The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 2

The Hymn Book--“Banished and Vanished”-part 2

          Yesterday I began a rant and rave about a book that has vanished from many worship centers.  Today I will begin to sketch out a few reasons why the mysterious disappearance of this collection of praise and worship songs, has impoverished public worship.  I must state at the outset that I am not against the use of a sequence of praise/worship choruses, nor am I against praising God in His sanctuary.  I would be the first to say that the Bible does not merely suggest but rather commands His people to praise Him.  It very specifically commands those who love and serve Him to “Sing unto Him”.  Furthermore, I am not one who believes that the new things that are currently being written, composed, and arranged are musically substandard.  Admittedly, not everything currently being written is quality didactic lyric poetry or well-developed quality musical compositions.  However much of what is being composed at this time is valuable worship music, but it is not the only relevant and valuable music available that we should use in the context of public worship.

            Let me began this very brief discussion by pointing out that there is quality music found in almost any hymnal that a church has banished to the storage or trash bin.  The loss of these songs has narrowed and impoverished public worship. Now that I have removed the false conception that I am a musician who hates all things new, let us go on to the discussion of what and why.  The banished book contains hymns that are deeply theological and therefore an extremely valuable tool for catechizing those who attend public worship.  The lyric poetry and the melodies included in these songs are valuable aids to remembering valuable truths which are taught in God’s infallible inspired Word.  Let me add at this point in this discussion that this catechizing is necessary and valuable, not only for the unchurched seeker but also for the vast majority of people who have been attending church for a long period of time.