Quote from Forum Archives on September 1, 2000, 9:43 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

I haven't seen these in a few weeks --- worship matters. Bob has been
developing a good case of when hymns are valuable and when they
merely become a case of putting sentimentality above the truth of who
God is. For those of you who are interested, you can check the
Crosswalk site for more information about worship, devotionals,
and other helpful tools.

Brother Brian

--- "Crosswalk.com" <newsletters@crosswalk.com> wrote:
> Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 14:49:43 -0400
> Subject: WM 021 - Hymns: A Sentimental Journey?
> To: masinick@yahoo.com
> From: Crosswalk.com <newsletters@crosswalk.com>
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> Hymns: A sentimental journey?
>
> In the last three columns we've discussed the challenges related to
> singing and playing hymns. In this column I'll begin to address the issue
> of sentimentality.
>
> Some people favor hymns primarily because they grew up with them. Hymns
> sung in childhood bring back fond memories of youth camp, Sunday school
> classes, or family worship times. Familiar words and lilting melodies
> bring comfort and reassurance in the midst of changing times. For many,
> God seems much closer when they sing a well-loved hymn.
>
> Critics of hymns, however, will point out that the archaic language and
> musical style of hymns no longer communicate effectively to younger
> generations, and therefore can be a hindrance to evangelism.
>
> Some churches, trying to accommodate both sides, have established two
> separate services, usually labeled traditional and contemporary. In a
> future column, I'll present some reasons why I don't think that's the best
> solution. For now, let's address the issue of sentimentality.
>
> Webster's Dictionary defines a sentimental person as one who is "marked or
> governed by feeling." The key word in that definition is "governed." I see
> at least three problems with using sentimental attachment as a basis for
> choosing songs for worship:
>
> 1. Sentimentality can obscure or sacrifice truth for the sake of personal
> preferences.
>
> There are many hymns with rich theological texts that aid us in our
> worship of God. Regrettably, there are others that emphasize poetic
> imagery and musical devices more than biblical content. Such hymns
> (including many that have been written in the past 150 years) seem
> primarily designed to affect the worshiper's emotions. When our worship
> diet consists primarily of hymns of this sort, we are in danger of
> developing a simplistic, unbiblical view of God.
>
> 2. Sentimentality distorts the meaning of worship.
>
> Harold Best writes, "Being emotionally moved by music is not the same as
> being spiritually or morally shaped by it ... Being moved by music is
> secondary to worshiping God. The Spirit is always to be free to direct our
> worship, whether the music moves us or not." (Music through the Eyes of
> Faith, pg. 151-152) Worship has to do with my wholehearted response to the
> God of Scripture, not the way a particular song makes me feel!
>
> 3. Sentimentality exalts my preferences over those of others.
>
> A few years ago, a member of our congregation struggled when we introduced
> Isaac Watts' "Arise, My Soul, Arise," set to a new melody by Twila Paris.
> "Do you realize that's not how Watts wrote it?" he e-mailed.
>
> He was right. That wasn't how Watts wrote it. In fact, Watts didn't write
> the melody at all! Most of the hymns from the 18th century were originally
> composed without a melody. Churches sang them to different tunes until
> eventually one surfaced as being the most preferable. The melody that we
> consider "the original" might have been written 50 years after the lyrics!
> Although that practice changed significantly in the 19th and 20th
> centuries, the principle remains the same: melodies that may seem "sacred"
> to us are often merely our preference. We must not allow our sentimental
> attachment to certain hymns to keep us from finding ways to communicate
> the unchanging truth of God's glory and gospel to a younger generation.
>
> Does this mean that older hymns shouldn't be used in a church that seeks
> to attract and affect unbelievers? Not necessarily. We'll explore that
> topic further in the next column, where I'll give three reasons why wisdom
> might lead us to use those hymns that are so well loved by the senior
> saints in our midst.
>
> For His Glory,
>
> Bob
>
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
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