The church (part two)

I will sing; I will make music to the LORD (Judges 5:3).

A feature of most churches is music.  It might be an organ; it might be a praise band.  There might be one or more choirs; there is almost certainly a hymnbook. 

Why is music such an integral part of Christian worship?  To start with, we have these words from Saint Paul: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:19-20). How do you unite people in giving the Lord joyful thanks?  The easiest way is through song.  Music has the power to lift our hearts even when we’re feeling down in the dumps; songs that are sung together have the power to unite our hearts as one for a time.

Spiritual songs can offer another benefit as well.  A good hymn is a little sermon unto itself.  Hymn writers usually base their verses on passages from Holy Scripture, presenting God’s message in the form of poetry.  This serves two valuable purposes.  First of all, a well-written hymn teaches the singer Biblical truths.  Your attention might wander during the sermon, but when you join in singing a hymn you are almost preaching to yourself.  Secondly, a well-designed hymn can help you remember God’s message.  We learn more readily when words are attached to music—that’s why we teach children their ABCs through song.  A good hymn sticks in your memory, providing God’s wisdom and comfort whenever you sing it to yourself outside of church.

No portion of the Bible is longer than the book of Psalms.  These masterworks of poetry were composed to be sung; sadly, no one living today knows what kind of music first accompanied them.  King David wrote most of the Psalms, though, and we know the kinds of instruments he favored: harps and lyres, tambourines and cymbals, horns and trumpets.  In modern terms, David praised God with strings, percussion, and wind—the whole range of musical invention.

Music is an important accompaniment to worship.  Used properly, it can reinforce what God speaks to us through the Bible.  But music by itself cannot offer what our weak and hungry souls desperately need; salvation only comes through the gracious words of God.