By Jonathan Howe
I might lose my Millennial card for admitting this, but:
I like hymnals. A lot.
Yes, I realize I’m supposed to want to worship with fog machines and song lyrics on projector screens with cool moving backgrounds. And sometimes I enjoy that too—but not all the time.
So why would a 36-year old Millennial enjoy hymnals? Here are my five reasons:
- Holding the hymnal in my hands and reading the lyrics help me focus in worship. If my eyes are fixed on the words and notes to sing, I’m less distracted. Other than maybe the first and last verse of many hymns, I don’t know the words. Unlike many newer worship songs that I’ve memorized easily, I have to pay more attention to what I’m singing when using a hymnal because I’m less familiar with the words.
- I prefer the ability to read music and sing harmony. I’m one of the strange people you sit next to in church who default to singing harmony and not melody. Having the music in the hymnal helps—especially with unfamiliar tunes. While I can sing harmony by ear when needed, having the music in front of me is always preferred.
- Hymns use phrasing and words that modern songs don’t. Hymnals are full of rich theology and turns of phrase that we just don’t see anymore. Twitter’s 140 characters and the short lyrical hooks we find in modern songs have seemingly diminished our vocabulary. Hymns are full of poetic theological language missing in many contemporary songs.
- Responsive readings are virtually nonexistent in many protestant churches, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Our liturgies have left behind responsive readings—a core component found in many hymnals. Like the hymns mentioned in the previous point, responsive readings are filled with rich theology. As hymnals have been used less and less, responsive readings in our church services have all but disappeared.
- I want my kids to know hymns as well. I recently took my kids to an event that included a hymn sing. They knew virtually none of the songs. I knew all but one. I realized in that moment that they’ve never been in church services where hymnals were used. Everything is on the screen, and the songs being sung are the ones they hear on the radio. It’s good that they know the songs they do, but I’d also love for them to know hymns as well.
Does your church use hymnals? Do you have them and never use them? Are you a Millennial who misses using hymnals as well?
Jonathan Howe serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources as well as the host and producer of Rainer on Leadership and SBC This Week. Jonathan writes weekly at ThomRainer.com on topics ranging from social media to websites and church communications. Connect with Jonathan on Twitter at @Jonathan_Howe.
Posted on March 23, 2017
109 Comments
In the churches that I’ve served as music minister, reading / singing from the hymnals is definitely a preference for those already saved. And even then, when I would dare to use a hymn, from the hymnal, that was unfamiliar to the older folks I would get in trouble for that as well, even though it was in the hymnal. The preference has been, “Sing from the hymnal but only sing the songs we know.” The interesting thing is that most of the people could sing those familiar songs without even looking at the hymnal. Holding a book is simply a habit / preference. The church where I am currently serving has just transitioned to screens and it seems to me that the people are singing better because they don’t know the words as well and have to concentrate more. Plus, their heads are up and I can hear their voices much better. All that being said, I use a blend of old and new. This past Sunday we sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” followed by “Praise the Father, Praise the Song.” I don’t think you can get much more meaningful words than, “To the valley for my soul, Thy great descent has made me whole.” Last point. The screens, for me, enable the songs to flow better rather than having to wait while we turn to the next song in a book.
Great point – we are all creatures of habit! (Which isn’t always a bad thing, of course).
We are a little church in a big city. We sing hymns every week. We have hymnals for those that want to use them for harmony but we also project the lyrics so the older folks can see them easier. We have had people visit and not come back because we are so traditional ???? Wish we could find some of these guys that want a hymn singing church. LOL
I appreciate the article, but I must say – I was disappointed. Only 2 of your points had anything to do with a “hymnal” – the other 3 had to do with the particular songs that are stereotypically IN hymnals (meaning old, theologically-rich songs). There are many, many songs that I have found in “hymnals” that are NOT theologically rich or even Biblically wrong (and you can’t just edit the text to fix it!). Many of these songs have little to do with God and more to do with “me” (which has more to do with the era in which they were written and not the book, of course).
I personally disagree that hymnals help FOCUS – but that is just my opinion and about me (i focus better when there are fewer words on a screen, no pages to turn, etc.)
As for the music notes – that would be a great benefit to someone that is familiar with sheet music or knows what to do with notes on a staff. I’m not sure what % of our people that is.
As for the good, time-tested, theologically rich songs – YES! Let’s keep them going and weed out the rest. But they can just as easily (or easier) be put up on a screen instead of hardback hymnbooks that I can’t store in my portable church chairs 🙂
Thanks, Robert
Can’t put hymnals in the chairs? There’s an app for that! 😀
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/baptist-hymnal-free/id465294957?mt=8
Exactly. With some free content in there too.
I can just see it now – everyone with their 4.7″ screens squinting to see what the alto line is doing on the chorus…
I’ll stick with my 80 pt font on a 100″ screen up front for now 😉
HAHA
It works much better on a tablet. Obviously.
“When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word…
What a glory He sheds on our way….”
“Mercy there was great and grace was free
pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
at Calvary!!!”
“Great is thy faithfulness, oh God my Father … there is no shadow of turning with Thee…”
It don’t get much better than those … I can sing with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. (Hey .. something Biblical about that phrase…)
And I am 100% harmony, too. for 50~ years now. Love standing in front of Randy, as we harmonize. When I can hear him rather than the amplifiers and loudspeakers in front of us.
Struck a big nerve with this one, brother!
Thanks, Bob. Appreciate you.
Yes! There is nothing more beautiful than a congregation singing parts!
Great article. These are great points for churched people. Where I am in New England, there is little to know foundation. I’m experiencing Post Christian in real time. Churches people will find churches , but where do lost people go? The only people who ever ask for hymnals is churched people. As for congregational singing, passion is the key to what you are singing. I would watch people sing Victory in Jesus but saw no Victory. Would love to hear others thoughts. Thanks!
Maybe we’ve done a poor job explaining why what’s contained in hymnals is important? Maybe we should emphasize their content more than their tradition?
I agree with you. Also many people don’t know the history behind the songs in the hymnal and how God inspired the writer through an event in their lives. Many went through tragedies and remained faithful. Examples: I surrender all, It is well with my soul, etc. So to me, songs like Victory in Jesus, has more meaning to me the older I get and the more I realize what He has done in my life. When we sing, I Surrender All, do really mean it, or are they just words?
I was just at a men’s retreat where the whole weekend we sang from hymnals. Just men, just voices. We were encouraged to pick the hymns as we went. No fancy lights, no instruments, no performance.
It was a blessing to my soul to sing with these men rich songs from old hymnals.
I am 34. I grew up in Pentecostal/evangelical churches. I decided our family will get some hymnals and learn to sing them as a family. Please give me some recommendations.
And people say men don’t sing in church…..
That’s wonderful! I can imagine that was a glorious sound.
Therein lies another problem with contemporary worship. You may remember a book a few years ago called “Why Men Hate Going to Church”. The writer noted that many of the old hymns were geared toward men – “Onward, Christian Soldiers”, “Rise Up, O Men of God”, etc. Much of contemporary worship lacks that masculine flavor.
As the writer said, the solution is not to rid ourselves of all contemporary music, but to write more songs that are appealing to men.
A seminary student announced in a class I was speaking to a few years ago that he was using the 2008 Baptist Hymnal to make his church more contemporary. Everybody stopped and looked at him. So I gave him the floor. His strategy: (1) the new hymnal has a lot of modern songs, and (2) since they are in the BH, the older folks see them as legit. Pretty savvy.
I like it. Thanks, David.
I love it! I have a collection of Baptist Hymnals going back to the 1800’s, and the 2008 Baptist hymnal is a great edition, it puts many older songs and hymns in easier keys, and includes many great newer songs and hymns!
We are a small, rural church where the hymnal is still very important. We just bought new ones because there are a lot of newer songs that have been added. We often pick some of the unfamiliar songs to sing on Sunday night and it is a really fun and joyful time of worship.
Thanks, Mark.
Personally, I would feel very comfortable holding a hymnal and singing harmony parts or reading the melodic line of a hymn. After all, I grew up in church singing hymns. However, I’m becoming more and more aware that the feelings that stir in me on issues of preference are some of the same feelings causing my unchurched friends to stay far away from church. These types of issues are what I have come to call insider issues. Caring too much for the preferences of those already saved isn’t providing the church much in 2017. I’ve got to get beyond my preferences and the preferences of those who have attended church for a while and move my focus to the majority of millenials who have never had a church tie and who feel quite opposite about things like singing from hymnals.
I’m not sure they are opposed to hymnals as much as they are opposed to rote tradition. Hymnals do not equal boring and stuffy all the time.
Let’s be carefully, too, to not equate “hymns” to a certain era or style of song. A “hymn” is a praise song – that is it. So any song that is a praise song of God, regardless of when it was written, what style it was written in, and to what culture it was written to – is truly a “hymn.”
Amen Robert, I’m 75 years old and, in my opinion, we have just about worn out this topic. There are many Hymns that are sound in theology but they were not written to be sung to God in praise and adoration. And there are many modern contemporary songs that have amazing theology and also usher us into adoration and praise of our awesome God. Any song that conveys that God is the greatest treasure we could ever find and comes out of us as adoration to Him are good, regardless of when they were written.
Thanks for that Tom! I so respect how you just said: “Any song that conveys that God is the greatest treasure we could ever find and comes out of us as adoration to Him are good, regardless of when they were written.” 🙂
Amen. Isn’t that the purpose of our worship/adoration to Him? Where is our heart, mind and soul when we are singing to Him? Let’s remember our focus, Church.
I agree. By general definition, hymns are written for worship God by recalling who He is and what He has done. Praise songs should be the same, but much (not all) of Christian music today is not about God but about the worshiper’s experience. And where God is mentioned, it is in generalities (i.e. He loves me, He saved me), with little or no more detail than that.
Recently, I’ve helped plant a new church. We’re in the process of creating a new hymnal (with notes for four-part harmony) that will allow us to include classic hymns as well as add new songs we like.
That’s cool, Jeremy.
When you are concentrating on the harmony, which I love to hear, is your heart feeling the words while looking at the notes?
Yep. Sing enough hymns, the harmony comes more easily. I’ll bet some melody singers aren’t paying attention to the words either.
our hymnal has the words and music for power point. so we sing hymns and contemporary songs off the wall with music shown. Our church loves 4 part harmony. (we’re an acappella church)
I now attend a classical Episcopal church where an old hymn book is used exclusively. There is a lot of theology in the hymns, especially those used in Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Pentecost, etc. Yes, in churches where hymn books are not used or they are so new that the classic hymns have been removed, I did miss them.
There are some great new hymns, and often they are included in the newer books. But it’s good to know many are still using them.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Also, whenever I’m in a situation where hymnals are used, the congregation always seems to be singing louder and with more confidence. There is something about holding the hymnal and seeing the music/lyrics in your hands (whether in a hymnal or printed in the bulletin like CHBC does) puts you more into the experience, rather than being a spectator listening to a performance.
I personally feel that any church who thinks their congregation is struggling with congregational singing should put the lyrics in their hands, no matter what the worship style is and see what the results are.
OK. So there’s a decent question. Do hymnals encourage congregational singing?
Yes, but I like a mix
Hmm. I agree – that would be a very interesting experiment! For the average person – does having all of the words in front of of you help to sing?
If a congregation holding a hymnal seems to be singing more, louder, etc. – we should probably ask a few more questions to determine if their increased singing has anything to do with how many Christians vs. non-Christians are in the room, the level of maturity (and understanding of worship), the culture/sub-culture of the group, the familiarly of the congregation with those songs (are they often-sung songs or are they new), etc.
Let me propose a different thought. Where do people typically sing the loudest? I would say either in their car or in the shower – where they have no words. They sing the loudest because they have memorized the words (and others may not be listening, of course!). So maybe the BEST way to get our congregations to sing is to help them actually learn and memorize the songs so they will not have to look at the screen or a book!
I think that’s a good point. I’ve also noticed that phenomenon. As a student at SEBTS, anytime during chapel that an old hymn, or even a very familiar worship song is sung, there is a rise in congregational volume. However, every year during our 9Marks conference, Mark Dever leads the attendees in singing, a cappella from the hymnal, and there is no sweeter sound in Binkley chapel. It always sounds like everyone is singing.
I would love to hear the results if anyone has tried giving out either printed lyrics, or tried using a hymnal after using projected lyrics, to see if there was an increase in congregational singing.
Good question
I think the shower scene is a faulty comparison. Most people are inhibited about singing in public. Being alone and in a small room or shower lends itself to privacy and some neat acoustics. I am a trained singer/soloist and I never sound better than when I am in the shower. My next concert or live album may be from a shower.
And I don’t think the shower comparison rightly deals with the 4 part harmony benefit of the written hymn. I often attend a local church which uses a live praise band and the words are projected on screen. Being a worship leader I often put in ear plugs to protect my hearing (which is vital to the longevity of me being able to sing publicly) and then I watch the congregation. It is true that this church is the “happening place” in our southern town, but it is also true that something is not happening. About 90% of the congregation is not singing. Rather, they are enjoying a Christian concert, instead. Which has it’s place in worship but in this case I think it tends to “displace” worship.
We are working through these exact thoughts and you are spot on
Or just make our churchesbig showers or drive throughs! Seriously, though. I can’t sing. I do not get a spiritual depth from singing words I don’t understand (wert? What’s a wert?). I’m 50. I like hymns do not like hymnals or singing a hymn just because it’s a hymn.
It probably depends on the congregation, but in my experience, yes. Hymnals encourage participation because it is not a remote activity — like looking at a screen and listening to a band. Worshipers hold the words, and even the music, in their hands; they become a part of the experience, not apart from the experience. Again, that’s my experience, and it is far from a universal proclamation.
Having the music in front of you, to follow, is important when you are unfamiliar with the tune. Lyrics only leaves me struggling to sing a long.
So to give a slightly different perspective, or to change the question rather, does holding the words to songs increase participation vs screens?
I say this because I’m a youth pastor’s wife. (We do hymns with the kids, but not like we’d use hymnals for them.) We have musical worship on both Sunday and Wednesday nights using screens and a band. The participation is normal. Mostly everyone sings and at a decent volume (though we have a LOT of shy quiet kids).
We do special nights in the summer we call “Fire Ups” where we hang out outside, cookout, outdoor games, and then come together for music around a bonfire. A screen isn’t practical for this music time, so we print the words on sheets of paper bulletin style and take requests from the songs we have. I swear we get more singing in this setting even with the distractions of the outdoors. I don’t know if its the nature, the circle we sit in, the more acoustic set we do, etc. But, I think there is something to be said about physically holding words in your hand vs reading them off a screen.
I wonder what news reporters feel reading off of a paper in their hands vs reading a teleprompter? What psychological phenomenon occurs that makes us feel like participating or feels more comfortable singing with the physical words in our hands?
Those are great questions. I’m not sure of the answer, but maybe there’s a confidence that comes with the concreteness of holding something.
The music is often so loud I can’t hear fellow parishioners or myself sing! Only the worship team! My voice gets strained and I revert just praying to myself.
Great reading and thought provoking. Particularly, #2 and #5.
Thanks, frank.
We’ve experienced the opposite at our church. We recently installed screens, and this has only bolstered the congregational singing, making it louder because people are looking up at the screens rather than down into the hymnal. We still reference the hymnal if people want to use it, and there are some that do. Personally, if it is a tune that I know, I would rather look up at the screen. We also still use responsive readings from time to time. It is also a very multi-generational church.
No. An understanding and that our worship services are corporate rather than individual and encouragement to sing cause congregations to sing. The church has been around much longer than the hymnals. Persecuted Christians sing hundreds of hymns with no hymnal. My church sings well and we don’t use hymnals. We do sing hymns.
Absolutely!
My question is, “Has any one considered the value of the things taught in singing hymns vs ‘radio songs’?”
Yes !
Teaches young to read music and adds strength to the message and keeps our Christian history alive !
My church seldom ever sings a good old hymn unless they change it with more hip hop lyrics!
I am not sure if hymnals encourage congregational singing or not, but I can say that most hymns are easier to follow than many popular christian songs, especially for the elderly. I am one of the leading voices at my church and I can notice how sometimes old people are not able to follow certain rythmic patterns.
In Argentina, we do not sing hymns as often as we used to, and the reason is that many do not understand the meanings encoded in the lyrics. But the good thing is that there are a couple of new bands that have started composing theologically rich and gospel-centered songs.
PD: I loved the article and I really really miss hymnals and hymns.
I am an old Dinosaur and I truly love the old hymns! My church only seldom will flash the words on the screen to a hymn. My memory is no longer good and I cannot remember the tune (if any) for the worship songs we sing, nor can I remember the words. Sometimes I tell my wife, “I don’t think I have heard that one before,” She says, “oh, yes, we have sang it before!”
Not sure Hymnals vs. words on a screen (or newer worship songs) is a good comparison. I’ve been in churches that use Hymnals that sang out with passion and churches that had new songs on a screen that worshiped with similar fervor.
As a millennial in ministry, I feel like there is a lot of talk looking for a “silver bullet” to attract millennials.. “We need a different worshiped space.” “We need to change out of our robes.” “We need to offer communion more.””We need to go back to our roots.””We need to get more modern.”… the list of “how to engage the wandering millennials” goes on.
Bottom line (IMO) is be the church that God is calling you to be. And do it with excellence and passion. It’s not one size fits all. Focus who God’s called you to be and connect with your community, and I think many millennials will be attracted to that.
I do have to admittedly disagree with the 3rd point though (Hymns use phrasing and words that modern songs don’t.) There are many modern songs that incorporate some awesome phrasing, theology, and scripture. To say they don’t is a little short-sighted to me. I do have a great appreciation for the richness of Hymns, but we shouldn’t discount modern worship songs either. I mean all Hymns were once “modern” worship, right?
Also, not sure singing words we don’t readily understand (doth, bulwark, o’er, etc…) is always good. Can be confusing for some.
I really appreciate the thought that went into this article. I think it’s a great discussion for us in the church to have.
I personally, as a musician, do not enjoy the contemporary Christian music (although I understand that many people are blessed by it, and I’m glad for that.) I feel that much of the music is sloppily put to Scripture, and the tunelessness is not an enhancement. Much of the new music is taken from popular CD solos, and then “adapted” to congregational singing. The phrasing is conversational, often awkward, and not really possible to “read” and sing with, if you have not listened to the gasping, teary CD solo at home (which I haven’t, and won’t). This is just my personal opinion; but I have struggled, as well as watched others struggle (especially elders) with trying to join in on these songs. And so, when we move (which we do every so often) I try to locate a church that uses hymnals. I love the thoughtfully-composed old hymns, adding harmonies, and reading the notes if I’m not familiar. I’m glad that there ARE still churches that give us this option.
I have to personally agree and disagree. I find some hymns so difficult to follow musically and I’ve been in choir and played instruments most of my life. So in that way I disagree. But then there are hymns that I can catch right on to. Same goes for contemporary worship songs. There are plenty of songs that shouldn’t be done for congregational singing that for what ever reason a worship leader still tries to do, but that’s at their discretion. There are many hymns that I would just never do as a congregation because they are so difficult for people to follow. Like i said, its up to the discretion of whoever leads the musical worship, but I find it goes either way between hymns and contemporary.
Are we talking about HYMNALS as in books of songs or HYMNS as in the songs themselves? I feel like that is important to narrow down.
And if we are talking about HYMNS in the sense of “old” songs on sheet music, the era in which they were written (500 years ago, 200 years ago, 100 years ago, 50, 10, modern), the author that wrote them, and the area they came from (and probably a few other things) has SO much to do with the style, complexity of the music, wordiness of the lyrics, etc. Just because it is an “old” song (which is very relative), does not mean anything. At the same time, there are some brand new songs that came out today that are deeply rooted in Scripture, musically full and complex, etc. – check out Redeeming Grace’s music.
I have always been Lutheran -known as the singing church. All of the congregatios I belonged to have used hymnals.Used to have to memorize them as a kid. Glad I did. For me it’s easier to concentrate using a hymnal.
Over the years, our people have learned significant amount of theology
through the hymns because the don’ t always listen to our preaching.
Good point.
Continuing with your FINE remarks ! —–YOU are RIGHT ON !! The congregation has 30 minutes as THEIR PART of WORSHIP to GOD….. the Preacher has the last 30 to bolster the Christian or lead a lost person to Christ. Thats the WHOLE OBJECT = its called WORSHIP. To have EFFECTIVE Worship TO God, the SOUL must be stirred. If your heart does NOT release what you BELIEVE during your time of SONG, then the communication is WEAK and not your BEST OFFERING to the LORD ! Whatever YOUR STYLE, it has to be effective. Gumming words 7x over are as non productive as singing a hymn you NEVER heard and will never hear again. Screens help you look forward and easier to see, but their is NO OWNERSHIP if you do not HOLD physically a HYMNAL or PEW BIBLE in your hands. You make NO effort to reach GOD if everything is handed to you. You reach to GET a hymnal out of the rack, , YOU open it, you sing a PART, you see the words, you place the hymnal back. It does make a difference. The SAME holds true with the BIBLE… please dont tell me what page in the Pew Bible EZRA is on…… MEMORIZE the books of the BIBLE — We COME to Corporate Worship to GIVE to GOD ………..not see what we can GET !!!!!!!!!
Well folks I am totally “OLD SCHOOL” and do NOT even feel like I have been in church where they use ONLY the “on screen” lyrics. Seems the theme of the whole thing is simply to “repeat” the verse/line/word as many times as possible. Two or three time is OK but REALLY that is just boring and does not put me in a worship mood even in the slightest. I have looked for a church that this has hymnals or has handouts and as of today 4/9/17 there seems to be nothing in the 92503 area that does this . So, sadly I have not been attending church for ages now. I look up the church and call to find out what they do in their services. “N”