We all love the old hymns. Really, when you think of it, the old hymns were the Gregorian chants used in the Catholic church. They have reemerged today as
people use CD's of Gregorian chant to meditate and relax. Then came Martin
Luther and the wonderful hymn tunes he wrote. What could be better than the
majesty of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". Let's not forget J.S. Bach and his sons who wrote many of the tunes we use in our hymns today. What a great hymn is
"O Sacred Head Now Wounded" at Lent. Charles Wesley was also responsible for some wonderful hymn tunes.
The “old hymns” mean many things to many people. If you are over 70, you probably think of the old Fanny Crosby tunes as the old hymns. However, they are fairly recent. If you are 60 or over, you may be thinking of "God of Grace and God of Glory" or "Be Thou My Vision" as the old tunes. My kids who are in their 30's and 40's think of "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" and "Pass It On" as the old hymns. If you're in your 30's, you might think of "Lamb of God" by Twila Paris or "His Strength is Perfect" by Steve Chapman as the old tunes. The 20's are listening to "God of Wonders" by Caedman's Call or "Better than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant.
So when we talk about the "old hymns", we need to keep everyone in mind. If we want young people to join our church, we need to think young and be open to all kinds of music. We also need to be receptive to new ideas and thoughts and be accepting of everyone's need to contribute. People have a need to relate and a need to serve. Let's really be inclusive and accepting of any and all kinds of music.
