One of the many blessings for Christians is the freedom to attend worship each week where we can, amongst other things, sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), hopefully making a joyful noise unto the Lord. 

When one reads the Old and New Testament Scriptures, God’s people were encouraged to write and sing about God’s wonderful acts of deliverance and providence.   Moses, Miriam, and Israel sang a new song about God’s deliverance (Exo 15). Moses was commanded to write a new song in Deut 31:19ff that would bear testimony to God and His work in future days (cf Psa 90). King David sang a song of praise (2 Sam 22).  The book of Psalms is of full songs.  The major and minor prophets include songs that are about what God has done, particularly His provision and acts of deliverance (Isa 5; 26; 49; Jon 2).  Ezra 3:11ff records that the people sang to the Lord when the foundation of the temple was laid.

We see a similar trend in the New Testament Scriptures.  Mary’s song and Zechariah’s song (Luke 1); Jesus and the disciples sang hymns (Mat 26:30), Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison (Acts 16:25); and Revelation contains several hymns (Rev 5; 14; 15) to the praise of God. 

As Christians we can appreciate the beauty of singing together and making a beautiful noise to the Lord’s Name.  We can be thankful to God for the lyrics of hymns and songs recorded in the past for us to sing today.  We can be thankful for God’s creative gift given to mankind to write new hymns and songs for the present day.  New hymns and songs such as ‘In Christ alone,’ ‘Grace, greater than our sin,’ ‘How deep the Father’s love’, just to name a few.  We can be thankful for the blessing of modern technology, which allows us to sing these ‘new’ songs unto the Lord and not have to wait until a new hymnody is revised or printed which can sometimes take many years.   

However, with the addition of modern technology and the ability to download and pick hymns and songs from many different Christian settings, it may be time for worship leaders to think carefully about the theology contained in the hymns and songs chosen to sing during worship.  In many of the modern songs, a subtle shift in focus has crept into our singing.  There seems to be an increase in focusing on self and what we are doing, rather than singing about what God has done for us, especially in Christ.  Instead of singing about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit’s work and love, we seem to be singing repetitive lyrics about our love towards our heavenly Father in Christ, which even on the best of days can be rather fickle. 

Here is just one example: “This is my desire, to honour You Lord with all my heart; I worship You. All I have within me, I give You praise; All that I adore is in You; (chorus) I give You my soul. I live for You alone. Every breath that I take, Every moment I'm awake, Lord, have Your way in me”

When one carefully looks at these lyrics, you will immediately notice that it is all about “I.” There is nothing in it that reminds us of what our heavenly Father has done for us as his redeemed people in Christ.  In fact, this song is primarily about singing our praises and takes the glory that rightly belongs to our heavenly Father in Christ onto ourselves.  

Perhaps it is time to go back to Scripture and look at how the writers of Scripture phrased their lyrics so that our Triune God receives the glory and praise.  For instance: Psalm 95; 96; 98; or Rev 5 -  “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!… To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”  These lyrics give us something to sing about and hopefully it is ‘food for singing’ for you too. JZ.