Choir Note-Sunday, June 16, 2013
Mom used to go through our old toys and childhood memorabilia. When she did, everything either got thrown out and replaced with some new toy, it got stored in a “nostalgia” box for future memories, or it became an “oh yeah!” moment and felt like a brand new toy again!
It’s sad when so many churches are actively “outgrowing” the timeless truth-filled hymns and replacing them with all kinds of new music. I’m not against new music—we sing a lot in choir—but it hurts me to see the old hymns thrown out and replaced with contemporary music.
Some churches are moving to this “blended” worship in order to accommodate the “older” generation. It’s almost as if, to them, the old hymns are more of a quaint, nostalgic idea rather than the deep, doctrinal, truth-saturated songs that they are. It hurts me to see the hymns replaced in so many churches, but it also pains me to see churches that are moving that direction by just treating the hymns as “something of the past” to remember.
I think the best thing to do if the hymns feel a little stale or old is to look at why they feel that way. What’s making them seem old to me? Is it MY preferences in music that have changed? Well THAT’S no reason to replace the hymns or to set them aside for a “traditional” service so we can at least “remember” them when they’re on their way out the door!
The best thing to do is to revive them. Think back to why they were written in the first place. Reflect on the depth and truth. Soak in the richness of the words. Dwell on the concepts—don’t just feel the tune! Contemporary music is all about the feeling. Hymns are about the content and depth. Sing any contemporary song to the tune of “Amazing Grace” and see if you still have the same crowd. Reviving the passion in singing the hymns starts with the mind, not the music. –Bro. Ryan
REPLACE CHAIRS – Please remember to replace any chairs that you remove from the rows.
MUSIC – If you have duplicates of anything, or if you have someone else’s number, please resolve it with Sarah Anasarias. We want to know exactly where all our music is and not blame you or someone else for lost music.