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Hymnals Still Have a Place in Modern Churches

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StefanM

StefanM

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davidtaylorjr said:
Of course they do.
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If you say so. I suppose I'm a bit surprised to hear someone in the reformed camp say that any person has the "ability to shut the gates of heaven" for others. But perhaps I'm not interpreting your statement correctly.
 
1689Dave

1689Dave

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I've been in two churches that fired the pastors (one the minister of music) over contemporary "worship" issues. Both held out for the deeper hymns and spiritual worship. I visited one some time later and caught a kid flying through the air with a tambourine in my peripheral vision. With PLEXIGLASS caged drums made necessary by lack of skill and good taste on the part of the drummers.

A different church I visited by accident was Pentecostal. The pianist was twitching and drooling, with eyes rolled back in her head. As the "praise band" blared hypnotic pulsating rhythms kin to their voodoo roots at Azusa street in the early 1900s.
 
StefanM

StefanM

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Salty said:
I think the music director should do that - not the pastor.
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That's one way of doing it, assuming there is a music director. My church is elder-led, so the worship team is under the general authority of the elders. My understanding is that they usually coordinate with the elders to align the music generally with the content of the sermon.

But I was referring more to songwriters using lyrics from older hymns but arranged in a contemporary style.

My personal preference is for more contemporary music, and my church is definitely not a traditional kind of church. That being said, it was never a traditional church in the first place. It started a few decades ago as a church plant and then grew, so it hasn't had the conflict over worship style, as far as I understand it. Of course, the elders would be the ones to oversee these matters anyway.
 
Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin

Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin

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I love Hymnals and firmly believe that older hymns are on average much deeper theologically. Our church has a balance of usually 1 traditional hymn, then 1 contemporary, then 1 special music that can be either which works well.

I think when you compare the depth and beauty of a hymn such as "Am I Born to Die", "Jesus Thou Art the Sinners Friend", or "Wayfaring Stranger" to a good newer song such as "These are the days of Elijah" there's no comparison. Both have their place, but in general I believe older ones have better theology, better depth and more meaning.

I actively collect old hymnals from the 1700s and 1800s as I believe those old hymns are worth preserving. Plus I enjoy singing them!
 
Covenanter

Covenanter

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I write new "theological" hymns to traditional tunes - e.g.

Repent and be baptised
and trust the name of Jesus.
The Gospel call comes clear,
He loves & saves and frees us.
Believe with all your heart
He is the Son of God;
your sins are washed away,
cleansed by his precious blood.
2.
The Spirit shows our sin
as guilty covenant breakers;
we must be born again,
He'll cleanse, renew, remake us.
Redeemed & saved by grace;
buried & dead to sin;
and raised to life in Christ;
we live new lives in him.
3.
The Father calls us his;
his children by adoption.
The water speaks of blood -
the price of our redemption.
The children of his love;
joint heirs with Christ, God's Son
one family in Christ;
with all his people one.
4.
Reborn, renewed, restored;
eternal life before us.
Christ walks with us each day
till he to glory calls us.
Then we shall see his face;
be free from all our sin;
this Paradise is ours -
repent and come to him.

© Ian Day 2016
Tune – “Nun danket” “Now thank we all our God,”
 
Covenanter

Covenanter

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From the "Favourite hymnal" thread -

Covenanter said:
It's all part of the "dumbing down" process that started with the singer-song-writer system with songs written for guitar & band.

The OHP system has modernised versions of the old hymns, with omitted verses, new tunes & new choruses. They are often unsuitable for unaccompanied singing, to such an extent they they are soon forgotten - & if you did like it you can't look back at the words.

Will our children have the store of hymns we have learned through a lifetime of worship?
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Covenanter said:
I have several music edition hymnbooks used in churches I have attended over the past 60 plus years. We moved here 18 months ago & found the church only uses OHP, mainly from "Mission Praise."

Hymns are usually chosen by the pianist, so do not relate to the sermon or passage of Scripture. At previous churches over the last 20 years I have chosen the hymns, & related them to the sermon subject. Alas no more.

A serious failing of modern "worship songs" is that they are general without a specific doctrinal, Scripture passage or theological topic. A lot of them are so short they are sung twice.

The old is better.
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