Posted on 05/05/2011 10:51:53 AM PDT by sussex
A minority of the musical elite are always sniffy about popular hymns forgetting they are popular because the tunes and the words have such a widespread appeal to ordinary folk – they communicate an electricity that runs deep into the very essence of our souls.
As The Reverend Rowland Hill, pastor of the Surrey Chapel in London said in the early 19th century “The Devil Should Not Have All The Best Tunes”
So here is a purely personal choice of hymns that always make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end
(Excerpt) Read more at theagedp.com ...
Ah, yes.
1) How Great Thou Art
2) Beautiful Savior
3) Let All Things Now Living
Many, many, many others. Too bad many of them aren’t sung anymore because they’re ‘old’.
I used to attend a church that had no hymns. They have a worship band playing contemporary christian music. It was a wonderfully fun place to be and packed to the rafters every Sunday. I was very happy with it.
When I got married last year, I decided that since my wife and step-daughter’s family going back three generations had been Nazarene that I would begin attending services with them. They only sing hyms out of a book and the only instrument is a badly out of tune piano played by a nice old lady that is unfortunatel struck with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I hadn’t fallen asleep in church before, well not since I was about 4 years old.
This church is not exactly “packing them in.” I do not however blame the hymns, I blame the style in which they are played. I’ve heard hymns played to accoustic guitars with a little drum and keyboard added in, it’s great.
But since this thread seems to be “what is your favorite hymn?” I will submit the following; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w3y3iT3NlU
Greatest. Song. Ever.
1. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
2. All Creatures of our God and King
3. Savior, Like a Shepherd
The “new” worship leader crowd has begun to discover some of the classics:
Chris Tomlin - “Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone”
Bart Millard - “Brethren, We Have Met To Worship”
Quite a few more.
Colonel, USAFR
Haha, I'm Nazarene.
Justice was served by the hangings, but the justice was tempered with the mercy of singing hymns to the condemned before they met their maker. It is no coincidence that some of those towns still have some of the best church attendance and lowest crime rates in the country more than a century after this quaint old custom was abolished.
I'd like to see the custom brought back to reduce the surplus of gallows birds in our prisons and p*ss off the ACLU.
I always enjoy hymns even though I prefer the more contemporary worship music. I actually play in our Church’s band. One of my favorites is “I Need Thee Every Hour”.
Contemporary singer Chris Rice does a great job singing the hymns in one of his CD’s. Very laid back and very raw recordings. Check it out.
Overall I agree with Nazarene doctrine but the church we attend is run by the elderly, for the elderly and it is sad just watching the thing die a slow, painful death.
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Precious Memories
How Great Thou Are
Fairest Lord Jesus
Church in Wildwood
Onward Christian Soldiers
For the Beauty of the Earth
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
For Christmas-
Lo, How a Rose
Yeah, I understand. There is a local Methodist church that is doing the same thing. They won’t change anything. They have had 3 different pastors in the past 5 years b/c those pastors tried to outreach and update things. I give the church about 10 more years unless it changes it’s focus.
Plus, all it’s members are older so when they go, who is going to run the church? Their youth pastor (who is excellent) just resigned b/c there is no youth in the youthgroup.
‘Tis Well With My Soul
A Mighty Fortress
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Thought you may find this thread interesting and a welcome change of pace.
Il Divo - probably one of the best renditions of “Amazing Grace” I’ve ever heard. Of course the obligatory Highland Pipers make it complete!
I collect music of the 19th Century as part of my Civil War Reenacting hobby. Most of it seems to be Gospel, Jubilee, and Hymns - many of which seem to have been completely forgotten for a century or more, and some of which are really pretty.
Back in the early 1800s the Protestant Church used “Chants” and “Sentences” as well as Hymns and Psalms. I have found some parts of the lyrics of some of these used on the old headstones in our New England cemeteries, suggesting that they were pretty popular back then.
“Calm on the bosom of thy Lord, sweet spirit; rest thee now...”
I can’t seem to find a Church around here that still sings the old Hymns. They just read lyrics of some pop P&W tunes off of an overhead projector screen, and do the same ones over and over.
I don’t go to Church much any more, and when I break out the old guitar to play them at home I sing solo.
No one else seems to want to bother with them nowadays.
A few of my own favorites...
All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven
Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Eternal Father, Strong To Save.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.