Sing and be happy

Sing and be happy Ephesians 5:15-21 (NASB) 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Sing and be happy Colossians 3:16-17 (NASB) Why the command to sing? 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Why the command to sing?

Sing and be happy What vs. Why Command to sing tells us the “What.” Understanding why will help us with the “How.”

Sing and be happy Why we sing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV) 17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God

Sing and be happy Why we sing. Psalm 138 Exodus 15:1-18 Luke 1:46-55 1 I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. Exodus 15:1-18 Jubilant praise following parting of the Red Sea Luke 1:46-55 The Magnificat / Mary’s song of praise James 5:13 “Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.”

The music and the message are not in conflict. Sing and be happy Augustine on congregational singing. I am inclined — though I pronounce no irrevocable opinion on the subject — to approve of the use of singing in the church, so that by the delights of the ear the weaker minds may be stimulated to a devotional mood. Yet when it happens that I am more moved by the singing than by what is sung, I confess myself to have sinned wickedly, and then I would rather not have heard the singing. (Augustine, Confessions, XXXIII.50) Psalm 147 (NKJV) Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. The music and the message are not in conflict.

Sing and be happy Group Singing. “As the popularity of group singing grows, science has been hard at work trying to explain why it has such a calming yet energizing effect on people. What researchers are beginning to discover is that singing is like an infusion of the perfect tranquilizer, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits.” Increased levels of pleasure Decreased levels of stress and anxiety Enhanced feelings of trust and bonding Improvement of health and well being in older adults (Stacy Horn, Time Magazine article “Singing Changes Your Brain,” 8/16/13)

Sing and be happy Group Singing (continued) It turns out you don’t even have to be a good singer to reap the rewards.  According to one 2005 study, group singing “can produce satisfying and therapeutic sensations even when the sound produced by the vocal instrument is of mediocre quality.” (Stacy Horn, Time Magazine article “Singing Changes Your Brain,” 8/16/13)

Sing and be happy One purpose (“Why”) of singing is to stir our emotions. Emotional vs. Emotionalism 1 Corinthians 14:15 This emotional event is facilitated by song leaders. Song selections Tempo, Tempo, Tempo Pitch Dynamic (Volume)

Sing and be happy Why we sing. Teach and admonish. (Colossians 3:16) Singing is an aid in memorization. Every culture has songs and rhymes to help children learn the alphabet, numbers, and other lists. Even as adults, we are limited in our ability to memorize series or to hold them in mind unless we use mnemonic devices or patterns — and the most powerful of these devices are rhyme, meter, and song. (Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain [Alfred A. Knopf, 2007], 158)

Sing and be happy Deuteronomy 31:16 – 32:47 Deuteronomy 31:21 (NASB) Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” Deuteronomy 32:46-47 (NASB) 46 he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. 47 For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

Sing and Be happy Application recap We are commanded to sing. (“What”) We sing to imitate God, stir emotions, and for memorization. (“Why”) How we sing: With appropriate emotions, according to the message. With the spirit and with the understanding. With hearts of teachers.