The Power of Singing
What do you consider the most amazing part of the following story?
“The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates
tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.
When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a
command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the
stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of
praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there
came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were
unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors
opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice,
saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’
And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down
before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?’" (Acts 16:22-30)
What astonishes you about this story? What amazes, maybe even shocks you?
a. Paul and Silas being beaten without cause?
b. These same men singing and praising God
after being beaten without cause?
c. God intervening with an earthquake?
d. The jailor's quick change from desiring suicide to wanting
salvation?
While all those are startling - except with the possibility of the first - what
makes me shake my head in wonder and in awe is the response of the prisoners
after they'd been miraculously freed. What did the guilty ones being
justly punished do? Did the unjustly punished run? Paul said to the
jailor, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all
here!" They knew that these men were different. The earthquake confirmed
that. But notice their action prior to the earthquake - and the prisoners
were listening to them. Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns is what got their attention.
Just think what powerful and awesome examples we can be as we sing. Now that is
a humbling thought. This is what our singing can, and should, do.
All of singing is congregational:
a. Our singing emphasizes the unity of the congregation. We sing with one
voice, although not always in one key!
b. Our singing shouts out - and sometimes
shrieks out - that talent is not the criteria for praising God. The heart is
more important than the voice. I've often
thought
that God loves to hear people sing off key - He knows they are definitely not
trying to impress others - unless of course they are little kids trying to
outdo
one another!
All of our singing is acappella:
a. Our singing is an expression of the spiritual nature of New Testament
worship. No more physical sacrifices, “let
us continually offer up a sacrifice of
praise
to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks
to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). No more plucking stringed instruments, we “speak
to one another in
psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the
Lord ’ (Ephesians
b. Our singing is an expression of our spiritual relationship with
God:“Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God”
(Colossians 3:16).
When people visit our congregation, they are often amazed by our singing! By
that I do not mean how good we sound - or even how bad we sound - but rather that
our singing is so different simply because we have no choirs or musical
instruments.
Our goal should be that when people visit our congregation, yes, to have them
amazed by our singing! By that I do mean how we sing as transformed
people: no mumbling, no self-consciousness, no "putting-on-airs," no
amateur talent show. We sing boldly, we sing thankfully, spiritually,
filled with grace. The words come from our hearts, not just from the
songbooks. Our instrument is our heart. We sing with eternity in our
voices. We sing as transformed people hoping to transform others. We
want people to be amazed by how our singing shouts how much we love God. And
then maybe they'll stick around and ask, “What
must I do to be saved?"
Perry D. Hall