Ps 146:1-2 (ESV)

"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord oas long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being."

Singing—

what a wonderful way to show love to God in our Christian lives!

At the Good Shepherd Bible Study we try our best to stir up a joyful sound to the Lord.

Some time ago, I read:

“Christian assembles have at all times and in all places read the Scriptures, prayed, and sung. The Christian liturgy was born singing, and it has never ceased to sing…The Church used music and singing in its worship well before it began to ask itself questions about why and wherefore...”

A few sentences later, I read this:

“The first and most distinctive characteristic of singing would appear to be that of musical time. Singing places man before God as a creature existing in time.”

See the chapter, “Music and Singing in Liturgy” in the book, The Study of Liturgy by Jones, Wainwright and Yarnold Oxford Univ Press, 1978, pp. 440-441.

I am guessing we all see that music and singing in worship are to be praise. We also focus on the use of the Word for prayer, praise, confession, and instruction. These things are true; however, I am struck by the point that Jones, Wainwright, and Yarnold make: “Singing places man before God as a creature existing in time.” Interesting.
Singing shows God that he is God and we are creatures—his creatures! You cannot get more fundamental and basic than that! He is God. We are men and women. When we sing, we must make use of key signatures, timing, intervals, and volume. There’s submission involved. We submit as creatures to the elements and applications of time.

In order to speak with musical expression of God’s God-ness and to show our creaturely-ness, we sing. And it all happens with air exhaling through our throats, bouncing around briefly within the small space of our cheeks and then forced out with rounded or sliced lips. Sounds rush forward for verbal chorus.

We show our limits with time and space; but within our limits, we get to praise our God and Redeemer. It’s Amazing Grace and Holy, Holy, Holy—right?

So next time we strike up our voices, we show that God is God and we are his. Specially, we are his in that he loves us in Christ, and that is why we praise him!