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Then Sings My Soul
On its own, singing can never satisfy those desires that only true worship can. However, singing is the language of our affections. And it is used by God to plant the word of Christ in the hearts of those who long to be touched, filled and changed by his perfect love.
In Then Sings My Soul, Philip Percival takes us to the Bible to rediscover what it is that God has revealed about singing for his people, and encourages us to recapture the fullness of his design. He also provides plenty of practical advice about leading music in your church.
Whether you are a pastor, a musician or just someone who takes music seriously, we hope this book equips you to reignite a passion for singing together in response to God’s amazing redemption of his people.
In Then Sings My Soul, Philip Percival takes us to the Bible to rediscover what it is that God has revealed about singing for his people, and encourages us to recapture the fullness of his design. He also provides plenty of practical advice about leading music in your church.
Whether you are a pastor, a musician or just someone who takes music seriously, we hope this book equips you to reignite a passion for singing together in response to God’s amazing redemption of his people.
155 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 16, 2018
Solid read on music and specifically music in and for the church. Many books I have read on music in the past have been based on opinion and a verse here or there taken out of context. However, this Brit shares some really good truths!
The first four chapters, the author lays a tremendous foundation when it comes to worship (which is not specifically singing), praise, and the gospel. Yes, he ties in the gospel with the music in a church. These first chapters are not a "do this" or "don't do that" manual. They have a solid foundation in music itself and the purpose of it in the church.
Chapters 5 & 6 followed by the four appendices are excellent practical thoughts on leading music in a church. They are quite different than anything I have read before and I plan on sharing the truths with our song leader at our church. Here are the titles for the four appendices:
1. Deliberate song leading
2. Issues for churches
3. Idolatry in church music
4. Church musicians
I love music, I love singing, and I love church music! I would encourage anyone in church leadership to read this book and glean wisdom from someone who is well-grounded in this area.
The following are a few quotes/paragraphs that grabbed my attention:
"Singing helps us know and feel the truth; it can train us in godly living. It is about us being intimate with the creator of all things."
"In the Bible, worship never simply equals singing. And for that matter, singing is never described as worship. What we do see, however, is that true worship is much bigger than all the things that can happen in a church service."
"Singing is the language of our affections. And it is used by God to plant the word of Christ in the hearts of those who long to be touched, filled and changed by his perfect love."
"Worship is fundamentally about the attitude of our hearts."
"If worship is the attitude of my heart, then service is the practical outworking of my worship."
"Let's remember that our church music issues are, more often than not, quite different from God's"
"Whereas listening to music is a passive experience, singing requires a physical connection."
"God sees our singing as something we participate in - as a physical AND spiritual activity. It is not something we observe, but something we do."
"The gospel should affect our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and actions. Yes, it is easy for us to criticize others who either think too much or feel too much. But I would like us to let the Scriptures critique these things first. Like preaching, singing the Word is a ministry that requires us to engage our heart and our minds with Jesus, in humility and submission, in order to faithfully serve him and his church."
"God gives us song as a mouthpiece for the soul, for the expression of both truth and affection. But that expression will look different from church to church, as we are all wired differently as individuals and groups and cultures, according to God's sovereign design for his people."
"The music leader is a minister of the word of Christ. We don't invite just any gifted speaker (newsreader, politician, stand-up comedian) to preach the sermon to our congregations; neither should we invite non-believers to serve in this vital ministry."
The first four chapters, the author lays a tremendous foundation when it comes to worship (which is not specifically singing), praise, and the gospel. Yes, he ties in the gospel with the music in a church. These first chapters are not a "do this" or "don't do that" manual. They have a solid foundation in music itself and the purpose of it in the church.
Chapters 5 & 6 followed by the four appendices are excellent practical thoughts on leading music in a church. They are quite different than anything I have read before and I plan on sharing the truths with our song leader at our church. Here are the titles for the four appendices:
1. Deliberate song leading
2. Issues for churches
3. Idolatry in church music
4. Church musicians
I love music, I love singing, and I love church music! I would encourage anyone in church leadership to read this book and glean wisdom from someone who is well-grounded in this area.
The following are a few quotes/paragraphs that grabbed my attention:
"Singing helps us know and feel the truth; it can train us in godly living. It is about us being intimate with the creator of all things."
"In the Bible, worship never simply equals singing. And for that matter, singing is never described as worship. What we do see, however, is that true worship is much bigger than all the things that can happen in a church service."
"Singing is the language of our affections. And it is used by God to plant the word of Christ in the hearts of those who long to be touched, filled and changed by his perfect love."
"Worship is fundamentally about the attitude of our hearts."
"If worship is the attitude of my heart, then service is the practical outworking of my worship."
"Let's remember that our church music issues are, more often than not, quite different from God's"
"Whereas listening to music is a passive experience, singing requires a physical connection."
"God sees our singing as something we participate in - as a physical AND spiritual activity. It is not something we observe, but something we do."
"The gospel should affect our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and actions. Yes, it is easy for us to criticize others who either think too much or feel too much. But I would like us to let the Scriptures critique these things first. Like preaching, singing the Word is a ministry that requires us to engage our heart and our minds with Jesus, in humility and submission, in order to faithfully serve him and his church."
"God gives us song as a mouthpiece for the soul, for the expression of both truth and affection. But that expression will look different from church to church, as we are all wired differently as individuals and groups and cultures, according to God's sovereign design for his people."
"The music leader is a minister of the word of Christ. We don't invite just any gifted speaker (newsreader, politician, stand-up comedian) to preach the sermon to our congregations; neither should we invite non-believers to serve in this vital ministry."
October 31, 2021
Very helpful book on church music generally, and singing specifically. As a Pastor, I found this book more helpful than 'Sing' by Keith & Kristyn Getty, because the author focuses largely upon the biblical/theological purpose of corporate congregational singing.
I also agree with him that music, even in a very biblically literate church, can all too easily become an idol, and an end in itself. I'd want to add a reminder that even if churches have the most gifted musicians, and hearty congregational singing, the singing still only represents a small percentage of the time in public worship. Our focus in singing, as in every part of the worship service, is to minister the word of God, enabling the word of Christ to dwell richly in each person present, Colossians 3v16. Music is only ever a servant of the word, and must never become the Master.
I also agree with him that music, even in a very biblically literate church, can all too easily become an idol, and an end in itself. I'd want to add a reminder that even if churches have the most gifted musicians, and hearty congregational singing, the singing still only represents a small percentage of the time in public worship. Our focus in singing, as in every part of the worship service, is to minister the word of God, enabling the word of Christ to dwell richly in each person present, Colossians 3v16. Music is only ever a servant of the word, and must never become the Master.
May 11, 2026
This is a solid and edifying book in which Philip Percival outlines the biblical and theological underpinnings for congregational singing in the local church. He begins by defining worship, which for the Christian is less a matter of externals and more a matter of the heart. He explains that, “To worship God in this life does not now mean physically bowing before him (even though that's what all creation is one day going to do). Christian worship happens in an even more profound way: in our hearts. This worship transcends any earthly ritual, action or performance - no matter how religious they may seem - because it flows out of hearts that are transformed by Christ. Only those who accept his offer of living water - who find their satisfaction in him and who are born again of the Spirit - will have a renewed heart of flesh that genuinely honours the Lord of creation. Our lives don't revolve around a weekly sacrifice in a temple - but we continually and perpetually honour God by virtue of being in Christ, our worship bound to him by his once-for-all and perfect sacrifice on the cross.” Further, “The New Testament helps us to understand worship in two key ways. On the one hand we see that God is moving history to the point where the whole of creation will submit to Jesus, the Lord of all creation. All people will bow before him, both friends and enemies. Alongside that is the idea that true worship is essentially spiritual-that genuine engagement with God requires Jesus giving us new hearts. Just as Jesus restores our with God, broken at the fall, so he restores our actions relationship and affections towards God. Worship is therefore fundamentally about the attitude of our hearts. And without the transformation that Jesus offers, we can never approach God with the genuine honour he demands from his creation. In saving me Jesus replaces my corrupted heart, with all of its longings for worldly satisfaction, with one that finds delight in honouring the Lord of creation.”
From there, he moves on to set congregational singing in the context of such an understanding of worship. In short, our singing when we gather as God’s people is to be an expression of the word in song. Again, Percival helpfully explains that “The Bible songs connect the truths and purposes of God with the singer's heart-response to those truths. They are an intersection of theology and emotional engagement. Importantly, Bible songs model what we should be singing about: our salvation (ultimately in the cross of Christ), and our thankful response to being saved by God's grace…So the Bible makes it clear that the content of our singing is to be the gospel, the word of Christ. It is also clear that this is a ministry that occurs profoundly at the level of the heart. But what is not so clear is how the heart is affected as we sing that word, and what it is that we should be feeling.”
This is the topic of the next chapter, and Percival is clear that Christian singing should tap into our emotions: “The New Testament shows that accepting God's grace in Christ means feeling something about it. The gospel should captivate our affections. Christians are people of love and joy like their creator, and, because of their redemption in Christ, are people filled with thankfulness. God gives us song as a mouthpiece for the soul, for the expression of both truth and affection. But that expression will look different from church to church, as we are all wired differently as individuals and groups and cultures, according to God's sovereign design for his people…The challenge, therefore, is not to make ourselves more or less emotional, but to encourage authenticity in our response to the gospel, in love and joy and thankfulness.”
Some thoughts on the kinds of things we should sing about and what it means to lead congregational singing round out a very helpful and thoughtful treatment of a subject that, while forming a core aspect of our church life, Christians can often approach quite carelessly. This is a book that has helped me to think about how to sing and what to sing with more biblical rigour, expressing both the truths of God and the joy of knowing him in Jesus.
From there, he moves on to set congregational singing in the context of such an understanding of worship. In short, our singing when we gather as God’s people is to be an expression of the word in song. Again, Percival helpfully explains that “The Bible songs connect the truths and purposes of God with the singer's heart-response to those truths. They are an intersection of theology and emotional engagement. Importantly, Bible songs model what we should be singing about: our salvation (ultimately in the cross of Christ), and our thankful response to being saved by God's grace…So the Bible makes it clear that the content of our singing is to be the gospel, the word of Christ. It is also clear that this is a ministry that occurs profoundly at the level of the heart. But what is not so clear is how the heart is affected as we sing that word, and what it is that we should be feeling.”
This is the topic of the next chapter, and Percival is clear that Christian singing should tap into our emotions: “The New Testament shows that accepting God's grace in Christ means feeling something about it. The gospel should captivate our affections. Christians are people of love and joy like their creator, and, because of their redemption in Christ, are people filled with thankfulness. God gives us song as a mouthpiece for the soul, for the expression of both truth and affection. But that expression will look different from church to church, as we are all wired differently as individuals and groups and cultures, according to God's sovereign design for his people…The challenge, therefore, is not to make ourselves more or less emotional, but to encourage authenticity in our response to the gospel, in love and joy and thankfulness.”
Some thoughts on the kinds of things we should sing about and what it means to lead congregational singing round out a very helpful and thoughtful treatment of a subject that, while forming a core aspect of our church life, Christians can often approach quite carelessly. This is a book that has helped me to think about how to sing and what to sing with more biblical rigour, expressing both the truths of God and the joy of knowing him in Jesus.
August 13, 2020
Helpful, Biblical insight to the place of singing within the Church.
The book gives helpful foundations to the subject looking at Bible teaching on worship, and songs and singing in the Bible.
Taught the line that singing is a word ministry, to teach and remind us of our salvation in Christ, and an opportunity for us to respond to that, which among other aspects, involves giving thanks to God - in line with Colossians 3 v 15-17.
After working through some of this foundational material, some more applied teaching on singing in the church comes later in the book - thinking about what is sung, leading the singing, and some appendices which offer input on other practicalities of singing in church.
Helpful book, with good biblical input and teaching (to be expected from a Matthias Media book?!) and some nuance to the arguments given. Some of this 'nuance' felt a bit confusing at times - making a point, and then a comment like 'more on that later', made it feel a little hard to follow some of this nuance. I appreciate the emphasis on looking to what the Bible has to say on the subject, and think this is a really good approach - I wonder though, if there is room for some input on the relationship between the trinitarian nature of God (the key character of the Bible story) and singing (but that is potentially seen as beyond the scope of the book).
The book gives helpful foundations to the subject looking at Bible teaching on worship, and songs and singing in the Bible.
Taught the line that singing is a word ministry, to teach and remind us of our salvation in Christ, and an opportunity for us to respond to that, which among other aspects, involves giving thanks to God - in line with Colossians 3 v 15-17.
After working through some of this foundational material, some more applied teaching on singing in the church comes later in the book - thinking about what is sung, leading the singing, and some appendices which offer input on other practicalities of singing in church.
Helpful book, with good biblical input and teaching (to be expected from a Matthias Media book?!) and some nuance to the arguments given. Some of this 'nuance' felt a bit confusing at times - making a point, and then a comment like 'more on that later', made it feel a little hard to follow some of this nuance. I appreciate the emphasis on looking to what the Bible has to say on the subject, and think this is a really good approach - I wonder though, if there is room for some input on the relationship between the trinitarian nature of God (the key character of the Bible story) and singing (but that is potentially seen as beyond the scope of the book).
May 21, 2025
A concise, and yet dense read, because Percival helps us to re-understand what worship means in the Bible, and how the terminology of worship as it is used in church has caused us to conflate it with music, forgetting the necessary work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection, through whom we are now able to worship (John 4).
Some very helpful pointers are then raised, about music and song ministry being a word ministry to build up the church and one another, how songs are a natural response and a means for the heart to respond to life, and the role of emotion in music.
Practical tips on what that might look like, be it in leading song, writing songs, and pointing to the final song we shall all sing, as shown in Revelation, are given too.
would have appreciated the exploration of other themes in music, e.g. spontaneity, and the link with prayer.
Some very helpful pointers are then raised, about music and song ministry being a word ministry to build up the church and one another, how songs are a natural response and a means for the heart to respond to life, and the role of emotion in music.
Practical tips on what that might look like, be it in leading song, writing songs, and pointing to the final song we shall all sing, as shown in Revelation, are given too.
would have appreciated the exploration of other themes in music, e.g. spontaneity, and the link with prayer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2018
Percival shares some helpful reflections in this book, grounded in a biblical exposition of the place of music in the life of Christians. I most appreciated his practical appendices offered at the end - applying that biblical grounding with wisdom and reflection.
It was great to be reminded that singing at church is a word ministry, designed to authentically engage both our minds and hearts with the gospel.
It was great to be reminded that singing at church is a word ministry, designed to authentically engage both our minds and hearts with the gospel.
May 19, 2018
Helpful short book on singing praise
This isn't a long book and it helpfully considers what the Bible has to say about praise and worship and how that relates to our singing. It shows the point of singing as well as giving practical help for leaders in the church.
This isn't a long book and it helpfully considers what the Bible has to say about praise and worship and how that relates to our singing. It shows the point of singing as well as giving practical help for leaders in the church.
November 2, 2016
"This book will benefit any Christian who wants to sing God's praises in a more Christ-exalting, Scripturally driven, church-strengthening way."
November 14, 2017
Very short read, but some very good thoughts on worship and singing.
March 9, 2020
Short and helpful book on the nature and practice of corporate worship. Especially good were the practical appendices.
April 24, 2017
Wonderful little book on the role and value of congregational singing in the local church. Percival takes the reader to Scripture again and again in an effort to explain congregational singing and how to do it well. A must read for church song leaders and pastors alike.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews