Why we Sing, and why I miss it when I can not sing

I had to miss choir practice tonight due to extenuating circumstances.  I had looked forward to singing tonight, so was somewhat discouraged that I was unable to.  But as a result, the night brought to my mind a recent quote I read by Bob Kauflin on the reason why we sing.  Kauflin recently spoke these words at a Worship Conference:

At one point I quoted Harold Best: “All our musical offerings are at once humbled and exalted by the strong saving work of Christ.” We touched on how our singing is not something we originate, but flows from the relationships of the triune God who sings (Zeph. 3:17; Heb. 2:12; Eph. 5:18-19). We sing because God sings and we’ve been made in his image. I never got to mention it on the panel, but a very helpful book on the Trinity is The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders.


The idea that God sings never fails to stir me up.  And Zephaniah 3:17---whew:

17 The Lord your God is in your midst, 

a mighty one who will save; 

he will rejoice over you with gladness; 

he will quiet you by his love; 

he will exult over you with loud singing.

Tonight I came across words from David Ward on why we sing, in relation to the congregation:  Also very true and important insights on this subject:

As we sing to one another, encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ with the precious truths of God’s works and ways, we bring glory to God. He has designed singing as a wonderful way for those who are strong in the gospel to encourage those who are weak as they give witness with their lips and body to the reality and power of what they are singing about. Even as a song leader, I have had many mornings where I was inwardly struggling to believe and appropriate the gospel. God often uses the sound and the posture of the congregation to help get my attention off of myself and my individual spiritual walk and be encouraged at His work amongst our entire congregation

Singing is very important to me, it is core stuff, it is prayer.

Blessed Redeemer

Hymns and Theology

For awhile, several months back, I was taking a closer look at hymns and the theology in them, the concepts and words that they teach, sometimes with a richness that resembles well-written poetry or narratives.  Of course, not all hymns are theologically sound.  Some seem to me, to be way off base, sung because they are tradition and not based on scriptural truth.  Bob Kauflin, in his book "Worship Matters", refers to this and does an excellent job of delineating the difference between sound hymnology and not-so-sound hymns.

While I've not done that kind of work, the tearing apart of hymns, in a very long time, I was struck by the song Blessed Redeemer, sung to a different tune by Casting Crowns.  I stumbled upon it yesterday as I was looking for something else in my Ipod.  I've decided to include a video here by New Life Media, found on YouTube.  I'm not sure why it overruns my sidebar, my apologies.  Can't seem to figure that out.  Oh well.  :)

Book Review: Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

I started reading Kauflin's book, with the expectation that what I was about to read, would be geared mostly toward Worship Pastor's--those minister's whose calling and responsibilities encompass the music/drama/worship service details of a church body.  I was wrong.  While obviously that audience is the primary target, I found the material to be hugely engaging, theologically sound, and hugely educational for a person such as myself, a lay member involved in the music/worship ministry of our church.  Kauflin seems to cover all details, big and small, that make up a sound worship ministry.  He truly gives credence to his title "Worship Matters."  It matters because it is commanded.  It matters because it is Biblical.  It matters because God delights in it.  We must be professional in our attention to details, while open to flexibility and sensitive to what is happening in the moment.  We must examine our hearts, our motives, our plans to make sure they are Christ centered, to make sure they are scriptural centered.

Kauflin has written an easy to read, thought provoking treatise on worship, out of his own personal experiences and wealth of knowledge.  I am grateful for his willingness to share his thoughts and by doing so, bolster a continuing dialogue in our churches to emphasize that worship is not just the music on a Sunday morning, nor is it a battle between contemporary verses traditional styles of worship.  Rather, it is the all encompassing meeting of the church, to worship God through music, prayer, tithes, scripture, Biblical preaching and responsiveness to God.  It is all worship, we would do well to remember that more often, as Kauflin urges his readers to do just that.