Psalm 98:1
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
I remember when worship wars were about music style: drums or no drums, praise chorus or hymns, electric guitar?!. Thank God those days are over (mostly). Psalm 98:1 was often quoted by those “contemporary progressives” who thought a hymnal was a vestige of “dead religion”. Those days were silly and I am so thankful that many churches today understand the beauty of balance between where the church has been and where it is going in terms of musical selections for worship.
Psalm 98 is both an inspired part of the worship of ancient Israel and a command with the expectation of new songs of praise for God’s people. When we consider material for the church to sing, there’s a temptation to do what’s popular. But the psalm points us to a healthier process for choosing these new songs. Yes! The Bible gives us a guide for picking new songs. Let’s look at it together from the 98th Psalm:
New Songs
The planning and leading of our church’s worship is a sacred process. It is a very special and holy service to the church. So if you are that person responsible for the liturgy or any planning of your church service, take that very seriously! We have a privilege to introduce material that is new to the congregation. Sometimes that new song emphasizes what God has been doing in our church, or the season, or even to focus the church on the sermon text for the morning. Psalm 98:1 expects that we invite and incorporate new songs.
Be on the lookout for new songs, write them, co-write with a pastor or talented friend. New songs are a sign of a healthy church that is sensitive to the ongoing works of God among his people. It’s the outworking of the gospel from the heart of a thankful believer. I believe this is what the apostle Paul calls “spiritual songs” in Ephesians 5:19. He says this is the act of “singing and making melody from your heart to the Lord.”
But Not Just “New Stuff”
The biggest temptation in music ministry is to do songs, because they are new and popular. That is never a good reason to sing a new song. Ever.
The new song in Psalm 98:1 comes about because of the marvelous works of God. The material accords with the character of God and his works. Is that the current aim of new songs today? Poor grounding is likely why many were so obstinate to the contemporary worship movement. For somewhat good reason, some people were not wanting to trade biblically-sound singable material for a cool beat and 5 repeats of a chorus containing a total of four words. So ask yourself: is this new song rich in the telling of the character and work of God?
The temptation is always looming, especially when our favorite worship team or artist comes out with a new album and you fall in love with the material. In the latter part of Psalm 98:1, the psalm recalls the gospel-saturated reality of God’s salvation in power, holiness, strength, and sovereignty. If you can convey that with new material, then sing it! However, if you’re tempted to compromise on fulfilling these few expectations for congregational worship, then take the fruitful path from Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly: the gospel and biblical narrative
Teaching and admonishing: does the material lend itself to teach and build up?
One another: can they participate or is it concert-level?
In all wisdom: does it bring the best solution? And does it point to Jesus: our wisdom?
Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: the range of ways we can sing
With thankfulness in your hearts to God: will it be saturated in the truth so that God’s people are filled with gratitude and respond correctly for his glory?
