God Doesn’t Need Your Singing, but Your Neighbor Does
Martin Luther once said, “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.” I want to make the same case about congregational singing.
Although God commands Christian to sing, he does not need song to be God. There is already an endless choir of living creatures that never cease to sing His praise (Rev. 4:8). The triune God has existed in perfect harmony and love with no need from without. Theologians describe this as God’s aseity. “The most telling Hebraic name for God, ‘I AM’ (Yahweh),” writes Thomas Oden in Classic Christianity, “suggests that God simply and incomparably is” (40). Good works won’t merit salvation and they won’t impress God. Salvation is solely of him (Psalm 3:8; Eph. 2:8). Your singing won’t impress God either.
On the other hand, God has saved us by grace through faith for good works prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Eph. 2:8–10). Good works can make the watching world glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). So, while God doesn’t need good works, your neighbor does. Your neighbor needs a tangible sense of Christian love whether it be service, financial help, a meal, or even singing. When you sing in corporate worship, it is both vertical to God and horizontal to your neighbor. We sing to God and admonish one another (Eph. 5:19–20).
What neighbors might benefit from congregational singing? Consider four.
Your doubting neighbor
On a weekly basis, there are believers who barely make it to church. They have doubts about God’s goodness, about whether God loves them; about whether showing up to church is worth it anymore. Singing might be the last thing on their minds. And yet, in congregational singing we get to teach and admonish one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). “While we address our worship to God,” writes Matt Merker, “we simultaneously spur one another on: Listen to these praises! Delight your soul in the Lord! Take comfort in his promises!” (Corporate Worship: How the Church Gathers as God’s People, 65–66). Surely singing God’s word can strengthen the doubter greater than the rash unsolicited advice Christians often give — or so I pray this is true.
Your tone-deaf neighbor
“But I can’t sing on key at all,” some might protest. Thankfully God doesn’t command Christians to sing beautifully. He commands Christians to sing. Congregational singing is participatory rather than performative. The gathering of the saints is for edification not flexing. All are called to participate not spectate. This includes even those who cannot sing the best. As one of my pastors likes to say often, “When you join the church you join the choir.” Your singing might be what edifies someone who cannot the most in corporate worship.
Your lost neighbor
Wouldn’t starting the service with Tom Petty or Guns N’ Roses be more appealing to unbelievers? Maybe. But what you win people with is what you win them to. Gimmicks might appeal to the unbeliever, but once converted, will these same gimmicks grow them into maturity? No, but singing God’s word will. Gimmicks are not sustainable. Congregational singing is.
Consider what happens when you sing with the saints. You demonstrate to unbelievers that though the church consists of different parts, the church is one body. Though singing harmony consists of different notes than singing melody, when put together something beautiful happens; the notes blend to create a beautiful choir.
What a picture of the church’s love for one another! Though we are different, our love for one another shows our lost neighbors that the gospel creates a community where unity and diversity go hand in hand. “God intends our corporate worship to provoke the watching world,” Merker concludes. “Our gatherings not only proclaim the gospel. They also display a gospel people, a foretaste of the coming new creation” (Merker, 74). This is worthy of winning non-Christians to — the people of God ransomed by Christ’s blood.
Your suffering neighbor
Upon being installed as the Music Director of Iron City Church many church members were going through intense suffering. Many still are. One family that volunteers to lead music lost a niece and a best friend in the span of 3 weeks. Despite the darkness, this sister wanted to serve her church through singing. The song she led was her best friend’s favorite. During rehearsal she said to me in tears, “I might need you to sing it for me.” I responded, “Sister, that’s what we are here for. We all might have to sing this song for you and that is okay.”
She sang the song in the service through tears, and there was a whole congregation to help her. Consider the beauty of congregational singing. It can help the suffering saint when they can’t sing. You can sing for them when they can’t sing themselves.
Corporate worship is not only vertical, but horizontal. “Exaltation and edification are mutually reinforcing. We can’t separate them. Glorifying God encourages others, and loving our brothers and sisters brings delight to God. The vertical and horizontal belong together, every Sunday” (Merker, 68).
God doesn’t need your singing, but your neighbor does.
