You hear me say these words, “Sing it out!” a lot. No doubt it can easily become a cliché that myself and other worship pastors nonchalantly throw into those instrumental sections of songs so we don’t feel awkward waiting for the lyrics to begin. But, I hope those words never become a routine. After all, God calls us to sing out…and not just out…but loud. Keith Getty (the guy who co-wrote the song “In Christ Alone”) shared a blog post that I thought summed up why we’re supposed to sing loudly in church.
First, we are commanded to sing.
In fact, scripture commands us to sing over 250 times. Getty suggests, “It’s not a choice. It’s not dependent on ‘feeling like it’.” I realize there are many people who don’t feel they are equipped to sing, but let me encourage you that when you sing despite your insecurities you bring honor and glory to God that far surpasses the most virtuoso of singers performing for themselves.
Second, singing together completes our joy and expresses our solidarity.
This idea is akin to celebrating a sports victory together. I can attest that cheering on the Dallas Cowboys by myself at home is a much different experience than cheering them on with a group of guys who are all just as enthusiastic as I am. Singing together brings out more joy as we experience the glory of God together.
Lastly, singing affects us emotionally and bears testimony to our faith.
This is so evident in the emotions that are stirred from recognizable movie scores or deeply meaningful songs. To take this a step further, Getty writes, “When we are intentional about singing…we build up a testimony that will travel with us through life.” This is on display when you hear stories of people in their later years who may struggle to remember family members’ names, but can recite every word to their favorite hymn. Those lyrics we sing go down deeper and transform our thinking more than we give them credit for.
So let’s sing together. Let’s sing out loud. Let’s set an example in the way we sing to the glory of God.
For His Glory,
Travis