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Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalms 96:1, NIV
I am really looking forward to our next "Fifth Sunday" worship service which is a Hymn Festival. We have asked our church family to suggest hymns we might sing in worship this Sunday. I have been working with our music staff to build the whole service around hymns. Almost every part of our worship service will be based on a familiar hymn - so plan to sing a lot!
We will also share the stories of a few select hymns which give background to the life circumstances surrounding their creation. The stories are moving and inspirational.
In preparing for this service, I came across this explanation as to why hymns are so important to worship:
The purpose of hymns is to enable as many Christians as possible to identify with their faith experiences, to enjoy the spiritual insights, to experience the sustaining reality of God's love which belonged to the hymn writers and which are expressed in the words and music of their great hymns (James Sydnor)
There is great value in hymn singing. When we sing hymns, Christians can . . .
- Express their feelings and their ideas
- Tell others what they believe
- Experience closer fellowship
- Be instructed in the fundamentals of their faith
- Be sustained in daily life
Hymns are more than just singing a good tune - they nurture us as we worship God. Please plan to be there this Sunday and invite someone to join you!
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