Bethany Community Church

Singing is mentioned in scripture over 400 times and commanded over 50 times.

Singing is mentioned in scripture over 400 times and commanded 70 times.

Why does God command us to sing?

1. God wants us to sing because all of creation sings, and he created us to join in

We'll be exploring how singing is part of the fabric of creation, how singing can release joy and how singing can connect us with one another

"The hum of the earth was first successively proven to exist by researchers from the university of Tokyo in 1998. Researchers believe its 'free oscillation' is a form of microseismic activity which consists of earth constantly vibrating at an incredibly minute frequency."

- Reader's Digest

Why does God want us to sing?

2. We sing because music has the power to impact us mentally and physically

"This means our atmosphere is continuously resonating with a radio frequency of 7.83 Hz, along with progressively weaker harmonics at around 14.3, 20.8, 27.3, and 33.8 Hz."

- Trevor English

" Music can lead to feelings of pleasure or displeasure, can change thought processes, and can cause changes in behaviour. This psychological effect can be seen by physical changes in hormone levels. For example, a 2012 study showed that participants who listened to music they deemed "pleasing" had higher levels of serotonin, known as the "feel good" hormone."

- Jenny Markell, National Center for Health Research article

"When we were in prison we sang almost every day because Christ was alive in us. The communists were very nice to us. They knew we liked to praise God with musical instruments, so they gave every Christian in prison a musical instrument. However, they did not give us violins or mandolins - they were too expensive. Instead, they put chains on our hands and feet. They chained us to add to our grief. Yet we discovered that chains are splendid musical instruments! When we clanged them together in rhythm, we could sing, 'This is the day (clink, clank), this is the day (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank).' What a joyful noise until the Lord!"

-Voice of the Martyrs blog post

Why does God want us to sing?

3. Singing connects us to our emotions and opens us to hear God's voice

Why does God want us to sing?

5. Singing helps us connect with each other

“Throughout history and across cultures, music has been used to stimulate communal bonding, assert identities, instill moral lessons, shape moods, intensify emotions, pass on oral histories and a host of other aims.”

- Jonathan Friedman

“Choirs are large families and singing in them promotes social bonding, which contributes to a sense of belonging and joy. Research bears this out: Studies have found that group singing fosters trust, cooperation and social cohesion.”

- Stanley Thurston

Singing can help equip us for a life of faith

Why does God want us to sing?

1. God wants us to sing because all of creation sings, and he created us to join in
2. We sing because music has the power to impact us and even change us mentally and physically
3. Singing connects us to our emotions and can shape our emotions
4. Singing equips us to hear God's voice and improves our memory of spiritual truths
5. Singing helps us connect with each other

Why does God want us to sing?

6. We sing because God sings

Why does God want us to sing?

4. Singing helps us to remember God's promises

Main Point:

- The gift of singing is a powerful, universal tool that God has given us to praise and express ourselves to Him and to connect us to each other.
- When you sing you are part of encouraging, strengthening and reminding the congregation of God's goodness
- When you sing, you join with all nature in a frequency of praise and worship and testimony to God's glory

Challenge:

1. Listen to the song happening all around you. Pay attention to the music you choose and experience this week. Be curious about how it affects you, makes you feel, makes you behave, how it changes you?

2. Join in the song.

" The book of revelation doesn't give the impression that Jesus died for independent soloists, people who would sing on their own clouds or in different sections of the renewed earth by themselves. He died to redeem a universal choir."

- Bob Kauflin