The Psalms of Ascent remind us of the importance of place and song in worship. For devout Jews, Jerusalem signified the place where God dwelt, with the Temple the visible reminder of God’s presence among them (which is why the destruction of the first temple by Babylon and the second temple by the Romans was so devastating and resulted in an annual day of mourning (the Ninth of Av)). For Christians, a church building or cathedral is often the symbol of God’s presence, but we need to be reminded that nowadays God dwells in His people by His Spirit (1 Cor 6:19) rather than in any building (Paul reminded us that ‘the God who made the heavens and earth… does not live in temples built by human hands.’ Acts 17:24)
Nonetheless, places can have significant spiritual importance in our lives. Jesus talked of a place we can go to in order to pray (‘when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.’ Matt 6:6), even though we know we can pray anywhere. For many, there are places where God’s presence seems especially real (often in a beautiful outdoor place, for example) and there is (as Ps 122 makes plain) great joy in gathering with God’s people in a place set aside for worship to God. The Psalms of Ascent sing of this gathering with great gusto, but remind us also that the journey itself is important, not just the arrival.
Singing is an important part of worship, and again, we have to remember that the singing takes place on the journey as well as on our arrival. The benefits of singing are both physical (improving posture, breathing and muscle tension) and emotional (from the release of positive neurochemicals such as β-endorphin, dopamine and serotonin). Community singing is also hugely beneficial, as the upsurge in the popularity of choirs testify. Armies have long discovered the benefits of singing while marching in keeping groups together and any parent knows that singing on long journeys can be useful for distracting children from boredom! In worship, however, singing is primarily important in focussing our attention on God and allowing truth to penetrate our hearts and minds. The psalms are especially useful in fulfilling this task.
