The beauty and ministry of singing congregational hymns

Ephesians 5:19 (KJV) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

Speaking is an essential aspect of learning as it requires individuals to integrate multiple cognitive functions at once, which could increase the “binding” between grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary, increasing connections among these linguistic elements as the speaker forms a sentence.

The singing of hymns increases the knowledge of their beautiful messages. Today, there is a growing debate in churches on the continued singing of beautiful congregational hymns or replacing them entirely with contemporary praise music. Beautiful church choirs and congregational hymnals are being replaced with stage entertainers. What does the Bible say? Are congregants coming to Christ and being baptized?

If not, where is the blame?

What do we know about congregational singing? Congregational singing was primarily the invention of the Protestant Reformation. Before then, singing in significantly larger urban churches was left principally to professionals. The reformers in Strasbourg, in particular, reduced the church service primarily to a sermon bookended by congregational singing and prayers.

Martin Luther (1483–1546) never wanted to establish a new ecclesiastical institution. He tried to re-form the Roman Catholic Church; he wanted to help bring the church where he had been raised back into conformity with New Testament doctrines and practices. Since part of what Luther wanted to recover was congregational singing, it will help to take a quick look at early Christian hymnody. The course of God’s people singing in corporate worship goes back to the Psalms. Many psalms seem to have been written to be sung to specific tunes.

The Reformation hymns emphasized the worship of Christ rather than the medieval worship of Mary. The replaced the chanting of priests and choirs in Latin with congregational singing in the people’s language. With the Reformation, the congregational hymn was reborn and has continued as an essential part of Protestant worship.

Colossians 3:16 (KJV) “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.” Kenneth W. Osbeck was a musician, author, and teacher. He was born on Dec. 13, 1924, in Michigan, USA. He served in World War II and earned a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan. He taught music and fine arts for 35 years at Cornerstone University and the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music. He was also a minister of music in seven churches in the Grand Rapids area, and he directed music for the Children’s Bible Hour, Youth for Christ, the Radio Bible Class, and Diadem Records. He was well-known for his sixteen books related to hymn stories and music ministry, and he was awarded an HonoraryDoctor of Letters degree from Cornerstone University, with thankfulness in his heart to God.

Reverend Doctor Osbeck said, “Christian song is the overflow of the Christian Heart. If our hearts are full, our singing will be full.” He said, “Hymn singing reflects a congregation’s spiritual vitality and their response to God’s grace.” Doctor Osbeck noted, “A spiritual church is a singing church.”

Dwight Lyman (D.L.) Moody, a 19th -century American evangelist and publisher, said: “Singing does at least as much as preaching to impress the Word of God upon people’s minds. Ever since God first called me, the importance of praise expressed in song has grown upon me.”

John and Charles Wesley, 18th-century founders of Methodist societies, hymn writers, and preachers, proclaimed for every person they won with their preaching, ten were won through their music. Martin Luther was a 16th-century German priest, theologian, author, hymn writer, and professor. Historians state that he won more converts to Christ through his encouragement of congregational singing than through his vigorous preaching and teaching.

Hymn authors, over the decades to the present day, Martin Luther, Isacc Watts, Charles Wesley, John Newton, Ira Sankey, Philip Bliss, Fanny Crosby, John Peterson, and others have been used by God to challenge the unbeliever, to edify saints, and bring people to God through their hymns.

The messages of participating in and singing beautiful and inspired congregational hymns and hearing church choirs can not be replaced. Church choirs are open for anyone to join. They support the preaching of the whole Word of God.

The bottom line is this. Is your church bringing people to Christ through the whole word of God and song or just a stage for entertainment with limited participants?