Worshiping God Through Music

Music has always been, in Scripture, a privileged means of worshiping God, expressing through song the joy, gratitude, and reverence of the heart. Psalm 100:1-2 invites us: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord... serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing." Song is not a mere ornament of worship, but the impulse of the soul that turns toward its Creator and Redeemer. The whole Bible resounds with this musical praise: David and the Levites organized the singing of the temple, the Psalms were composed to be sung, and heaven itself rings with the song of the redeemed. The New Testament prolongs this tradition: Colossians 3:16 exhorts us to teach and admonish one another "with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts." Ephesians 5:19 takes up the same invitation to sing with all one's heart to the Lord. Worship through music does not seek spectacle or performance, but directs the soul and the assembly toward the greatness of God. It must spring from a sincere heart, for Jesus teaches that true worshipers worship the Father "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). These verses thus invite us to make music an offering of worship, a sacrifice of praise by which the whole person, voice and heart united, exalts the faithfulness and holiness of God.