a faith that sings

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! 

Psalm 149:1

A non-Christian skeptic recently asked me why Christians sing in their gatherings. She had been to other meetings of other faiths and philosophical groups. She attended secular lectures and atheist "dialogues". But she could not understand what motivated Christians to sing about God and the truth that they claim to have. She thought it embarassed our message. It was odd to her since she was trying so hard to be a pure secularist.

I agreed with her that it seemed odd from a certain viewpoint. And then I proceded to explain that Christians also engage faith at a heart level, not just as a knowledge base. That kind of engagement expresses itself in the whole person, including emotion. And that is what is behind the singing of songs of praise. We have scriptures in passages like this one that encourage us, even command us, to sing.

We are not, however, exclusively emotion. Christians find their faith engaging all of their lives, their hearts, their intellects, their actions, and their lifestyles. It is a good thing to have Christianity engaging the heart. We were made for it. It brings joy, comfort, peace, and strength. It is great to be always ready to sing to The Lord a new song!