to that inner evolution of the Incarnation event which I tried to hint at earlier the Word become flesh comes to be, in the Cross and Resurrection, flesh become Word. Both are permeated with each other. The Incarnation is not revoked, but becomes definitive at that instant in which the movement turns around, so to speak: flesh itself becomes Word, is “logocized,†but precisely this transformation brings about a new unity of all reality which was obviously so important to God that He paid for it at the price of the Son’s Cross.
When the Word becomes music, there is involved on the one hand perceptible illustration, incarnation or taking on flesh, attraction of pre-rational powers, a drawing upon the hidden resonance of creation, a discovery of the song which lies at the basis of all things. And so this becoming music is itself the very turning point in the movement: it involves not only the Word becoming flesh, but simultaneously the flesh becoming spirit; Brass and wood become sound; what is unconscious and unsettled becomes orderly and meaningful resonance. What takes place is an embodiment or incarnation which is spiritualization and a spiritualization which is incarnation or em-body-ment Christian incarnation or embodiment is always simultaneously spiritualization and Christian spiritualization is em-body-ment into the body of the Logos become man.
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Let us remember, though, that this music is not the product of a moment, but participation in history. It cannot be realized by an individual, but only in cooperation with others. And thus such a sacred music also expresses entrance into the history of the faith, and the mutual relationship of all members of Christ’s body. Such a sacred music bequeathes joy and a higher type of ecstasy which does not extinguish personality, but unites and thus liberates. Such a sacred music gives us a foretaste of that freedom which does not destroy,
but which unites and purifies.
i like that sentiment, however i think he’s mainly speaking about the words themselves—which i have no problem with—but how does this translate into today’s contemporary worship movement where the words are “Jesus you are my best friend” or “Jesus, how can i but love you?” (actual lyrics to a willow creek worship song—if you didn’t catch the humor of that last one read it again until it clicks.)
i like the imagery of the music being a symbolic embodyment of the incarnation… that certainly makes things much more beautiful, especially in the arts and for atistry.
the one thing that i would “take issue with” is the last line where he says that sacred music gives us a foretaste of freedom…which unites… i don’t see very much about music today uniting the church, rather i see it continuing to be more and more divisive. i’m not saying that we’ve moved a great deal past the worship wars—but i don’t think it’s over yet by any means. the only reason why it seems to have subsided is: a) people for traditional ways are dying off; b) those that desire the traditional way have been run over and silenced due to “church growth success.”
[...] well, i’m not so sure that’s the best thing—in fact, i think it’s a great thing to ask “why” every so often in order to see the other side of the coin and truly understand why it is we do what we do. if you’ve been hanging around here for the past couple of weeks, you may recall a post that sort of started this round of questions off for me. it was called: why we sing… and already has a great discussion going on (20 comments—it’s not to late to jump in.) [...]
[...] is this why we sing? [...]
Hey guys…
thanks for all your conversations on here…I’m really appreciating it, as this is what I’m writing my PhD on!!! The title at the moment is: The place and necessity of Congregational Song in Contemporary Worship, with my underlying thesis being that all Christians should be a part of a singing community. Whether that means that all Christians should sing, i’m yet to fathom. If you wish to have a look at some of my thoughts please check out my blog…I don’t put a great deal on there due to concerns about copyright on my thesis…but there’s some ideas and conversations on there, some are more provocative than others!
When I have a little more time, i may return here and respond to some of your thoughts…as they’ve given me a great deal to think about! Thanks guys!!
R x
by the way, my blog addy is:
http://www.is-god-a-dj.blogspot.com/
lol!
[...] why we sing [...]