IMMANUEL COLLEGE OF THEOLOGICAL AND CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

SAMONDA, IBADAN
(IN AFFILLIATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN)

COURSE TITLE:
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

COURSE CODE:
THEO 218

THE PLACE OF HYMNS IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

A GROUP TERM PAPER SUBMITTED BY:

ABANU, SORKA JOSEPH - ICBT/2020/3877

ONYEKA, KINGSLEY O. - ICBT/2020/3893

PANU, ABEL DEYON - ICBT/2020/3894

LECTURER:

THE VERY REV. DR. J. O. ONWUKWE

NOVEMBER 2021

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

In recent years worship and praise choruses seem to be replacing old hymns. The idea
isn't all bad. Many worship services need greater spontaneity, depth of emotion, and
congregational involvement. Praise and worship choruses help to meet this need. But
should this entirely displace the singing of traditional hymns? This paper will aim to
reemphasize the relevance of hymns in our contemporary church worship.

The term hymn is derived from the Greek hymnos “festive song or ode in praise of gods
or heroes,” used in the Septuagint (earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) to
translate several Hebrew words meaning “song praising God.”

The music to which a hymn may be sung is known as the hymn tune. Many English
hymns were written in a particular hymn metre (i.e., a specific number of syllables for the
lines in each stanza of a hymn) so that the hymn could be sung to a tune already know by
the congregation. For example, “Amazing Grace” is written in common metre (8.6.8.6)
and sung to the tune of the traditional song known as “New Britain.”

1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS

i. HYMNS

A hymn is a religious song or poem of praise to God sung during Christian worship,
typically by the whole congregation.

The singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody, while a writer of hymns is

known as a hymnodist. A collection of hymns is called a hymnal or hymnary. A student
of hymnody is called a hymnologist, and the scholarly study of hymns, hymnists, and
hymnody is hymnology.

ii. CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

Christian worship is a personal or communal activity in which reverence and honour is

given to God through songs of praise.

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According to John 4:23, 24 Jesus established that worshipping is only acceptable to God
only when exercised in Spirit and in Truth. Hence Christian worship must first be
inspired by the Holy Spirit and must be based on Scriptures.

2.0 HISTORY OF HYMNS

God’s people have sung hymns in honor of the Almighty since the time of the Old
Testament. For instance, Moses and the people of Israel sang a hymn of praise to God
after crossing the red sea (Exodus 15:1) and David was inspired to sing a “new song” of
praise to our God in Psalm 40:3. In fact, the book of Psalms is collection of inspired
(sacred) poems of praise and adoration meant to be sung to God Almighty (with the
accompaniment of a stringed instrument) by the Children of Israel. Hence the book of
Psalm was the hymn book of the people of Israel.

The earliest references to Christian hymnody come in the New Testament. Two
references are made in the Gospels (Matt. 26:30 and Mark 14:26), where Jesus and His
disciples sang a hymn together at the Last Supper. The early church sang hymns as part
of their regular gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul and Silas, with their feet in stocks
in a Philippian jail, were “praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25).

Until the 18th century, most hymnody in churches consisted of singing of the inspired
Psalms. During the Protestant Reformation, some reformers, like Martin Luther, began to
include hymns, while others like John Calvin held to a principle of exclusive psalmody.
The British hymnodist Isaac Watts has been called the “the liberator of the English
hymn” for helping to move from exclusive psalm-singing to hymns. As Robin A. Leaver
says, Watts believed through psalmody “that only Old Covenant themes were
customarily sung among New Covenant people.” In his preface to Hymns and Spiritual
Songs (1707), Watts wrote:

While we are kindling into Divine Love by the Meditations of the loving Kindness
of God, and the Multitude of his tender Mercies, within a few Verses some
dreadful Curse against Men is proposed to our Lips; That God would add Iniquity

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 unto their Iniquity, not let them come into his Righteousness, but blot them out of
the Book of the Living (Psalms 69, 16, 27, 28). which is so contrary to the New
Commandment, of loving our Enemies. [Emphasis in original]

Charles Wesley, the younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley, wrote 8,989
hymns. He wrote an average of 10 lines of verse every day for 50 years, and completed a
hymn every other day. During his life, he never heard his fellow Methodists sing his
hymns in Sunday worship. At the time, Methodists were still part of the Anglican
Church, and the Church of England did not officially approve the singing of hymns until
1820—32 years after Wesley’s death.

Although Fanny Crosby didn’t begin writing hymns until she was in her 40s, she became
one of the most prolific hymnodists in the English language. Crosby is believed to have
produced about 9,000 works, though as the Encyclopaedia Britannica notes, “the exact
number is obscured by the numerous pseudonyms (as many as 200, according to some
sources) she employed to preserve her modesty.” Although a medical treatment by a man
pretending to be a doctor caused Crosby to be blinded as a child, she considered her
condition a blessing. “If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not
accept it,” Crosby said. “I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been
distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”

3.0 IMPORTANCE OF HYMNS IN COMTEMPORY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

3.1 Tool for Evangelism and Revival

Billy Graham said his team used the hymn “Just As I Am” in almost every one of their
crusades, and the historian of hymnody Kenneth Osbeck wrote that the said hymn
“touched more hearts and influenced more people for Christ than any other song ever
written.”

The classic hymns of Martin Luther, Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, and
many others have blessed millions of Christians through the centuries.

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3.2 Medium for Praise and Worship

Lyrics of Methodist hymns of Adoration and Worship, when sung from our hearts,
facilitates our worship of the Almighty God. For example; MHB 34, stanza 1 contains the
following inspired lyrics of adoration and worship:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise”

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Modern hymn writers such as Twila Paris, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Graham Kendrick,
and Stuart Townend continue to put biblical truth in poetic form and turn our attention to
the Lord who is great and “most worthy of praise” (Psalm 96:4).

3.3 Preservation of Christian Heritage

The great hymns keep us in touch with our Christian heritage. "A Mighty Fortress" takes
us back to the Reformation and allows us to hear the words of Martin Luther. The hymns
of Charles Wesley immerse us in the spirit of the Wesleyan revival. Depending on our
denominational heritage, the hymns we sing remind us of our founders, our history, and
our doctrinal distinctiveness. Without the great hymns we would lose touch with our past.

3.4 The Great Hymns Expose us to Superb Poetry

Hymns expose us to the most beautiful words ever penned. Consider the words of
Katharina von Schlegel from "Be Still, My Soul": "Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy
side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to thy God to order and provide. In
every change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: the best thy heav'nly Friend Thro'
thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

3.5 Hymns Give our Worship a Sense of Majesty and Beauty

The great hymns give our worship a sense of majesty and beauty. The great cathedrals
were built to convey a sense of the greatness and majesty of God. Their vaulted ceilings
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were designed to direct our attention upward. Often their acoustics gave one the feeling
of being part of a heavenly choir. Many of the early hymns were written to complement
the sublime sense inspired by the distinctive architectural designs of those cathedrals.
Though we seldom build cathedrals anymore, and though our worship has become more
personal and intimate, there is still a place for being deeply moved by our Creator's
majesty. Though some choruses achieve this goal admirably most notably Jack Hayford's
"Majesty" the hymns usually do it better. Who can ever forget, having sung it even once,
the sense of God's greatness evoked by such hymns as "How Great Thou Art," or the
deep appreciation summoned by "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"?

3.6 Embeds Christian Truths in our minds and hearts

The great hymns embed Christian truths in our minds and hearts. Some say they can't
memorize; as a result they seldom attempt to commit God's Word in their hearts. Without
our even realizing it, the hymns do that committing for us. Christians who couldn't quote
10 verses of Scripture could easily sing dozens of hymns that are based on or directly
drawn out of Scripture. There are any number of Christian concepts tucked away in our
minds ready to be pulled out when we need them, and they were put there by the repeated
singing of the great hymns. Thanks to our hymns we know that God is faithful, that He
provides a firm foundation for our lives, that we should "Take Time to Be Holy," and that
God's love will not let us go. Our hymns teach new truth every time we sing them.

3.7 Teaching of Christian Doctrine

Singing great hymns is one of the most effective ways the church has of teaching
Christian doctrine. Theology in general is often communicated in a dull, dry way. If you
announce that you're going to preach a series of sermons on the attributes of God, most
people will yawn and quietly slip into a silent mode. If you conceive and build a well-
implemented thematic service around each of the attributes of God and let the great
hymns do the teaching, people will learn about God without knowing they're being
exposed to systematic theology. For instance. Just think of the theology that would be
taught by a course of hymns such as these: "God the Omnipotent!" "Holy God, We

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Praise Thy Name", "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go", "O Splendor of God's Glory
Bright", "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise." When we sing hymns, we subconsciously
gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of our heavenly Father.

3.8 The great hymns are a sources of Inspiration

The great hymns help us to lift our hearts to God. No thinking Christian could sing the
hymn such as “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise” and not be moved toward the Lord.
Such hymns take us out of ourselves, out of our problems, out of the pressures of the
present moment, and into the throne room of God's majesty. There, along with Isaiah the
prophet, we cry out, "My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isa. 6:5, NIV).

3.9 The great hymns exalt and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ.

The hymn writers had an experience with Christ that had to be explained, an encounter
with Him that had to be shared. They put the very heart of their experience and encounter
into their hymns.

4.0 SELECTING HYMNS FOR CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP

Before hymns are selected for congregational worship, it is pertinent for the service
conductor to understand the rubrics of the Season and liturgy of worship. More so,
understanding the three dimensions of singing as itemized in the succeeding paragraphs
could be of great importance.

4.1 The Three Dimensions (Ways) Of Singing:

Upward: Pure worship by looking upward to God in order to praise and adore Him.
For example, "Father I adore you." Or “To God be the glory great things he has
done.”

Outward: Looking to the members of the Body of Christ in thinking of them,

helping them, encouraging them and serving them by testifying to them. For
example, "What a Friend we have in Jesus." We are singing to one another with
God in our presence.
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 Inward: Introspection, looking inward to one's soul, thinking of one's own
relationship to God. Inward singing directs the thoughts of the person to his own life
and leads him to meditate (think) about his relationship with God. For example, "Be
still my soul."

There needs to be balance in our singing between the stated dimensions. Thankfully,
Hymns in the Methodist Hymn Book (MHB), for example, cover all these dimensions.
The worship leader therefore needs to choose hymns that are appropriate/relevant to the
Liturgical Season, Lessons apportioned for the service, the theme of the sermon and the
liturgical order of service as shown below;

1. Processional Hymns
Usually hymns of praise, worship or adoration hence it is of the Upward
Dimension
2. Introit Hymns
Usually hymns of worship, adoration, consecration or confession hence it is of the
Upward Dimension
3. Gradual Hymns
These are Hymns preceding a Lesson (e.g. Gospel Reading) and can be classified
as Outward or Inward because it usually contains lyrics that addresses the
congregants.

4. Hymn for Sermon

Hymns sung in preparation for a Sermon are usually addressed to the congregation
to prepare their hearts for the homily. Hence it can be classified as outward or
inward.

5. Closing Hymns

These category of hymns cuts across all dimensions of singing. The service
conductor could choose a hymn of thanksgiving to God for a successful service

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 (Upward) or of encouragement to fellow worshippers (Outward) or a hymn that
complements the homily delivered during the service (Inward).

6. Recessional Hymns

These category of hymns is like the closing hymns depending on the preference of
the conductor of service. It could be a song of praise to God for a successful
service (Upward) or a complement of the sermon heard during the service which
could be a petition to God (Upward), encouragement of fellow worshippers
(Outward), or introspection (Inward).

5.0 CONCLUSION

God’s people have sung hymns in honor of the Almighty since the time of the Old
Testament. Jesus and his disciples viz a viz the early had hymn singing as an important
element in the liturgy of their fellowships. These reflects the importance of hymns during
worship as it is a great tool for worship and praise of the almighty God, revival and
evangelism, preservation of church heritage, teaching of church doctrine amongst others.
Hence, hymns should be carefully planned and scheduled by the leader of worship in
order to pave the way for the homily and therefore increase the chance of making a
lasting impact on the hearts of the congregants.

In our contemporary Church setting, Gospel songs, choruses and western worship seems
to be preferred especially by the youth because, in their own view, they excite the
emotions, lift our spirits, and help release us to glorify the Lord. However the place of
Hymns cannot be sacrificed on the altar of modernism and dynamism. Hence the
importance and relevance of hymns in our contemporary church is non-negotiable. These
hymns were composed by those who were greatly inspired by the Holy Spirit in order
that the body of Christ will be edified, encouraged, inspired, strengthened, revived,
restored and connected to God through worship. Moreover, hymns are mostly based on
scripture which is the primary source of our faith.

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6.0 REFERENCES

1. The Gospel Coalition – 9 Things You Should Know About Christian Hymns
2. Traditions of Spiritual Guidance – Spirituality and the Hymns of Charles Wesley.
Available at www.theway.org.uk
3. Fanny Crosby – American Hymn Writer (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
4. Bill O’Connor - Ten Reasons we need those great hymns – Ministry Magazine.
5. Choosing and Using Hymns by Lionel Drakers. London: A. R. Mowbray, 1985.
6. Church Music in a Changing World by Lionel Drakers. London: Mowbray, 1984.
7. Sing God a Simple Song by Betty Pulkingham. London: Marshall Pickering, 1985.
8. Worship in the Early Church by Ralph Martin. pages 39-52

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