Meeting with God Every Day
Music
'Music is the Food of Love' William Shakespeare
It has always been said that music is the language of feeling and of passion, as words are the language of reason. Put together using words of scripture or Christian belief, hymns and worship songs can in themselves evoke emotions beyond words, move faith to new heights and not only enhance Christian worship but provide a form of worship beyond understanding.
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'Born in song God's people have always been singing.' Brian Hoare
...with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Colossians 3:16
Music featured prominently throughout Scripture. The Bible references singing and the playing of instruments, and both are closely tied to worshipping God.The people of God sing. The role of music in worship is biblical.
The people of God sing. The role of music in worship is biblical.
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After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord (Exodus 15).
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Singing was part of Israel’s formal worship in both tabernacle and temple (1 Chronicles 6:31–32, 16:42).
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The Psalms bear rich testimony that in joy and sorrow, in praise and lament, the faithful raise their voices in song to God.
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Hymn singing was practiced by Jesus and his disciples (Matthew 26:30).
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The Apostle Paul instructed the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3: 16–17).
Theology is "the study of the nature of God and religious belief." Musical theology refers to hymns and songs with rich, meaningful text that speaks to who God is and what we believe. Ashley Danyew
Most Christian music involves singing, whether by the whole congregation, or by a specialised subgroup - such as a soloist, duet, trio, quartet, choir or worship group. Some is sung unaccompanied but more often accompanied by instruments - organ, piano or music band. One of the earliest forms of worship music in the church was the Gregorian chant still enjoyed by many and sung in a variety of languages including Latin. I find the harmony formed by Gregorian chant very moving and for me not understanding the words is irrelevant. The meaning and feeling it evokes goes beyond words.
Music and song play a vital role in the life and Faith of God’s people in and outside church today.
Music and song brings people together and it doesn’t matter how well you can sing. I like many, am so pleased that is the case. I love to sing hymns and christian songs, they are such an important part of my christian worship and enjoyment but I would never consider that I have a good voice. Outside the church there are few occasions or opportunities in our society for people to sing together and those that do are generally for those blessed with good voices. I'm certainly not good enough to join a secular choir but I am a member of our church choir.
Congregational song in most churches, like congregational worship together, relies on the joining together of the many in song and praise and is always stronger together and has a harmony often not found by one voice.
John Calvin recognised the power of congregational singing and unison prayer in helping people to express and experience the unity of the body of Christ. Asserting that the human tongue was especially created to proclaim the praise of God, both through singing and speaking. However, Calvin cautioned that “we should be very careful that our ears be not more attentive to the melody than our minds to the spiritual meaning of the words.…[S]uch songs as have been composed only for the sweetness and delight of the ear are unbecoming to the majesty of the church and cannot but displease God in the highest degree.” (Institutes of the Christian Religion)
I'm not sure Calvin would agree with my enjoyment of Gregorian chant without understanding the words spoken!
Songs of worship shape faith. Simple, repetitive music such as praise choruses and Taize chants are very appropriate in worship and can be very effective in moving individuals to prayer and to praise. But it is also important for the congregation to know some of the great traditional hymns of faith in order to have a sense the Christian faith. Hymns, both ancient and modern, tell biblical stories, and teach of the nature and the mighty acts of God are essential for the congregation’s growth in faith.
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Through this website I will try to share my views and experiences of Meeting God in the Everyday.
I am a wife, sister, friend and in the past I have been a nurse in the NHS, an Acupuncturist and since 2014 I've been an ordained minister in the Church of England. At the moment I am the vicar of four rural parishes in South Warwickshire.
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Christian music and song express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. They generally include themes of praise, worship, penitence and lament and its forms vary widely across the world. The creation, content, performance and significance of the music varies according to culture, social context and in some cases denomination. Christian music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from pleasure to religious or ceremonial purposes.