Does your church use hymnals?

Forum category

A recent SI filings article documented that most churches still use hymnals. Tyler has begun a series of articles about Christian Music (CCM, etc.). So now is probably a good time to take this poll.

Our church still uses hymnals, but we often project the hymns as well as our contemporary choruses (we do blended). Some people use the hymnals, others just look at the screen. Sometimes we have a blip, and we all use the hymnals.

I hope our church never gets to a point where it does not sing the great hymns. A like a mixture of newer choruses with the old standbys. But that is a separate issue.

The issue in this poll is about medium. Are hymnals ever a part of your church’s medium for singing?

Poll Results

Does your church use hymnals?

We use hymnals, pretty much exclusively. Votes: 10
We use both hymnals and projection (or song sheets), a combination (or at least have hymnals available and mention the option). Votes: 16
We use projection (or song sheets) exclusively. Votes: 10
We do not use hymnals, projection, or song sheets. Votes: 0
Other Votes: 1

(Migrated poll)

N/A
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 0

Discussion

We mostly use hymnals but lately we’ve started using the projector for songs that aren’t in our hymnal. We include the music on the slides as well. Our music is what most would consider “conservative”.

Josh Stilwell, associate pastor, Alathea Baptist Church, Des Moines, Iowa.

Fun and Mental

We exclusively use the master’s seminary hymnal which is ok. I would have preferred something like the Trinity Baptist. We are pretty low tech and don’t even have a projector.

I am not aware of any evidence that in OT Israel every worshiper ever had his own copy of the Psalms (or other approved sacred music) to sing from in corporate worship. Similarly, I am not aware of any evidence for all worshipers having their own copies of the Psalms (or other approved sacred music) to sing from in the worship in the synagogues or in the early Church.

Strictly speaking, it would seem therefore that anyone who would say that it is essential that people have their own printed copies of music to sing from in worship would be voicing a position that would not be supported by the available biblical data.
By saying this, I am not advocating for not using hymnals. I am merely sharing an observation that I had never thought about before until this morning.

Rajesh,

I think you are forgetting a major cultural difference. The Jews memorized the entire Torah and much of the Old Testament, including at least some of the Psalms used in synagogue worship. The early Christians were essentially Messianic Jews, bringing with them the memorized Scriptures, including Psalms. As gentiles were grafted into the church, they would also have learned these Psalms (or other songs, like the Odes of Solomon and the earlier Psalms of Solomon) and sung them from memory.

So you are right, that printed/projected words are not absolutely necessary for church life. Singing of praises, however — that seems to have always been part of the package.

"The Midrash Detective"

[Ed Vasicek]

Rajesh,

I think you are forgetting a major cultural difference. The Jews memorized the entire Torah and much of the Old Testament, including at least some of the Psalms used in synagogue worship. The early Christians were essentially Messianic Jews, bringing with them the memorized Scriptures, including Psalms. As gentiles were grafted into the church, they would also have learned these Psalms (or other songs, like the Odes of Solomon and the earlier Psalms of Solomon) and sung them from memory.

So you are right, that printed/projected words are not absolutely necessary for church life. Singing of praises, however — that seems to have always been part of the package.

Ed,
I did not forget about their memorizing; that was certainly a vital part of their lives. The importance that godly Israelites placed on memorizing was more than just their culture; as the only nation in the world that had been given special revelation, they heeded the truths that they had been given and showed that they esteemed them supremely by giving them a rich dwelling in their hearts.
Taught by Psalm 47 and many other passages, singing praises to God was an essential part of their lives.