Together in praise

Major Ian Davis reminds us that praise and worship extend way beyond singing.

Key text

• Ephesians 5:15-20

Have you ever experienced an atmosphere where deep joy and unity were experienced by all present? Recent personal examples include an England football match in Gelsenkirchen and a Coldplay concert in Cardiff. To share a deep unity with many thousands of others, passionately singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ or ‘Yellow’, can be exhilarating, even euphoric. It’s almost as if humans were made to sing and worship together.

In our study passage, Paul encourages a fledgling community of believers to be together and to sing together. In verse 19, he identifies the context of singing psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit as a ‘one another’ activity – together in community. He encourages life to be lived in considered and wise ways because ‘the days are evil’ (v16). He urges them to reject foolishness and to seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit so God’s mind and heart can be understood. He writes: ‘Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit’ (vv18 and 19).

In Ephesus, there was plenty of singing and worshipping that was woefully misdirected. In Ephesians: The Wonder and Walk of Being Alive in Christ, Darrell Johnson notes how much of the city’s culture revolved around the goddess Diana, with a temple dedicated to her. He comments: ‘By the time Paul writes his letter, the temple was known for its “worship events”’. He details how these occasions were often characterised by ‘ritual drunkenness and frenzied behaviour’. All gifts can be abused.

Our world understands the power of singing together. We recognise the value of the gift of music. We experience the presence of God in all kinds of places via all sorts of experiences. However, there is a special dynamic when we share the passion for the object of our deepest worship with others who also know Jesus. There can be powerful encounters where the transcendence of the Spirit of God reaches and connects with us. ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel’ (Psalm 22:3 King James Version).

Pause and reflect

• Think about a time when you experienced the power of singing with others.
• Was it in a religious setting or elsewhere? 
• How did it impact you?

In considering being together in praise, where do we go next? We could discuss the undisputed mental health benefits of corporate music-making. We could consider how inspiring Gareth Malone has been in encouraging many uplifting local choirs through his influential media presence. We could talk science – all the feel-good hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine that are released when we sing. If you’ve never heard Jacob Collier’s remarkable and uplifting audience choirs, pause and google them now!

We could talk ecclesiastically about what kind of psalms and spiritual songs we prefer, although many of us are fed up with worship wars and arguments about what kind of music we should use. Instead, let’s reflect on the ‘together’ component of our theme. The Good News Translation of Psalm 133:1 describes these moments: ‘How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony!’ Here, we are presented with an environment of agreement and shared love and values.

If there’s a corporate thrill when our football team scores a goal, or when a concertgoer raises one of their idol’s anthems, how much more joy when believers express their love for and gather round the source of life himself: Jesus Christ. How much richer when the Holy Spirit orchestrates the harmonies! Psalm 133:3 declares this special place of shared love for Jesus to be the place where God ‘has commanded the blessing, life forevermore’ (English Standard Version).

Pause and reflect

• What brings life to gathered worship? 
• Have you experienced a deep sense of unity in your corps? 
• Have you experienced a deep sense of disunity in your corps? 
• What connections do you make between right relationships and praise?

Let’s remind ourselves of a couple of things. First, praise and worship extend way beyond singing. It is about offering every moment of our whole life – word, thought and deed. Secondly, Paul did not write to an individual. Rather, to the whole Christian community in Ephesus saying: ‘Be very careful, then, how you live’. ‘You’ here means the Church.

Church is where our individuality collides with others who are also being transformed by Christ. We recognise there is an intersection where we hold the personal responsibility for the cultivation of our inner life with Jesus, with the task of living it out with others in the wonderfully varied wider body of Christ. Both tasks are challenging in themselves.

How do we bring our best, authentic and growing selves to our together moments? Psalm 5:3 in The Message presents a valuable model for us: ‘Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend.’ What a model David lays out in this verse! What does the metaphor of fire represent to you? What do you need most today?

Pause and pray

• Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar, Lord. In prayerful reflection, I watch for fire to descend as I seek the power, light and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Help me to bring the very best version of myself to the together moments, where we can build genuinely loving and Spirit-filled communities of authentic praise.