"Be filled with the Spirit"

Singing, and music in general, has long been a central part of worship. We sing when people are born. We sing when people die. We sing when people are baptized, when they are married, when they are ordained, when they are sad and happy and everything in between. 

When he writes to the church in Ephesus, Paul instructs them saying, “Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

His words are far from a treatise on singing, or even worship in general, but there is something striking about them. Paul says to the church, “Be filled with the Spirit.” So what’s that look like? His answer is the imperatives that follow:

• Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another

• Sing and make melody to the Lord in your hearts

• Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything

• Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ

Much could be said about each of those imperatives but notice what is said about singing. Paul says to sing both “to one another” and “to the Lord.”

When we join our voices in worship, we generally think of singing praise to God. It’s clear in many of our beloved hymns:

• “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!” (Praise to the Lord, the Almighty)

• “Come, Christians, join to sing…Loud praise to Christ, our King; Alleluia! Amen!” (Come, Christians, Join to Sing)

• “O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the world Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.” (How Great Thou Art)

• “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; there is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not; thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.” (Great is Thy Faithfulness)

But notice the words of other beloved hymns:

• “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” (They’ll Know We Are Christians)

• "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.” (Blest Be the Tie That Binds)

• “Brother, sister, let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you; pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.” (The Servant Song)

• “The Lord bless and keep you; the Lord His countenance upon you, and give us peace, and give you peace.” (The Lord Bless and Keep You)

I don’t think Paul’s words, written long before these hymns were written, were a mistake. I think Paul was serious. It’s more obvious why we are to sing to God. But why might we also be called to sing to one another?

Grace and peace,

Kimmy