IV. Hymns and the Church

ILL: A young, new Christian who usually went to his local church, one Sunday attended a small town church. He came home and his wife asked how it was. Well, said the young man, it was good. They did something very different, however. they same hymns instead of choruses. Hymns, asked his wife, What are those? Oh, they're OK. They're sort of like choruses, only different, said the young man. Well, what's the difference? asked his wife. The young man said  well it's like this. If I said to you 'Martha, the cows are in the corn' well that would be a chorus. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

 'Oh, Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry, Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
  Turn thou the whole wondrous ear by and by, To the righteous, inimitable glorious truth.

  For the way of the animals who can explain. there in their heads is no shadow of sense.
  Harkenest they in God's sun or his rain. Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

  Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight, Have broken free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
  Then goaded by minions of darkness and night they all my mild Chilliwack corn have chewed.
  So look to that bright shinning day by and by where all foul corruption of earth are reborn.
  Where no vicious animals makes my soul cry and I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.'

 Then if I were to do only verses 1, 3 and 4 and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a Hymn.

Question: What is that illustration trying to say about the content of many hymns?

     Hymns are often written in words that are not regularly used today and may be unknown to many people especially the un-churched and new believers.

      The musical style and words of many hymns no  longer  effectively communicate to younger generations and can be a hindrance to evangelism and worship.

    Many hymns tend to be theologically 'dense'. So many ideas are addressed that the  worshipper often lacks sufficient time to really grasp or reflect upon what's being said.

Question: Are all hymns easy to sing?

     -Many hymns are not easy to play or to sing.
     -Many are very high (Wonderful Grace of Jesus)
     -Many have difficult meter/rhythm (Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above)

Question: Why do you think some people prefer hymns over any other kind of song in church?

     Some people favor hymns because they grew up with them. Hymns sung from an earlier time bring back good memories. Familiar words and uplifting melodies brings a sense of    comfort and reassurance in the midst of changing times. For many, God seems much    closer when they sing the good old hymns of the  faith.

    If you enjoy hymns for their grandeur, their well crafted and varied melodies, that is good..BUT  let your appreciation and worship be directed to the God who inspired them and not to the artistic qualities you see in them. Learn to like and enjoy simple songs from the heart...otherwise we will mistakenly believe that God is more  interested in art than heart.

    While religious leaders try to guard the theology expressed in their worship music, they  also have borrowed hymns freely across denominational lines, so long as the text     conformed to their own doctrinal convictions.
    -Trinitarian evangelicals sing Sarah F. Adams hymn 'Nearer My God to Thee' even     though she was a unitarian.
   -The classic hymn 'Faith of our Fathers' #279 was written by Frederick W. Faber, a Catholic priest.
   -The line 'fathers chained in prison dark' was speaking of Catholic priests being persecuted by Reformation leaders,
    not the other way around.

Question: Should we use hymns in corporate worship? Why? or Why not?

 1. To serve older Christians
      Familiar hymns can enable older saints to worship God in Spirit and Truth. it gives  them opportunity to worship without struggling through music and words they have difficulty understanding or relating to.

 2. To help Christians and non-Christians grow in their perspective
      All Christians and certainly unbelievers as well, need to know that God is bigger than their current understanding of Him. Wise leaders will use words, phrases and images form older hymns as jumping off points for further explanation or      discussion.

 3. To promote an attitude of honor and deference
      In a true community, everyone makes a difference. No ones preferences are all met  all the time. God's Word commands us 'to accept one another just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God' (Rom. 15:7) Including hymns in     contemporary worship communicates the importance of honoring others and  expresses a culture of respect and appreciation that few people experience outside the church.

V. Choruses/Praise Songs

ILL:  'An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. Well, said the farmer, it was good. But they did something different. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." "Praise choruses," said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they're OK. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer. "Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife. The farmer said, "Well it's like this: If I said to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well, that would be a hymn. On the other hand, if I said to you:

 'Martha Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,
 the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows,
 the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn,
the CORN,  CORN, CORN'

 Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

  Praise songs began to appear in the late 1960's with songs like "Alleluia' 'This is the Day' 'Seek Ye  First'

  Many praise songs speak to God directly in endearing terms that are common in human relationships. For example 'I Love You Lord' 'Father I Adore You' 'The Greatest Thing in all my life in knowing you'

 A criticism of praise songs is that they are based purely on emotion and not on the Word of God. This is an interesting criticism since most praise songs come directly or are  inferred from Scripture where many hymns are not.

ILL: John Piper: True worship does not come from people whose feelings are like air ferns with no root in the solid ground of biblical doctrine. The only affections that honor God are those rooted in the rock of biblical truth. True worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship.'

  While a criticism of contemporary praise songs is their subjectivity and use of the personal pronouns, it must be noted that this subjective nature of the songs is based    clearly on the truth of God's Word, of who God is and what He has done and will do for His people. It is these truths that elicit passion and a sense of intimacy with God and is expressed most completely in song.

  While many hymns take the content rout (heavy doctrine) many  praise songs take the simple, uncomplicated love song to Jesus route. There is a big emphasis here on engaging God, being in his presence and expressing our passion for Him.

Question: If you were ministering in another culture..say Africa, what kinds of songs and what kinds of  instruments would you use when singing?

     If you were in Africa ministering to the native Africans, you wouldn't use a piano and organ. You would use drums and some woodwinds.

    Since we are reaching out to a new generation here in America, why use the same instruments of  the last generation? We use the guitar, keyboard and drums so that we can communicate truth more effectively to this culture, this generation today. More than any other instrument, the drums separate a traditional church from one that is seeking to reach  out to it's present generation. That is why it causes more trouble in churches than any  other instrument as well.

Question: Why should we use choruses/praise songs in corporate worship?

 1. On the aesthetic level, praise choruses are no different than any other style of music. There are many good praise songs.
 2. On the technical level, praise choruses are as a rule simpler than hymns and as such are usually easier  to learn and sing w/o
     using printed words.
 3. On the relevance level, praise choruses have proven to be very effective way of  communicating God's truth. A bit at a time
     so the people can think and reflect on what they are singing.
 4. To serve younger Christians. Familiar praise songs can enable younger believers to worship God in Spirit and Truth. It gives
     them opportunity to worship without struggling through music and words they have difficulty understanding or relating to.
 5. To help Christians and non-Christians grow in their perspective. All Christians and certainly unbelievers as well, need to
     know that God is bigger than  their past or current understanding of Him. Wise leaders will use words, phrases and images
    from contemporary praise songs as jumping off points for further explanation or discussion.
 6. To promote an attitude of honor and deference. In a true community, everyone makes a difference. No ones preferences
     are all met all the time. God's Word commands us 'to accept one another just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring
     praise to God' (Rom. 15:7)

     Including  praise songs in contemporary worship communicates the importance of  honoring others and expresses a culture of respect and appreciation that few people experience  outside the church.  Sound familiar? The same last three reasons were given for the inclusion of hymns in corporate worship.

Conclusions

    The problem is that people in both camps (traditional/contemporary) feel that the others are not properly worshipping. What is of essence is not what songs we sing on Sunday Mornings but what our life of worship has been during the week prior to Sunday Morning. If we are not rightly related to God we can not rightly worship Him, regardless of the style of music we use in the service.

     In other words, if church members are in conflict with one another over musical styles, it's unlikely that God is going to be honored or pleased. God uses more than musical style to draw people. He uses our lives, attitudes and relationships too. We can not allow ourselves to adopt the view that only our style of music is appropriate for worship.

    Music in worship should be chosen to serve the broader purpose of worship: to see God exalted in the hearts of His people as they proclaim His greatness and encounter His presence. Both praise songs and hymns can do this.

ILL: What have some folks said about new church music?

 -It's too new
 -It's often worldly, even blasphemous
 -The new Christian music is not as pleasant as the more established style
 -Because there are so many new songs, you can't learn them all
 -It puts too much emphasis on instrumental music rather than on godly lyrics
 -The new music creates disturbances, making people act indecently and disorderly
 -The preceding generation got along without it
 -It's a money making scheme
 -Some of the new music is lewd and loose.

     It may surprise you to know that these particular comments were written in 1723 by a minister who opposed the introduction of a new, threatening menance known as hymn-singing.  (Taken from Worship: Together We Celebrate by Leslie B. Flynn pg 75)

      The problem with the 'worship wars' I believe is not new. It is a debate that has gone on for centuries.  We need to learn from history so that we will not continue to repeat it. The church is in the word and therefore it's message must be culturally relevant. We removed the old English from the King James, we removed Latin from the service  yet we are tied down by the weight of traditional hymnody.  We need to be like William Booth and reclaim music for the Church! We need to be like Luther and say that the devil should not have all the good tunes!

     What is therefore, the classic pattern for music in the church? It would seem that it is music that is:  Scriptually sound,  understood by all,  promotes holy living and is Christ centered.

     There won't be any music police in heaven...so why practice the trade now. There are more important issues the church must deal with.  The best we can do is not to let the controversy develop in our  church.

     The motto of church music, whatever style should be that of the great musician Johann Sebastian Bach: Soli Deo Gloria-
'To God alone be glory'

     Finally, what should be our rules for Congregational singing?

Rules for Congregational Singing

SING ALL: See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.

SING LUSTILY: And with good courage. beware of singing as if  you were half-dead or half-asleep, but lift up your voice    with strength.

SING MODESTLY: Do not sing as to be heard above or  distinct from the rest of the congregation - that you may not     destroy the harmony - but strive to unite your voices together so as to make one clear melodious sound.

SING IN TIME: Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before and do not lag behind but stay close to    the leading voices. Take care not to sing too slowly. It is    high time we drive it out from among us and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

SING SPIRITUALLY: Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself or  any  other creature.

1. Allen, Ronald and Borror, Gordon. Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel. Portland: Multnomah  1982

2. Dawn, Marva   Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub. 1995

3. Frame, John M.  Worship in Spirit and Truth Phillipsburg: P&R Pub. 1996
                             Contemporary Worship Music Phillipsburg: P&R Pub. 1997

4. Johansson, Calvin M. Discipling Music Ministry. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers 1992

5. Hustad, Donald . True Worship: Reclaiming the Wonder & Majesty  Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press       1998
                               Jubilate II: Church Music in Worship and Renewal Carol Stream: Hope Pub. Co.1989

6. Kauflin, Bob 'Worship Matters' PDI Ministries. Internet articles

7. Liesch, Barry  The New Worship Grand Rapids: Baker Books  1996

8. Miller, Steve. The Contemporary Christian Music Debate. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers. 1993