It is a sad fact that, in assembly meetings, often there are those who either do not sing very much, or in some cases do not sing at all. We surely recognize that there are those who by reason of age can no longer sing, and some who, not being able to “carry a tune,” refrain from singing so as not to disturb the singing of those around them. But these are usually in a minority. There are often those who are well able to sing, but who seldom sing “from the heart,” and whose facial expressions during the singing betray the fact that their thoughts are elsewhere. We may well ask why this is.
The Heart
I would suggest that most of the time the heart is not touched. The problem in some cases may be that a difficult burden is on the heart, and we know that “as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart” (Prov. 25:2020As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. (Proverbs 25:20)). But even in this, we should be able to rise above it in the Lord’s presence. However, we must admit that much of the time our lack of singing is simply because our hearts are not touched. Perhaps we have not been enjoying the Lord in our everyday life, and then, when it comes to praising the Lord at the assembly meeting, the words and tune simply do not touch us. Surely if our hearts were right, the praise would flow! We should all be exercised about this.
In much of the Western world today, we have tended to become a generation of listeners. The ready access to music via earbuds, television, CD players and radio has conditioned us to want to listen to music, instead of producing our own. This is augmented by the ever-present “background music” that is usually played constantly in large stores and other public places. Tradesmen cannot seem to work without a portable “boom box” that plays music while they do their job. This attitude has tended to spill over into Christianity. But the Lord wants our praise—the praise that is “the fruit of our lips” (Heb. 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)). It is His due, and again, if our hearts are right with Him, we will want to give it.
Daily Practice
Like the muscles and other parts of our bodies, our voices need exercise to work properly. We cannot let them lie dormant all day or all week, and then suddenly expect them to work properly when we come to the assembly. There is nothing wrong with singing alone; it is a wonderful way to praise the Lord! Likewise, many families and couples make a practice of singing a hymn when they have their family reading. It is not only good exercise for our voices, but a way also to learn the hymns and their tunes.
Joy in the Lord
Often people are reluctant to sing out when at an assembly meeting, lest they be singing too loudly. But if someone else sings heartily, at a good pitch and tempo, others will often join in, and in harmony too. Let us be exercised to be one of those who is ready to sing heartily, not to be heard by others, but as an expression of our joy in the Lord. It will encourage others to do the same!
Giving Thanks and Singing
Finally, let us remember a proper balance. Sometimes we see those who are so fond of giving out hymns that they seldom pray in the prayer meeting, or give thanks at the remembrance of the Lord. Let us remember that in giving out a hymn, we are suggesting that we sing the thoughts of another that have been put down in the spirit of poetry. It is easy to sing thoughts and expressions that are far above our own spiritual maturity and to utter truth that we have not really made our own. But when we pray or give thanks, we cannot go beyond our own capacity, for we can give only what we ourselves have. It is far better to do this before the Lord than to express constantly that which is beyond us. This too is a much needed exercise.
This is not to say that the Lord cannot use a hymn to lift us above our present state of soul and impart to us knowledge that we did not have before. The Lord can surely touch our hearts in this way, and sometimes truth is brought to bear on our hearts through the medium of song. But again, to be continually expressing the thoughts of others while seldom expressing anything from our own meditation and enjoyment is not normal Christianity.
W. J. Prost