Join in and sing these classic Lutheran hymns!

Last month I  enlisted the help of the worship team to put together this hymn sing to take the place of our monthly Primetimers program! It’s too fun to not share beyond that audience!

This is a collection of what many would call “The Good Old Songs!” Others would say this is “The Real Hymnal!” Others would say “I don’t think I know these songs.”

As we continue to worship across campus, service, and generation we are all finding ourselves exposed to different songs, different arrangements, and different sounds. And isn’t that great? The Spirit has been active in every generation, inspiring lyricists and musicians. The good hymns are not a thing of the past – nor have they only just begun!

Music is a powerful part of worship – it is a vessel through which we cry out. We cry out our joy, our fear, our grief, our praise – and we all seek to do so authentically. Different rhythms, words, and arrangements allow us all to cry out in our most authentic voice. Similarly some songs become our “home” either for a season of our faith or a lifetime.

This season has been a rich opportunity for us to learn the “home songs” of others and in learning each other’s “home songs” to grow in our understanding of God’s presence among us as a people. There are some beautiful lyrics in these older hymns – telling the story in a vernacular of that time. Many current artists are telling the same story – sometimes even borrowing these words.

Either way, whether this is a collection of your “home songs” or a new hymnal for you, I hope you enjoy! And I hope that, as we continue in this season, we sing our “home songs” loudly but also stretch our repertoire – by doing so we may also find the Spirit growing and stretching our faith. Now open your widows and if you know em, sing along!

Hymns Old and New

God’s people have sung hymns in honor of the Almighty since the time of Moses and before (Exodus 15:1). David sang the “new song” God gave him and taught others to sing “a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:3). Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn together at the Last Supper (Mark 14:26). 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).

 Hymns are central to our faith. Today’s Music Monday highlights two well-known hymns and one relatively new and unknown gem. The first, “Praise to the Lord the Almighty,” was originally written in German (“Lobe den Herren…”) by Joachim Neander in 1680 and was introduced to the English-speaking world by hymn translator, Catherine Winkworth, in the 19^th century. “Jesus Loves Me” is one of the most popular Christian hymns around the world, especially among children. It was first written by Anna Warner as a poem requested by her sister for a dying child meant to bring comfort and peace. The final less-familiar piece, “Golden Breaks the Dawn,” is based off a Chinese Folk Tune and was published in 1977. Organist and composer, Michael Bedford, sets this hymn in six variations using a compositional technique called “word painting” where the music reflects the literal meaning of the song’s lyrics. Listen for breeze blowing, birds chirping, streams flowing, and creatures frolicking.

“All Creation Praises God for the New Day”