Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Psalm 150:1-6
Elesha Coffman is the professor of American Religious and Intellectual History at Baylor University. She wrote an article for Christian History that was titled “Singing the Old, Old Story.” The article was published on August 27, 2016 and began with these words of nostalgia: I have to confess that my heart sinks when we sing a song in church that’s less than 30 years old. Hymns are one of the only remaining doors through which names, sounds, and words from the church’s past enter congregational life, and I can’t help feeling that each time the worship pastor passes over an old song in favor of a more recent creation, that door creaks toward shutting. Part of my frustration is personal (I’ve never been a big chorus fan), but mostly I miss the rich tradition we’re steadily losing.
Visiting various congregations, I have discovered the replacement of traditional hymns with “Jesus’ music.” This is not the case with smaller churches, though it is predominant in larger congregations, and it has become the staple in megachurches. Many congregations have two services, a traditional service and a contemporary service. These contemporary services in larger churches can’t compete with their megachurch counterparts as they lack the resources and talent.
New Spring Church, a megachurch that has thirteen campuses, one of which is located in Florence, South Carolina where I reside, only uses contemporary music in worship. As worship resembles a stage production, the music is so loud that parishioners are offered ear plugs upon entering what is referred to as the worship center, not a sanctuary. This demonstrate how far removed these New Age churches are from Christendom.
New Spring prides itself on evangelizing children and youth, which is one of their biggest draws. What troubles me is the youth are only exposed to contemporary music that is here today and replaced tomorrow. One of the most significant foundations to sustain our faith is tradition and hymns are a very important part of that. Years from now, absent from their lives will be “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and so many other steadfast hymns, they will lack the sustaining power of music. Couple with this that the Lord’s Prayer and creeds are never a part of worship, these children, unlike their parents, will be left spiritually floundering years from now.
On January 13, 1501, the first vernacular hymnal was printed in Prague. It featured 89 Moravian hymns in Czech, some penned by martyred reformer Jan Hus. Though several of the hymns were based on Gregorian chants, for the most part the collection broke with Catholic tradition. Catholic worship at the time included only music written in Latin and sung by professionals; Moravians helped re-introduce the custom of congregational singing in a language all could understand.
The hymns of the Reformation were triumphant hymns that were incorporated by Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Methodists. These hymns continue to be the mainstay of these denominations today.
Moravian battle hymns like “Ye Who are Warriors of God” united communities, lifted and spirits. It is a hymn that is still sung today. Ye who are God’s warriors and of his law. Pray to God for help and have faith in Him. That always with Him you will be victorious.
Captain Kenneth Force, beginning in 1989, for 45 years taught midshipmen music at the Merchant Marine Academy. As a professor and band director he instructed his students to revere traditional military music. Regarding this understanding of the importance of foundational music he said, “What we do doesn’t change. In many ways we’re a walking museum, something from another age.”