“But be filled with the Spirit, as you sing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts. Ephesians 5:19

The Power of Hymns

The hymns are an important part of our worship services. The hymnal carries us through the seasons of the church year, and through the major events of our lives. There are hymns that express praise and thanksgiving, hymns that are prayers and supplications. There are hymns to comfort us in times of sorrow, others to increase our faith and teach us about God’s kingdom, and our mission, our responsibility and vocation in the Christian life. Still others inspire patriotism. And some hymns are even like small sermons set to music. We all have our favorites that touch us in various ways. And what can be more inspiring than a good, old-fashioned hymn-sing. But sometimes we get so caught up in the music that we don’t pay attention to the words. Perhaps those who attend a quiet service could arrive a few minutes early and read the words to the hymns for the day, while others who attend a later service pay attention to the words they are singing. There is a wealth of poetry and inspiration in the words to our hymns. So let’s not leave them locked up inside the pages of our hymnals.

gracedeacon@gwi.net