Singing After A Tough Week

Encouragement from Singing Psalms & Hymns Together

This past week was what you could describe as a tough week with difficulties in our church and school life here in northeast Louisiana. It seemed like everything short of a category three hurricane was coming our way. Friday morning, I woke up and had the lyrics from William Billings’s “Is Any Afflicted” anthem in my head, which is sourced from the James 5:13 and Colossians 3:16 passages on singing to one another. Here’s a clip of that song:

So, I talked it over with my wife Sarah, and we decided to put together a psalm/hymn sing on short notice for those that could make it to sing together and fellowship together this past Friday evening at church. It turned out to be well-attended and hearty. With the help of my kiddos, I put together booklets hoping the folks who came could take them back home and sing together at home. I picked psalms and hymns that would encourage and uplift us. Here’s the booklet:

But also, I wanted to teach something new as well. So, I introduced a “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand” setting that takes the text and puts it into a fuging tune. My friend and colleague, Dr. David Erb of New Saint Andrews College, composed this setting several years ago. Here is a sample of his choir at NSA performing it:

Fuging tunes like Dr. Erb’s setting of “On Christ the Solid Rock” can reinforce the corporate aspects of hymnody and singing that many Christians today are not very mindful of. I keep thinking about how hearty settings like this promote in style and lyric—community. You cannot sing them by yourself. Our singing on Friday evening was a needed encouragement because we were able to be together. It Amen’d the idea that Christian psalmody and hymnody are, of course, geared vertically at praising the God of the universe. But thankfully, it also is horizontally geared because it admonishes us when we sing it to and with one another.¹

Friday night was also a launching pad for the nine of us Richeys, who sat at the dinner table on Saturday and Sunday and sang “On Christ the Solid Rock” again in four parts (since there are enough of us who can read music and cover the harmony). That was even further encouragement to me.

Concluding Encouragement

In closing, in times of hardship and trial, it is very easy to be introspective and contemplative. Gathering to sing and pray is a great way to balance this inward tendency during tough times. The Lord has given us a wealth of songs that not only affirm the goodness of our God, but how we should think in times of joy and sorrow. Because singing is outward and not inward, because it is public or corporate, it is just the thing we should be quick to do when we are tempted to fret, worry, complain, or despair. We should do it when we are happy too, but that’s not usually an issue for most people.

If you are struggling through trials or hardship, resist the temptation to look inward and focus outwardly instead on singing and serving others through challenging times. It may not be the first thing you want to do, but I assure you it can be a similar refreshment and encouragement to you as it was to me this past Friday evening.

1. See Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19.