Last month we reviewed John Wesley’s Directions for Singing found in the hymnbook. But, why do we sing, why are hymns and other spiritual songs important to our worship of God. This month, let’s look at some of the values of hymn singing.
1 – Through hymn singing, we Christians express our ideas and feelings.
– joy, as in #89 Joyful , Joyful, We Adore Thee, or #144 This Is My Father’s World, or many others.
– gratitude for God’s provisions, such as # 92 For the Beauty of the Earth, or #162 Alleluia, Alleluia
– feelings of fear and insecurity, but from that comes assurance, such as # 369 Blessed Assurance, or #117 O God our Help in Ages Past
– contrition for personal sins and for God’s grace, such as #378 Amazing Grace, or #389 Grace Greater than our Sin
Often our emotions can be better expressed in a hymn. The Psalms do this very well, ranging from praise to despair. How many other hymns can you think of that do this?
2 – Using the Hymns, Christians call tell others what we believe. Hymns have been used by people of faith since the beginning. Look at the Psalms which were written as songs. Look at #408 The Gift of Love, or # 370 Victory in Jesus, and especially the other songs of Christ’ resurrection, such as #302 Christ the Lord is Risen Today, or any of the Easter hymns (#302 – #327 in the hymnbook ) But before the resurrection, we can experience something of Christ’s passion with songs such as #504 The Old Rugged Cross, or #292 What Wondrous Love is This. The Christmas hymns (carols, #196 – #254 in the hymnbook ) tell people that we believe in the Incarnation, that God came to earth as a baby but also as our Savior, and that his birth had been foretold, such as #211 O Come, O Come Emmanuel, #246 Joy to the World, or 239 Hark the Herald Angles Sing. Look again at the words in these carols, they are awesome!
3 – The hymns help teach us the fundamentals of our Christian faith, such as #61 O Worship the King in which we sing of all three persons of the Trinity, or #340 Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy, or #102 Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise, or so many others. There is great theology in many of our hymns. Look at # 57 O For a Thousand Tongue to Sing, especially vs 4 where it states “He breaks the power of cancelled sin”. Although our sins have been forgiven, they still hold power over us and Christ breaks that.
Often, we remember the hymns including the words and the tunes, better than just written or spoken words. Singing enters a deep part of the brain – how many of us recite the children’s alphabet song to remember which letter comes next? How many times have we seen a person with dementia whose memory seems to be gone, but who can sing their favorite hymns without missing a beat, or the words. The hymns help us go though the Christian year, whether during a worship service or in everyday activities, thereby keeping the rhythm of life that is so vital.
Hymns speak to us in ways that are important. They contribute to the depth of our Christian experience. We all have favorite ones, and often the song we don’t like is someone else’s favorite! Let me know what your favorite hymns are.
“Hymns are portable sermons that articulate, exegete and pronounce biblical truths. They shape the way we view God, man and Christ, and how we are to live in light of the gospel. The truths they communicate preach to us throughout the week….” Matt Boswell
But, most importantly – enjoy praising God through the singing of hymns and spiritual songs. God loves it when we sing to him.
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord”. Ephesians 5: 19
Vickie