Does your church have hymnals in the seating? Does your church sing (vintage) hymns?
Does your church still sing vintage hymns? Occasionally or often? Do you have a hymnal in the seating/pews?
We know that some composers (most notably the Gettys) produce modern songs that are sometimes considered hymns. But in the context of the poll, we are discussing classic hymns or Gospel songs. It will be interesting to see the various perspectives on this via Sharper Iron participants. Comments always encouraged.
- 52 views
We still have hymnals in the seats, but project all song lyrics on a screen. Many of the songs we sing are not in the hymnal (this includes newer music like hymns by the Gettys and Church Works Media as well as metrical Psalms and ancient hymns like those of Ambrose). Every once in a while someone will use a hymnal, but most of the time they are not taken out anymore.
>>Every once in a while someone will use a hymnal, but most of the time they are not taken out anymore.<<
Sadly, this is indeed the norm. I’m one of the few troglodytes that still pulls out a hymnal when I’m in the pews, either at my own church or at other churches. Most of the time in my home church, I’m in the choir, so there I have access to music for the projected songs that are not in the hymnbook.
I recently visited a friend’s church where they also sang a combination of songs that included hymns as well as other songs. I used the hymnbook where I could (I was one of maybe 3 people total using one), and for one projected-only song (lyrics only), I found and pulled up the sheet music on my phone (I have a foldable, so in tablet mode, the sheet music is small, but still usable). The other projected song actually included music. My friend told me they often do that for a few weeks with new songs they are learning, but after that time, it goes to lyrics only.
I realize that most people can’t or don’t read the notes they are singing, but I begin to understand the whole shape-note singing movement once prevalent in the U.S. (now usually only seen at churches in the deep South or midwest) that taught people to how to sing tunes they didn’t already know. I dread a future where everyone sings only the melody and only a few songs that everyone knows. I hope that isn’t coming, but I don’t know what would stop it. Since I’m one of the old guys now, maybe I’ll be gone before it gets that far.
Dave Barnhart
We have hymnals, but they are not in the pew/seats. We do not have pews and the chairs do not have a pocket for hymnals, so we just have them on a shelf and people grab them when they come in. We make extra effort to make sure visitors get a hymnal when they sit down.
Discussion