It’s almost five years ago that I commenced hosting a Sunday evening radio program of Christian songs.  I recently put together my 250^th Songs of Faith program for Community Radio 2MaxFM.  When I began I was concerned that after some weeks I would run out of songs and that I would end up playing the same couple of dozen songs over and over.  I need not have worried.  I now have a collection of well over one thousand songs from which I make my choices each week – and I still frequently add to that collection.

My involvement in this program has highlighted for me that Christianity is a religion of song.  No other religion has the same wealth of musical expression as does Christianity.  There’s everything from Biblical Psalms to traditional hymns; from majestic oratorios to Afro-American spirituals; from country gospel songs to modern rock songs.  Oh, and did I mention Gregorian chants and gospel choruses?  When it comes to different presentations of Christian music and song, the sky is the limit: from instrumentals to a-Capella singing, from mass choirs to duets, from male and female solos to congregational singing.

So why is Christianity a religion of song?  Firstly, because God himself sings.  Oh, yes. He does..!  The prophet Zephaniah tells us about God rejoicing over us with singing (3:17) and Isaiah pointed out that as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride so shall your God rejoice over you.  It’s hardly surprising then that we humans who have been made in God’s image and likeness also know how to sing – even though the songs that humans sing are not always to God’s glory.  And that’s a second reason why Christianity is a religion of song.  God calls us to praise him in music and song.  To make sure we would do that God even provided us with a songbook consisting of 150 Psalms.  Those Psalms tell us not only how God’s desire is for us to sing his praises but also encourages our creativity as we are told a number of times in the Psalms to sing a new song.

It is a wonderful and profound blessing that we Christians have such a rich heritage of song.  Let me mention three ways in which Christian song is a great blessing to us – and I’m sure you can think of other ways in which Christian song is meant to bless our socks off.

First and foremost it gives us wonderful resources with which to express our praise and thanks to God.  And of course we want to do that.  Maybe that’s especially why Christianity is religion of song – we’ve got so much more reason to praise God than anyone else in the world.  We have been pardoned and accepted as God’s children through the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ.  What a blessing that we have beautiful psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with which to express our gratitude to our heavenly Father.

Songs of faith are also a blessing to us as individuals.  That comes out. I believe, in the story of King Saul and young David.  Whenever Saul was hit by a bout of depression David played his harp to settle the troubled king.  Okay, we’re not told that David played and sang for Saul the Psalms that he had written – but I find it difficult to imagine that David would not do that.  Not long ago I had some days when I felt troubled.  In the middle of that the Lord brought to my mind the hymn, “When peace like a river...!”  The words and the tune ran like soundtrack through my memory, lifting me out of the doldrums as the Lord assured me through the words of that song, “It is well with my soul...!”  Many of us will sometimes play some recorded Christian songs to lift our spirits.  Many a Christian has departed this life with loved ones encouraging them with songs of praise.

But songs of faith also have a communal blessing for us.  Paul made that clear when he encouraged the Ephesian Christians to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  There’s little more stimulating than to join with a whole congregation in some great rousing Christian song of praise.  In that regard it saddens me to be in a church where people are not singing but listening to a performance by the band out the front.  Let’s not neglect in our churches the delight of communal praise to our God.

John Westendorp