Sing to Whom?

We hear a lot about singing “to the Lord”.  A valid exhortation that is repeated numerous times in the psalms and throughout scripture.  However there is another, often overlooked focus in the singing of our corporate worship – “to one another”.

Paul presents this perspective in Colossians and Ephesians.

Colossians 3:15–17  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  (NIV)

Ephesians 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

So often we only focus on God but we should not forget that there is also a human horizontal dimension to our time together.  Not only are we to sing to each other, we are also to teach each other. This is not the normal teaching of teacher to class, preacher to congregation, worship team to worshippers.  Instead, Paul presents the rather unique perspective that believers should teach one another!  Peer instruction!

These words are not directed at worship leaders; rather, they are directed at members of the body of Christ. It is the believers in the body of Christ who are to speak or sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another! 

As worship leaders we need to draw attention to this important exhortation.  I believe that it will help move some people away from a very self-centered mentality in worship – what am I getting out of this? What am I learning?  Perhaps they will be less demanding in having ‘their songs’ sung “their way” and be more sensitive to the needs of other believers.

As worship leaders we need creative planning that will facilitate the process of peer instruction.  Here are a few questions that I hope will trigger creative practical ideas that you can implement in corporate worship.

1.    To what extent do we understand the importance of this form of communication between believers?

2.    To what extent do we facilitate this when we lead believers in corporate worship in song?

3.    What is there in our planning, structure, physical arrangement of the room or sanctuary, song structure and musical form that will facilitate powerful teaching and admonishment between believers?

4.    What is there in our formal teaching or comments that creates awareness and mobilizes believers to do this?

5.    How conscious are we of the power of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to minister to others?

6.    To what extent do we direct and empower individual members of the congregation to do this not only in corporate worship but also outside of corporate worship time - family time, home fellowship time, travel times, spending time with friends?

7.    Is there evidence that faith, obedience, love, and joy of fellow Christians are stimulated and increased—not by the work of the worship team, but by the actual singing of the members of the congregation to one another?

8.    To what extent do we think about the edifying content of the songs that the Body of Christ sings?

9.    To what extent do we consciously choose songs that the congregation can teach one another? 

It is helpful to review the content of our worship songs at regular intervals to see what is being taught? Are all the important doctrinal truths being covered over a period of time?  What are we teaching about relationship, Christian life, emotion, response to life’s sorrow and joy? 

(This blog is based on material found in Chapter 2 of the author’s book Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: the Road to Unity and Spiritual Maturity.)