“One of the advantages of pure congregational singing is that you can join in the singing whether you have a voice or not. The disadvantage is that your neighbor can do the same.” – Charles Dudley Warner
Congregational singing is a wonderful activity that allows the church to unify in lifting music to God in worship, expressing our adoration, praise, thanksgiving, need, and love to God. Congregational singing also poses a challenge to each person singing. “Do I really mean the words that I am saying?”, “Do I really believe the message within this song?”, or much like Scripture being pulled out of context, “Do I know the background of the song when it was written?” These challenges should not keep us from singing just as much as challenges with repeating memorized prayers should not keep you from praying. Instead, they should cause you to think through these questions while you sing and help you to examine your walk with Christ and how each song develops your devotion to God. The next time you sing along, think on these questions. Do your best to not let your mind fall into a repetitive behavior but examine the meaning and praise God with an awakened spirit.