Loading...The Christian hymn, as defined by The Hymn Society, is
“a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper’s attitude toward God or God’s purposes in human life. It should be simple and metrical in form, genuinely emotional, poetic and literary in style, spiritual in quality, and in its ideas so direct and so immediately apparent as to unify a congregation while singing it.”
So, a hymn is, first and foremost, a poem. And to bring these poems to life for worship, they are set to music. This practice goes back to many years before Jesus was born, as evident in the psalms and other scripture; it has remained an important component of congregational worship since that time. For many, especially those who love music, this is how one “hears, marks, and inwardly digests” scripture.
Music throughout history and today has been used to express love, to convey a variety of emotions, or to unite people toward a common goal. It has been said that when we sing, we pray twice; there is something about pairing words with music that helps us to connect with the meaning of those words in our hearts.
This is the first in an ongoing series of blogs which I hope will:
- help the people of St. James’ Church stay informed about our music program, and
- provide a vehicle for sharing knowledge and ideas.
I welcome your feedback any time! Just send a message to danieldmartin66@gmail.com
