Does your church sing hymns?

[Annie]

Hymns only. P/W music is ok for casual listening, but it would make me uncomfortable in a formal service.

 

I'm only 25, but I was born an old soul. ;)

[Whereneverever]

We're really traditional liturgy folks here- chanting and all. And yes, I love it!

[Carol in Cal.]

I picked 'other'. Our church, which used to be completely and beautifully liturgical, has implemented a second Sunday morning service that is contemporary. I still attend the traditional service, which is now quite early in the morning. Once in a while I stay through the contemporary one, or just go late, and I always feel like I had cotton candy for lunch. Ugh. Content, give me content!

[Crimson Wife]

After my grandmother's funeral over the weekend, my dad was complaining about how the priest wouldn't give the family any choice in the music. He and my aunts wanted Amazing Grace to be the recessional but we got stuck with that schmaltzy Raise You Up on Eagle's Wings instead. :glare:

[Celia]

We only sing hymns, and I love it. I love the challange of singing alto, and I also really like the lyrics. They're so meaningful and well thought out. We used to have an occational hymn study, where we would find Bible quotes that were used or referred to in the hymn. In a previous church I went to, I'd find the praise and worship music too repetative, and it seemed to be contrived to stir up emotion based on the rhythm and style of the music rather than on the lyrics. I pet peeve of mine in that church was when I'd ask for scriptural support for something, instead I'd be given a line of a song. (thumbs down)

[Miss Sherry]

I love hymns. They have a lot more theological meaning to them (well, some do ) than most of the praise and worship songs that are popular. So many modern praise and worship songs are nothing more than mindless emotionalism. O.K. I'm venting on that one. Not all modern praise and worship songs are mindless emotionalism but the one's that are really bug me.

[Julie in CA]

Our church does traditional hymns, and some psalms, and I like that.

One of the problems that I've had with contemporary P & W music is that most of the time the lyrics are projected onto a screen without any musical notation at all. If you don't know the tune or the timing, you're pretty much completely unable to participate in wholehearted singing. With the traditional hymnal, even if I don't know a song, I'm able to follow along and sing. How do folks who visit churches who do exclusively P & W music ever participate? I really hate that feeling of standing and watching without being able to join in?

[petepie2]

Our church does traditional hymns, and some psalms, and I like that.

One of the problems that I've had with contemporary P & W music is that most of the time the lyrics are projected onto a screen without any musical notation at all. If you don't know the tune or the timing, you're pretty much completely unable to participate in wholehearted singing. With the traditional hymnal, even if I don't know a song, I'm able to follow along and sing. How do folks who visit churches who do exclusively P & W music ever participate? I really hate that feeling of standing and watching without being able to join in?

 

I agree that this is a problem. In our church (which is not exclusively P & W), we introduce new music in a variety of ways. Our praise team will sing the song as a "special" the Sunday before (or even the same Sunday) we want the congregation to sing it......or we may have a soloist or even our choir sing it beforehand. Sometimes we may also have the pianist play the song during the offertory to remind the congregation of the tune. Occasionally we have the written music in a form that can be easily (and legally) distributed....like a lead sheet condensed to one page. In those cases, we give out copies to the congregation.

[fastforward]

My family attends a Byzantine Catholic church, so our hymns are not what others would think of when they think of traditional hymns.

 

That said, one of the things I miss most about being Baptist is singing hymns. I miss the gospel feeling that the congregation gave the hymns, as well. Roman Catholic* liturgical music is ok, but nothing beats the hymns from my childhood church.

 

*I'm a convert to the RC church, but my husband and children are Byzantine Catholic.

[Melinda in VT]

My family attends a Byzantine Catholic church, so our hymns are not what others would think of when they think of traditional hymns.

 

That said, one of the things I miss most about being Baptist is singing hymns. I miss the gospel feeling that the congregation gave the hymns, as well. Roman Catholic* liturgical music is ok, but nothing beats the hymns from my childhood church.

 

*I'm a convert to the RC church, but my husband and children are Byzantine Catholic.

 

Have you heard this song? It's about a man who converted to Zen Buddhism talking about how much he misses the singing from his old Baptist church.

 

I grew up Mormon and left in my 30s. Other than the stress on family relationships, the thing I miss most is knowing the hymnal front and back. And there are a few hymns that I'll never sing again that I miss.

 

ETA: OK, that last paragraph is a mess. I regret the stress my leaving caused to family relationships. I miss the hymns.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Melinda in VT

[Jennifer in MI]

We're really traditional liturgy folks here- chanting and all. And yes, I love it!

 

Same here!

 

I picked 'other'. Our church, which used to be completely and beautifully liturgical, has implemented a second Sunday morning service that is contemporary. I still attend the traditional service, which is now quite early in the morning. Once in a while I stay through the contemporary one, or just go late, and I always feel like I had cotton candy for lunch. Ugh. Content, give me content!

 

This is true for me too. I occasionally like the P/W music, but it feels like dessert. It's okay occasionally. The real "meat and potatoes" of worship for me is in the traditional music/hymns/kneeling while praying/etc.

 

Our church has only the traditional services with hymns. When we're away on vacation, we like to visit other types of worship.

[fastforward]

Have you heard this song? It's about a man who converted to Zen Buddhism talking about how much he misses the singing from his old Baptist church.

 

I haven't heard that song before. It's cute, but I'm going to need the song to not remind me of "On Top of Spaghetti". :D

[Joyofsixreboot]

Our church sings both. This won't be popular but music just doesn't do anything for me and traditional hymns pretty much make me cringe in the pew. My whole family just stands there and can't even bring ourselves to sing. If I'm going to enjoy music it better have drums, electric guitar and a strong base line.

[....]

Hymns only. Most of them are very old hymns brought over from Europe and translated into English.

[LuvToRead]

We do both, and the older people of our church love it. We don't sing the praise and worship choruses, but rather songs like "Revelation Song" and "Jesus Messiah".

 

We started our Praise Team last year, after our former pastor left to kind of revive our church. It was only just until we found a new pastor, but everyone loves it, so we kept it.

 

I love both the old hymns and Contemporary Christian music. There are some great Bible truths in both.

Edited September 15, 2010 by LuvToRead

[mommaduck]

Other:

 

We sing Hymns, but not the kind that most Americans are used to ;) We sing responses as well. No "praise songs" of the style you are speaking of.

[~Tara~]

We do both, but fewer hymns in 'hymn fashion'. We are more likely to do the updated, contemporary versions of the old hymns.

[Violet Crown]

Other.

 

Hymns (English and Latin); chant; polyphony.

 

ETA: Could someone give me a quick definition of "praise and worship" as a musical genre?

Edited September 15, 2010 by Sharon in Austin

[Dmmetler]

I said other, because it depends on the service. The first is traditional, hymns, organ, largely sung and chanted liturgy, and so on.

 

The second is contemporary, praise and worship, praise band, spoken liturgy.

 

The first service is largely populated by older adults and parents with kids with sensory issues, who find the second service overwhelming.

[vonfirmath]

Just wondering.....

My church sings a mixture of hymns and praise song. Personally, I think it makes the service music sound odd. We have many elderly people who really love hymns, but our church wants to draw families in without making the elderly feel like we don't care or respect them. I use the term 'elderly' because it truly is the people 70-75 and up that doesn't like the praise and worship.

Do you like singing hymns?

 

Absolutely. I'm 37 years old and I LOVE the hymns!

 

I'm okay with the praise and worship, but a diet of praise and worship only would eventually push me away because the songs are just so bland compared to hymns.

[Lindy]

My church does a fairly good mix.

 

I LOVE hymns! I love the richness of the words, not to mention the melodies. I'm being to dabble in improvising so that I can visit some of our homebound members and play their favorite hymns on my violin.

 

If I was ever left on a deserted island, I'd want my Bible and a hymnal.

[vonfirmath]

Our church sings quite a few hymns and I hate singing them as well. I really prefer the contemporary worship. Actually right now, the worship team struggles some weeks, they just don't have the rhythm it takes and some songs are too slow, some are too fast last week was really hard to get through. I wish I could sing, but sadly, it's not one of my gifts.

 

EVERYONE can sing. "Just join right in there" It doesn't matter if you sound good. it is praise to the Lord and HE hears the heart, not the tone.

[pdalley]

We have two services - traditional and contemporary. The first is hymns only and the second is a mixture. I like both services for different reasons.

[FO4UR]

After my grandmother's funeral over the weekend, my dad was complaining about how the priest wouldn't give the family any choice in the music. He and my aunts wanted Amazing Grace to be the recessional but we got stuck with that schmaltzy Raise You Up on Eagle's Wings instead. :glare:

 

That is horrible!!! :glare:

 

My dh was surprised after doing his first several funerals (as pastor) how grateful people were that he let them plan the service. He thought that was the way most pastors did things...after all, the service is *for* the grieving family! I cannot imagine being refused a preferred song at a funeral!

 

Our church does traditional hymns, and some psalms, and I like that.

One of the problems that I've had with contemporary P & W music is that most of the time the lyrics are projected onto a screen without any musical notation at all. If you don't know the tune or the timing, you're pretty much completely unable to participate in wholehearted singing. With the traditional hymnal, even if I don't know a song, I'm able to follow along and sing. How do folks who visit churches who do exclusively P & W music ever participate? I really hate that feeling of standing and watching without being able to join in?

 

 

I agree with you. However, most people cannot read music so it's not an issue. I miss reading the harmony most.

 

 

On a side note: The church we've been visiting has a screen with music & lyrics on the screen. I loved it!

[My3Boys]

I didn't vote b/c we are about to start the search for a new church.

 

I have grown up in a liturgical church with traditional hymns and that is where my heart is.

 

Most of the churches within my denomination have separate services for traditional and contemporary worship. Very little of the praise and worship music impresses me, but what bothers me more is that most churches water down their service including the sermon when they switch to contemporary music. :glare:

 

This has been our experience as well.

[BikeBookBread]

I voted mixture. I love the music at our church! We only have one service. We attend a Presbyterian (PCA) church FWIW.

 

We sing hymns as written - no changes in rhythm like a different syncopation or change in arrangement like an electric guitar riff, though sometimes the accompaniment is by more modern instruments playing true to the original hymn, IYKWIM. And you know what? The congregation actually SINGS with gusto!

 

We also sing praise songs, however they are songs that really lend themselves to be sang as a congregationa. My biggest beef with modern praise music is that much of it is meant to be performed or listened to as a recording, not to be sang as a congregation.

Edited September 15, 2010 by BikeBookBread

[My3Boys]

My boys are 25, 22, and 16 and none of them cares for praise and worship music in church. Sometimes they will play some of the contemporary music at youth events outside of the church, and my 16yo doesn't mind that. I think it is a misconception that most younger people only like contemporary. I myself was in my 20s when this movement started to become popular, and I didn't like the music then any more than I do now!

 

I am bothered by how commercial the contemporary Christian music industry has become. I have also met many people who don't have an understanding of the basic doctrines of the faith, but they know all about the latest CDs and who is performing them. It's like it has become all about the artist and less about the One they are singing about. Also, as someone else pointed out, many of the contemporary hymns seem very "me" oriented, and seem to treat Jesus as some sort of cosmic therapist. In my opinion, anyway.

 

A former pastor of ours used to say the traditional hymns aren't good because they are old, rather they are old because they are good. I forget who he said that quote came from. The idea is they have stood they test of time, and many of them were written by some of the greatest theologians of our time; Wesley, Luther, etc. Many of them are based on the music of Bach and other great composers.

 

I especially love the hymns based solely on or almost solely on Scripture. I believe there is no better way to worship God through music than to sing His Word back to Him.

[elegantlion]

I prefer contemporary worship, but it has to be worship. We're between churches right now and the type of worship music will be a major deciding factor for me.

 

I didn't grow up listening to hymns, there are some beautiful ones, but they don't hold the power for me. Honestly I find "some" of them dated. I also don't want to walk into a church and feel like I've turned on the radio. We attended one church and it seemed every week the songs were written by the same artist. I adore Chris Tomlin, but he's NOT the only modern day artist that is writing hymns.

 

There are plenty of modern day hymn writers, contemporary songs with the depth a timeless hymn. Some of the songs are fit for congregational worship, some are better served for individual worship times.

 

I think there can be a balance. I personally don't like it when services are divided between contemporary and traditional services. IMO they are missing the opportunity to unite the congregation. There are enough divisive issues in a church body, we should not be segregating based upon musical preference.

 

I feel for the worship pastors who are trying to find that balance. Introducing classic timeless hymns to those who don't get them, and finding those quality songs from the modern era that really speak to the soul.

 

At the end of the day it's not really about whether you "liked" the music is it? It's about the power of the words, the encounter you have with God during the service (define that however you like), and maybe that little step you've taken toward God during that time. Whether the song was written five days ago or 500 years ago is irrelevant. :D off my soapbox now...

 

~Paula (who served on a worship team for 4 years and taught a few classes on worship)

[luvnlattes]

Our church does both. I really enjoy the hymns because they bring back memories of when I was a kid. The church we went to then did mostly hymns. But dh didn't grow up with hymns and those always seem to be the songs he dislikes during worship.

[Tutor]

We sing a lot of "revivalist" hymns (which I am not a fan of). I wish we would add in some more modern hymns, older hymns, and psalms.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Most of the churches within my denomination have separate services for traditional and contemporary worship. Very little of the praise and worship music impresses me, but what bothers me more is that most churches water down their service including the sermon when they switch to contemporary music. :glare:

 

I agree that this can often be the case, but the reason we are attending our church (with the band-style praise music) is specifically for the incredible sermons. The pastor is young, speaks in a contemporary style, wears jeans and t-shirts, but his sermons are fabulous. Very biblically based, lots of history and culture details, extremely entertaining, and rather long (certainly not a 5 minute sound bite!!).

[KrissiK]

We do a mixture. I LOVE LOVE LOVE hymns, but they do have to be done right. I mean, "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" can sound like an absolute funeral dirge (and we have sung it like that) if the worship team doesn't keep up the tempo. Hymns are beautiful and worshipful and meaningful, but they have to be done right. And choruses can go on and on and on and on and on and on and on.....

[ScoutTN]

Our church has a formal, traditional service and generally we sing hymns. We sing old hymns and newer ones. Music by Sovereign Grace, the Gettys, Reformed University Fellowship, Indelible Grace, Fernando Ortega is not unusual in our services. Our pastors and choir director choose music with substantial lyrics, not three sentences repeated eleven times. Sometimes we sing praise songs which are particularly good, recent ones or older ones - like from the 60's. ;)

Our choir sings hymns, spirituals, praise songs and formal, classical choral music.

 

Music is chosen on the basis of musical and lyrical excellence and fit with the theme of that particular worship service, not date of origin.

 

We have a huge pipe organ, a concert grand piano and many instrumentalists who play orchestra instruments. No amplified music, no rock band. We worship in a neo-gothic cathedral building which has world class acoustics. Not the place for an electric guitar!

[Garga]

Our church usually sings praise and worship...I think.

 

My mom recently visited a church and she hated the music. She said that it all sounded like stuff on the radio and it was impossible to sing along. She said, that one guy got up and sang and it was more like a concert than something the congregation could join in.

 

I wouldn't like that, and my mom said that it wasn't like my church (she's been to my church), so I guess we're not like that.

 

However, we don't sing hymns very often. Someone mentioned "Jesus, Messiah" and we sing that type of song. Newly written songs based on scripture.

[mom2jjka]

Our church sings all hymns at their main (Sunday morning) worship service, however they have a 'contemporary' service on Saturday nights where they sing praise music instead.

[lllll]

..

[6packofun]

The pros of hymns for me are that they are "theologically rich" as our current worship leader likes to say, BUT I find the *music* or tunes to be clunky or monotone and not very beautiful sometimes. Lovely words and sentiments, but almost too simplistic musically in a way. For some I realize that this is a positve because they don't have to concentrate on the tune instead of the words we're giving back to God, but I am personally distracted by singing a song that sounds like a funeral march or elementary school band concert. (Not all hymns are this way, of course.)

 

More contemporary praise/worship songs (and I hesitate to label songs that way because hymns ARE songs of praise...) can have music that draws us into the emotion of adoring and worshipping God, but sometimes the lyrics are lacking or emotion is relied upon too heavily. I think that contemporary songs should try to incorporate more actual Scripture into the lyrics, personally, and on God's character rather than how we feel. Too much "I" and "me" sometimes. But I *enjoy* singing to more modern music and so I'm much more likely to get into the "worship zone", into the spirit.

 

I have no respect for the arguments that a genre of music for giving God praise and adoration is not "right" or proper or good enough.

[CAMom]

Our church (PCA) sings hymns only. There are some contemporary songs that I love, though.

 

It is interesting to me that the poll and the responses put hymns and "praise and worship" in two different categories as if hymns cannot be categorized as "praise and worship" music.

 

Honestly, when you compare the lyrics of hymns with the lyrics of contemporary Christian music sung in church services, I think the hymns would much more classify as "praise and worship." The strong theological content and focus on God and His work more fit the definition of "praise and worship" than do many, many of the contemporary songs out there.

 

JMHO,:)

[Tabrett]

Wow! Thank you for all the responses. My pastor is "pushing" praise music. I don't like doing lots of praise because the congregation doesn't know the songs and really won't sing them.

I like praise and worship but agree with previous posters that they are better to listen to or preform than sing congrationally. Even the keys hymns are written in are much more singable. P&W songs are so low that my voice is hurting when I come off stage.

There is much that has been said that I need to think about and may present to my pastor.

Thanks!

[dripdripsplat]

Voted both. And to be honest, I don't like the "praise and worship" songs that I hear. They rarely hold any of the conviction or joy that the old hymns do. I mean, how can you sing "I Stand Amazed" or "I'll Fly Away" or even "The Old Rugged Cross" and leave feeling downtrodden.

I recently heard a term for the praise and worship songs, which, by and large, I agree with. They call them 7/11s... 7 words repeated 11 times with accompanying music.

 

Oh, and I'm not a senior citizen, by the way :001_smile:

[Spy Car]

While not religious myself, I do greatly enjoy the rich cultural expression involved in traditional liturgical services including traditional sacred music.

 

We are fortunate to have an Episcopal Church around the corner that has (to my mind) beautiful services. Each week they perform anthems and motets from the traditional Anglican repertoire accompanied by a beautiful sound of a pipe organ, as well as select minor propers for the day, sung to Gregorian Chant. Once a month, the choir presents a choral mass. And the congregants sing along. I really enjoy attending services there.

 

We also enjoy attending choral masses at the Catholic Church, and services at the local Greek Orthodox Church.

 

When I was younger I also enjoyed going to a great number of black Gospel churches. I only wish I could have attended a church featuring authentic Appalachian music, as I love bluegrass.

 

Bill

[asta]

While not religious myself, I do greatly enjoy the rich cultural expression involved in traditional liturgical services including traditional sacred music.

 

We are fortunate to have an Episcopal Church around the corner that has (to my mind) beautiful services. Each week they perform anthems and motets from the traditional Anglican repertoire accompanied by a beautiful sound of a pipe organ, as well as select minor propers for the day, sung to Gregorian Chant. Once a month, the choir presents a choral mass. And the congregants sing along. I really enjoy attending services there.

 

We also enjoy attending choral masses at the Catholic Church, and services at the local Greek Orthodox Church.

 

When I was younger I also enjoyed going to a great number of black Gospel churches. I only wish I could have attended a church featuring authentic Appalachian music, as I love bluegrass.

 

Bill

 

DS and I had the opportunity to visit Bach's church in Leipzig and listen to a full Chorale service.

 

Very cool.

 

 

a

[LuvToRead]

After reading this thread, I may have been wrong. Maybe my church doesn't do what everyone terms "Praise and Worship" style. We don't sing choruses over and over, we sing songs with 3 or 4 verses and a chorus and sometimes a bridge. Maybe I should call them modern hymns instead. The newest Baptist Hymnal (or Worship Hymnal for non-Baptists) contains a lot of the songs we sing.

 

On a typical Sunday morning we may sing --

 

"In Christ Alone"

"I'll Fly Away"

"Amazing Grace"

"Mighty is Our God"

"Jesus Paid it All"

 

We have a praise team with piano, guitar and vocalists (I'm the alto).

[Carol in Cal.]

After reading this thread, I may have been wrong. Maybe my church doesn't do what everyone terms "Praise and Worship" style. We don't sing choruses over and over, we sing songs with 3 or 4 verses and a chorus and sometimes a bridge. Maybe I should call them modern hymns instead. The newest Baptist Hymnal (or Worship Hymnal for non-Baptists) contains a lot of the songs we sing.

 

On a typical Sunday morning we may sing --

 

"In Christ Alone"

"I'll Fly Away"

"Amazing Grace"

"Mighty is Our God"

"Jesus Paid it All"

 

We have a praise team with piano, guitar and vocalists (I'm the alto).

 

Of those, "Amazing Grace" is the only one I would call a hymn. I'm not familiar with 'Jesus Paid It All' but the rest are all praise songs.

[schsmom]

Ephesians 5:19-speaking to one another in psalms,hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

 

I always refer to what does the word say. Essentially all of the above is fine in the eyes of the Lord. There are 2 points that always come up when talking about this. 1) Do you only like one kind of music because "legalism" has crept into your church life? and/ or 2) Do you go to church to BE a blessing or receive one?

 

Personally when I was very first saved I did not like hymns at all. But as I grew in the Lord I realized that was a flawed theology on my part. I asked in prayer for God to reveal the purpose of hymns and p/w music alike. Boy did He ever. So now we sing both and understand the purpose for both.

 

With that being said, we only try and sing the p/w at church that glorifies/edifies the Lord. Blessed be your name, Beautiful Saviour etc. We have also changed a few hymns music to modernize the tune some while keeping the words to the hymns the same.

 

My 2 cents. Thanks for the discussion :)

[Carol in Cal.]

Ephesians 5:19-speaking to one another in psalms,hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

 

I always refer to what does the word say. Essentially all of the above is fine in the eyes of the Lord.

 

Yes, it's fine, but there is a time and a place for each, in my view.

 

Camp songs at camp.

 

VBS songs at VBS.

 

Hymns everywhere, but especially in the Divine Service.

 

Content forever and highest. If a praise song has significant content, that's what I like. There are some that do. There are many that don't. I guess that as a WTM person, I want a little more complexity and food for thought than I have found in a typical selection of contemporary praise songs. I know what it is to have meat, and don't care to go back to milk. But God does not forbid milk, truly.

[TXMomof4]

The pros of hymns for me are that they are "theologically rich" as our current worship leader likes to say, BUT I find the *music* or tunes to be clunky or monotone and not very beautiful sometimes. Lovely words and sentiments, but almost too simplistic musically in a way. For some I realize that this is a positve because they don't have to concentrate on the tune instead of the words we're giving back to God, but I am personally distracted by singing a song that sounds like a funeral march or elementary school band concert. (Not all hymns are this way, of course.)

 

More contemporary praise/worship songs (and I hesitate to label songs that way because hymns ARE songs of praise...) can have music that draws us into the emotion of adoring and worshipping God, but sometimes the lyrics are lacking or emotion is relied upon too heavily. I think that contemporary songs should try to incorporate more actual Scripture into the lyrics, personally, and on God's character rather than how we feel. Too much "I" and "me" sometimes. But I *enjoy* singing to more modern music and so I'm much more likely to get into the "worship zone", into the spirit.

 

I have no respect for the arguments that a genre of music for giving God praise and adoration is not "right" or proper or good enough.

 

:iagree: It is amazing to me the fights in churches over music. We have a great mix of old and new. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a new song criticized as being "not very deep" when the lyrics are straight from scripture. In fact we were singing "As the Mountains Surround Jerusalem" and my grandpa was explaining to me it was "unscriptural". I quickly turned over to Psalms and showed him it is way more "scriptural" than "Blessed be the Tie that Binds". It is word for word scripture.

 

That being said - I love both styles and love singing just about anything.

[TXMomof4]

Of those, "Amazing Grace" is the only one I would call a hymn. I'm not familiar with 'Jesus Paid It All' but the rest are all praise songs.

 

I am NOT being snarky, I just truly don't understand this - who decided it was a hymn. Is it simply the age of the song? Has someone checked out the theology of a hymn and approved it? I really don't understand the defining line for a hymn vs. praise song. Will some of our praise songs now be considered hymns when people get used to them in a decade or so?

 

So much of it seems to be wrapped up in tradition - not that there is anything inherently wrong with tradition - rather than actual scriptural values. I am not bashing anyone over there preferences. There is nothing more beautiful than hearing "Amazing Grace" sung by the congregation. But I'm not sure God has a preference for "Amazing Grace" vs. "In Christ Alone". Or what about singing "Amazing Grace" to a different tune? Is it the words or the music?

 

As I said above, I have seen so much ugliness in churches over music and I just can't wrap my mind around the argument.

[Carol in Cal.]

:iagree: It is amazing to me the fights in churches over music. We have a great mix of old and new. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a new song criticized as being "not very deep" when the lyrics are straight from scripture. In fact we were singing "As the Mountains Surround Jerusalem" and my grandpa was explaining to me it was "unscriptural". I quickly turned over to Psalms and showed him it is way more "scriptural" than "Blessed be the Tie that Binds". It is word for word scripture.

 

That being said - I love both styles and love singing just about anything.

 

Blessed Be the Tie That Binds is not one of the more content-rich hymns I know of, although it is a fine exposition of Scripture.

 

Here are some very rich hymns, worth a look as poetry of the Church from a WTM standpoint (be sure to read ALL the verses):

 

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

The Church's One Foundation

Built on the Rock the Church Doth Stand

Salvation Unto Us Has Come

Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come

Awake My Heart With Gladness

Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

 

There is nothing remotely comparable in content richness to any one of these in any contemporary lexicon that I have ever seen. That's not to say that contemporary worship is bad or worthless. It just has a way to do before it's got some significant depth of content to it. We should be working on this. It's appalling to me that we have been doing contemporary worship for 40 years and still don't have anything complicated or deep available.

[Carol in Cal.]

I am NOT being snarky, I just truly don't understand this - who decided it was a hymn. Is it simply the age of the song? Has someone checked out the theology of a hymn and approved it? I really don't understand the defining line for a hymn vs. praise song.

 

 

 

You know, I have studied this a lot, and I couldn't tell you how I know, but I do.

 

In Christ Alone is one of my favorite contemporary pieces currently, but it's not a hymn. I really like it, though.

 

Hymns/canticles are either liturgical pieces--very historic, like over 1000 year old and sung widely in the Church--or pieces that have multiple verses that follow traditional poetry end-rhyme patterns. Examples of those liturgical pieces include the Te Deum, the Agnus Dei, the Gloria Patri, etc.