Is the Hymnal Dead?
By Michael Bryson, 2011Congregational singing in independent Baptist churches is changing rapidly. Twenty-first century churches, particularly in America, no longer conduct worship in the same way our predecessors did even twenty years ago. So many congregations are re-examining the tools they use in worship, including the printed hymnal. Many wrestle with the question “Is the hymnal dead, or is it still a useful tool for our congregational worship?” This is a legitimate question that has profound implications for the future of congregational worship. Let’s consider two potential rationales for this question along with insights that might guide our thinking in what to do with the hymnal.
Why Would Some Consider the Hymnal Dead? First, the onslaught of the new technologies is making any paper print media seem increasingly obsolete. The Kindle, Craigslist, online periodicals, and so on, have become a mainstay of retrieving the printed word. Many churches in their services are finding parallel ways to capitalize the benefits of on-screen media. For example, they facilitate worship by projecting the words of the hymns for their congregations, making reading from the hymnal unnecessary to participate fully in the singing. In the past two years in our own church, we have begun to project the words for all the hymns in our Sunday morning worship service. How has this impacted the use of the hymnal in our morning service? Less than a quarter of our people (including our “musical folks”) now pick up a hymnal. It’s not because they are participating less; in fact, the practice often has increased participation. It is more convenient to look up than to pick up a hymnal. So why continue using a hymnal when it is more convenient and the congregational participation is flourishing?
Second, the hymnal may seem to be full of older musical styles and archaic texts that are irrelevant to today’s church. This can be a fair criticism because it seems some Baptist hymnals serve more as museums of past revival and theological movements than as a living, breathing expression of our congregation’s Christian walk. Phrases like “Waft it on the rolling tide” and “In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls” do not resonate with us as they did with our great-grandparents. Compound that with the fact that many currently popular songs are not found in the hymnal. Printing paper copies of them becomes expensive and inconvenient, so we project the words on the screen, thus making the hymnal seem even more unnecessary. It’s too expensive to replace the hymnal every few years just to get a couple of new favorites. So let’s just stop using it, right?
While these are compelling reasons for investigating the hymnal’s relevancy, here are a couple thoughts to ponder before we abandon the hymnal. Realize that the hymnal is a tool, and, like any tool, it is only as effective as the person using it. Unfortunately, our churches consistently witness a lot of ineffective use of the hymnal, and that may be the reason we think of the hymnal as dead. If we capitalize on what the hymnal can offer that projecting words on the screen cannot, then we will be convinced that the hymnal is a tool worth using. So let’s briefly examine a few of the hymnal’s strengths and conclude with some practical suggestions on how to exploit those strengths.
The Hymnal’s Unique Strengths
A Biblical ModelFirst, the hymnal follows a Biblical model of a written compilation of song texts. The Book of Psalms is the divinely inspired hymnal. It is a collection of poetry that expresses God’s praise. It also records God’s goodness to Israel. These songs were very meaningful, personal, and applicable to the children of Israel. In the same way, a modern hymnal can be an expression of praise and testimony that our local body of believers embraces and treasures. Granted, a printed hymnal is not mandated by Scripture, nor is it absolutely vital to effective worship. For instance, Noah and Abraham, two exemplary worshippers of Jehovah, never mention having some hymnal-like collection. Ancient Mesopotamian culture had a system of writing, so possibly Abraham had a “hymnal,” but that is purely speculation. Also, how many saints through the centuries before the printing press worshipped God with their whole hearts and never used a hymnal? Still, having an identified collection of songs in one volume for a particular people to employ in worship is a precedent already set by God.
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Opportunity to Teach Music Literacy
When people read from a hymnal, they are exposed to music notation and, if encouraged, can begin to acquire some level of music literacy. It is surprising how quickly congregations will pick up and begin to follow the music cues, such as dots and word/note spacing. This obvious benefit of a hymnal should not be underestimated because it is a unique and treasured heritage of American Christianity. During the 1720s in Colonial America, everyday life was arduous and difficult. Literacy, especially music literacy, was understandably at a lower priority compared to mere survival. The congregational singing in the colonial churches suffered from this lack of music literacy. In fact, the level of singing was so poor that Puritan pastors created an educational system to instruct their congregations how to sing and read music, and so the singing school was born.1 Now, nearly three hundred years later, we are in danger of abandoning this heritage.
Unification of the Church Body
So, what is our conclusion? Is the hymnal dead? The tremendous potential for unifying the body combined with a rich cultural, historical heritage make strong arguments for the hymnal’s continued relevance. The bigger question to ask is what do we sacrifice if we eliminate the hymnal? The hymnal is a powerful tool, but it can be rendered useless unless we purposefully find ways to incorporate it into the worship life of our churchse are a few of the unique strengths of the hymnal. If we understand what we sacrifice by abandoning the hymnal, we will be more purposeful in our use of it. So, what are some practical ways to exploit the strengths of the hymnal? First, escape the tyranny of the either/or. Don’t think you must use exclusively either the hymnal or alternate methods such as projecting the words on the screen. Do both in the same service, but, again, be purposeful in your use of the hymnal. Here are some other practical ways to deliberately incorporate its use.
Practical Ways to Utilize the Hymnal 1. Plan a song or two in the service for which you will ask your congregation to use the hymnal. Keeping the congregation in the habit of reaching for the hymnal is valuable. Briefly explain why it’s important to sing this song and why the song is included in the hymnal. Consider using the hymnal exclusively in one of the services on a regular basis, such as in the Sunday evening service.
2. Strategically highlight the historical/hymnological information presented on the hymn page. Help your congregation make personal connections with the song. The author/composer information and the tune name all have significance. The song will become more meaningful to your people if they understand the origin and value of the hymn. Realize though that historical knowledge is not about facts but about value transference. For example, retelling the story of Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf and the Moravians as you sing “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” allows you to challenge your people to have similar missionary zeal. If you need ideas, several volumes of hymn stories and history are available, such as Kenneth Osbeck’s 101 Hymn Stories.
3. Encourage the congregation to follow and learn music notation. Occasionally give a brief explanation of how music notation works and instruct the congregation how to follow their part. Try singing a cappella, especially those hymns with interesting parts (quintessential example: “Wonderful Grace of Jesus”) to encourage part-singing. If music literacy is low in your congregation, consider offering music reading classes that focus on reading from the hymnal. You’ll be following in the footsteps of our forefathers and investing in your congregational worship.
4. Proactively search for new songs and texts outside of the hymnal to include in your worship services. At first this might seem counterintuitive, but incorporating songs that are not found in your hymnal can highlight the value of the hymnal. Many congregations are stuck singing the same songs, and as a result, the hymnal becomes stale and colorless. But a judicious influx of fresh songs helps people develop a healthy context for the importance of their hymnal. Try pairing a new song with a traditional hymn. For instance, singing Chris Anderson and Greg Habeggar’s newer “His Robes for Mine”2 with the aforementioned “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” will show how Christians in two different eras express similar thoughts. By highlighting the connection between the two songs, we relay the importance of the truth of being clothed in Christ’s righteousness. For another interesting match-up, sing “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” followed by a new tune I wrote for “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.”3 The richness of Wesley’s text is complemented by the more modern-sounding chorus. As you explain the similarities of the subject matter, you have a wonderful opportunity to expound on the miraculous love of Christ. It takes time and effort to find high-quality new hymns and songs, but it is well worth the reward of seeing believers edified by fresh expressions of praise.
So, what is our conclusion? Is the hymnal dead? The tremendous potential for unifying the body combined with a rich cultural, historical heritage make strong arguments for the hymnal’s continued relevance. The bigger question to ask is what do we sacrifice if we eliminate the hymnal? The hymnal is a powerful tool, but it can be rendered useless unless we purposefully find ways to incorporate it into the worship life of our church.
================================ [From FrontLine Magazine, November/December 2011; via baptistsearch.blogspot.com. - 11.20.12. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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