“Be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good.
Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.
Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 5:19 GW)
[Please join me in praying for the Church on Sundays this year.]
A friend at church gave me a short book to read called Song of the Lord by Dr. David K. Blomgren. I haven’t finished it yet, but one thing he said blew up my categories in singing. I’ve always heard that our singing in worship should consist of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). I assumed the “psalms” were from the Bible’s Book of Psalms, the “hymns” were metered poetry (either old or new) set to music, and the “spiritual songs” were what most of us might call “Christian Contemporary Music” or “contemporary worship choruses.” But Dr. Blomgren’s definitions shed new light on our singing:
*psalms – songs of praise from the Bible OR songs in the character, spirit, and manner of the Old Testament Psalms
*hymn – songs of praise of human composition on Christian themes
*spiritual song – songs of praise of a spontaneous or unpremeditated nature, with unrehearsed melodies, sung under the impetus of the Holy Spirit.
I realized that in almost every church I’ve ever been in, the worship consisted of hymns (by his definition, not mine), maybe with some psalms, although usually spoken or only sung in part. Yet, there were almost no spontaneous, Spirit-inspired “spiritual songs” included in worship. What have I – we – been missing when we have not sung spontaneous, unrehearsed songs that were given to us by Holy Spirit? How much deeper would the praise and worship at these churches – and in my own life – have been through the years?
I’m only just beginning to chew on this to figure it out for myself. But two thoughts come to mind. One, our pastor challenged us last night to let go of our “control” in worship so that we can go deeper and more completely into our praise and worship. Two, none of this can happen authentically and in a way that pleases God unless Holy Spirit is leading it. Spiritual songs may be sung in heavenly tongues or our native language, but they must, must, must be led by Holy Spirit.
Today as congregations all over the world gather for worship, let us pray that they would sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs under the direction of Holy Spirit that would give honor and glory to God the Father and Jesus Christ.
El Shaddai, Adonai,
Sometimes there are things that happen in life that totally disrupt our “regular” and point us to new parts of you. Thank you for being a disruptor when our categories and definitions need to be expanded and when you want to teach us something new about yourself. Forgive us when we hold too tightly to control, both in our personal and corporate worship and in our lives in general. Help us trust you more and more deeply so that we can relax into your love and be more fully guided by Holy Spirit. When your Church gathers for worship today in its many, many places, pour out your Holy Spirit so that we can sing not only the amazing songs and beautiful hymns, but also Spirit-led spiritual songs. Make our hearts willing to let you tear down the walls of traditionalism, fear, anxiety of the unknown, and anything else that keeps us from worshipping you fully, in Spirit and in Truth. Teach us to sing the songs you give us, whether ancient or modern, prepared or spontaneous, with hearts and spirits focused on you. Realign us so that our worship recognizes the delight you take in us and so that we rejoice over you with our singing, just as you rejoice over us. Pour out your Holy Spirit today we pray in Jesus’s name, Amen.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV)
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)
“Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19 AMP)
“Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16 AMP)
*definitions on p. 11