Christians are a people who sing.
Muslims don’t get together to sing. No Hindus, no Buddhists, no Rastafaris, but Christians do. Similarly, although not everyone preaches, directs prayer, or reads the scriptures publicly, we all sing. [1]
- But what can we say about the nature of a Christian corporate chant.
- How should it be?Can we sing some kind of song when we’re together?.
If our collective worship is subject to the principle of regulation or simply to the principle of conscience, the practice of singing must be seriously considered in the light of scripture, and Psalm 96 provides crucial information about the nature of a correct song and Its originally written effects for the people of God’s covenant to enter into the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 16) , this psalm has a lot to offer us when it comes to singing today.
God is at the center of a Christian song. When God calls his people to sing, he is a specific type of song. In Psalm 96. 1, God says, “Sing to the Lord. “
When the church gathers in the name of God, the glory of God is the goal of our melody. We must sing for him, about him and for him. We not only sing as the world of created things sings; our song rises to the One who increases. The songs of the Church proclaim the character, attributes, and ways of the God of our salvation.
For those who choose songs for collective worship, this is a task they must accomplish soberly. Mark Dever and Paul Alexander give this counsel to pastors: “As master lead pastor, it is their responsibility to guide the congregation in the green pastures of songs centered on God and the Gospel, and away from the arid plains of theological emptiness, meditations on the experience of human and emotional frenzy?[2] If our songs never compose above emptiness, human experience and emotions, we have failed in our goal. God must be the center of our worship, so God must be the center of our songs.
The songs of the Church must be built on the word of God, shaped and saturated by it. Singing is a unique way to make the word of Christ live richly in us (Colossus 3:16).
In Psalm 96. 2, we see that we should bless his name; without God’s revelation, we would not know your name, nor how to bless your name; our canticle and all the rest of our worship must be biblically informed for these commandments to be fulfilled. Church songs must be intentionally biblical.
Singing can be seen as a form of exhibition that uses poetry to teach the word of God. When Isaac Watts published his psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, that was his intention. create poetic and emotional versions of the scriptures that allow the church to sing the truths of the scriptures.
Songs are sermons. They do not function as homily exegesis, but articulate, explain, and proclaim biblical truths. Our hymns teach and shape how people see God, man, Christ, and how we should live in the light of the gospel.
One way to make sure our chant is biblical is to scan our chants to see if they cover the scope of the topics presented throughout the canon. Our chants must remain faithful in the light of God’s word to ensure that we sing the glories of His truth.
Should the contours of the gospel shape our hymn. (v. 2), so that the gospel may resonate as the subject of our chants. If we are convinced of the primacy of gospel-centered ministry, we must certainly practice gospel-centered singing. The chants of our churches must speak the gospel. fluently.
A gospel-centered approach to singing can be built from the structure of response to God, man, Christ.
? We sing to God as the holy creator of all things, who is worthy of worship.
? We sing about man and our sinful nature, our separation from God, and our need for forgiveness.
? We sing to Christ, who is completely God and completely man, who lived a sinless life and died on the cross to carry the wrath of God.
? We sing an answer. In these songs of consecration and repentance, faith and praise, we respond with joy to the good news of Jesus.
The preface to this psalm says that it must be sung by both Asaf and his children (1 Chronicles 16:7). The Christian canticle is essentially congregational.
The redemption canticle is not designed for one, but for many. In the torrent of individualism and mutual help, God’s people sing not as a group of individuals, but as one people united with Christ. The Christian canticle is not designed to highlight the few talented, but to include the voices of many. The participation of the congregation protects the congregation from ostentation and pomp, and provides the framework for an exultant and elegant response to God’s revelation.
This chorus of redeemed people raises a collective voice of praise as a testimony that we have been reconciled with God and among us. Singing together in worship is a feature of The Unity of the Church. The singing of the redeemed must be sung by the young and old, rich and poor, strong and weak. Verse 7 reminds us of the families of people who pay homage to God—people from all the tribes, languages, and nations of the earth.
Although worship is theomentric, it is also declarative. Our canticle is addressed to God, but it also resonates in the ears of others. God-centered worship is a proclamation. As we sing the glory of God, we understand that not everyone has seen His glory; As we sing the goodness of the gospel, we realize that this is not good news for all.
Spurgeon called this psalm the “missionary psalm,” and for good reason. In verses 10 through 13, we see that God-centered singing works intrinsically as a declaration for the lost. The centrality and evangelization of God are not two objectives in competition, but one target in the other. The worship of God is the goal of evangelization.
In the same breath, we sing God’s love and wrath; in the same melodies, we declare his holiness and the grave effect of sin; Christ is the King who will judge the world with justice and peoples, according to their faithfulness. Say among the nations, “Does the Lord reign? in the hope that men and women will repent of their sins and trust in Christ. “
The church received a song to sing, and Christ is its author, substance, and purpose.
The chants of the Church are not simply a preamble to the sermon; singing does not exist to occupy time and warm the congregation; singing is a sacred practice. We sing because God has ordained us and our songs must fill our hearts with joy.
Notes: [1] I am grateful to Collin Hansen for articulating this idea in conversation. [2] Mark Dever and Paul Alexander. The Deliberate Church: Build Your Ministry on the Gospel. Wheaton: Crossway, 2005, p. 85 (published in Portuguese under the title Iglesia deliberately: Edifying its ministry on the Gospel [S. José dos Campos: Editora Fiel, 2008]).
By: Matt Boswell. © 2014 9Marks. Original: Five Qualities of a Congregational Song.
This article is part of the May/June 2014 issue of the 9Marks Journal.
Translation: Vin-cius Silva Pimentel. © 2014 Faithful Ministério. All rights are reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: This is how your church should sing.