There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good, old-fashioned, sing-a-long around a campfire. I was able to enjoy that experience last Sunday night with our youth group. As several moms and dads and young people sat around the campfire, we began to sing to the accompaniment of an acoustic guitar. The longer we sang, the farther back in time we reached until we were singing songs we had learned as children in Sunday School. Most of the adults (myself included) had not sung those songs in years. How about decades! And yet the words came back perfectly.
We remember words put to music that ordinarily we would forget. For example, finish the following lyrics from this well-known song: “Come and listen to a story ‘bout a man named Jed…” Now try this one: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…”
See what I mean? This is one of the reasons why Christians sing. Of course, we sing to worship. But we also sing to learn and remember. How did you learn your “ABC’s” as a child? I learned them by singing the little song, “A, B, C, D, E, F, G…” Likewise, one of the most effective ways to learn and remember the great truths of the Christian faith is to sing about them.
Singing is also a great way to memorize Scripture. If I were to ask you to quote Psalm 97:9, could you? That might be a little difficult. But I’m sure you would get it if I asked you to finish this line: “For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth…” The popular chorus, “I Exalt Thee,” is Psalm 97:9 put to music. You know it because you have sung it.
There are many reasons why Christians sing. Most of all, we sing because God has put a song in our hearts. Jesus has given us something to sing about. So lift up your voice and sing! Declare with the psalmist, “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33).
Pastor Todd Weston
We remember words put to music that ordinarily we would forget. For example, finish the following lyrics from this well-known song: “Come and listen to a story ‘bout a man named Jed…” Now try this one: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…”
See what I mean? This is one of the reasons why Christians sing. Of course, we sing to worship. But we also sing to learn and remember. How did you learn your “ABC’s” as a child? I learned them by singing the little song, “A, B, C, D, E, F, G…” Likewise, one of the most effective ways to learn and remember the great truths of the Christian faith is to sing about them.
Singing is also a great way to memorize Scripture. If I were to ask you to quote Psalm 97:9, could you? That might be a little difficult. But I’m sure you would get it if I asked you to finish this line: “For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth…” The popular chorus, “I Exalt Thee,” is Psalm 97:9 put to music. You know it because you have sung it.
There are many reasons why Christians sing. Most of all, we sing because God has put a song in our hearts. Jesus has given us something to sing about. So lift up your voice and sing! Declare with the psalmist, “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33).
Pastor Todd Weston
