The Joy of Singing

“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come” Song of Songs 1:11-12a

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things” Psalm 98

Hymn singing is such an important part of our tradition of worship. The current Church Hymnary contains 825 hymns, of which over fifty are themselves about singing and making music for the Lord.
We have in the Bible a whole book of Psalms, that express our emotions through prayers set to songs; and the book Song of Songs, written by Solomon, is just one of “a thousand and five” (1 Kings 4:32) that he was said to have penned.
The New Testament gives descriptions of the early gatherings of worship of Christians, as they came together to praise God and strengthen each other in times of travel through strange lands, often persecuted for their faith. Indeed, some verses of the NT are thought to be parts of early hymns, for example Philippians 2:6-11, and Colossians 1: 15-20.
Ephesians and Colossians both contain exhortations to their readers to sing and make music with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Musical expression is all around us in all walks of life, from rock concerts to background music in shops; from gentle lullabies and nursery rhymes to profound choral masses and secular works. Each generation seems to be able to create a new genre of expression that, for them, provides the cultural theme tune to the world events around them.
I was fascinated to learn of the effect that coming together to sing as a group of people has on the body and mind. When you take regular, deep breaths (in order to sing each line of a hymn, for instance) the structure of your breathing in turn regulates your heartbeat, bringing together the congregation as one group, all united in a deeply biological and spiritual way.
Singing together hymns of praise, supplication, and thanksgiving, unites us and strengthens not only our own faith, but the faith of those around us. It is literally a heart-warming experience of unity.
Whether people sing together in muddy fields, on football terraces, or from temples and pews, they announce to the world that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
We sing hymns to Glorify the Lord. What could be a better way to worship?

Let us pray:

Lord, let my life be an endless song of praise to You, O magnificent Creator of Heaven and Earth. Let me shout out the Good News of our dear Saviour, Jesus Christ, so that all may hear the sweetest sound, that is the Joy of His Love and Salvation living in our hearts. Let our voices join together to thunder out His praise, till the hills resound with the glorious celebration of His Grace. Amen