I am not a hymn-hater
So, I had special music in church this morning. And of course, with that, came the joy of choosing a song to sing. I usually do contemporary stuff, mostly because the accompaniment is easy to find, cheap to download, or relatively easy to play. This time, I had some other considerations. Being 24 1/2 weeks pregnant (only 15 1/2 to go!) I knew it probably wouldn't be wise to pick a "vocally challenging" song, as I can hardly breathe as it is and didn't want to hyperventilate in church trying to master a song needing a two octave range or anything. Nor did I want to memorize a lot of words since my brain is basically mush right now.
But I wanted something passionate. Something worshipful. Something meaningful.
These weren't new criteria for me. Those are always standards when I pick out a song. It has to mean something to me before I can hope it will mean something to others. I have an extraordinarily hard time faking enjoying a song when I really don't like it. It makes me feel hollow and dissatisfied.
So this time, I decided to look for a hymn. I found the accompaniment to "There is a Fountain" by Selah and it met all my criteria. Easy range, beautiful accompaniment, and best of all, meaningful and passionate words. So I went for it.
I'm kinda surprised at the reaction I got after church this morning. I was touched that people enjoyed it, but more than that I was struck by the fact that people of all ages had something to say about it. That doesn't usually happen.
One comment in particular got me thinking. It was from a very sweet older lady who said it was wonderful to hear a young person singing an old song. "You just don't hear that these days", she told me. Meaning my generation has gotten the reputation for not loving the hymns.
Well, I can't speak for the rest of my generation, but personally, I love hymns. I mean, how could I not? Hymns speak of love for Christ, of our exceeding worthlessness and need of a Savior, and of Christ's redeeming sacrifice for us. Some of the greatest musicians of all time were hymn writers, and some of the most compelling stories led to the writing of hymns. God spoke to these people's hearts, leading them to pen words and music to honor Him. I have great respect for that. Hymns remind me of the beginnings of my faith, and of the simple joy of learning to worship my Savior when as a small child I came to know Him.
On the other hand, I don't exalt one type of music over another. God still speaks to people's hearts today, and the choruses and hymns written in my lifetime are of no greater or less value than the ones written before. Both have spoken to my heart personally. To me, they are all combined in a sweet offering of praise to our Creator.
But for a moment, I will speak for my generation (hope they don't mind). I don't think it's hymns themselves that younger people have a tendency to reject. I think it comes down to the simple package in which hymns are presented to them. When you've heard a song sung the same way, with the same instruments, in the same monotone your entire life, the flavor of what the artist truly meant upon writing it is lost. The youth of today are looking for passion in their worship. I personally find it very hard to participate in music that is supposed to glorify God when it lacks any heart emotion behind it. I want to sing music that puts a smile on my face. I want music that focuses my heart on what God has done. I want music that I can relate to. And honestly, when picking this song, I was first attracted to the accompaniment. It was simple and not distracting, but it also was full of passion and it built as the song progressed. It forced me to think about what I was singing, and there was also no way I could sing it without having some emotion and passion in my voice. At the heart of it, it made me worship.
And isn't that what all our music, hymn or other, should do?
But I wanted something passionate. Something worshipful. Something meaningful.
These weren't new criteria for me. Those are always standards when I pick out a song. It has to mean something to me before I can hope it will mean something to others. I have an extraordinarily hard time faking enjoying a song when I really don't like it. It makes me feel hollow and dissatisfied.
So this time, I decided to look for a hymn. I found the accompaniment to "There is a Fountain" by Selah and it met all my criteria. Easy range, beautiful accompaniment, and best of all, meaningful and passionate words. So I went for it.
I'm kinda surprised at the reaction I got after church this morning. I was touched that people enjoyed it, but more than that I was struck by the fact that people of all ages had something to say about it. That doesn't usually happen.
One comment in particular got me thinking. It was from a very sweet older lady who said it was wonderful to hear a young person singing an old song. "You just don't hear that these days", she told me. Meaning my generation has gotten the reputation for not loving the hymns.
Well, I can't speak for the rest of my generation, but personally, I love hymns. I mean, how could I not? Hymns speak of love for Christ, of our exceeding worthlessness and need of a Savior, and of Christ's redeeming sacrifice for us. Some of the greatest musicians of all time were hymn writers, and some of the most compelling stories led to the writing of hymns. God spoke to these people's hearts, leading them to pen words and music to honor Him. I have great respect for that. Hymns remind me of the beginnings of my faith, and of the simple joy of learning to worship my Savior when as a small child I came to know Him.
On the other hand, I don't exalt one type of music over another. God still speaks to people's hearts today, and the choruses and hymns written in my lifetime are of no greater or less value than the ones written before. Both have spoken to my heart personally. To me, they are all combined in a sweet offering of praise to our Creator.
But for a moment, I will speak for my generation (hope they don't mind). I don't think it's hymns themselves that younger people have a tendency to reject. I think it comes down to the simple package in which hymns are presented to them. When you've heard a song sung the same way, with the same instruments, in the same monotone your entire life, the flavor of what the artist truly meant upon writing it is lost. The youth of today are looking for passion in their worship. I personally find it very hard to participate in music that is supposed to glorify God when it lacks any heart emotion behind it. I want to sing music that puts a smile on my face. I want music that focuses my heart on what God has done. I want music that I can relate to. And honestly, when picking this song, I was first attracted to the accompaniment. It was simple and not distracting, but it also was full of passion and it built as the song progressed. It forced me to think about what I was singing, and there was also no way I could sing it without having some emotion and passion in my voice. At the heart of it, it made me worship.
And isn't that what all our music, hymn or other, should do?
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