ODJ: sing
September 7, 2011
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! (v.1).
READ: Psalm 96:1-6
For 160 years, the Free Church of Scotland has not allowed hymns or any instrumental music to be played or sung in their public worship. In 1843, the Free Church split from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland; and ever since, the Free Church has allowed only psalms to be sung—and only to be sung a cappella. However, a vote in an upcoming assembly for the entire denomination might allow hymns and instrumentation to be added to the worship mix.
At this historic gathering, the Free Church of Scotland will be taking Psalm 96:1 quite literally: “Sing a new song to the Lord!” For the psalmist (and for all of Israel for whom the psalmbook of prayers and songs was written), singing was a way of prayer. These psalms were songs directed toward God, thus prayer. “Sing to the Lord,” says the psalmist, “praise His name” (v.2).
The Psalms are a collection of prayers primarily intended for God’s people to sing together. While private prayer is necessary and good, having the entire community lift their voices in unison to God is just as necessary and good.
Part of the beauty of this collective prayer is that it expresses the vibrant, creative life God is actively nourishing within His people. This is a “new song,” an “alive” song, a generative, blossoming, joy-filled song (v.1). God is not distant. God is present now, active now, stirring up new things. The community’s singing of prayers announces God’s actions to the whole world. The Psalms allow us to “proclaim the good news that [God] saves” and to “publish [God’s] glorious deeds among the nations” (vv.2-3).
We sing because our prayer-songs express our deepest joy, and we want others to hear and then sing along. Let’s teach the world to truly sing.
—Winn Collier
What does the act of singing evoke in you, and how does this inform your understanding of prayer? Where in your life should you be singing and praying?
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