THE VALUE OF HYMNS
Today, in most of our churches, hymns are a rare commodity. You might find hymnbooks, but it isn't often that their pages are opened and the songs sung, and that is sad. Hymns are a precious part of (or should be) our worship, our praise, and our arsenal for battle.
Hymns have been replaced with worship and praise songs, and many of them are beautiful. Still, they don't match the quality and power of hymns--I don't know why, but they just don't. There is simply no match when it comes to lyrics, but it seems as if because it is the popular thing, it is what everyone does. I wasn't always bothered by it--but more and more, hymns are being erased from our services, and many of our young people don't know what a hymn is. Even some in my own generation of baby-boomer's struggle with the words to many well-known hymns. I guess I'm not anti--worship and praise songs, but I do suggest that we must not throw the baby out with the bath water--we always seem to go overboard. We need hymns.
At first, I questioned whether my issue is because I'm simply getting older, but I don't think so for two reasons: I loved hymns as a girl--when serious Gospel was the thing, I loved it, too, but it couldn't replace a great hymn--and we knew better than to try and replace them with Gospel--they each had their place. And secondly, I grew up along with the worship & praise generation--with Maranatha, Integrity--and had the cassette tapes, (yes, I said it!) and the cd's and loved listening to Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Morris Chapman and many more. However, I bet they along with many gospel artists will tell you how important hymns are. I have heard artists like Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, and Steven Hurd say just that, and lament the fact that hymns are slipping away from us. In fact, Steven Hurd encouraged us not to forget those precious and powerful hymns when he produced Hymns of the Church. It didn't work though, for too many of us; as he quipped on the piece, we still don't know the words.
I still remember the first time I heard (or maybe, really heard with my heart) At Calvary. That was the day it became my favorite song--not just hymn, but favorite song of all--in any genre. It was sung by a small choir from Kennett Square, PA on a Sunday afternoon, when I was a young girl, attending a Sunday afternoon service with my family--which we did, every Sunday; it was simply part of our lives. Church was all day on Sunday. Honestly, I kind of miss it. At any rate, that day, the choir simply sang the song--no runs, no screaming, no unnecessary repetitions, just ministry--and it gripped my heart, powerfully. I saw Calvary in a way I had never thought about Calvary before--and the infinite expense for my soul, as wretched as it was. It was all brought home for me, that day. I really related to (and even more so, now that I have lived and grown and had my time of doing things my own way--not always regarding God): "Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified;
knowing not it was for me He died, at Calvary!
Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me;
There, my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary!"
For a long time, I only knew this portion of the song--but it was so powerful and rich that it was enough, but then I found the lyrics to the entire song:
By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.
Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary.
Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!
Grace always,
Lisa
Hymns have been replaced with worship and praise songs, and many of them are beautiful. Still, they don't match the quality and power of hymns--I don't know why, but they just don't. There is simply no match when it comes to lyrics, but it seems as if because it is the popular thing, it is what everyone does. I wasn't always bothered by it--but more and more, hymns are being erased from our services, and many of our young people don't know what a hymn is. Even some in my own generation of baby-boomer's struggle with the words to many well-known hymns. I guess I'm not anti--worship and praise songs, but I do suggest that we must not throw the baby out with the bath water--we always seem to go overboard. We need hymns.
At first, I questioned whether my issue is because I'm simply getting older, but I don't think so for two reasons: I loved hymns as a girl--when serious Gospel was the thing, I loved it, too, but it couldn't replace a great hymn--and we knew better than to try and replace them with Gospel--they each had their place. And secondly, I grew up along with the worship & praise generation--with Maranatha, Integrity--and had the cassette tapes, (yes, I said it!) and the cd's and loved listening to Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Morris Chapman and many more. However, I bet they along with many gospel artists will tell you how important hymns are. I have heard artists like Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, and Steven Hurd say just that, and lament the fact that hymns are slipping away from us. In fact, Steven Hurd encouraged us not to forget those precious and powerful hymns when he produced Hymns of the Church. It didn't work though, for too many of us; as he quipped on the piece, we still don't know the words.
I still remember the first time I heard (or maybe, really heard with my heart) At Calvary. That was the day it became my favorite song--not just hymn, but favorite song of all--in any genre. It was sung by a small choir from Kennett Square, PA on a Sunday afternoon, when I was a young girl, attending a Sunday afternoon service with my family--which we did, every Sunday; it was simply part of our lives. Church was all day on Sunday. Honestly, I kind of miss it. At any rate, that day, the choir simply sang the song--no runs, no screaming, no unnecessary repetitions, just ministry--and it gripped my heart, powerfully. I saw Calvary in a way I had never thought about Calvary before--and the infinite expense for my soul, as wretched as it was. It was all brought home for me, that day. I really related to (and even more so, now that I have lived and grown and had my time of doing things my own way--not always regarding God): "Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified;
knowing not it was for me He died, at Calvary!
Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me;
There, my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary!"
For a long time, I only knew this portion of the song--but it was so powerful and rich that it was enough, but then I found the lyrics to the entire song:
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary.
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!
Grace always,
Lisa
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