I want to say a few words about music and mood in the culture of church life. Whether for good or ill, what you sing establishes the tone/mood of worship. But we cannot act as if our mood is independent; we don’t advocate for a wild west of moods.
When our feet stand within the gates of Jerusalem—a symbol of the Church—that means that our mood is determined for us by God. Let me put this bluntly: it doesn’t matter if you had a whirlwind of a drive to Church, if words were foolishly spoken to one another, or if your coffee wasn’t strong enough. That is irrelevant to God. He says to come into his courts with praise and his gates with thanksgiving.
God is infinitely wise for many reasons, but one clear reason is that he didn’t give you the liberty to choose your mood on Sunday mornings. Instead, he determines it for you so you will know what is expected when you come into his holy place.
We can simply take the two initial categories of Psalm 100–praise and thanksgiving. The Psalmist begins by identifying the nature of praise and thanksgiving in the context of joy (Ps. 100:1). Now, unless you define these words differently, I can assure you that they do not give a dour and sour vibe! Instead, it should directly impact how we sing, whether your degree is from the Juilliard School of Music or your karaoke machine.
Remember that we are always conveying something when we sing. Music in worship is not just a necessary prequel to get to the real deal; music is part of the real deal. It must engage praise and thanksgiving in the context of unadulterated joy.
We might say, “Music is a sung sermon.” It is glorified speech so that when we sing, we are glorifying our environment by speaking words of life. We declare what God has done and is doing in our midst.
And how should the people sing if God is our host? And if he sets the terms of his worship? And if he gives us the command to praise and rejoice in his presence? At the very least, it should embody a posture of happiness and engagement. There is no room in praise and thanksgiving for passivity.
When we sing God’s songs, we are partaking in the joy of the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. Our music reflects who we are as a people and who we worship as a Church. God is the One we worship, and the mood is already established. Praise and thanksgiving is our command.
