O for a hymn that I can sing,
That I have sung before!
A tune within a narrow range
And words I can ignore!

If it were written past 1910,
Or in a minor key.
‘Tis not the will of Mighty God
That it be sung by me!

Some folks feel that way. They have a strong preference for a certain style of songs to be used in worship. Someone shared these letters written to pastors with me a while back.

Letter #1:

“I am no music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday’s new hymn – if you can call it that – sounded like a sentimental love ballad one would expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to rubbish like this – in God’s house! – don’t be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all we need.”

Letter #2:

“Was it the organist’s idea or yours that our peaceful worship service was shattered by that new hymn last Sunday? The music was sacrilegious; something one would expect to hear in a den of iniquity, not a church! Don’t expect me even to attempt to sing it next time!”

Letter #3

“What is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday’s was particularly unnerving. The tune was un-singable and the new harmonies were quite distorting.”

The first letter was written in 1865 about the hymn “Just As I Am.” The second letter was written in 1874 about “I Love to Tell the Story.” Letter #3 was written to a pastor in 1890 about the hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.”

The more things change, the more they remain the same. I see posts on social media saying we don’t need anything other than the hymnbook. What do you think about the changing musical styles in church? We can all have our musical preferences. Nothing wrong with that. But dismissing the worship of others for not reason but “you don’t like it” does not seem very Christ-like to me.

Isaac Watts, considered the Father of English Hymnody, created a storm of controversy in the early years of the 18th Century when he started writing “human centered” songs like… “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”!

I have shared many times that I appreciate a wide variety of music genres. I especially appreciate people today who are sharing Scriptural truths through their musical compositions.

Six times in the Psalms it speaks of singing NEW SONGS to the Lord (33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1). Similar verses are also in Isaiah and Revelation. I pray that the church will continue to do just that until our Lord returns.

I treasure and value the rich musical tradition of Christianity. I am also grateful for those who are using their gifts and talents to produce new songs of faith and hope for believers today. As long as the songs are sharing the truth of God’s Word, pointing people to Jesus as the only source and hope of forgiveness and life everlasting, speaking of His death to pay for sin and His victory over death for everyone, what exactly is the problem?