Music has transcended the spoken word of people throughout all history, going back as far as millennia to prehistoric times. Music has been used to emote spoken word, whether in joyful or somber scenarios, and its use in the context of religion and faith has been very well-documented. Evoking the presence, blessings, or protection of a deity has been–and is still to this day–the goal of music-making in religious contexts.

But because Christianity doesn’t just rely on the actions of the human to invoke the blessings of the god, and instead teaches that Christ died for all and already has saved us on the cross, Christian music is more than a tool simply for emoting the petitions and prayers we offer to God. Instead, music becomes a response to the goodness of God’s grace that saves us without requiring our music-making. It helps us remember the Word and affords us the opportunity to teach our children. Our music glorifies God because of what He has done for us. So, let’s sing about it.

For the past three weeks in Sunday worship, we have celebrated music together, identifying three key ways that music relates to our faith.

1. Providence: Music Reminds Us
Singing praises to God is a way for us to be reminded of who God is and what God has done.

2. Power: Music Transforms Us
We are commissioned as a congregational choir to make a joyful noise for all to hear, and we never know who or how the music will transform.

3. Presence: Music Unites Us
When Christians sing together, our music transcends boundaries, we become one, and we feel God’s presence among us.

As the people entrusted with the leadership of Christ Lutheran’s song, we want to leave you with a few takeaways and encouragements:

• Singing is for everyone. There is a place for all voices in the congregational choir, and we are all called to make a joyful noise! 
• With so many children in our church, we must constantly remember the promise we made at their baptisms: to foster their faith and serve as positive role models in worship. Children do not care if you sing off-key, but they do notice - and are likely to imitate - when you do not sing at all. 
• When we sing, our voices blend together, our breathing aligns, and our heart rates synchronize. Psychologists consider this a form of social cohesion, a way for disparate people to become one. When Christians sing together, our music transcends boundaries, we become one, and we feel God's presence among us.

So sing boldly in church, listen and make music in your personal devotional life, and encourage one other to sing out in praise of who Jesus is, and what he has done for us all.