A Summer To Remember

If there is one thing that has been constant in Christian worship, it has been change. Hymnwriters and songwriters throughout history have continued to forge fresh new territory in writing songs of praise to God and while we may be tempted to think that change in worship music is simply a phenomenon of last 20 years, the truth is that worship music has always been changing.

A few months ago at a retreat with the men from our Leadership Council, we sang a number of worship songs that we just simply don't use anymore in our services and it was a very refreshing time of worship. That experience birthed an idea what perhaps we could take a stroll down memory lane if you will and explore various eras in church music history.

This week we begin that journey in what we are calling A Summer To Remember. Deciding where to begin and then what to include has been a very difficult task because there is such a wealth of music available to us but I chose to begin with the time frame of the mid to late 1700's. One of the questions that I asked and began to research was what was the church singing in 1770.

This research led me to hymnwriters like Isaac Watts, John and Charles Wesley, Augustus Toplady, John Newton, Edward Perronet and many others. Thousands of hymns were written in this century and music was literally exploding in the church. Often birthed by the Great Awakening and revival movements, these new hymns were sometimes controversial as many in the church were not ready to sing new songs or new types of songs.

Isaac Watts lived from 1674 until 1748. Many of 500 published hymns are still sung today. He wrote new songs based on the experiences, thoughts, feelings and aspirations common to all Christians. The emphasis of Watts' hymns was related to the sermon of the day and not the season of the church calendar. Often they were written during the week in the quiet of his study as part of the sermon for the coming Lord's Day.

This Sunday we are using two of Watts' hymns in our service, they are I Sing The Mighty Power and When I Survey The Wondrous Cross.

John and Charles Wesley lived in the 1700's. These brothers wrote about the Gospel being free to all but they also wrote about the Christian experience on a personal level. While Charles wrote over 6,500 hymn texts, John wrote only 27 as he was more concerned about writing singable tunes.

Congregational singing was still relatively new in the time of John Wesley so he devised a set of rules or instructions for congregational singing that was first published in 1761. I think you will find them interesting.

1. Learn these tunes before you learn any others, afterwards learn as many as you please.

2. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

3. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

4. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard than when you sung the songs of Satan.

5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

6. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep up with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

7. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

I think it is fascinating to see what concerned the musicians 250 years ago. This Sunday we will sing And Can It Be? from Charles Wesley.

Other songs that we will sing are Amazing Grace by John Newton, Rock of Ages by Augustus Toplady and All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name by Edward Perronet.

I am praying that these timeless hymns will move hearts to love God more and to love one another as we passionately pursue Christ and lovingly pursue others for Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Trent