Sadly many congregations and worship “leaders” have bid farewell to hymns. Everything must be new – Yes, the hymns may have served their purpose in the past but no longer.
I love hymns, unashamedly I love the hymns of the Christian faith. I love contemporary music as well and I would argue for a blended format, selecting both hymns and contemporary songs through the grid of doctrinal soundness, as well as the melody’s suitability. Truthfully some hymns and choruses are tough to sing. Like the U.S.A.’s “Star Spangled Banner” some hymns have such a range of notes that only highly trained musicians can produce a clear, melodious sound.
Those selecting worship songs should teach hymnology – the background of the author and the occasion of the song sets the words in context. Consider “It is Well with my soul” – assuredly one of my brother’s favourite hymns. Knowing the story of that hymn and the occasion of the Atlantic crossing and drowning of the family members of the composer deepens the impact.
Powerpoint music is fine – but where are the notes? Hymnbooks have their flaws but at least those who read music can follow the tune easily enough.
A few years back I acquired a Dictionary of Hymnology – it was a cast off by a previous pastor of a church where I was speaking and the leaders offered it to me as a gift. To my amazement there are over 400,000 hymns in Latin, Greek, German and English that are cited in that encyclopedia. This means we don’t have to sing the same old 50 hymns every year. Frankly we have over-killed some hymns (and choruses too) by singing them to death.
Let’s sing unto the Lord a NEW SONG! Make His Praise Glorious!