When I went to church as a kid we always sang hymns. I know a lot of hymns for someone my age.
One summer, just after graduating from high school, I served as a domestic missionary to South Carolina. Part of my work included going to a senior living center to sing hymns and lead a brief Bible study. The seniors would gladly (and slowly) make their way down to the main room to sing those good ol' hymns.
Tonight, I attended a hymn-sing hosted by my church. We sang some of the same hymns I heard growing up and that had sung with the seniors in South Carolina. Though it is not in my generational blood to like hymns, I do. They are often rich in theology. The melodies are memorable. It amazed me how quickly the night went tonight singing those old songs. I really wasn't ready to stop.
I think it's too bad that my generation and those after us won't know these hymns as well as the folks at the senior living center do. It makes me wonder, what will we sing when we are living there?
What types of songs will you sing when you're in a senior living center?
Comments (17)
probably a song about how Hezekiah prayed for more longevity of life. JK
I don't know. I'm under the presumption that as I grow older, I will appreciate hymns more. Not that I don't already, though. My favorite hymn is probably It is Well, or I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous).
I never really think about what things are going to be like when I get older, but I can imagine I will be singing the worship songs I loved when I first became a Christian.
I hope, though, that I'm a cool old lady who still listens to rock music!
hopefully we'll be singing some Hillsong!! :)
I grew up with hymns and hymn-sings, too, and I love hymns. But there is so much good music in the world: folk music, Classical, choir anthems, rock music, jazz, blues, praise and worship--I am not a one size fits all. I must say that I have no time for hip hop--yuck.
Now I'm picturing myself playing Bingo while Skillet is playing quietly in the background.
Everytime I get really really upset I get a random instrument from my storage closet (flute, soprano sax, alto sax, oboe, piccalo, or keyboard) and I play through one of my hymnals untill I am exausted.
I think I will be singing and listening to both old hymns, which are extreamlly comforting to me. I will also be singing/listening to what is considered mo ern worship/christain music.
Fucking DEATH METAL.
Love songs to Jesus...
i love all type of christian music! i think it's pretty awesome
@mrose1211@xanga - I'm with you!
As I get older, I am starting to enjoy some of the hymns again.
I pray that the majority of modern "praise" music (considering the majority of it is bunk) is forgotten within a decade or two. I hope that when I'm "old" we'll be singing the great hymns (my favorite is "How Great the Father's Love for Us" or "Nothing But the Blood"), the great choruses that have come out in the past decades ("Before the Throne," and "In Christ Alone"), and some of the "praise and worship" songs that actually have some redeeming value (songs like "Savior King").
I really hope that, sometime in the next few decades, we will stop singing about how we're going to worship, going to bow down, going to life our hands, and actually start doing so. It's also my hope that some creativity will make it into the realm of church music and we'll discover that song isn't the only means of worship.
Maybe some Petra Praise.
We will probably be singing some Hillsong or something like that..lol. I'm kidding. It's really good to be balanced and to do both. My church mainly sticks with contemporary worship. I lead at my church and I tried singing a hymn once and completely butchered it. It was one of the most popular ones "How Great Thou Art". It was really embaressing..I had to stop in the middle and say "Ok, I need some help up here...I've never done this song before" (not the verses anyway). lol..it is now my goal to know to learn, and learn WELL some of these hymns. They are powerful and universal. The minister that requested the song was from South Africa. Cool blog.
Jesus Culture. Chris Tomlin. Matt Redman. Hillsong. Charlie Hall. Fee.
People aren't going to be singing hymns unless they're exposed to them. The only hymn sung at my church is usually "I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene", for some reason.
When we are old we are going to moan and complain that people don't sing the same songs we used to, and those old praise songs will be a test of orthodoxy.