Singing has always been part of worship in a Pentecostal spiritual service. However, the role of singing in Pentecostal worship as a therapeutic agent has been under-researched. In order to bridge this research gap, this article is an interdisciplinary study of singing and Pentecostal worship. It seeks to demonstrate that the act of singing is a therapeutic agent in Pentecostal worship. The article will explore singing as a biblical concept to establish its theology. The purpose is to demonstrate that singing is not only part of the liturgy in a Pentecostal worship service but also acts as a therapeutic agent for all sorts of ailments, including spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological ailments.
The importance of this article is twofold; firstly, the article demonstrates that singing plays a pivotal role in Pentecostal worship as much as it did in the Bible. Secondly, the article illustrates that singing is more than a liturgical exercise; it acts as a therapeutic agent in Pentecostal worship.
Pentecostalism; worship; therapy; singing; music.
Singing was part of African culture before it was part of Pentecostal worship. In the words of Lebaka (
Singing has always been part of political events. Politicians gather and sing slogans as a way of charming their supporters or keeping the event going. Former president of South Africa Jacob Zuma is known for his singing more than his politics. He moved from singing
Singing has always been part of worship in a Pentecostal spiritual service. The argument in this article is that Pentecostals take part in singing not only as part of their liturgy but as a way of trying to access therapy for their ailments. The lead singer picks up songs that heal the emotions of the adherents. When such songs are sung, you will hear a Pentecostal say
This article seeks to build on the examples highlighted and establish the theology of singing by looking at scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that speak about singing. The concept of Pentecostal worship will be outlined and explained in detail by looking at literature that deals with Pentecostal worship, especially in an African context. The article will also demonstrate the role played by singing in Pentecostal worship. The purpose is to demonstrate that singing is not only part of liturgy in a Pentecostal spiritual service but acts as a therapeutic agent for all sorts of ailments, including emotional, spiritual, psychological and possibly physical ailments.
Singing in the Bible was done to express one’s happiness and joy. The women in Israel could sing and dance to show their happiness in welcoming the King. They could play different instruments to demonstrate their joy (1 Sm 18:6). The King himself even in his old age could desire to hear songs sung by human voices (2 Sm 19:35). Especially when done from the heart, singing had an ability to release the presence and glory of God (Is 35:2). The prophet Isaiah uses mountains and the hills as metaphors for singing, on the one hand, and trees of the field as metaphors for clapping, on the other. According to Isaiah, as nature in the form of mountains and hills sings, there shall be joy and peace among the people of God (Is 55:12). This kind of singing has benefits; it brings assurance that God is present, the people of God are safe and well, God is pleased with his people, God will embrace humanity with charity and show humanity kindness (Zph 3:17).
Lastly, singing in the Bible was part of therapy. The scripture records in 1 Samuel 16 that:
… the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul and a spirit was terrifying him. Saul’s officials advised him to look for someone who is good at playing the harp. David, a brave warrior and good looking man, came to Saul and started working for him. Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away. (vv. 14–23)
The prophet in Isaiah 51:11 says that ‘the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away’.
In summary, singing in the Bible was done to express one’s joy to the Lord and even unto the people. Equally so, singing was done to express one’s lamentation. People were encouraged not to keep silent just because they were in pain but to sing loud in their sorrow. However, their lives would not remain sorrowful but change from sorrow to the joy of the Lord. Singing was also done in temple worship, especially in expressing how people were thankful for what God had done in their lives. The important point in this article that is drawn from the Bible is that singing is part of therapy. People were healed and delivered as others played or sang for them. The link between therapy and singing shall be explained in detail later in the article.
Pentecostal worship is Spirit worship. It must be stated as a point of departure that Pentecostals believe in baptism in the Holy Spirit (Kgatle
… an activity of worship that is distinct from other activities of worship. Ordinarily, these activities of worship are listed in a church bulletin (singing, preaching, etc.). Other activities of worship are as follows: prayer, reading, preaching, singing, receiving sacraments, taking vows, fasting, and observing days of thanksgiving. These are all part of liturgy but in Pentecostal worship it is more than liturgy but the Spirit worship. (p. 7)
Pentecostal worship in a way is non-liturgical or has an open liturgy. Vondey (
In the context of Pentecostalism, the term comprises both a form of spirituality and a form of worship concentrated in the encounter with God. The emphasis of the term is on the free response to this encounter with God rather than on an order or a structure provided for the possibility of that encounter. The only path to integrate Pentecostalism in the existing and often highly structured liturgical landscape is through a rather loose attachment of the term ‘liturgy’ to the practices of spirituality and worship. In other words, although there might be some form of liturgy in a Pentecostal service, the service itself is not led by such liturgy but led by the Spirit of God. Liturgy comes in as a way of bringing order in the church. While worship as embodied spirituality can be ritualized, the process of formalization and structuring is slow. In this sense, the term liturgy always remains closer to spirituality and worship and resists formal structure, whether imposed by church or culture. The making of a Pentecostal ‘liturgy,’ therefore, refers more broadly to the actualization of a reflection on the Christian life than to the ordered performance of spirituality in worship. (pp. 149–150)
I want to agree with Vondey, especially on the issue of open liturgy. In my view, it is more correct to speak of an open liturgy among Pentecostals than a ‘non-liturgy’. The key point is that a formal programme does not run the service but the Holy Spirit does. Vaughan (
… for the Pentecostals, the true worship leader is the Holy Spirit: Holy Spirit-led worship will always be fresh and invigorating because the Spirit of the Lord is constantly redefining and re-expressing the praises offered to the dynamic and living God. This is the ethos of the Pentecostal message. (p. 240)
A result of the Pentecostal emphasis on spiritual or charismatic experiences is that for Pentecostal people, Spirit worship is the highest occupation of the church, fulfilling the ultimate purpose for which the people of God are redeemed (Is 43:21; 1 Pt 2:9). At the heart of Pentecostalism, Nel (
… is its spirituality, and its spirituality was found in worship, one of its major expressions. The phenomenal growth of Pentecostalism has also been ascribed to the attractiveness of its worship. Pentecostalism’s greatest and most important contribution to the larger Christian tradition has been in the sphere of liturgy (including music) and preaching, that is, the practice of Spirit worship. (p. 1)
In Spirit worship, according to Akpanika (
Pentecostal worship is alive with different kinds of music. Pentecostals, according to Williams (
Pentecostal worship is participatory. Pentecostal worship praxis claims, according to Williams (
Pentecostal worship is characterised by joyful singing and dancing, clapping of hands, physical expressions of praise accompanied by loud and powerful instrumentation. Thus, Pentecostal worship is viewed as exuberant and exciting, with a strong emphasis on singing, dancing and the use of popular styles of the day. (p. 1)
Udok and Odunuga (
While Pentecostal congregations do sing and worship corporately, individual worshippers can also show an expression of their love and devotion to God as their hearts and spirit of God move them. It is common for Pentecostal churches to include a full musical orchestra or band that musically motivate the entire congregation to worship God with their emotions. (p. 56)
Pentecostal worship has an emotional feeling. Pentecostal worship of both hymn and chorus singing, according to Lebaka (
According to Vaughan (
… brought old songs from other mainline churches with them to church and instead of performers singing to an audience, they began actively participating in the singing as a congregation. Early Pentecostals loved congregational singing, becoming a mainstay of their worship. (p. 4)
In recent times Pentecostals not only sing songs from other denominations or mainline churches but also create or write new songs based on the Bible. African Pentecostals write more songs in their languages in order for people to flow in their own indigenous languages. This view is supported by Atpanika (
… today the Africans sing Gospel Songs with meaning and the lyrics are in vernacular, so they understand the song well. They also express their feelings in a meaningful manner. Local rhythms have been woven into local choruses in most of the African Christian communities and the rhythms naturally evoke local dances and choreographies. (p. 406)
Moreover, African Pentecostals need to translate the existing English songs into indigenous languages in the context of decolonisation and Africanisation. This should be done for the reason that as much as Pentecostals sing in the Spirit they should also sing with understanding. However, it must be acknowledged that in many churches today they display the lyrics of the song on a projector so that the congregants can easily flow with the lead singer.
Participatory, spontaneous and active worship normally involves the entire congregation led by a chorus leader and backed up by a team of instrumentalists. In other words, it is not only the role of the choir or what some churches refer to as the ‘worship team’; the whole congregation must take part in the singing rather than only relying on the lead singer. The lead singer must equally be in tune with the musical instruments and musical arrangement of the day. The practice of singing, according to Manring (
Popular music styles performed in churches today may not have originated from the sacred world, although they are powerful tools in the evangelisation process. Gestures such as clapping, raising hands and dancing were widespread. The use of musical instruments during worship as well as singing of choruses with a mixture of music styles was a common feature (Murango
It is during the singing in Pentecostal worship, according to Modiko (
… people receive their healings even before they are touched or prayed for. The general view is that the singers and dancers releases [
Wouters (
The ultimate expression is the personal song of a person who needs healing; that person moves from a passive state (receiving songs from others) to an active and powerful one, during which they compose and sing a song that instructs others in the community. At the end the sick person receives healing even before the ministers pray for them. When the minister finally gets an opportunity to pray, it is in the form of confirmation and affirmation that indeed the sick person has already been healed and delivered (Van den Bosch-Heij
Singing in Pentecostal worship offers spiritual therapy. It has already been established that Pentecostal worship is Spirit worship. It connects to the spiritual well-being of the members. Thus it becomes a spiritual therapy in the lives of the congregants. The main question is, how is this done? To answer this question, Kidwell (
Spirituality is becoming more integrated into approaches of healthcare providers. Specifically, for patients with a terminal diagnosis, addressing the whole person becomes essential in providing comprehensive care, recognizing not only the need to manage physical symptoms for comfort, but determining and treating spiritual needs with regards to impending death. (p. 129)
In other words, not all people are physically sick; some are spiritually sick, and dealing with a holistic person as suggested by Kidwell is beneficial. Thus, singing becomes an important part of Pentecostal worship, especially as it serves as spiritual therapy (Chitando
Through the agency of the Spirit, the singing becomes a means of grace, and in many instances of therapy. As in preaching, the presence and working of the Spirit is the constituting factor changing a ritual into a life-transforming event and serving to instruct, exhort and model the life of faith. (p. 5)
In addition, according to Wlodarczyk (
… a catalyst for spiritual exploration. Singing can structure life review for the patient through which spiritual distress may be alleviated if there are issues of the past that need to be dealt with. Singing can help patients’ reminiscence about spiritual events throughout their life, such as births, deaths, weddings and funerals. The time of death vigil is another setting in which creating atmosphere or sacred space through singing can be very comforting. (p. 1)
Pentecostals like singing during a night vigil as a way of giving spiritual support to the members of a bereaved family. They sing the whole night to make sure that the family is comforted throughout their time of grief. The family is encouraged to attend the night vigil so that they can sing along. Thus singing is able to address the spiritual part of a person that normal therapeutic means cannot address; in the end the sick person is able to receive their healing. In some instances, spiritual healing is able to translate into physical, emotional or psychological healing. This brings us to our next point of discussion.
… knows that singing is the source of a strong positive experience. Positive experiences are very important in life; they provide the power and motivation to do something less pleasant. Such positive experiences are common activities: playing, singing, and dancing. (p. 195)
However, in Pentecostal worship, singing is more than a positive experience; as already highlighted, it is a spiritual activity that is able to deal with emotional problems. Tshabalala and Patel (
… a person’s inner state is mirrored in the voice by the way they use the vocal tract. Singing may heal and integrate these wounds. Singing creates an inner beat, an inner beat and resonate with it. The deeper and more attentively we are able to listen the deeper we are able tap into the flow of life. (p. 14)
Calitz (
Singing has a profound impact on the well-being of adherents. It largely makes people happy to use their gifts to improve on the happiness of others and ultimately their own happiness. Singing in a church setting offers church members an opportunity to express themselves in the presence of God, which in a way brings them happiness (Joseph & Petersen
… mainly operates through social resonance and the sense of communion with the group. The participants react to the singing and its associated lyrics by opening themselves up to contact with one another. In addition, active singing, in tandem with dance movements, promotes self- in the encounter with other group members. (p. 249)
As discussed, Pentecostal worship is very much participatory and done in the form of a group. Pentecostal worship possesses abilities to heal people emotionally.
Singing and dancing in Pentecostal worship offer psychological therapy. The power of singing, according to Van de Laar (
… was also recognised as a psychological therapy tool. The most famous example of this is David’s playing of the (harp) to soothe Saul: And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. While this is a case of psychological ‘therapy’ administered through music, the Hebrews believed firmly that even physical ailments could be healed with the aid of music. (p. 48)
In Pentecostal worship, as the lead singer takes a song, the congregants are able to forget about their troubles and enjoy the presence of God. The challenge is that sometimes this kind of therapy is not sustainable in my view. The reason is that after the Pentecostal worship, when a person is in a normal state of mind, he or she is able to again recall the trouble that he or she is going through. Thus for sustainable psychological therapy in Pentecostal worship, there is a need for counselling in addition to what the person has received during the service. Moreover, it is important to state categorically that God is the one who heals (not the music) and he chooses how he wants to heal and who he wants to heal. He works in mysterious ways, and we as human beings cannot force or manipulate him to work. Singing becomes a spiritual discipline that positions believers before God in order for God to heal them. In addition, singing is not the only therapeutic agent in Pentecostal worship; other spiritual disciplines like prayer do play a part.
Singing has always been part of a spiritual service in Pentecostal worship. This article established the theology of singing by looking at scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that speak about singing. The article found that singing in the Bible was done to express one’s happiness and joy. Singing in the Bible was also done to express one’s lamentation. Singing in the Bible was part of liturgy in temple worship and thanksgiving. More than ritualistic, religiosity and liturgical functions, singing in the Bible was part of therapy. The article also found that Pentecostal worship is more than liturgical worship; it is about Spirit worship by using different kinds of instruments. This is based on the fact that Pentecostals embrace the works of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostal worship is a participatory worship that eases one’s emotional tensions. The article also demonstrated the role played by singing in Pentecostal worship. Given the role that singing plays in Pentecostal worship, it has been proven here that singing has potential to heal especially spiritual, psychological and emotional sickness. Further studies are needed, especially empirical studies with evidence that will look at the role of singing as a therapeutic agent for physical ailments. Such a study would be able to quantify the number of people healed.
The author acknowledges the support from the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa.
The author declares that he does not have any competing interests with regard to the writing of this article.
Funding for this study was provided by the University of South Africa.