West Side Church of Christ - Elkton Ky

• Story from Lindsey Wilson College: Malvina Farkle Day—a surprise day of service and fun honoring a fictional student devoted to community and joy.
• Everyone—students, staff, even the president—participates in service projects and celebrations.
• Key takeaway: “Everyone joins in.”
  • Sets the stage for the sermon theme: participation in worship, especially singing.

• Connection to current West Side Church leadership discussions about worship and traditions.
• Focus today: singing—why we do it, what it means, and what Scripture teaches.

• Psalms serve as a guide to worship and prayer, expressing every human emotion to God.
• Key categories and sample chapters:
  • Worship – Psalms 95, 100, 150
  • Human Emotion – Psalm 6 (sorrow), 13 (grief), 35 (confusion), 118 (joy)
  • Prayer – Psalms 5, 17, 42
  • Teaching and Reflection – Psalms 25, 119
  • Prophecy – Psalms 22, 110
• Psalms teach that singing and prayer are ways to communicate joy, anger, frustration, hope, and more—honestly and directly before God.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”

• Context: Beaten and jailed unjustly—yet they sing and pray.
• Application:
  • Most of us would respond with anger or despair.
  • But Paul and Silas worship through suffering—their faith produces witness (the jailer and his family are converted).
• Lesson: Singing in hard times shows the world we’re different and can lead others to salvation.

“…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”

• The focus isn’t on instruments but on heart and participation.
• Singing serves two directions:
  1. To one another – encouragement, unity.
  2. To the Lord – worship, gratitude.
• God knows your heart—but your brothers and sisters need to hear your voice.
• Even if you’re off-key, your effort matters; your singing teaches and strengthens others.

“…teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

• Singing connects to compassion, forgiveness, and unity.
• We “teach and admonish one another” through song—our voices instruct and uplift.
• Again, two directions:
  • Horizontal – to one another.
  • Vertical – to God.

• Revelation portrays heaven as filled with singing around God’s throne.
• Challenge: If we don’t sing here, why would we expect to sing there?

• Observations from leading singing:
  • Parents smiling at children, others crying from emotion or memory.
  • Songs connect deeply to personal experiences (“How Great Thou Art” and memories of his grandfather).
• Music ties emotion to faith—joy, sorrow, hope.

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

• Children sing boldly without fear or self-consciousness.
• Adults often lose that freedom.
• Challenge: Regain that childlike spirit—sing sincerely, joyfully, and without worry about how it sounds.
• Big Idea: If you won’t sing on earth, what makes you think you’ll sing in heaven?

True worship requires participation—singing from the heart to God and to one another with gratitude, sincerity, and childlike joy.