Music, singing it and listening to it, has always played an important part in my life. One of my earliest memories is singing songs to and about Jesus in the little Methodist Sunday School I went to every Sunday. Those songs I can remember and still sing along to now, 70 years later.
Since my eldest granddaughter has been singing in her College choir my enjoyment of choral music has grown stronger and more important to me in my walk with God. The singing of human voices is special and even more so when singing to God and about Him to others. And for me the singing of scriptural verses from the Bible is not only special but spiritually powerful.
At the end of last term Jill and I went to collect our granddaughter from college to bring her home for Easter. The evening before we journeyed home we sat in the ancient College Chapel as the college choir sang a programme of choral music for the Lenten and Passiontide seasons. For me the highlight was Anton Bruckner’s “Christus factus est” a motet sung in Latin but based on the words of Philippians 2:8,9: “Christ was made obedient for us, even up to death, death on the cross. For this reason, God himself exalted him and gave him that name, which is above all names”.
The choir sang beautifully. They created a wonderful, complex and harmonious texture with the different voices bringing different rhythms and melodies. How it helped me to acknowledge the glorious truths of those verses! Wow!
The singing of scriptural verses has been a fundamental part of worship first for the Jews and then for us Christians going back over 3000 years in total. Over many years singing scripture has helped us memorise, express our love and devotion and understand deep theology.
It all began with Old Testament songs of deliverance such as Exodus 15 and then the singing of Psalms encouraged by King David. Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn, probably the Halle (Psalms 115-118) after the Last Supper. And so this tradition was continued by the early Church and on until today.
The Bible frequently reminds God’s people to sing, particularly in the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 96:1, Psalm 105:2) and in the New Testament. Paul in his letter to the Colossians writes: “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.” (Colossians 3:16).
For me, the human voice singing scripture is a beautiful, profound experience. Both listening and singing myself take me deeper into worshipping my God. Something that is more than just an intellectual acknowledgement but helps me feel and express my emotions and my heart for God.
All references are from the NKJV unless specified otherwise.
John Partis
bearing-kingdom-fruit.com
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