According to the Bible, singing is an essential part of worship. Not considering the mention of singing in the Old Testament, there are nine scriptures in the New Testament that mention singing as worship:
(1) Matthew 26:30, "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives"
(2) Acts 16:25, "But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God"
(3) Romans 15:9, "For this reason I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name"
(4) 1 Corinthians 14:15, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding"
(5) Ephesians 5:19, "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"
(6) Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord"
(7) Hebrews 2:12, "In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You"
(8) Hebrews 13:15, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name"
(9) James 5:13, "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing psalms."
Influenced by the musical bishop Ambrose in Milan, Italy, St Augustine enjoyed singing and is attributed with the thought that anyone who sings "prays twice," once through the words and once through the melody.
Of Martin Luther's 16th-century reforms, one of the most far-reaching was the reintroduction of congregational song in the liturgy in the language of the people. The hearts and minds of many were won for the gospel through Lutheran worship in what came to be known as "the singing church." What is learned through singing, many people remember well.
It has been said that, "Singing is the proclamation of the Word. A second and equally important dimension of congregational song is its power to unite all into one body. Anyone who has experienced vital, enthusiastic congregational song would agree that it is one of the glories of the Church."
Music is definitely an important and integral part of all our Sunday Worship Services. We "make a joyful noise" through congregational singing of hymns, old and new. We also enjoy the musical gifts of our choir that is made up of men and women of varying ages who praise God every Sunday with traditional and some not-so-traditional sacred music. Our choir performs in four-part harmony: base, tenor, alto, and soprano. Thanks to the expertise of Dimitri Kauriga as Organist and Choir Director, and his wife, Lenore, we sometimes sound like a very large choir, but we are often just a handful. And although some of us have had formal training, many of us have not had any training other than singing in the shower! Singing is not meant for the many to listen to the few! Singing is for everyone!! Anyone who loves to sing is always welcome to join this "choir family." In fact, we would really appreciate a few new voices. Practices take place every Thursday, 7:30-9:00 p.m. and the ability to read music is not a requirement. So don’t sit at home yelling at your spouse or the kids or your pet or the TV. Come out and raise your voice for God. Singing is a beautiful expression of worship and adoration of God.
