OK, genuine confessions… I am a modern worship leader and I Adore Hymns! Hymns are great. They are magnificent, and nearly all contain more theology than the run of the mill sermon these days! Old folk adore them, conservative folk feel affection for them, but nearly all younger ones have thrown them out (along with everything before 2000) when they are worship leading. Gee, they even believe the Beatles are uncool (such ignorance!). Someplace in the center cries the voice of reason. Now granted, some hymns are funeral marches, time-consuming, slow, boring and brain-numbing. Some contain garbage theology and some are simply plain irrelevant in both use of language and subject matter. Some are practically unsingable, except to 13th century monks! However, in the middle of these types of hymns are some of the greatest songs ever penned, and some of the most magnificent songs you could ever sing when worship leading! Now, if you are young, and don't believe me, check a few of them out. Hymns like, "And Can It Be," "Holy, Holy, Holy," "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "How Great Thou Art" are awe-inspiring. As worship leaders, we want to be thinking about these songs for inclusion in our worship meetings, because there is an astounding level of worship and teaching in the songs. My preference, both personal and of my church, is that we sing at least one hymn every Sunday church service. If you are resourceful and musical you can play it in such a way that it is exciting and awesome, and you can venture into the very throneroom of God using these old songs. On top of that, the old folk in the congregation will be delighted. Therefore you win either way. Believe me, guys; there are some excellent songs you cannot live without in the hymns portion! But if you are going to do a hymn, don't manufacture it into a funeral march! The older folks will love hymns performed in a new and a fresh way, therefore pray and ask God for some innovative techniques to make the hymn into a contemporary work of art. Then watch God unite all ages as they worship Him using this old but new song! Beware! One word of caution, principally to the conservative evangelical denominations. There is a mammoth tendency to have the worship songs, with the up to date beat and instruments, and then slot in the token hymn for the oldies, doing this with merely an organ or a piano, played in a traditional yet mind-numbing style. I strongly caution you against this, because this just promotes the “us verses them” scenario, the “your music verses our music” polarizing we see in lots of churches. The best way is to just roll from the worship into the hymn, seamlessly, and using a similar modern style. The majority of older folk will appreciate the reality that you are including their song favorites, and making it your own, and trying as hard to make it unique as if it were your own style of song. Thus, you can use skillfully played hymns to couple hearts in worship, rather than having the disconnected song for the oldies. Hymns should give a wonderful theme to unite the old and the young in your church, but there are keys that will help you bring these majestic old songs to your church in a new and fresh way. Our mission in worship leading is not to stay stuck in the past, but to draw the very best of the past into the present day and modify the best of Christian tradition to today's modern worship. If you want to learn more about worship leading with hymns, I am giving away a free report entitled, “Arranging Hymns For A Modern Church”. Visit our website to obtain your free item and further information on worship leading.
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OK, true confessions… I am a modern worship leader and I LOVE Hymns! Hymns are magnificent. They are regal, and nearly all contain greater theology than the average sermon these days! Old folk love them, conservative folk adore them, but most younger ones have thrown them out (along with everything before 2000) when they are worship leading. Gee, they even think the Beatles are uncool (such lack of knowledge!).
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