Last night we worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Each thanksgiving five of the churches in our community get together and worship and give thanks and have a fellowship meal. Last night we were at a Baptist church that used The Baptist Hymnal.
When I go to different churches, I like to browse there hymnal. The most recent edition came out in 1991. One of the dilema’s that the Southern Baptist Convention is facing is how to deal with the “glut” of new worship songs. Do you take out little used hymns and substitute them with modern praise and worship or what do you do?
Our own denomination does not publish a hymnal anymore. I have the last Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal and that was published long before the merger in 1968. The Wesleyan Church attempted to publish a hymnal in the mid 70′s with the Free Methodist Church. As I look back on those hymnals now, they are wonderful resources that I used from time to time.
Most Wesley-an churches have been content either to use the hymnals from the Church of the Nazarene or interdenominational hymnals such as Hymns for Praise and Worship or The Celebration Hymnal. Our current hymnal is the Nazarene hymnal printed in 1991. It has a few of what were then current “worship songs,” but there have been many more made available since then.
So how do we balance the timeless hymns of the church with modern expressions of praise and worship along with all the other psalms, gospel songs, and spiritual songs? This is a good question for all of us to ponder. Many churches have been pondering it. [Here] is National Public Radio’s piece on how the Southern Baptists are handling it.
Dale,
Hey thanks for posting this. It’s something that’s been on my mind a lot lately.
I’ve attended a SB church most of my life. First, back home in Fla. where I grew up, and then the majority of my adult life here in NY. I’ve sung from a Baptist Hymnal all of those years. Know most of it by heart. And I believe “heart” is the right word in this case. Those old songs are part of my very being. So, it’s no surprise that I am, and my church too, “pondering” what’s to become of the Baptist Hymnal when they publish an updated version.
At my church, Pleasant Valley Baptist in Geneseo NY, we try to offer a variety of music at our worship services. We have a praise band that leads in the newer “worship songs” with guitars, drums, keyboards and a handfull of singers. But we also, sing from the hymn books accompanied by piano. This seems to be working for us.
Still, I’m a bit worried about the future of the old hymns. I don’t think we will see their demise in my lifetime (I’m only 54), not as long as we can keep their vibrancy alive and pass them along to the next generation. But I would hate to see them relegated to relic status.
I’ve always felt some of the best sermons I ever heard came from the words of a hymn. Then add a tune that tugs at your soul and that combination is more than enough to melt the heart of even the most hardened sinners. I’m living proof.
~gloria
Gloria,
Thanks for commenting. By the way, I went and checked your blog, there is some great stuff there.
One of my passions is the area of music and worship. I grew up on the old gospel songs and hymns of the church. There are great truths those songs. I love on Sunday nights when our church teaches me some “new” old songs from our hymnal. I reciprocate by teaching them some “new” old hymns. Our “new” hymnal has quite a few old hymns that weren’t in our last hymnal.
We also sing the newer songs – that I lead with guitar. I think we really need to be careful not to lose the old hymns of the faith. They are way too important to lose. I know this is a topic that many churches are struggling with now.
Thank you for your thoughts and stopping by.