Do You Need To Sing On Sunday?

by Feb 7, 2017

When Harbor Church West Oahu gathers each Sunday, there are a few things we always do. We always sing, and we always take communion. That’s kind of weird; especially if you didn’t grow up in church. You probably don’t do those things at any other time in life. Like, when was the last time you got together with a bunch of friends and just burst into song? You might at a concert or a rigorous night of karaoke, but not every single week. And what’s up with communion? It’s not a full meal, just some bread and wine?? Well, we do both of these things each Sunday as a way to enjoy God together. What’s amazing is that we’re told to do these things because God enjoys us! Let’s look at singing first, and then communion in a later post.

Singing is commanded in the Bible in many places (Psalm 47, 66, I could go on and on).  God wants His people to sing! Why? Because it increases our joy in God. Here are 3 reasons why singing together is important and increases our joy in God:

  • Singing together trains us to be a more unified, peaceful, and loving church. In Colossians 3:12-17, Paul tells the church to be unified, peaceful, and loving. Involved in that process is “singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs” together. The church needs YOUR VOICE to contribute to making us that kind of people. Think of a sports stadium where 20,000 people are having individual conversations. It would just sound like clatter. But if a cheer or a team song comes on and they all join in together, what powerful unity! It sends a message that everyone there is there for the same purpose. Every once in a while a team has more fans for the visiting team show up to their game. When the cheer or song plays, it’s pretty sad to hear how few people are in the building who are excited about the home team. We declare that we are unified in enjoying God when we sing together on Sundays.
  • Singing together helps us remember, and look forward. In Psalm 66:5-6, the people are signing about what God has done in the past: delivering them from slavery! They sing to remember His goodness. It’s like hearing a song that brings you back to your childhood or a university having a fight song. When you hear it, you remember and get pumped up! Singing together on Sundays is also a foreshadowing of what we’ll do forever (check out all of John’s vision in Revelation). Singing MUST make God happy, and it will make us happy forever. We get a taste of that each Sunday.
  • Singing together is a the Bible’s path to us having joy in God. Sometimes, of course, we sing because we’re already joyful. But sometimes we don’t feel joyful before we sing. The amazing reality and gift of singing is that God uses it to bring us to joy. Singing is FOR joy. We sing out of it, or sing because we need it. There have been many Sunday’s where I haven’t felt like worshipping. It’s been amazing to experience the Holy Spirit lead my heart into worship as I begin to sing and be reminded of the amazing wonder of how good my God is.

Singing is for everyone on Sunday: the worship team, the broken and hurting, the new parents, the addicted, the lazy, the poor, the pastor, the teenager, the preschooler, and for everyone who sinned on their way to church. In your fight for joy in Christ, fight with songs of praise with your brothers and sisters.