Maybe this has been discussed on here before....I'm not sure. What are your thoughts on Hymns vs Praise Music in the service? I'm middle aged and grew up on hymns. My church has gone straight praise music...the hymnals haven't been opened in years. We have an excellent praise team and the music is outstanding....However, sometimes it feels like a concert and only about half sing along. Our church still has a lot of "senior saints" and some have pushed to get the praise team do ONE hymn on Sundays to no avail. Personally I agree with the olds....one hymn would be awesome! There's something about a hymn that is very scriptural, and can even take your mind to earlier times of childhood when you sat there with your deceased parents bellowing them out. Once in a blue moon when we've had one, it seems like suddenly the whole church is singing and praising! I think they still hold value. I certainly "get" the praise music and how it attracts the younger generation, and some of it is very worthwhile. I am concerned with how the church has kind of lost some of its identity. Plus, I am concerned with the church just catering to one generation and just leaving the "seniors" out of the mix so to speak, and unwilling to accept any compromise. So....what are your thoughts on praise music vs hymns and how does your church do it?

Praise music muddies the waters as to what is actually stirring your emotions. I prefer hymns/psalms with minimal musical instruments - only what's necessary to keep the congregation in tune.

For liturgical celebrations, the music should be appropriate to the rite. Drum sets and guitars are appropriate to performance art, and liturgical worship should never be performative It doesn't add to the liturgy. It distracts from it. Not to mention, the music is objectively terrible.

I understand there are rural diocese that are hamstrung by the unique abilities of its members and, those willing and able, stylistically their skill set might tend toward praise and worship style music. But there's no excuse in a large diocese.

I'm 42 and I would prefer 100% hymns.

Best option is to mix the two. Do praise music up to the last song, then do a smooth musical transition to an oldie such as "It Is Well With My Soul". That pleases everyone in my experience.

UTExan said:

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Best option is to mix the two. Do praise music up to the last song, then do a smooth musical transition to an oldie such as "It Is Well With My Soul". That pleases everyone in my experience.

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I agree!!

Old Army's been going to hell since 1877. Same with musical preference.

Over 40, grew up on hymns, but now it's praise music. I fondly remember hymns yet also appreciate the new stuff. I think there's good and bad versions of both. I don't think there's a wrong choice.

What we shouldn't do is compare the best of one vs the worst of another. I don't think the benefits of praise music is strictly attracting the younger audience. What many opponents consider a problem - the simplistic lyrics - I think are more of a benefit. Being that guys like Tomlin and the like just string Bible verses together anyway, it's hard to be too upset with that.

The concert vibe is wholly a presentation issue, which is a valid criticism of that style of music. Likewise, hymns monotone often half-*** singing is their "crime". Both leverage human sociology to get their desired results.

If we're going to add guitars and drums to the liturgy, then why not an accordion, or the bagpipes, or even a vuvuzela?

Bag pipes have been played in church's for many years. The Presbyterian service of the Kirkin of the Tartans service is one example. And it's a beautiful thing.

My church in Beaumont is very traditional. All hymns, formal choir, and organ.

Church in CS is praise music with a very talented band and vocalists.
It has grown on me. Lot of energy, hands in the air, spontaneous worship.

Bob Lee said:

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If we're going to add guitars and drums to the liturgy, then why not an accordion, or the bagpipes, or even a vuvuzela?

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The Israelites blew horns, played all kinds of instruments to praise God.

And David was all about it.

If your music doesn't have a shofar, you're doing it wrong.

MAROON said:

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Bag pipes have been played in church's for many years. The Presbyterian service of the Kirkin of the Tartans service is one example. And it's a beautiful thing.

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A long way from the OG Scottish Presbyterians where it was acapella Psalms only.

I grew up in a United Methodist church with a beautiful large old sanctuary and a congregation that skewed older. We sung exclusively from the Methodist hymnal. I now attend a non-denom Church (I acknowledge its Baptist for all intents and purposes) that meets in a modern looking building with stadium style seating. There are very few people above 65 in this church and about every 3rd Sunday we will sing 1 hymn but its mostly modern worship songs.

The "modern" church has better preaching and is significantly more Biblical, so the aesthetics of things like music and setting aren't always what matters or what indicates a Biblical church in my opinion. However, the one thing I do miss from my old church is the music, it just felt more....holy. And while I don't consider music a top priority in choosing churches, some people do. My grandmother left her church she belonged to for over 40 years because they switched to praise music.

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However, the one thing I do miss from my old church is the music, it just felt more....holy.

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Much like the music that is popular when you're in your formative years (hello 90s kids) , so too will whatever music you're exposed to in your spirtually formative years.

Last several churches we have been at have all been modern worship until recently. We sought out a more traditional worship experience driven by hymns only. Focus on the words. Words should focus on Christ and not ourselves. We tell ourselves that if the band stopped playing, would it be awkward? In our old churches it most definitely would be. Now, it's incredibly moving to just hear voices being lifted singing the ancient hymns.

Wife and I have both been convicted for some time now of music from Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation. Not for us anymore.

MAROON said:

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Bag pipes have been played in church's for many years. The Presbyterian service of the Kirkin of the Tartans service is one example. And it's a beautiful thing.

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So have guitars and drums

dermdoc said:

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Bob Lee said:

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If we're going to add guitars and drums to the liturgy, then why not an accordion, or the bagpipes, or even a vuvuzela?

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The Israelites blew horns, played all kinds of instruments to praise God.

And David was all about it.

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No naked dancing allowed like David did though!

Many of the praise songs are based on or directly from the psalms. This past Sunday, we did three songs, all based on Psalm 23. It's sound doctrine, worship is occurring, and God is pleased, even though I prefer hymns.

I like some old and new songs mixed together.

Of course it's hard to beat a hymn that has survived over a hundred years. It's likely a good song to stick around this long. But no doubt there were many songs in the past that are long forgotten because they were just okay.

There are plenty of modern praise songs that are good lyrically. You just gotta watch out for the ambiguous songs that don't really indicate who they are being sung to and repeat the same line 72 times.

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Focus on the words. Words should focus on Christ and not ourselves. We tell ourselves that if the band stopped playing, would it be awkward? In our old churches it most definitely would be. Now, it's incredibly moving to just hear voices being lifted singing the ancient hymns.

Wife and I have both been convicted for some time now of music from Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation. Not for us anymore.

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You are welcome to find the worship experience that keeps you on the path, but I don't know that this is entirely fair. Not many songs from Bethel, Hillsong or Elevation focus on ourselves rather than Christ. Most are about honoring Christ or what he's done for us. I only say most because I don't want to go through their catalogues to find something crazy. What I hear in churches is correct .

Of course it would awkward if the band stopped playing...Not everyone has an instrument they are playing. It sounds like you're lead by a vocalist or 2 and that's it? Remembering from my hymnal days, if you couldn't hear the vocalist give the timing/cadence/whatever in the first verse (and it wasnt a famous one), it was super awkward really quick. Very little people read music.

I won't fault anyone that doesn't want to hear Bethel/Elevation/Hillsong music because they seem to have a stranglehold on CCM, or they don't agree with their churches philosophies (and therefore it's important to not to partake in their image at all) or they just like the richness of hymns rather than simpler verses. But I am not sure the music is heretical or anything.

I know it's probably not your implication, but I think really is a personal preference thing (or where you at personally at in your jouney and what you need) rather than a better spiritual experience.

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You just gotta watch out for the ambiguous songs that don't really indicate who they are being sung to and repeat the same line 72 times.

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What's a good example of this, thats mainstream and not some particular worship leaders desire to "get back to simplicity".

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I like some old and new songs mixed together.

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I agree, but the number of new songs that replace the bridge with Angus Dei is too darn high. edit: maybe bad example...doesn't seem that old in the end.

Here is one example:



I actually do like that song but what some groups will do is simply repeat one part of the song over and over to generate a massive emotional response.

And you got me on the Agnes Dei thing, I love it every time.

but...its repetitive on purpose, not an song, no?

Several hours and this hasn't been posted yet?

Frok said:

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I actually do like that song but what some groups will do is simply repeat one part of the song over and over to generate a massive emotional response.

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Luckily no Baptist church has repeated Just As I Am until someone finally had the emotional response and came down for the alter call.

That's awesome.

I prefer traditional hymns for worship with or without piano/organ and praise music while driving.

Bighunter43 said:

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Maybe this has been discussed on here before....I'm not sure. What are your thoughts on Hymns vs Praise Music in the service? I'm middle aged and grew up on hymns. My church has gone straight praise music...the hymnals haven't been opened in years. We have an excellent praise team and the music is outstanding....However, sometimes it feels like a concert and only about half sing along. Our church still has a lot of "senior saints" and some have pushed to get the praise team do ONE hymn on Sundays to no avail. Personally I agree with the olds....one hymn would be awesome! There's something about a hymn that is very scriptural, and can even take your mind to earlier times of childhood when you sat there with your deceased parents bellowing them out. Once in a blue moon when we've had one, it seems like suddenly the whole church is singing and praising! I think they still hold value. I certainly "get" the praise music and how it attracts the younger generation, and some of it is very worthwhile. I am concerned with how the church has kind of lost some of its identity. Plus, I am concerned with the church just catering to one generation and just leaving the "seniors" out of the mix so to speak, and unwilling to accept any compromise. So....what are your thoughts on praise music vs hymns and how does your church do it?

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I tend to prefer traditional hymns and classical Christian music (Bach, Mozart, etc). However...I do like to hear 'Dropkick me Jesus' every now and then.

Why don't black churches play rap music in their services to attract the younger crowd?

Martin Q. Blank said:

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Why don't black churches play rap music in their services to attract the younger crowd?

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My guess is that contemporary music within white churches was an attempt to bring personal experience and intense emotions into the worship (compared to "formal" traditional hymns or liturgy).

This isn't an issue in black churches so they haven't had to make a change in that direction.

Martin Q. Blank said:

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Why don't black churches play rap music in their services to attract the younger crowd?

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Because most rap songs include admission of crimes committed. They don't want the guilt.

Martin Q. Blank said:

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Why don't black churches play rap music in their services to attract the younger crowd?

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Christian hip hop is a thing

Also this:

Latin > hymns > contemporary bullcrap

Signed, a proud Catholic

Hymns were contemporary at one point.