So Zach’s small suggestion to post your favorite hymn(s) which apparently got noticed started me thinking: why do people like hymns? I mean, I know more or less why I like hymns, but I wonder if everyone else agrees. So let us know what you think (or I guess, more like how you think). What makes you like hymns? And do you like original arrangements, or creative new ways of playing them? Or if you don’t like hymns at all, why not?
We want your thoughts.
I think one of the reasons I like hymns is because often they are more stating facts about God and facets of His character. Also, there’s just something about songs that most people know in corporate worship that makes me very happy.
I like hymns because of the sense of community that goes with it. The ones we still sing today were once part of a catalog of tens of thousands of similar songs, most of which have been forgotten. For whatever reasons, these are the ones that made it through. Like the greatest works of literature, they stood the test of time. When you sing a hymn, you are singing something that has given solace and comfort to Christians for a hundred years or several hundred before that (or in the case of Be Thou My Vision, fourteen hundred years). It’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness through all time and place.
I think a lot of the reason I like hymns is because I was raised on 90′s Praise and Worship (’nuff said).
Plus, I almost always like hymn lyrics better than modern worship songs… they dig deeper, have more content and generally hit home more for me. Since I’m not really a musician (ignoring my brief sting with the flute
), I really enjoy lyrics that move me to worship.
I agree with what Andrew said. Before I saw the comments, I was thinking that I wanted to say that I like hymns because they are songs that have been sung for sometimes hundreds of years. It’s neat thinking that Christians all around the world, for all this time have been singing this one song or whatever. It’s almost like a Creed. Like, singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” – it’s awesome to remember that the same God sung about hundreds of years ago called Faithful is the same God I can sing about today. Great, still, is His Faithfulness!
Hm, that’s interesting. I like what DG said, and would probably give this as my reason: “I really enjoy lyrics that move me to worship”. I think that worship leaders need to keep in mind that true worship cannot be sparked by anything other than Gospel truth awakening religious affection in Gospel-wakeful hearts.
I find it sad, though, that apparently such truths are found more often in hymns than in contemporary “worship music”. That is a powerful indictment of our generation (and the one before us, for that matter).
So conclusion: The reasons people like hymns are
1)The sense of community with believers across the ages
2)The profound truths that seem to characterize hymns move us to worship more deeply
3)The simplicity and singability (not a word, I know) of hymns makes for a powerful dynamic in corporate worship–that of being able to hear the beautiful chorus of regenerate people praising the Savior together…a taste of heaven.