Sing Sing Sing

"I will sing the praises of Your name." King David couldn't help but sing! But these days many Christians are not being allowed to sing in church. What do we do?

The news stories and church e-mails read like a page out of Satan's playbook in my opinion). You shall not sing praises to the Lord your God. Ridiculous! Yet it is happening right now.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, closed down all the churches in his state when the Covid-19 virus first hit. Remember that separation of church and state thing? Yeah. Well, the United States Supreme Court remembered it and canceled the governor's edict against houses of worship.

So the governor came up with a new plan. No singing in church! And he is not alone. At least one of our area churches has prohibited singing in church. Instead its congregants have been instructed to "meditate on the words."

I am proud to say that the church I attend worships together, sings together, and none of us wears a mask either. And everybody's healthy. Praise be to God!

David liked to sing praises to God. That's what his Psalms are. They are songs!

"The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! 47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, 48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. 49Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name." - Psalm 18:46-49

Yes, we should use our heads when worshipping. Socially distance yourselves if you must. If you're sick, stay home. But we were made to worship. We worship God not some bishop's decree or a governor's executive order.

I know we are supposed to follow the laws our government sets down for us. EXCEPT when they contradict God's laws.

If I was a Christian living in California I hope I would stand up and sing. No government should ever get in the way of our right to worship.

The Canadian government has already told pastors what they can and cannot say about gay marriage for example. It's hate speech they say. This ban on singing is just another example of Satan using non-believers to accomplish his will.

Wait a minute. Did I just say these church leaders who are creating and obeying these no-sing laws are not Christians? I guess I did. Christians follow God, not man. Paul and Silas were forbidden by the local government from preaching Christ. What did THEY do?

"They brought them (Paul and Silas) before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." - Acts 16:20-25

Are we being tested by God to see who it is that we obey?

"The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him." - Deuteronomy 13:3-4

May we pass the test and sing His praises louder than ever before.

Sing Sing Sing - Chris Tomlin