How Then Shall We Sing?

I think that in heaven we'll hear many different types of songs with instrumental, acappella, and angel voices. We may even hear voices we're not used to hearing when "all the earth" sings His praises. I try to imagine flowers, bears, rocks and trees joining in our melodic worship and it is beyond my understanding but not beyond belief.

I think this because I believe Ephesians 5:19 teaches that on earth we should hear a variety of different types of songs, too. Paul instructs the Ephesian Christians to be "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord." I think the three types of music listed there represent a variety of acceptable forms of musical worship.

Other writers have discussed what a good "Christian song" is to be. Most are good enough to say it isn't just a matter of a preference for a certain style. We have songs of such different styles, though, that sometimes they don't seem to mix in a single worship service. I'd like to suggest that the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 applies to worship services as well: there is a time and place for every event under heaven. Sometimes it is time for a somber tune, such as "Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus." Sometimes it is time for a contemporary tune that reflects pure wonder, such as "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin. Sometimes it's time for an outright celebration, like "He Has Made Me Glad" (note that the happy song is actually based on a Psalm). Worship leaders need to be sensitive to the proper time for each type of song, not just the right occasion, but also the right moment inside a worship service, and provide appropriate transitions between them. Good transitions help the congregation understand the purpose behind each song.

Part of what we're concerned about in a church service is time - we have only, say 30 minutes to sing all of the songs we want, so we have to choose our songs and occasions carefully. Perhaps in heaven we will have much more freedom. There is a time and place for everything under heaven, but at some point in heavenly life there will be no more time. We'll be able to sing as many songs as we want, at the same time, for as long as we want, and I don't think we'll ever run out of new things to sing about or new ways to sing, listen, or play together, and that is something I really look forward to.