Reason #8 - To Express our Unity in Christ

Romans 12:4-6 says,

         For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.

 After Paul wrote that passage about how we all have different giftings, he quickly followed it with verse 10 that says,

         Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.

We are supposed to have different roles and different gifts, BUT we are also supposed to work together and be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  We need each other.  None of us are too young or too old to make a difference.  None of us have more important gifts or less important gifts.  And none of us can do alone what all of us can all do together.

When we think about being unified as a Body of believers, singing is a powerful way to express that unity.

As a choir, we strive be unified in as many areas as possible.  We want to be together in pitch, tempo, groove, blend, tone quality, vowel sounds, cutoffs, where we’re looking when we sing and several other areas.   We push to be together in all those areas because the more unified we are in our singing, the more unified we will be in declaring our message.   I also believe that the unity of our choir, with our variety of ages and variety of backgrounds, is a great example to our congregation.  We are using the gifts God has given us and joining together as one to bring glory to Him.  As we sing together as a choir, I believe we are a great picture of unity in Christ.

As a church, our time of congregational singing is the only opportunity we have all week long to unite as one body to declare the same words, in the same place, at the same time.  I love to think about how powerful that is!  You’ve heard me say this before, but I really don’t think offering multiple styles of worship services is a wise idea.  I think a much better approach is to have a united congregation singing the same songs together.  Just as the unity of the choir is an example to the church, the unity of our congregation is an example to our community.  Our God and our church have to be a priority over our personal preferences.  When we sing together, it gives us an opportunity to express that unity.

We have referenced Colossians 3:16 several times throughout this study and we look back at it again this week.  It tells us to, 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

We don’t know specifically what Paul meant by each of those three different sets of music (psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs).  However, this passage is clearly teaching us to use a variety of musical expressions in our worship. But listen to what the four verses talk about before the he even gets to the part about singing.  Back up to verse 12 and it says,

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

THEN he says to teach one another as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Our unity doesn’t come through our music.  We are unified by Christ, our love for Him, and our love for each other.  Then, we can express that unity through our singing.

Our unity through singing helps put the focus on God instead of ourselves.  Our unity through singing helps us remember we’re part of a family.  And our unity through singing is a powerful example to those who visit with us.

God has given us unique giftings, talents, and skills.  But, they were given to us for His glory.  He wants us to use them to bring glory to Him and to benefit the Body of believers.  Singing allows us to join together with the same words, in the same place, at the same time, to powerfully express our unity in Christ.