The Role of Hymns in Worship

When God created Man, he gave him Music as a language different from all other languages.

Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, writer and artist

Before the church emerged at Pentecost, Jesus and his followers sang to the Lord: “When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30) Barbara Brown Taylor points out that this song was most likely the Hallel- Psalm 113 through Psalm 118 - traditionally sung during Passover.  As the church grew beyond Jerusalem, Paul and others wrote words of encouragement to the new believers, offering guidelines for living a faithful life, which included singing.

            “..to be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.” (Eph 5:18-19)

Paul also admonished the church in Colossae:
            “…with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God.”
            (Col 3:16)

Both Jews and Gentiles sang with one voice when they came together as the new church. Song is a common language, uniting even the most diverse populations. Early Christians had limited access to written scripture; they learned it through oral repetition. Song enhanced this knowledge. John Bell, a minister in the Church of Scotland, asserts that even today, we sing not only to “…give a gift to God, but also to shape our discipleship.”

            Over the summer, we will explore how hymnody evolved from the early Church, through the ages, to its present form and usage. Much has changed, and hymns and church music continue to evolve even today as we await the delivery of our new Presbyterian hymnals, “Glory to God.”  Meanwhile, we invite you to contribute a post on your favorite hymns as we reflect on this important element of our worship.