A Neglected Practice

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” ~ Colossians 3:16

I wonder if there are some biblical commands which matter to you more than others. Of course you don’t murder, but unwholesome speech flows across your lips like water. Maybe you’ve come across one of those imperatives that just doesn’t resonate with you, so you ignore its obligation on your life. You’ve concluded that gathering for corporate worship is optional, especially during certain seasons (summer vacation, perhaps), despite the author of Hebrews’ admonition to not neglect gathering together (Heb. 10:25). Or perhaps you’ve heard of people who faithfully follow a particular command, but you find their expression of Christianity disagreeable to your lifestyle or preferences, so you jettison that command and replace it with a less “extreme” position. I imagine Sabbath keeping might be at the top of this list for many. This week I want to examine one of those biblical commands that is often neglected, both corporately and individually, but it holds countless blessings for those who submit themselves to its impetus.

I am so thankful that as a church, we are committed to obeying the command of the Lord through the Apostle Paul when he says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16; cf. Eph. 5:19). I’m sure most of you know that there are countless churches (and homes) across the land that never sings psalms at all! How many of us grew up in churches that never even considered singing psalms in worship? What a shame, for as Calvin said, the psalter is “an anatomy of all parts of the soul,” and is good for singing in any and every occasion. Not only is it good, it is required by the Lord for us to sing psalms, so let’s think about singing psalms in worship, both corporate and private.

Singing psalms corporately provides words to sing for every person who is gathered for worship. I’m sure you’ve experienced this before: one of those Lord’s Days when the overwhelmingly triumphant hymns fail to give expression to your soul’s burdens. The psalms often give us a voice in these moments. Psalms of lament are as significant for corporate worship as are the triumphal refrains of songs like “To God be the Glory.” Additionally, when we sing psalms to one another (for that is what we are truly doing), we are enabling the word of Christ to dwell richly in us (and each other) as we teach and admonish one another with the very Word of God (Col. 3:16). Isn’t this interesting? We all minister to one another when we sing, and a biblical part of that singing must include psalms.

Another dimension of psalm singing is the use of the psalter in private and family worship. I imagine this is the area in which most of us need encouragement. When you come to corporate worship at Christ Covenant Church, you are guaranteed to sing a psalm — at least one in both morning and evening worship. But I wonder if you and your family ever spend time singing psalms together. I can tell you from experience, it is a wonderful thing to write God’s Word on your heart through singing and to listen to the voices of your children singing God’s Word back to Him!

As I mentioned earlier, singing psalms gives voice to all of the emotions, experiences, and needs of our souls. Singing psalms in corporate worship is beneficial for the opportunity not only to sing God’s Word, but to feel the songs resonating with your life. But in private and family worship, you have control over which psalms you sing. This gives you an even greater opportunity to cry out to God in melodious prayer as you lament, express worry or confusion, rejoice in His marvelous works, and recount all of His past faithfulness in your life. Singing psalms (not just reading psalms) in private and family worship is a great gift from the Lord, and I trust that you will lay hold of the blessings it offers by obeying Christ in this area.

So let me encourage you to prepare for corporate worship by singing psalms in private and family worship. Additionally, you can purchase our denominational psalter (The ARP Psalter with Bible Songs) in order to help you learn the songs we sing each Sunday. Singing psalms is a wonderful way to memorize Scripture, to express all the experiences of your soul, and to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

Rev. Kyle W. A. Lockhart, Associate Pastor