Singing together is one of God’s gifts of love
God has given us many gifts, including music. One particular musical gift we enjoy is singing together. Often, at church, we sing hymns and praise songs.
This devotional from Biola University includes a hymn that is not familiar to me, but I love it. The devotional tells the story of Paul and Silas in prison. When an earthquake loosened their chains, and the guard despaired their escape, they revealed their presence with hymn singing. The Bible has other stories featuring hymn-singing. At the Last Supper, when Jesus and the disciples were having a meal together, the meal that led to our Communion tradition where we take the bread and wine “in remembrance” of Jesus’ death and resurrection, it says, “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” How cool is that?
I read and hugely enjoyed novels by Chaim Potok, such as The Chosen, My Name is Asher Lev, and more. He writes of Jewish communities eating meals and singing together. My own family sang a hymn after meals as my children were growing up. When we celebrate in the church things such as Communion, Baptism, funerals, and other times, I love to imagine the cloud of witnesses singing along with us.
I have read that singing in church is one of the last places where men will sing, whether they are in tune or not. I’ve also read that singing with others helps improve depression and mental health. Maybe some of you have seen this video where a woman suffering from years of Alzheimer’s is touched by singing an old hymn. I have heard many testimonies from family members who seemed to connect at the end of their lives by singing together. What a gift! What evidence of God’s love.
It would be wonderful if you would share stories about how singing together has brought you and your loved ones closer to God, songs that are special to you, and why. Here are a few of mine (some of which I’ve shared before):
My mom loved to imagine the universal church, people from every nation, unified in worship. The Church’s One Foundation.
My brother passed away from ALS way too young. Sometimes, when I hear “The Far Side Banks of Jordan,” I imagine meeting him in heaven.
When my dad died, I honestly did not know if I could get up every morning and keep going. This song reminded me that “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.”
Our son liked to pick Hark the Herald Angels Sing for us to sing, whether it was the Christmas season or not.
We had a sweet little girl in our church who loved “Seek Ye First.” I love the descant as well as the verses.
We had a minister who loved “And Can it Be.” God’s love is amazing, isn’t it?!
I taught first grade for two years after college. A little boy in my class and also in our church often chose “Holy, holy, holy.” Here’s an example of a song using language not in use any more—”which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be”—but it adds to the richness to learn different ways of singing praise.
“Amazing Grace” is like Psalm 23. Many, many people are familiar with it and love it.
I hope someday God says to me, “My good and faithful servant,” and I can say, “It is Well With my Soul.”
I could go on and on. How about you??