Hennie Symington

“Speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs … Ephesians 5:19

Why do Christians sing when they are together? Because by singing in unison, it is possible for them to speak and pray at the same time. And as we sing, all our devotion and attention are focused on the words of the hymn carried by a tune that somehow compliments the meaning of the words that are sung.

Why sing if we can just speak the words? Often words alone cannot express our deepest thoughts, our sighs and needs. That is to say, the message is carried on the wings of a song. We sing words of praise to God, words of thanksgiving, confession and prayer. At the same time, however, the music remains the servant of the Word. As such, in all devotional songs, all attention should be concentrated on the Word, and here I refer specifically to the hymns, chants and songs that the Bible has gifted to us.

It’s hard to overestimate the deep spiritual value of the songs, hymns and chants that have come down to us through the ages. To this day, countless Christians all over the globe can repeat the time-honoured hymn: "Jesus loves me, this I know."I myself can recall snippets of the song even in an African language I was taught by some missionaries at school in Zimbabwe many years ago – a precious memory indeed!

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the gift of song, music and rhythm which we can harness to praise and worship you with body, voice and soul. Amen