Singing together

Singing together

From Grace for All by Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

June 7, 2026 · 6 min · Season 24 · Episode 933

About this episode

This episode discusses the significance of singing in worship and its benefits for spiritual and emotional well-being.

Ephesians 5:18b-20 (NRSV) be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ In the broader passage from which this is excerpted, Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus about morality and behavior that reflects someone who is following Christ, discussing such heavy issues as sexual morality, greed, purity of the words we speak, and avoiding drunkenness. A person might think that singing together seems kind of frivolous or at least out of place by comparison. On the contrary, singing is an important way we connect with God. Saint Augustine is often attributed with the expression, “To sing is to pray twice.” When we sing rather than just saying the words of our prayers, we often connect more deeply with them. Music has great power to stir our emotions, activating parts of our brains and, I believe, our souls that aren’t as activated when speaking those words alone. Science confirms this — singing is good for us. It lowers cortisol and blood pressure, and it releases endorphins and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jim Stovall, Greta Smith

Topics covered

  • singing
  • spiritual connection
  • music and health
  • Christianity
  • Ephesians
  • worship

Keywords

  • singing
  • Ephesians
  • spiritual songs
  • music
  • health benefits
  • worship
  • Christianity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: First United Methodist Church

Books & works: Ephesians

More episodes of Grace for All

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Grace for All podcast page.