Derek Walker says in the February edition of ‘Christianity’ magazine, ‘if we don’t give our minds tangible content to grab hold of, our thoughts will wander.’ Certainly, we need to ensure that our singing is comprised of Biblical truth, which is why it is so good to sing the Psalms (see The Psalms Project, which looks to put all the Psalms to music). He argues that many of our songs do not engage with the physical world enough, but the truth is that when we sing, primarily we need our attention focussed on God. We need to understand that there is no dichotomy between physical and spiritual realities, but we frequently need reminding of who God is and what He has done. Spiritual songs should connect these things with our everyday lives, which is why the Psalms remains one of the greatest sources of song material in the world, because this is what they do so skilfully all the time!
Bob Kauflin, whose book ‘Worship Matters’ looks at the importance of music and song in worship, says ‘It matters not only that we sing but also what we sing.’ Biblical truth is vital in song. We can’t go wrong if we sing about the things we find in the Bible! (There is a surprisingly wide range of topics to sing about there!)
The Psalms tell us that it is fitting and pleasant to praise God through music and song (Ps 147:1, Ps 33:1, Ps 135:3), but they also give us many reasons why we should sing and what we should sing about. Fundamentally, we sing of who God is, reflecting on:
- His love (Ps 59:16, Ps 89:1, Ps 90:14, Ps 92:1, Ps 101:1, Ps 136),
- His righteousness (Ps 7:17, Ps 119:162, Ps 145:7),
- His faithfulness (Ps 71:22, Ps 92:1-2),
- His glory (Ps 138:5)
- His power and strength (Ps 21:3, Ps 81:1, Ps 118:14).
We sing also of what He has done, reflecting on:
- His saving acts, redemption and goodness to us (Ps 96:1, Ps 132:16, Ps 13:6, Ps 135:3, Ps 145:7)
- His protection (Ps 59:16)
- His mighty acts (Ps 105:1, Ps 98:1)
In the Psalms, we find a whole range of topics, emotions and categories for songs, including lament, complaint, anger and pain as well as joy, exuberance and thanksgiving. We will find something for every season of the soul.