There are many reasons to be excited about attending church on Sunday and one of those is participating in worship with a congregation that sings!
Music has always been a major part of my life. My mother played the piano for nearly 75 years. My dad loved to sing. I cut my musical teeth on children’s records and long-play albums. The sounds of Jack Holcomb, Helen Barth, Doug Oldam, 16 Singing Men, and many others filled our home every day. We even had a membership with Word Record Company and received monthly sacred albums.
My mom would play the piano in church and Dad would lead the singing. I vividly remember as a little boy that small congregation along the river in Dart, Ohio, singing their hearts out to such songs as “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” “Hear Ye the Master’s Call,” and many, many others.
Believe it or not, the first time I led singing in church was at the age of 12, and I led my first choir at the age of 14.
Some of my fondest memories of music are also connected with a packed out Lodge at The Wilds Camp and Conference Center as a teen singing those great camp songs! Also, how blessed to have attended many, many Southern Gospel concerts with my father-in-law, my wife and our daughters who are musicians.
How absolutely grateful I am that God created music!! Even more, how awesome it is to sing with other believers on Sunday who are gathered in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father, lifting their voices in praise and heartfelt melodies!!
This past Sunday, as I stood at the front row of the auditorium, I could hear the congregation singing behind me. Having led singing for many years in our church, I could only imagine their countenances as they sang, “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone,” “Come, Christians Join to Sing,” and a new song we are learning, “Jesus, the Son of God.” Many, many times when our congregation sings, I think, “This has to be a foretaste of Heaven!!”
May I encourage you to serve the Lord, to worship the Lord, and minister to all those around you this Sunday by lifting your voice in praise! Ask your worship leader ahead of time what songs will be sung so you can sing them with your family during the week before the Sunday worship gathering. Use those songs in your personal daily meeting time with God in His Word and prayer. Come prepared to Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 30:4)
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! (Psalm 47:6)
Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. (Psalm 66:2)
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. (Psalm 95:1)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)
From A Pastor's Heart 