Music in Worship

January 25, 2022
Paul Jones

When I first began leading music in church, I had the great fortune of reading a book written by a worship director named Bob Kauflin, titled “Worship Matters.” I’d like to share a few significant reasons he gives for why music helps us as God’s people:

1. Music can stir up expressions of God-glorifying emotion. He writes, “Our deepest, strongest, purest affections should be reserved for God himself, and he gave us singing to help us express them.” Our songs are meant to stir up in our hearts a response to who God is and what he has done!

2. Music helps us express our unity in the gospel. When we read the Bible, many of the references we see to singing and music are corporate. Psalm 34:3 – “O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” Singing provides us an opportunity to express the unity we have in knowing / following Christ!

3. Music helps us remember truth about God. When Pastor Traig asked me to write a few words on the place of music in worship, I immediately thought of a recent conversation I had with my Aunt Pricilla at a family Christmas gathering. Anyone who speaks with my aunt knows (in a matter of seconds) that she has internalized God’s word. Every few words during our conversation, my aunt would turn towards me and say, “You know, Paul, there’s a song about that.” At that point, she would break out in a hymn or a song containing words taken directly from scripture (in a country-gospel voice). What is significant about this is, though her mind is failing (dementia), the songs she has learned are always on the tip of her tongue. What a significant role that songs can play in our lives! Though the songs we sing are first and foremost praise to God, they also help us to internalize those truths about God that we need reminding of as we face trouble, difficulty, or hardships in our everyday lives.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Paul Jones serves on the worship team at East White Oak. He’s been married to Abigail for 16 years and they have 3 children— Mae (13), Teddy (11) and Oscar (9). Paul works for the Bloomington Police Department in the Criminal Investigations Division. In his spare time, Paul loves to practice a number of instruments, read historical biographies and drink a freshly brewed cup of coffee.