I was reading in James Sydnor book the other day
and ran across a statement that made me ponder on the worth and relevance of
hymns. “In corporate worship and in daily life, hymns can have a profound,
sustaining, and complex effect on a person.
Therefore, leaders who are interested in improving congregational
singing should spend some time pondering the means whereby hymn reading and
hymn singing can shape the faith and influence the daily lives of their
congregational members.” Hymn
and Their Uses, by James Sydnor, p. 23 Those of us who believe that hymn singing is a valuable part of
worship, do not need to be convinced that Christians may be edified by singing
the great hymns.
However, I must
confess that over the years I have not taken advantage of utilizing speaking
the words of hymns as calls to worship and as transitions to hymn
sequences. Church musicians like me have
the faulty notion that we have to sing hymns to derive value from them. I have quoted hymns many times in my lectures
on worship but I am woefully negligent when it comes to reading hymn texts in
public worship. Think about it. The skillful presentation of part of a hymn
text can be a source of valuable congregational cognition.
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