Some anticipate getting new and better voices in heaven. Certainly we will not deal with limitations of health or endurance or strength. But if we are honest, our attention and interest regularly falter sooner than our voices. Never again in heaven.

Two years ago, I charged into January resolved to sing every verse of one hymn each day. As with many personal resolutions, I folded this into the edges of my days, where homeschool and other responsibilities could not crowd it out; this meant some late nights when I ran downstairs to hastily sing a hymn before crashing into bed, meeting the bones of the resolution and completely missing the heart.

My rousing success drove me to a better decision, frankly borne more of necessity than conviction: sing during the day with my kids. I picked a hymnal, we sang a song or two after our Bible time, and we added a bookmark. Repeat the next day.

From these humble beginnings, we have now finished singing through a few hymnals and moved our singing to a time when we can regularly sing as a whole family. Singing is critical to our worship, one of our favourite family habits, and among my dearest memories.

But why should you care? Frankly, if it is just my words or nostalgia, you shouldn’t. It is not just my words. Singing threads the entire Bible.

• Angels sang when God laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38:6–7); angels sang when Jesus took human flesh and was born in a barn (Luke 2:10–14); angels sing around the throne to the Lamb who is worthy (Revelation 5:8–14).
• God Himself sings (Zeph 3:17).

Read More