Does your church sing hymns? Church music has changed over the years, but the essence of worship remains the same. Even though they may not come naturally to your congregation at first, hymns can connect worshippers to the Church’s rich history and theology. There are several timeless hymns every church should sing because they can bridge generations and create a profound, shared worship experience.
A Little Background on Church Music Trends
Today’s modern worship movement exists because of some pretty big changes in the church. The 1980s saw the introduction of “contemporary” worship music that used bands and a more modern approach to songwriting. At first, churches largely opposed this kind of music because it seemed to directly oppose the “traditional” approach of hymnals and choirs. Soon, overhead projectors and screens with lyrics replaced hymnals, while bands and singers replaced choirs.
This sometimes caused division within the church, especially between generations. Most churches tried to compromise by having two different worship services with two different styles of music. The younger generations tended to gravitate toward the contemporary service, and the aging generations, for the most part, gravitated towards the traditional services with their hymnals and choirs.
Finding Balance in the Church Today
Fast-forward to our current year. Most churches have strictly modern music, with bands, LED lighting, and screens projecting lyrics. Despite fears and some doomsday statistics, the church has reached younger generations and is growing.
Traditional hymns are also found in modern worship. While not always read from a hymn book or sung by a choir, these hymns still teach strong theology and can be used to bridge generational gaps. Hymns can also reach unchurched people. Some unchurched people still remember some of the popular hymns from attending church as a child or hearing their grandmother sing the songs to them. This hopefully creates a connection to a positive memory.
5 Hymns Every Church Can Sing
Every church should still consider using hymns. Singing a beautiful hymn together can restore a sense of sacredness. Wonderful modern renditions of some of the church’s greatest hymns are available.
Here are 5 hymns that have stood the test of time. For your convenience, we have also included links to some of our most popular video worship tracks that you can use.
Amazing Grace (1779)
“Amazing Grace” was written by Englishman John Newton. The hymn was written in 1779. Some of the key lyrics to “Amazing Grace” are:
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
This hymn is possibly the most well-known of all hymns. It would be a wonderful addition to any worship experience because it is a personal declaration of the experience of personal salvation. It is also the Biblical explanation of salvation. This can be a personal declaration for the Believer while also informing the non-believer of the Christian salvation experience.
Suggested Video Worship Track: Amazing Grace (Playback Media)
How Great Thou Art (1885)
“How Great Thou Art” was written in 1885 by Carl Gustav Boberg, who lived in Sweden. Some of the lyrics of this wonderful hymn are:
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
This hymn is again personalized in the first person. That means it helps congregants personalize the greatness of God throughout the universe and in their lives. This hymn also helps theologically to decree that God alone is the creator. The world didn’t create itself, and the universe didn’t create it with a bang. The Lord is the creator. This is also a great reminder for those going through trials.
Suggested Video Worship Track: How Great Thou Art (Playback Media)
Holy, Holy, Holy (1826)
Written in 1826 by the Englishman Reginald Heber, this popular hymn opens with:
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
The lyrics of this hymn are chalked full of the theology of the Godhead, the Trinity. The exclamation “Holy, holy, holy” is found twice in Scripture, with angels declaring this about God in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8-11. These verses declare God’s holiness and majesty and reiterate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This hymn helps the singer declare powerful and absolute Scriptural truths about the nature of God.
Suggested Video Worship Track: Holy, Holy, Holy (Playback Media)
It Is Well With My Soul (1873)
“It is Well With My Soul,” also known as “When Peace, Like A River,” was written by Horacio Spafford in 1873 as he traveled the Atlantic Ocean to the States. Spafford was a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around that same time, he lost his beloved four-year-old son from scarlet fever.
Some of the moving verses of this hymn are:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
The lyrics of this hymn are pastoral. It teaches the believer that they can have the peace of God no matter what they face and that they can lean on Christ in times of loss. “It is Well With My Soul” speaks to the one struggling greatly in trial and looking for comfort.
Suggested Video Worship Track: It Is Well (Playback Media)
Great Is They Faithfulness (1923)
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” was written by Thomas Chisholm, who lived in the United States of America in 1923. Some of the lyrics of this beautiful hymn are:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
This hymn instills one of the most important characteristics of God’s nature: His faithfulness. The lyrics convey God’s unchanging faithfulness, from past trials to current problems.
Suggested Video Worship Track: Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Playback Media)
Hymns Teach Theology Personally and Corporately
Using these five popular hymns, the local church can help its congregation build a solid theology of salvation, response to trials, and God’s character. Modern worship music has produced some wonderful songs, but adding hymns that are over 200 years old helps add character to the worship experience and echoes Biblical theology.
Some people in a congregation may never study a systematic theology book. Still, these hymns can imprint important truths about God in their hearts and how God meets Believers in trial and suffering. Every church should consider cycling these five popular hymns through their song choices on Sunday mornings.
