Singing – such a wonderful sound!  Whether a choir fifty strong at First Presbyterian, the contemporary band at the Vineyard, or the booming voices of the men at Augusta Rescue Mission, singing is something that is inherent to most church services.  Why do we sing these songs?  Where do they come from? 

Singing is something we find scattered aplenty throughout the entire Bible.  The old desert songs of the Jews in captivity; the psalms written by David as he played his lute among the sheepfolds; the dirges written in the dark time of the prophets; the songs voiced whole-heartedly by the persecuted church in the New Testament. 

I remember the first time I attended a church service.  I was a teenager hooked on the sounds of Tom Petty and Boston.  It was a bit scary – no, downright offensive – at first.  But before long I found myself closing my eyes, forgetting about the person next to me, and belting it out with some of my voice, but all of my heart.

John Piper says it this way:  “Singing is the Christian’s way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.”  Well said.  Something happens when melody is added to lyric.  Art is formed, expressed, sounded.  We fulfill the Scriptural call to make music to God.  In the Vineyard, a movement known for its intimate musical expression, we have a phrase that defines our belief about worship:  Music for its real purpose.

Throughout church history, men and women have been inspired to write songs birthed from their own experiences.  Horatio Spafford wrote the famous “It is well with my soul” after losing his business and four daughters in a series of terrible tragedies.  Fanny Crosby, blind from birth, is famous for writing “Blessed assurance”.  Perhaps the most famous traditional church hymn, “Amazing grace”, was written by John Newton, a slave trader who came to Christ and experienced personal reformation.

And into the present.  In the last few decades, many have been inspired to write new songs for the church, resulting in the contemporary Christian music movement.  Songs like “Hungry”, “How great is our God”, and “Blessed be your name” are sung in many church services.  A new sound has filled the air and brought many to a deep place with God through worship.

Years ago, our local church decided to take some risks and begin writing indigenous worship music.  The result has been a series of records that document the music sung in our services.  Dozens of songs have emerged from a variety of writers.  One teacher in our church family wrote a song expressing a prayer for her students; a dad wrote, expressing his trust in God with his disabled child.  One of our doctors wrote an intimate song describing the charm of God’s grace; a student sings of God’s unending love in both feast and famine.  These tunes find their origin in the hearts of our church members, and become anthems for our congregation during corporate worship. 

So – open your mouth.  Sing, yell, shout, cry to God in a way that is honest and honoring to Him.  Sing the songs of others, or make your own.  You are now part of the great tradition of Christian music.

Vineyard Community Church just released a new record of original worship songs entitled Still You are Faithful, available on cdbaby.com or itunes.com, or in CD format any Sunday morning. Please check it out!