“Dad, do we have to go to the psalm sing tonight?”
“Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘have to.’ If you mean, ‘does the church require all members to attend?’ the answer is no. We can sit right here and watch the game if we like—which I suspect is the real reason for the question. But if you mean to ask whether you have to go, the answer is yes.”
His son laughed, and said, “Let me get my shoes then. If I am obeying with alacrity, can I ask about it? As we rise up, as we walk along the way?”
“Sure,” his father said. “That’s the way to do it.”
“So why do we have to go to psalm sings?”
“There are multiple reasons, but I will give you three. First, the Church is in dire need of reformation, and true reformations in the Church have always been musicals. The fact we are singing doesn’t make it a reformation, but music is an important part of what we want have in place, asking God to bless it. Second, your sisters love to go, but it is important for my sons to learn to love congregational music as well. This is because masculine leadership is as important here as it is anywhere else. One of the great indicators that the Church is in need of reformation is the fact that our men don’t love to sing. And third, the New Testament requires us to sing the psalms to God, but because we have neglected this for centuries, our repertoire is largely depleted. We have a lot of learning, a lot of catch-up to do.”
“Okay, okay, I got you. Anything else?”
“Yes, you’re a tenor, and the tenors always need extra help.”
“Ha!” his son said. “At least we sing different notes. When I listen to you basses, it is like listening to six or seven cement trucks driving by, rattling the windows.”
At that point, a warning voice came from the next room—”Boys . . .”