Why Singing?

 "Why Singing?" was a question that was asked near the end of a sermon preached recently by one of my elders. The context was a sermon about Jesus as our "singing savior."  The focus of the sermon shifted from God's singing to our singing; and then the question was asked "why do we sing?"  Why don't we just get together and recite things? My brain started filling with my own answers as Pastor Mark began to elaborate. I work with singers for a living, and I've sat in probably over a thousand voice lessons.

Singers are funny people. The ones that endure multiple performance degrees learn to develop very thick skin. But aside from personality, the education side of singing is very unique and fascinating.  Singers have to learn to use an invisible instrument "by feel" and by trial and error. They have to learn what good singing feels like and put enormous trust in their voice teachers. Because of the almost abstract nature of the instrument, and because of the many misconceptions about singing that must be unlearned, vocalists come up with all sorts of interesting ways to describe the sensations of good singing. Here, in no particular order, are some phrases I've heard and used over the years (several of these are NOT pedagogical - just fun):

Singing is...

• sustained speech
• screaming in cursive
• just shouting
• a whole-body activity
• an athletic activity
• dependent on breath, which is dependent on opening oneself
• not easy
• easier than we make it
• relational

So why does God have us sing? Well, one way to put it is: singing is “enhanced” speech. It is also an aesthetic form of speech. It adds an additional layer of communication to speech. It carries words further than they would go in the form of mere speech — in a figurative sense, but also a physical one. Singing takes strength and energy. It requires the use of our physical bodies, and God is very much concerned with our physical bodies. We cannot conclude from scripture that the ultimate goal is to transcend physical bodies and no longer require the uses of our voices, our hands, our feet… On the contrary, we are to use our bodies as instruments of sacrifice and worship - now and forevermore. When we sing heartily and loudly, we are presenting our bodies as living sacrifices; we are expending real energy for God.

Singing also enables unified corporate chanting. I.e., singing is a tool that enables a group of different people to all make a unified sound together. When we recite a creed or a confession together as a group, we typically all recite it with our individual “speaking voices” and consequently, it sounds like a group of people.  Rhythmically we are together, but tonally we are not. Actual singing then adds the next level of unity by having everyone match pitch. In this way we can almost sound like one voice.

But then there is more! God has created this physical world and the physics of sound in such a way as to encourage the use of harmony. Yes, God encourages us to use harmony — because He made it in nature (see the overtone series), and He made it enjoyable to our ears. (And no, I do not believe this is merely the result of cultural conditioning). Why else might we say God encourages harmony? Well, we believe that it reflects God’s character. As Pastor Mark said in his sermon, God is three in one. He exists as the Trinity. Three distinct persons within One Being, with one will, accomplishing a single unified purpose. Singing in harmony also reflects the “many members, one body” characteristic of the church.

Let us daily practice singing, with the intention of letting our corporate worship on the Lord's Day be the pinnacle use of our voices.