June 1, 2026

When was the last time you learned something by singing? I’m going to guess that it likely wasn’t very recent. I’m immediately drawn back to a previous job where we all sat in cubicles. I can only imagine my coworkers singing to memorize next quarter’s sales procedures. A choir of cubicles! What strange fun that would have been.

Now that you’re thinking about it, you probably recall some of your earliest memories being times when you learned through song. Many of us probably learned our ABCs singing the alphabet song. Days of the week? I still sing it to the Addams Family. Even simple routines were done to song; “clean up, clean up, everybody do your share.” We may not have thought much about it as children, but singing was one of the first tools that helped us remember. In fact, even still, singing is my best tool to make my way through the alphabet without hesitation.

That’s one reason I’m excited about what we plan to do this summer at Friendship Church. As we walk through our sermon series, “David: Faith, Failure and the Pursuit of God,” we’re also going to sing portions of the Psalms together. While this may be a bit unique, it’s also a fitting way to help God’s Word dwell richly in us.

I am grateful we have The Psalms. They’re not just poetry only to be read quietly in our devotions. They were written to be prayed, declared, and sung. David was one of the primary authors in the Psalms. He knew what it was like to put truth into song. As you read in and out of different Psalms, it’s clear that he sang in joy, in sorrow, in repentance, and in trust. In other words, David understood that singing is one of God’s gifts to help us remember who He is and what He has said.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? We remember what we sing. Melody gives words shape and repetition gives them a place to settle. The same reason many of us can still remember the ABCs from childhood is part of the reason singing Scripture can be so powerful now.

Colossians 3:16 tells us,

“To let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Singing is one of the ways we offer worship to God, one way that we encourage one another, and it is one of the ways God’s Word takes root in us.

When we sing portions of the Psalms together on Sundays, we are doing something both biblical and practical. We are helping one another remember God’s truth. We are shaping our minds with Scripture. And, if our hearts had a language, we are giving them words for praise, lament, trust, and hope. Lastly, we are joining a long line of believers who have learned to carry God’s Word in song.

This summer, I hope our church grows in more than just knowledge. I hope we grow in memory. I hope the words of Scripture stay with us in the car, around the dinner table, in quiet moments, and as we navigate the mountains and valleys we face in life. And I hope that as we sing the Psalms together, we are not only worshiping God in the moment but learning to remember Him throughout the week.