The Doctor: Disproportional Singing

I am no opponent to singing, we are to sing God’s praises in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.  Yes, but again there is a sense of proportion even here.  Have you not noticed how singing is becoming more and more prominent?  People, Christian people, meet together to sing only.  ‘Oh,’ they say, ‘we do get a word in.’ But the singing is the big thing.  At a time like this, at an appalling time like this, with crime and violence, and sin, and perversions, God’s name desecrated and the sanctities being spat upon, the whole state of the world surely says this is not a time for singing, this is a time for preaching.  I am reminded of the words of Wordsworth about Milton, ‘Plain living, and high thinking are no more.’  It is almost as true of us to say plain speaking and high thinking are no more.  We are just singing.  We are wafting ourselves into some happy atmosphere.  We sing together.  Dear friends, this is no time for singing.  ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ (Ps. 137:4).  How can we take down our harps when Zion is as she is?  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, p. 63

3 thoughts on “The Doctor: Disproportional Singing”

    1. Yes.

      I think you might be reading this the wrong way. Lloyd-Jones loved singing. They had regular singing at Westminster Chapel. In fact I am fairly certain that he led the singing in his church (as is still the case in some churches in Britain). He often quotes hymns in his sermons. His argument is not that there should not be singing, but there should be proportion.

      Also this is in his book on revival. Lloyd-Jones saw the church in Britain becoming largely what it is today and he was deeply saddened. The church was dying and the solution to some was to preach less and sing more. Minimize preaching, and maximize singing. Produce a light and joyous atmosphere. Never mind if it is superficial, or if you really have any reason to sing. Just sing. Never mind that there is no concern for God, just a concern to keep the numbers strong. Just sing. Never mind that there is no theological depth, that no one has a clue of the God they are singing about. Just sing. Never mind the doctrinal compromise, and moral abyss. Just sing. That was the attitude Lloyd-Jones was combating. I hope this makes a difference in your assessment of the quote above.

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      1. The context you have provided certainly helps my understanding of the quote. Without the context, I, as a vocal major who loves singing period and especially loves singing to God, was taken aback. It certainly makes more sense now.

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