Keith and Kristyn
Getty’ book, Sing! How Worship Transforms
Your Life, Family, and Church, is a good one for pastors, song leaders,
church members, and parents alike. The following are a few quotes that caught
my attention:
“Repeatedly and throughout Scripture, we are commanded to be a singing
people. There are more than four hundred references to singing in the Bible and
at least fifty direct commands. We are not to disregard the command because we
don't like the music or the personnel or are not in the mood... Colossians 3:16
also speaks into how we sing… “with
thankfulness in your hearts to God” … Thankfulness is more than saying the
words with your lips. In fact, you are not singing Christianly if you are
singing only with your lips… How we sing does reveal how we think and feel
about something” (14, 18).
“If our songs are not giving us a
balanced, rich, nutritious diet, we will not be spiritually healthy people…
Could it be that many of our services today turn people off who are suffering
and seeking Christ? Do our songs present a veneer of happiness rather than a
robust joy in the midst of pain? Are the fountains we point to as we sing deep
enough to meet the thirst that the trials of life give us? If not, then our
diet is impoverished—our words are too small” (46).
“Songs help us train
children in the ‘language’ of the Christian faith. What we want to teach our
kids travels deeper inside them when we sing it rather than only speak it to
them… Singing together in the home is an excellent way to prompt questions and
give answers and aim for depth of spiritual understanding in our children in a
memorable way” (57-58).
“Our singing (even when
it joyfully falls off pitch) should always, unapologetically, contribute to our
sense of family and community and never be rushed through, mumbled through, or
handed over to the ‘professionals’” (76).
“Biblically rich content
in song, sung by people who look like they mean what they are saying, helps
teach the gospel as something that is credible and powerful rather than
cultural and optional” (78).
“We must actually believe
and live the truths we sing, otherwise what we sing can make us hypocritical,
and not only doesn’t attract non-believers—it turns them off. It is easy to
sing about the Lordship of Christ; far harder to live under it” (92).
“The songs we sing
together are lifelines that draw each of us back to the heart of the King we
serve and to the priorities of the kingdom we are members of. The songs we sing
to ourselves are what tether us to our Lord day by day. The songs we sing to
others are what proclaim His kingdom manifesto in a way that reaches deep into
their heads and their hearts” (98).
In the end, the question is “Will you sing?”
“Sing
praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm
30:4 ESV).
© 2020 Dawn Rutan.
Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The
opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
