by Dee Ann Loving-Tackitt
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.–Exodus 15:2
Our lives are meant for more than what we can see here and now. Deep within every believer is a longing for God—the One who made us, saves us, and leads us toward eternal life. Prayer is one way we answer that longing. Sometimes it is spoken, sometimes silent, and sometimes sung. That is part of the thrill of singing in the choir at First Baptist Lubbock. When we sing together, we are praying with melody, worshiping with friends, and turning our hearts toward God.
Singing has always had a special place in the story of God’s people
The first song recorded in Scripture comes after the Lord delivers Israel through the Red Sea: “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). Their song was born out of rescue. Moses declared, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2). That is still why we sing. We sing because God saves, because He is faithful, and because He brings us through waters we could never cross on our own.
What is remarkable is that the song of Moses echoes all the way to the end of the Bible. In Revelation 15, the victorious people of God sing “the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3). From the Red Sea to the throne room of heaven, God’s people are still singing. The melody of redemption continues. The God who delivered Israel from slavery has delivered us from sin and death through Jesus Christ, the Lamb. Christian singing is not merely emotional expression; it is gospel proclamation. We sing because Christ has redeemed us, gathered us, and made us a worshiping people.
The Psalms keep that song alive for every generation. “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 96:1). “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2). “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). Singing belongs to everyone who has breath. Paul says we sing so that “the word of Christ” may dwell in us richly, teaching and encouraging one another with “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16). Our songs carry truth, form our faith, and help the church remember God’s character, promises, holiness, mercy, and victory.
Benefits of Choir
Choir gives us a place to belong and a way to serve. It teaches us to listen more than we speak and reminds us that no single voice carries the whole song. Sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses each bring something different, but together create harmony. That is a beautiful picture of the church, the body of Christ: many members, one body, called to glorify God and build up His people in love.
Choir also strengthens our faith. Week after week, the words we sing get planted in our hearts. Long after a sermon outline has faded from memory, a hymn or anthem can rise up in a hospital room, on a difficult morning, or in a moment of thanksgiving. Music helps Scripture settle into the soul and gives language to our joy, grief, hope, and surrender.
Choir is Worship
When we sing, we are not filling time in a service; we are offering praise to the living God, the One who first spoke, first saved, and first called us to Himself. Worship is our grateful response to grace. We are joining Moses, Miriam, David, the saints in Revelation, and believers around the world who lift their voices to the Lord.
The 11:00 Choir is back!