Why We Sing in Worship

Throughout the history of the Church, God's people have sung together every Lord’s Day.  Truth expressed in song deepened understanding of Christian teaching and unified congregations in their commitment to specific theological distinctives.  Historically, the churches of the Reformation understood the role that God intends music to play in the local church.  Here is a brief summary:

• Biblical singing teaches truth about God
• Biblical singing expresses prayer
• Biblical singing shapes Christian affections
• Biblical singing unites the community of faith

All of that began to change in American evangelicalism during the 20^th century.  Popular music styles invaded the church to serve the pragmatic impulses of revivalists.  Music was “good” if it used cultural appeal to draw crowds with the expectation of entertainment.  As churches began to use this pattern to reshape their ministries, the consequences were devastating: sentimentality displaced truth, individual interests eclipsed the interests of the assembly, and carnal desires rose above godly affections. In the end, the "worshiper" replaced God as the focus of the worship service. 

 

At Grace Baptist Church of Marshall we attempt to reclaim the biblical purpose of singing.  To do so, we select church music based on the following criteria: 

• Songs that use lyrics which declare a broad spectrum of biblical truth
• Songs that express truth with respect and reverence
• Songs that use lyrics that express the truth with artistic beauty
• Songs that have a musical style that supports the truth, not distracts from it
• Songs that have a musical style appropriate for the purpose and occasion
• Songs that are singable and memorable
• Songs that promote spiritual contemplation, not just emotional release
• Songs that avoid obvious associations with worldliness or theological error
• Songs that are timeless, transcending any narrow era or culture