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The Power of Hymns

One of the great joys of being apart of a community of believers is singing songs of worship together. Be it old hymns, new ballads, or short songs aimed at kids there is something powerful and joyful that happens when Christians come together to sing. It is one of the most commonly stated things that people miss during this time of quarantine and lock-down.

Those who know me quickly figure out that I can be rather picky about the songs I like to sing in worship. It isn't based upon whether the song is old or new, long or short; it depends upon whether or not the song is theologically sound. This is something that has only increased with my growing education and learning of Scripture.

When we think of the power hymns have we usually think about how they can uplift the sorrowful and encourage the weary. This is true and is one reason singing in worship is so wonderful. An often unrealized power that the songs we sing have is the way they can shape our theology and doctrine far more than we realize.

This is why I can be a bit of a snob about what songs we should sing, though snobbishness is not my intent. I was at Harding studying for my bachelors in Bible and in class one day the professor asked a question. Thinking I knew the answer, I gave with unwavering conviction a line from a hymn. This wasn't correct. In fact, I was stunned to find that the central point of this song was nowhere to be found in the Bible!

It is my firm conviction that we need to do a theological inventory on the songs and hymns we sing. Just because a song is old and beloved does not mean it accurately points us to God. Likewise, just because a song is new does not mean it is automatically fluff. Worship is about orienting and submitting ourselves to God. The songs we sing should accurately point us towards Jesus.

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