Worship: Jerome on Singing the Psalms

Jerome (d. 420) advocated passionately for congregational psalm singing. He wrote to the church at Rome: "The plowman at his plow should sing alleluia; the toiling reaper should entertain himself with psalms; and the vine-dresser, while lopping the vine with his curved pruning hook, should sing some of the songs of David." Jerome envisioned a world saturated with the Psalms.

Jerome also insisted that singing must come from the heart: "Let the servant of God sing in such a way that the words of the text give pleasure, not the voice of the singer." He was concerned that beautiful voices could become a source of pride and distraction, turning worship into performance.

Practical application: Learn one new hymn or Psalm setting this month. Sing it daily -- in the shower, in the car, during chores. Jerome teaches that worship songs are not just for Sunday but for every moment. When a Psalm is memorized and internalized through singing, it becomes available as prayer throughout the day.