It may seem strange coming from the pastor who instituted two “spoken” services at St. Timothy over the years, but I urge you to sing! Singing has been an important element of worship since ancient times. While little is known about worship in ancient Israel, the Psalms are filled with references to singing and are thought by many to have been the hymns of the Jerusalem temple. Consider the very familiar Psalm 96 which begins, “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” According to both Matthew and Mark, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn at the conclusion of the Last Supper. Biblical scholars believe that several ancient hymns are found in the first chapters of Luke: the Magnificat – Mary’s hymn – 1:46-55; the Benedictus – Zechariah’s hymn – 1:68-79; and the Nunc Dimittus – the Song of Simeon – 2:29-32. Many believe that the Fourth Gospel’s prologue, John 1:1-18 is a hymn, as well as Philippians 2:5-11. As is evidenced by its presence in ancient and modern Christian hymns and liturgies (consider LBW’s “This is the Feast” from Revelation 4, 5 and 7; or LBW Hymn #314, “Who Is this Host Arrayed in White” from 7:15-17), the book of Revelation is filled with hymnic material.

Before the development of modern amplification, song was a way of being heard above the fray. Clergy sang to be heard, and the people responded in kind. St. Augustine is thought to have said “He who sings prays twice,” meaning that song can be a particularly holy activity, coming from deep within the heart and often expressing things that are not as easily said without music.

Of course, not all song is sacred. Corporate singing was once a far more popular activity than it is today. In the days before soloists were secured to sing the national anthem at sporting events or other public gatherings, all in attendance were expected to sing along. High schools and colleges had their own Alma Maters which were memorized and sung regularly by matriculants. Sports teams had their fight songs, social clubs compiled song books, and, in the days before radio and TV, families gathered around the piano to sing. Most of these opportunities to sing are lost to the ages. One of the last holdouts is church.

Last week one of our Sunday lectors apologized to me for singing along with the Psalm between lessons. “I really can’t carry a tune and shouldn’t be singing,” the reader explained. I responded by saying, “Nonsense! Everybody should sing!” A couple of days later I encountered someone hospitalized with a serious respiratory ailment. She told me that singing exacerbated her problem. Having heard this, I realized that maybe singing isn’t for everyone. Nevertheless, I truly believe that, unless your health or safety is compromised by singing, you should SING!

I often see people at our “sung” services who don’t sing along with the liturgy or the hymns. I actually feel bad for them, because they’re denying themselves one of life’s pleasures, as well as a genuine religious experience. I’ve noticed very talented – even trained – singers who don’t bother to crack a book during worship. This is just a shame. We can’t all be great singers – I certainly don’t profess to be one – but we can all sing (or at least most of us – see above). Please take the opportunity to participate in what has become a rare opportunity in our culture – Sing to the Lord!

In Jesus’ name,

Pastor Robert M. Mountenay