Lastly, I must say that I think music is of utmost importance in all of this and should hold a central place in our corporate services. This is based on the teaching of Scripture, the traditions of the church, and personal experience. I believe that God has given us music for a number of reasons:
1) Music is unique out of all human activities in that it has the ability to connect our heart, spirit, mind, and body. We sing with our physical mouth, our spirits join in with the music, our emotions are stirred by the music, and our minds process the words. This is why I think that it is very important that people join in the singing, that they think about what they are singing, that they feel the freedom to express the emotions this evokes (crying, shouting, clapping, kneeling), and that they have a proper understanding of what their spirit is and how it is united to Christ.
2) Music causes words to be more easily remembered. I believe that God wants us to sing Scripture and theology because it causes it to be embedded in our minds and therefore more easily recalled in a time of need. Our greatest defense (No, our ONLY defense) against the attacks of the evil one is truth as contained in the words of God. What better defense than easily accessible truth, and lots of it, through the regular singing of theologically deep songs.
3) Music allows us to practice love and caring for the people around us. We must be aware of our own ability to sing and not sing out at the top of our lungs if it will distract others. But we also have to be aware of the needs of those around us and not respond negatively if they sing or act in such a way that we find troublesome.
4) And lastly, by uniting our voices we are reminded of our unity with each other and with the united Trinity.
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