Why do we use music in our worship, and what is its purpose? We take for granted that there will be music in Christian worship, but how many of us have stopped to consider those two questions? Music, especially singing, has long been a part of biblical worship. Consider, just as one example, the 150 Psalms inspired by the Holy Spirit and included in the canon of Scripture for the worship of God’s people, from the time of Moses (Psalm 90) until today and until Jesus returns. The book of Revelation gives us a picture of the worship in heaven from the apostle John’s day into eternity, where saints and angels are ceaselessly singing “Holy, holy, holy,” and “Worthy is the Lamb.”
This is one of the marvelous distinctives of biblical worship. What other religion in the world has made the singing of the people to be such an integral part of worship? Yes, there is music in many religious practices, from animistic jungle tribes to that of the mantra chanting of eastern religions. But those bear little resemblance to the vast treasury of sacred music that has grown in Christianity, especially since the time of the Reformation. Even before that, this included the beautiful Gregorian plainsong melodies of the medieval church, and has now grown to include well over two million Christian hymns, not to mention the vast repertoire of sacred choral and instrumental music!