Congregational Singing Promotes Spiritual Harmony
What if the congregational singing in our churches is pointing to deeper theological truths about the harmony that can be experienced in our souls and in our churches? I am convinced they are. I pray both these pictures remain in your mind as you sing in church or at home during family worship.
Singing in church points to spiritual harmony in two ways.
First, it points to spiritual harmony in the soul.
In singing, mind, heart, and will are engaged in devotion to God. Athanasius paints a vivid picture of this in his Letter to Marcellinus when he writes, “Thus, as in music there is a plectrum, (a pick) so the man becoming himself a stringed instrument and devoting himself completely to the Spirit may obey in all his members and emotions, and serve the will of God.” When we sing, we ourselves become an instrument, wholly vibrating, in worship to God.
When we sing, we ourselves become an instrument, wholly vibrating, in worship to God.
Second, our singing, specifically our melodizing and harmonizing, paint a picture of the diverse, yet unified spiritual harmony of the church.
A unison verse may sound fine, but a verse and chorus with melody and harmony sound heavenly. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ! Though we are different, and the church is composed of many members, we are to live in harmony with one another. Such spiritual harmony is as beautiful (if not more) as the melody and harmony we hear when we sing. It draws those hearing in. When you sing melodies and harmonies, you are reflecting the unity and diversity of the body of Christ.
May our melodies and harmonies remind us of the spiritual harmony that can be experienced in our souls and in the church.
