Last night I was in a room meeting with about 90 other people. And, at one point, they were all speaking at the same time! Speaking loudly at the same time. And it was wonderful.

One of the perks I get from serving on the board of Village Missions is that I am welcomed to attend a VM regional summer conference each year. Conferences held in various districts to allow missionary-pastors and their families, who serve in small communities in rural America, to come together and be hosted for a week of rest and renewal. It’s a joy and a privilege to get to hang out with these faithful servants for a few days — even though they have a habit, when they come together, of repeatedly all speaking at the same time. But hey, that’s what God’s people are supposed to do.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Ephesians 5:18-20 ESV)

Addressing one another . . . That’s the phrase that popped this morning in the afterglow of last night.

Most other translations render it speaking to one another. That’s what we were doing last night, speaking to one another, all at the same time. But far from it being a cacophony of sound, it was much more like a symphony. No one competing to be heard over someone else, but every one communing. For we were all speaking to one another with spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in our hearts and with our mouths.

All voices in unison, reflecting our unity in the Spirit (Eph. 4:3-4). And yet, some voices breaking into a harmony part here and there, a reminder of our diversity. Bottom line though, even as we lifted our voices to heaven, we were also addressing one another in that room. It’s what sinners saved by grace are to do when they worship together through song.

What a privilege it is to sing with God’s people of God’s praise. We take it for granted so often, don’t we?

And, in our hyper-individualistic, self-defining, self-realizing culture, we can fall into the trap of thinking that when we sing songs of praise that it’s just a thing done only for Jesus and directed only to Jesus. But, while that’s true, if I’m picking up what Paul’s laying down here, then there’s something more — another dimension we’d do well to keep in mind. When we saints get together to sing, then we are also speaking. All of us. All speaking at the same time. Speaking with one voice. Speaking to one another. I can encourage the saints standing around me even as I sing of the glories of the One enthroned above me.

The group here will gather a few more times this week, Lord willing. And we’ll do it again — all of us speaking loudly, all speaking at the same time. All of us addressing one another even as we give thanks always to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.