If we have met, then I might be the least musically gifted person you know. Rhythm, pitch, tone; they all baffle me. Singing seems to come naturally to some people, but it makes me feel like a fish out of water. If I can avoid singing, I do – but with two major exceptions.
Exception #1: When I gather with others in the Church
Exception #2: When I am with my family
The reason for these two exceptions? The Bible commands followers of Christ to sing to God with other followers of Christ. Ephesians 5:19 says,
“[Speak] to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
Yes, singing is commanded in the Bible. But like most commands in the Bible, following the command turns out not to be a burden, but a source of joy, perspective, and blessing; even for the musically challenged like myself.
With COVID-19, opportunities to gather and sing to God with the Church (Exception #1) are extremely restricted and we don’t know for how long this will be the case. This places even more importance on Exception #2, singing to God with family.
So, I encourage you to take initiative and sing to God with your family. A great time to do this is on Sunday mornings when you would normally be at church as a part of a Family Worship Service. Other times might be before a meal or before bed. Whatever time makes the most sense for your family, I encourage you to overcome the awkwardness and sing to God.
Below are some tips and resources that you may find helpful:
Tips for Little Kids
- Leave room for silly. Singing to God doesn’t have to be an exercise in seriousness (especially for a 4-year-old). A little goofiness can be a good thing.
- Let your kids help make up motions to the words.
- Repetition is helpful for younger kids. Once you find a song they like, don’t worry about singing it over and over again.
- Be prepared to explain meanings of words the first few times you sing a song.
Tips for Older Kids & Youth
- Tell them why you are doing it and why it is important.
- Involve them in choosing what you sing.
- Does anyone in the family play an instrument? Ask them to play along while everyone else sings.
- If you are using a media resource to sing along with, crank the volume up to help everyone feel more comfortable singing outloud.
Resources
(WARNING: may contain moderate to high levels of cheesiness)
- Weekly Seabreeze Worship Service - Watch the music portion of this week’s service and sing along as a family
- Seabreeze Spotify Playlist – A playlist of the songs the Seabreeze Band plays
- Classic Hymn Sing Along Videos
- Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow)
- Amazing Grace (Johnny Cash version)
- Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
- Jesus Loves Me (little kid version)
- High Energy Sing Along Videos for Little Kids
There are limitless resources available online. If you find something that works for your family, let me know! I’d love to share it with others.
