Why Do You Sing in Chapel?
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
Do you grow weary of singing these words every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday?
You could probably sing the doxology in your sleep. Maybe you do. Singing is a part of life here at PCC. But has singing become so normal that it no longer has meaning to you?
It doesn’t have to be that way. Songs and hymns can be an important part of your day. Think about this question and be honest with yourself: Why do you sing in church?
Do you sing to fit in?
Do you lift up your voice to sing just because everyone else does?
This is a struggle for me almost every time we sing in chapel or in a church service. My heart just isn’t there, but I stand up and quietly sing because I don’t want to look weird.
All too often, we sing to fit in. We go through the motions and sing another verse of the doxology while our minds are far away from the words we are singing.
Do you sing because it’s routine?
I’m often prone to drift toward this. I sing because that’s what I always do in chapel. It can be easy to fall into the daily routine when the chapel bell rings. But should routine be the reason for our singing?
Songs aren’t supposed to be a mere custom we observe for the sake of tradition. Songs are meant to be sung with a joy-filled heart because they are meant to bring glory to God.
Whenever I sing out of routine I fail to sing out of a heart that is set upon bringing praise to God.
Do you sing because you have a heart that wants to worship God?
When’s the last time the words of a hymn touched your heart? When’s the last time you were struck with such an awe for the Lord as you sang that you couldn’t help but smile?
Colossians 3:16 says to sing with “grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Not to sing with routine in your hearts. Not to sing to fit in. But to sing to the Lord.
It’s a constant struggle for all of us. But it’s a struggle worth fighting.
Next time the chapel bell rings let’s not sing to fit in or because it’s routine. Let’s sing and praise God with our voices because we want to with our minds.
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