Why Sing in Church?

By Dick Papworth

Why sing in church? How would you answer this question?

Some would say that this is just what we do when we gather in church. Throughout the history of the church, when Christians have gathered together in church fellowships, they’ve sung together. We do this today.

But it's not just tradition. Scripture gives us two important reasons to sing together when we gather.

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” - Ephesians 5:19

The words “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” and “singing and making melody” are references to singing when we gather together.

This Scripture teaches two important reasons to sing in church.

1. SING TO WORSHIP THE LORD

Address your singing “to the Lord” as the object of your worship and do it “with your heart.” Address your singing to the Lord with deep and heartfelt sincerity and with passion. This is the essential nature of worship.

But there’s another important reason to sing in church that we sometimes forget.

2. SING TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER TO WORSHIP THE LORD

This Scripture teaches that another reason to sing together is for “addressing one another.” While we sing to the Lord, our singing has enormous potential for encouraging others to worship the Lord too.

Let me suggest that this implies that we sing loud enough so people around us hear us singing and are encouraged to worship. Thankfully, the quality of our singing isn't nearly as important as its purpose. Spiritual joy shines through even the raspy, off-pitch voice of a believer who is praising the Lord, and it moves others to worship.

For example, we might sing: “In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.”

When we sing this song, we’re both affirming that our hope is found in Christ alone AND we’re encouraging other people to affirm the same thing through their own worship. Our singing spurs other people to engage in worship by singing.

So, the next time you gather in church, sing heartily to the Lord as an act of worship AND to encourage others to do the same. 

This is why we sing together in church.

WorshipSinging