What if worship was more than just a personal moment with God? Join us as we uncover the hidden depths of corporate worship singing, drawing from Ephesians 5:19-20. Katelyn and I challenge the notion that worship is merely an audience of one, revealing how our collective voices can foster profound unity and encouragement within the church. Discover how being filled with the Spirit transforms our singing into a powerful tool for mutual edification.
Have you ever felt hesitant to sing in church because of personal preferences or unfamiliarity with new songs? We tackle these common barriers and encourage full participation in worship, emphasizing that singing is a command akin to the command to love. Through the rich tapestry of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we explore how different types of music can uplift the congregation and contribute to personal spiritual growth. Plus, we paint a vivid picture of the perfect worship awaiting us in heaven.
To make the most of your worship experience, preparation is key. We delve into practical tips for familiarizing yourself with worship songs ahead of time, reducing the anxiety of not knowing the lyrics and enhancing your ability to worship freely. With heartfelt anecdotes from our own music ministry journeys, we illustrate the transformative power of a well-prepared heart and voice. Get ready to embrace the joy and encouragement that flow from singing together in worship.
Stock Music provided by wolfgangwoehrle, from Pond5
What if worship was more than just a personal moment with God? Join us as we uncover the hidden depths of corporate worship singing, drawing from Ephesians 5:19-20. Katelyn and I challenge the notion that worship is merely an audience of one, revealing how our collective voices can foster profound unity and encouragement within the church. Discover how being filled with the Spirit transforms our singing into a powerful tool for mutual edification.
Have you ever felt hesitant to sing in church because of personal preferences or unfamiliarity with new songs? We tackle these common barriers and encourage full participation in worship, emphasizing that singing is a command akin to the command to love. Through the rich tapestry of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we explore how different types of music can uplift the congregation and contribute to personal spiritual growth. Plus, we paint a vivid picture of the perfect worship awaiting us in heaven.
To make the most of your worship experience, preparation is key. We delve into practical tips for familiarizing yourself with worship songs ahead of time, reducing the anxiety of not knowing the lyrics and enhancing your ability to worship freely. With heartfelt anecdotes from our own music ministry journeys, we illustrate the transformative power of a well-prepared heart and voice. Get ready to embrace the joy and encouragement that flow from singing together in worship.
Stock Music provided by wolfgangwoehrle, from Pond5
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God Podcast, a show focused on helping Christians to think biblically, engage practically and live faithfully for the glory of God. I'm your host, jonathan Soule, and we're picking up on the conversation from last week and Caitlin and I are going to continue. As we're talking about singing. We focused mostly on kind of the biblical insights or looking at some biblical examples concerning singing. We engaged on a few practical issues, but we thought it'd be good to kind of bring this conversation back up again and dive into more practical how would I say this? More of a more of a practical look at singing. Um, how do we do that? We were asking kind of why and the biblical foundations for that, but kind of like, how do we do that?
Speaker 2:well, I think we're talking corporately, like when we come together yeah, I mean, I'll never sing alone.
Speaker 1:Well, so yeah, I just wanted to I like not in the shower, like that.
Speaker 1:You know um yeah thinking kind of corporately, um, and how that's done practically and ultimately, just for as a faithful Christian response to the gospel. I mean, because I think singing as a Christian is the expression of heartfelt praise and gratitude for the power of the gospel at work in me or in the individual, and that's just the response. I can't help but singing, you know. So, all right, so we think about practically engaging when it comes to singing, the power of singing and what that does. We wanted to look at Ephesians, chapter five, verses 19 and 20. Want to read those.
Speaker 2:Yep, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to god, the father, in the name of our lord jesus christ. When thinking about singing practically, I think this is a great passage to unpack so it it begins, and again I think you're absolutely right Start here.
Speaker 1:This is practical right. So the first thing that Paul says is addressing one another.
Speaker 2:I like this because I think we just kind of view singing corporately as just kind of like we're coming together and singing praises to God and it is, but it's also a ministry to one another.
Speaker 1:Okay, True or false? We have heard it said that in corporate worship we are addressing an audience of one. Is that true or false?
Speaker 2:It's what we, it's what's been said, but I would. I would say it's a half truth, yeah we are. There is an audience of one, that all that truly matters. But I do think there is a level of encouragement and ministry to one another that comes through corporate worship.
Speaker 1:So is that a T or an F? Is that a true or a false?
Speaker 2:False. I guess, if I had to pick one, yeah.
Speaker 1:You do have to pick one. Yeah, take a stand here. Yeah, yeah, I would say it's false um, so you're not singing to an audience of one? No, okay, who are you singing to?
Speaker 2:well, we're singing to the lord and that should be our main focus it's. But also I know for me when there have been weeks where I didn't feel like being at church or I was going through a major trial and struggle we talked about very recently on imperfect marriage, just going through anxiety and all of that when going to church and hearing the church sing praises to the Lord encouraged my heart, it put joy into my heart and it did minister to me. And it's not about me, but it's an encouragement to me and it made me want to sing out and it made me want to praise the Lord. And I do think there is a level of you're ministering to one another. You're reminding one another of the promises that God has made to us as a body of Christ. We are singing some songs of thankfulness and praise, but we're also singing songs of you know, when trials come, what does that look like for us? And we're bolstering each other up in the faith.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's you know, getting at what he's saying here. So in addressing one another, I would agree that you know it's to the audience of one.
Speaker 1:I actually think that's a super false statement, ah spoken with good intentions you know, it doesn't matter how you sing, it doesn't matter what you say, like it's, you know, is, uh, corporate worship is not private worship. Yeah, and it's a personal expression, but for the good of us all, and so are we addressing? Uh, we can't be addressing an audience of one when paul says addressing one another. But the object of our worship is not each other or to draw attention to ourselves, as we're pointing one another to Jesus. And that's where I'm going to jump ahead a little bit, singing, making melody to the Lord, not to your neighbor.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, corporate worship, it's an audience of many and I think it's beautiful, yeah, um so, but yeah, when we think about it that way, practically speaking, it's where the many raise up one voice. Yes, and the range that everybody's in, okay, but it's the, it's where the many become one in this singular voice of praise and adoration or whatever. It might be a song of lament, but with one voice we sing, yes, and it's, you know, the body together. We are in total agreement, paul, talking about how do we engage in corporate worship here?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's not like you're living your life as a musical.
Speaker 2:Well, even to go above that in verse 18, I mean, he talks about not being drunk and then he says but be filled with the spirit, addressing one another in psalms, when you are filled with the spirit, you will sing, you will address one another. You will sing, you will address one another, you will make melody to the lord with your heart at least that's what paul is implying. Um, so I think we, we need to be aware if we're not doing that. You know, this is, this, is a command, and I believe it's in scripture for a reason. And so, um, that's just a, a note of just. You know, when you're filled with a spirit, you should sing.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yeah, we'll talk about it.
Speaker 2:I mean, we can talk about that now or we can talk about it later.
Speaker 1:Sure, it's fine. I mean, I think you're absolutely right If you're living with the spirit quenched within you, if you're harboring iniquity in your heart, if you live in a state of perpetual unrepentance, one if you are saved. You're miserable and it's on your face Miserable. People don't sing, and they see this as a suggestion, not a command. Christians are commanded to sing, just as we are commanded to love. It's not like, should I love this person? If I'm not, I'm sinning. Ooh, is it a sin to not sing in church? The question just kind of came to mind. That's a hot take.
Speaker 2:It's a hot take, but I believe if you're reading the scripture and you're reading what Paul is saying, yeah, I would want to ask why wouldn't you sing? And if it has anything to do with I don't sing, well, I don't like those songs. I blah, blah, blah. Well then you're making it about you and not about what the Lord has done in your heart.
Speaker 1:We do recognize, though, that there are some songs that could pose to be challenging, especially if they're newer.
Speaker 2:Now, not newer releases, Sure you're learning a song or the range might be a little higher than your vocal range or whatever. There's obviously reasons for it. But mouth the words or at least pretend. If it doesn't work, have a smile on your face and enjoy the others singing it. You can still have a pleasant face and maybe struggle with a tune of a song.
Speaker 1:Sure, so addressing one another. That means that in our singing as it's directed to the Lord, we also recognize it's for the benefit and the good of those around us. And singing in church, singing out, singing well, I mean singing benefits, the one next to us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I play the piano for our church. I play the piano for our church and I will tell you that when I can hear the first few pews around me singing out, it just lights a fire under me.
Speaker 1:Strike those keys a little harder. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:It's so encouraging to where I start singing out while I'm playing, but I truly believe that we sit in the best seat in church, the best section. There's a ton of kids. There are some families who are faithful in learning the songs that we're going to be singing each week and it is just so powerful and it makes me want to sing out even louder, even stronger, even more just, reverently to the Lord, because I have these people, a lot of kids too, who are singing out these like solid, full of doctrine songs and it's just, it's really, it's really cool.
Speaker 1:It's amazing. Do you ever get like the goosebumps?
Speaker 2:Oh, all the time.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:And, like I tell, we tell people the best place to sit is up front, because that is where the best singing is At least I'm, I think, because that's where we sit, and it's amazing, sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can agree with that and it is encouraging. There are times that we're singing certain songs and might be getting ready to go up there and preach and we're on, like I don't know, verse three, and inwardly in my spirit, or maybe the spirit within me, it's like I don't want this song to end, like I'm almost thinking like, oh man, there's only like one or two more verses, Like I could just keep going like this.
Speaker 1:Because when we think about even just the whole of corporate worship on a Sunday morning, like that is the slice of heaven every week that we get, it's the closest thing to heaven on earth that a Christian will ever experience the people of God gathering, as in Jesus' name, to sing praises to the lamb who was slain, to hear the word of God, the word Christ, the very word of God Jesus, the main point of every message, every Christian worship service, and it's imperfect. But that is when we go to heaven. We will experience perfect worship. We will sing to the lamb. I mean you, we go to heaven. We will experience perfect worship. We will sing to the Lamb. I mean you'll read in Revelation. You hear about the song and the myriads and the myriads and thousands of thousands, a number that no one can number. I mean it can count and it's just, it's going to be amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we will be singing, so why not do that?
Speaker 1:And I guarantee there will not be a single soul in heaven that mumbles.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:With perfected voice. Yeah, oh, let's go. I'm getting goosebumps. All right, so, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, practically sing a variety of music.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love psalm singing and find myself in various preaching, visiting preaching in various strands of the reformed tradition, and sometimes it's psalm singing only. Sometimes it's psalm singing without instruments, sometimes it's psalms and hymns. But one of the reasons why I personally one of my personal convictions lowercase c convictions, don't believe we should sing psalms only, is because if you sing only the psalms strictly, you will spend your entire Christian worship experience and you will never name the name of Jesus. You'll sing about the coming one, about a future one, and I think there's something about New Testament. I know the New Testament doesn't have this real explicit theology of what you do sing nonetheless, and that's the thing that there's no instruments in the new testament. Therefore, um, okay, but uh. So I appreciate the psalm singing. I think psalm singing should be a part of a whole and you should sing psalms, you should sing hymns and spiritual songs, and I think what pa Paul's saying here is appropriate Christian worship.
Speaker 1:And if you know, reading through the New Testament, paul quotes hymns in the scriptures Philippians, chapter 2, when he's talking about the humility and exaltation of Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, he didn't count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant. Therefore, god is highly exalted. You know, he was obedient to the point of death. That's a hymn that Paul quoted and put into the Philippian letter. That's the stuff they were singing in the first century.
Speaker 1:They were singing songs or hymns that were richly Christological, and the power of music is and I think we talked about it in the first episode is that it's sticky. So they would sing the gospel. The letters were just circulating, maybe some copies were being made. So how were they being catechized? How were they being trained? What were their confessions? They sung their confessions and it's a wonderful example. And when we think about the spectrum, you have your Psalms. They cover a wide range of topics fantastic, 150 of them. Some of them are messianic, some of them are laments, some of them are rejoicing in who God is. Then your hymns and spiritual songs, and I think having variety in your worship gathering is important. Yes, I completely agree.
Speaker 2:Gathering is important. Yes, I completely agree, and, being someone who really has, I have a hand in the order of service each week that is definitely on my mind each week before I present the music to you for approval is having a variety. I try to include some traditional hymn, some familiar song, maybe a new song. We do a song of the month each month so that we can learn a new song. We talk about it all the time. We live in a golden age where there are new hymns being written all over the place and they are wonderful. We try to get a new song out to the congregation and they are wonderful. So we try to get a new song out to the congregation and so, yeah, I think that it's a good formula to have to have kind of a variety and we take into consideration that there are different tastes, and that's okay. There's different preferences to genres of music and how songs sound, and some might prefer a hymn, some might prefer a newer song, and so just taking that into consideration to try to have a good balance.
Speaker 2:I just read in Matt Merker's Nine Marks book Corporate Worship that when you are singing a song in corporate worship that you enjoy and it's a sound that you really like, there is likely somebody else in the congregation who's putting down their preference to sing that song, and I think that's such a good like humbling balancer of you know you might like this song or have it as kind of like a preference, but someone else might not, and so just being aware that you know, we do come together with variety, variety of backgrounds, a variety of personalities, a variety of upbringings, and we can come together and we can sing songs that might be out of our preference but are still doctrinally sound and true to the gospel, and I think that's beautiful. Now we've seen and heard of many instances where that just can't happen, and there's been lots of church splits over that type of stuff, and so it is definitely something to be aware of.
Speaker 1:Are you referencing, like the worship wars, things that used to occur? Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:I've been a part of churches that way, I'm sure you have too, and it can be really sticky. But I think having those varieties where you do have some traditional songs I've been a part of churches that way, I'm sure you have too, and it can be really sticky. But I think having those varieties where you do have some traditional songs, you do have some, maybe classic praise and worship songs or you know a new song I think it helps balance some of that.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, you know, look at church websites or whatever, and everybody kind of not everybody, that's probably an overstatement, but many places want to kind of advertise what their worship style is. So you might see someone say, hey, we're more traditional. Or you know the ones where they're like make their calling card like we sing out of the hymnal.
Speaker 1:Like okay that's totally great, you know, especially if you have an educated congregation knows how to read music. That's probably a benefit. But it's almost like hey, we're taking a stand against, like okay well, we don't know if we need to do all that. Or like the blended worship. You know, we're blended, we're contemporary and traditional.
Speaker 2:Some will even go to the extent of having a traditional service and a contemporary service. Yeah, you have two churches, two different churches.
Speaker 1:Do you have the contemporary pastor and the traditional pastor? Do you have the contemporary elder?
Speaker 2:It really just kind of doesn't make sense yeah.
Speaker 1:You're going to raise all my ecclesiological. You know We'll leave it there.
Speaker 2:Yeah sure, Different podcasts for a different time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, two different services, two different kinds of services. To appeal to two different preference groups is two different churches.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a recipe for disaster. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:Yeah. What happens when they all come together? Yeah, oh, we don't sing. Yeah, but if I was to, you know, to go on our website and say, hey, this is our worship style, I would say we strive to be biblical, we strive to sing the gospel and it takes on whatever form. Sing the gospel, put it through the criteria. What's your worship like? We sing theologically deep songs that point people to Jesus, that invite the congregation with one voice to address one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Doctrinally sound gospel-centered, Christ-centered.
Speaker 1:Singing the gospel is the criteria that we want to focus upon. Yeah, yeah, okay. Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Bring them all into your worship. Don't exclude one for the sake of the others. Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Why is it singing and making melody to the Lord and not singing and making harmony to the Lord? Why is it singing and making melody to the Lord and not singing and making harmony to the Lord? Does that reveal my lack of?
Speaker 2:understanding of music. No, I don't know how to answer that.
Speaker 1:I don't either. That's why I asked Is melody just like a good?
Speaker 2:noise like a melody is. Is the the tune? It's?
Speaker 1:it's the main tune of the song oh, harmony is like on the other side harmony are like the supporting notes to make the melody sound more beautiful all right. So then, make make sure that the main point is be the main, that the central part of your singing, the melody, is directed to the Lord.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I like it. Yeah, no, I like that actually, because harmony is support. So the melody you can do the melody and you don't have to have everything else.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, definitely, Harmonies just kind of add a more beautiful sound to that melody. But it's not needed.
Speaker 1:Can you have a harmony without a melody?
Speaker 2:I would say yes.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I don't know. I mean, I'm really, you know, asking you the question because, like, I have no clue, like you can get rid of all of this, I don't care. Okay, you can get rid of all of this.
Speaker 2:I don't care.
Speaker 1:Okay, singing and making melody to the Lord, interesting, he says with your heart and not necessarily with your lips.
Speaker 2:Well, our praise and our adoration comes from within it comes from our soul. It comes from our heart. It's not just vocal cords.
Speaker 1:But singing is with the vocal cords.
Speaker 2:The act of singing is the vocal cords.
Speaker 1:Okay, so what he's doing here is he's talking about a process that is rooted in the heart. Yes, so from the heart comes a melody of singing directed to the Lord, a heart that's filled with the.
Speaker 1:Spirit that is filled with the Spirit, go back to there right and then a heart filled with the Spirit, living in fellowship with God and one another. Who is you know? Again, this is Ephesians 5, who is living out? Ephesians 1, 2, 3, 4, the expression of blessed be the God and Father you know, and all the doctrine, all the theology that Paul has laid down. The expression of this is from my heart. I want to make a melody, a joyful noise to the Lord by singing and one another addressing one another. We're going to do it together.
Speaker 2:I think it's interesting in verse 21, he says submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ and that kind of harkens back, maybe a little bit to when I was talking about you know our preferences and how. That doesn't have to be the forefront of our worship and that we can submit to one another as one body to come together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's an interesting verse too, because if you would read and look at certain Bible translations, I don't think translation committees know exactly where to put that verse. Does that start a new section? Does that finish out the old one? I think it.
Speaker 2:Oh, I see, because where you head into verse 22 about submission, yeah, husbands and wives, and that.
Speaker 1:And so does submitting one another out of reverence for Christ. Does that end this section or does that begin the new one? And my answer is yes, Insofar as I think it is a perfect bridge verse. It does open up the section on the order of submission and again, that's a whole different podcast. Oh, it is.
Speaker 2:A whole different podcast.
Speaker 1:But remember that Paul's instruction of submission comes first with submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. And this is what it looks like, you know, broken down from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But one another, right. And so, yeah, sometimes we lay down our preferences. And in laying down our preferences, we're not sitting there begrudging because someone's worshiping, because this is the song that they love or you know, right, you know, you see the joy on their face and you're like I can get behind this, this ain't my jam. But way to go, like, if you're like I can get behind this, this ain't my jam but way to go.
Speaker 2:If you're singing Psalms and spiritual songs to me and it's not my preference you can still help tune my heart to worship. Yeah, that's where. And we should constantly be praying that the Lord would soften our heart, widen our views on things, you know, not staying stagnant that like I've got to sing these songs and only these songs, and you know, have that kind of curmudgeon, kind of I think we should. We should pray that if it's not a sin, like if the song is biblically sound and it's about the gospel but it just doesn't meet our preference, we should be praying that we would be open to learning, to growing, to not having a negative view on that song just because you don't like it.
Speaker 1:It's not the song I grew up with.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:For sure. Okay, so singing, making melody to the Lord with your heart Starts, the heart expressed through the mouth, giving thanks always and for everything to God, the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks always.
Speaker 2:That's just the boiling down of why we sing. It is to express thankfulness to our God and Father for sending his son, for loving us, for choosing to love us.
Speaker 1:Oh man, this is pretty cool. I just got a message from a church member while we're recording this right now, who has just listened to the last episode on singing, and she was well, she, yeah, she was saying how awesome it was in listening and something that really stood out to her was Jesus singing with his disciples before betrayal. What worship that was and how thankful.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's awesome, yeah, and literally you got that Slack message and I got a message on Twitter of someone that we know that goes to our church, who just got a hymnal and was like super excited about it.
Speaker 1:Let's go. Yeah, that's awesome. We're so thankful for music and people that care about it and want to grow and learn and just give thanks to God for singing and for music that happened at the exact same time Wild yeah that is really wild. So should we give thanks always? We both looked at our phones at the same time.
Speaker 1:Giving thanks always and for everything. Slack and Twitter Thanks always and for everything. Slack and Twitter, where we can stay informed and hopefully be a blessing to God's people and be blessed by God's people. Praise God for technology, but it is the expression of giving thanks always and this continues as the command giving thanks always. I just lost my job. I just was told on friday that my my job is going to be terminated in and you got to go to church on sunday. How can you sing? Giving thanks always? Or I just lost the baby? I just got news on Thursday. My heart is broken. I am devastated. Saturday comes around. I don't think I should go to church. No, no, no. You need to go to church and you might not be able to sing, but you could close your eyes. You could hear those words and you will hear addressing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and them giving those words. And you will hear addressing one another in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and them giving thanks and you will sing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going through that really difficult time. In the fall I purposefully did Afflicted Saint to Christ, drawn Near, let's go as our song of the month.
Speaker 1:Afflicted Saints to Christ Drawn Near. Fantastic song, great for congregational worship, great for whatever you, if you're going through a really tough time because I was just sobbing every week.
Speaker 2:I think that might be the instance where like don't sing, you know, would be okay if you're not going to sing because you just emotionally cannot, but man, hearing the congregation sing it really lifted my spirits just so much and it really I felt like it was a huge hug of like God's love and care for me through the saints singing that song to the Lord and to one another.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I want to piggyback on that because when we're talking about practically, I think there are appropriate times to not sing, and the Bible tells us there are appropriate times to not sing. In Proverbs 25, 20, we read whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day and like vinegar on soda, and I might be like really filled with joy in a really happy place and I know I've got a friend, I've got a brother or sister in Christ. That is just in the. You know the depths of trials. I should not impose and just like bring about all this. I need to. I need to enter into their hurt and mourn with them. I need to weep with those who weep and I might be filled with joy, I might be just like really my relationship with the Lord is going good. There's so many good things and just because I'm in a very good spot doesn't mean I should project that upon them, and so I think that's just really being mindful of where others are at. And also in Ecclesiastes 7.5, it reads. And also in Ecclesiastes 7.5, it reads it is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools, and so this is a time where don't fake it in your singing. Sometimes it's like, oh God, this is just hard for me right now, but don't avoid worship. So I think those are some of the times, and obviously there's others.
Speaker 1:If you're living, like the world, in wickedness six days a week, you don't have a song to sing. On Sunday you should sit in quiet repentance. The Lord even says in Amos concerning wicked people, he says take away from me the noise of your songs. To the melody of your harps I will not listen. So on that side of things too, like the expression of heartfelt, joyful Christian worship comes from a repentant heart who is resting in the promises of Christ, sins forgiven and seeking to walk in the newness of life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, okay. So we want to definitely make that something that we understand, but we always can give thanks because sins forgiven, because of the gospel, and for everything to God, the Father. In the name of our Lord, jesus Christ, we appeal to the Father by the Son, through the Spirit. All Christian worship is Trinitarian and we have access to God through Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, very God, of very God, the God-man, jesus Christ, who has granted us access, reconciled us to the Father by his own blood, and that truth and that reality has been applied by the Spirit who washed us and regenerated us and given us new life, manifested in our faith and repentance, and so, because of that, we sing. So how do we do this faithfully?
Speaker 2:You go to church and you sing.
Speaker 1:Show up, each week Show up.
Speaker 2:Even if you don't really care for the song.
Speaker 1:Show up.
Speaker 2:Even if you can't hit that high note.
Speaker 1:Try it.
Speaker 2:Even if you're worried about your voice.
Speaker 1:Show up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it really is as simple as that Laying aside your own thoughts and opinions and feelings, maybe sometimes on that day, and sing praises to one another, with one another, to the Lord.
Speaker 1:You will be all the better for it. You never regret worshiping on Sunday.
Speaker 2:And you do that faithfully, and that's it.
Speaker 1:Any final thoughts?
Speaker 2:It's kind of random. But if your church gives you opportunity to learn the songs in advance or know what the songs in advance are, I can tell you that putting in a little bit of work listening to those songs, learning if it's a new song of the month, learning that song before coming into corporate worship, it takes the pressure off of not knowing what's being sung, not knowing the lyrics, not knowing the tune or whatever, and you will be able to freely worship a little bit better. So I would just say, if your church has that option, I know for us we put out a song list each week and we encourage the congregation to listen through the playlist. I just think that that is really helpful, especially coming from someone who's in the music ministry, and it will allow you to one be encouraged throughout the week listening to those songs, but also you're learning and you're growing in your knowledge of music and in the songs we're going to sing on Sunday. So anyway, that's just a little side note.
Speaker 1:Thanks for this conversation. Yeah, it went. That's fine, though. I really appreciate it. It's good and for us to just kind of express where our hearts are and thinking about practical, faithful ways in which we, as a body of believers, can worship Jesus faithfully. It's important because God's word says it's important. I want to thank you for listening to the Pleasing God podcast. If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. You could reach out at questions at pleasinggodpodcastorg. And remember 1 Thessalonians 4.3,. This is the will of God, your sanctification.