I hate not singing in church. A couple of Sundays ago those of you who were at church could tell I had no voice. I had to save what little voice I had for the sermon. So all the time the rest of you were singing, I just sat there with my mouth closed. I could read the lyrics, but it’s just not the same. I could hear the rest of you, but that’s not the same either.

One of the things that many people enjoy in worship is the music. Sometimes we like the words of the songs. Sometimes we like singing old, familiar songs. Sometimes we like learning something new. Sometimes we hate learning something new.

Music has an important place in our worship. It’s not just to make us feel good, although it often does. It’s not just to set the mood. It’s not to fill up the time. Music is so important because it is participatory. It is the time in the service that we are not spectators, we are active.

But it goes beyond being active. That Sunday I couldn’t sing, I was active. I was following along with the words. I was trying to make the song my own, even if I couldn’t sing.

Another thing about singing is that it involves so much of us. It requires our intellect as we read and appreciate the words. It involves our bodies as we breathe and as we make those minor adjustments in our vocal cords to get different notes. It involves our spirits as we allow the music and words to speak to us and bring our emotional response.

That Sunday I couldn’t sing, these things just couldn’t come together for me, so I felt as if there were something missing.

It’s not just singing. Whenever we try to live our lives only in the intellect, or only in the flesh, or only in the spiritual realm, there is something missing. It is when we bring all these things together that we are truly living the life God designed us for. Then we can sing a beautiful song.

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