United We Sing

“That’s music to my ears!”  While this expression means someone heard the news they were hoping for, the point is clear: Music is pleasing.  Soothing.  Medicinal.  When we sing, we feel good.  Singing songs of praise can help serve as a stress reliever, especially when sung with fellow believers.  King David sang this truth in a psalm, “It's good to come together in the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).  Paul encouraged the Ephesians to “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making a melody to the Lord with your heart” (5:19).  Note that the word “your” in this passage is plural.  Christians are to sing together.  There is something extraordinarily powerful and beneficial about doing this.  When we sing corporately, together we replace our anxious thoughts with God’s peace. In Hebrews, Paul emphasizes the importance of worshipping together.  He instructs us to not forsake the gathering of believers, but instead to be in community with one another, as we spur each other on (10:25).  God built this truth into our lives through weekly worship.  Weekly worship is for ourgood.  We are emotionally healthy when we sing and worship together. The coronavirus has moved our current weekly worship from our special “gym church” to our individual homes.  But we are still called – instructed even – to worship together.  But how?  When our worship team leads us in songs during Sunday services, we should sing along.  In our homes.  With our families.  Or even alone.  Because as we raise our voices together, God hears us as one.  His church.  His bride.  His children. The songs we sing together weekly help us memorize God’s truths, which gives us the fuel we need to fight anxiety all week long.  And we need this fuel now more than ever.  Social distancing forces us to isolate which often leads to loneliness, two of the leading causes of depression.  Secular studies have shown 20 minutes of singing with a group drives anxiety away.  Researchers have found that singing helps people with depression and reduces feelings of loneliness, leaving people feeling relaxed, happy, and connected.  What’s more, the benefits of singing regularly are cumulative.  People who sing have reduced levels of cortisol, indicating lower stress.  This information seems to suggest that group singing is the most exhilarating and transformative of all.  When you sing with other believers, you also witness the faith of those around you singing passionately.  Their faith is infectious.  It builds your faith. Let’s sing together, united in our weekly Sunday worship as we sing to the One who is Savior of all.  Together, we will sing our anxieties away.