Can you name the nine fruit of the Spirit, the 12 Apostles, or the 27 books of the New Testament from memory? How about the 12 sons of Jacob or the 39 books of the Old Testament? Whenever I recite them, I sing the songs I learned in Sunday school – at least in my head. We remember many things this way. It is how we teach our children the alphabet, the 50 states, and the presidents. In seventh grade, I helped myself memorize the taxonomy of living organisms – kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species – by reciting it to the tune of Mary Poppins’ “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. It has been a long time since I have needed to classify a plant or animal, but I still remember those categories.
Music leaves an impression on our hearts and minds. We remember the soundtrack of life’s major moments: the “invitation song” when we were baptized, the music at our wedding, or the songs at a loved one’s funeral. Studies have shown that patients with dementia often retain recollections of favorite songs – and singing them can aid in recalling other memories associated with those songs! Because singing is similar to speaking but uses different parts of the brain, it has helped patients with neurological conditions relearn how to talk.
Knowing this about His creation, God uses music to help us remember. He inspired Asaph to compose Psalm 78 to remind Israel of their shared history: “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Ps. 78:2-4). The Apostle Paul taught Christians that “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” helps “the word of Christ dwell” in us (Col. 3:16).
So, we should sing. Younger people should learn older songs to help our most senior saints remember as they sing the hymns associated with such precious memories. Older people should learn newer songs to help tell “the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD.” We should sing and keep God’s word in our hearts and minds.
All throughout the Bible, people experience God's presence, power, and joy when they sing together. It's time for us to join the song!