Future of the Hymnal
The hymnal is something that you find in nearly every church. As one enters into the worship area of the sanctuary, a person finds the hymnal that contains liturgy, hymns (songs) and even important teachings of what the congregation believes in their understanding of the church, God and the individuals. Within these books, people are able to learn the songs that shape their faith, begin to wrestle with important questions of God and their relationship, but also having a connection between the church and their home.
For hundreds of years, people would memorize the parts of the service that were repeated over and over again, it was these parts that shaped their faith and understanding of God. For they were on their minds and they were able to reference them as they worked, talked with others, and reflected upon their life. For hundreds of years this was the foundation of faith formation. Then came the arrival of the printing press and also the Reformation. One of the goals that Martin Luther and the reformers were striving for was to have the common Christian able to read and interpret Scripture. With Scholars, such as Luther, translating the Bible into the native language of the people and the printing press allowing the Bible to be printed faster and cheaper than before. People were able to read Scripture and have their own faith formed because they were able to read Jesus' words for themselves.
Luther was one who also wanted the faith taken into the home and created pamphlets and other resources for people to study within their home to have a greater understanding of the church that Christ was establishing in the world. Music was an important means for people to have a message stay within their mind, on their heart, and can be focused upon each time the song is sung. Hymnals became a means in which the songs that were song within the church, the lessons that the church valued as foundational, and even the liturgy were included so that people could follow along during worship (and know what was giong on now) but also could hold services within their home. This was a huge step for Christians to be able to experience the Word of God every single day.
As time went on, people would begin to sing those hymns by singing them for fun as a family. (Remember this was before radios and iTunes) The hymns were often written to familiar tunes that were also sung within bars and so familiar to the people as well.
Hymnals were a means of helping people stay within their faith traditions and also within their ethnic groups, for the hymnals were still produced within the native language of the people. Even as people traveled to the United States, the hymnals still remained in the language of their homelands. Hymnals were kept in homes and brought to church on a weekly basis. It was not until the early 1900s, did the language really change to English in churches within the United States. Some churches changed the languages earlier but this was the shift that happened largely in part of World War I. Through this change some groups decided to merge based on similar understanding, however hymnals were still used within the congregations.
As time went on hymnals remained in the pews within the church. No longer were they resources at home. For many in congregations today, the hymnal is only a tool to follow along with the liturgy or singing some of the hymns during the worship service. For this reason, some congregation do not purchase the hymnals as books but instead will print the songs within the weekly bulletin or will post the hymns on projectors. This allows various hymns to be used that does not limit the people to only a small collection of songs or liturgies for the worship service. This allows new songs to be incorporated but it also opens up a wide list of songs that could be used but does not allow the people to really allow the music and the message of the words to really help them form their understanding of God and their faith within their daily life.
So what could the future look like? I think that the web does hold the future. It would be great if there were resources that allowed Pastors, worship leaders, and musicians to have a library in which songs could be utilized that could incorporate new songs but still have similar messages that would allow the people to be shaped through the words but also have something new within the congregations. Yet the greatest resource that could be available is that for the people in the pew. A resource that would allow families to gather together for discussion and teaching on the important aspects of the church and their faith as members of that church. A greater presence of faith in the home but also resources that would help the people form that faith over the years, through celebrations and even marking of important events. This pooling of resources would help large and small congregations within the denomination.
For hundreds of years, people would memorize the parts of the service that were repeated over and over again, it was these parts that shaped their faith and understanding of God. For they were on their minds and they were able to reference them as they worked, talked with others, and reflected upon their life. For hundreds of years this was the foundation of faith formation. Then came the arrival of the printing press and also the Reformation. One of the goals that Martin Luther and the reformers were striving for was to have the common Christian able to read and interpret Scripture. With Scholars, such as Luther, translating the Bible into the native language of the people and the printing press allowing the Bible to be printed faster and cheaper than before. People were able to read Scripture and have their own faith formed because they were able to read Jesus' words for themselves.
Luther was one who also wanted the faith taken into the home and created pamphlets and other resources for people to study within their home to have a greater understanding of the church that Christ was establishing in the world. Music was an important means for people to have a message stay within their mind, on their heart, and can be focused upon each time the song is sung. Hymnals became a means in which the songs that were song within the church, the lessons that the church valued as foundational, and even the liturgy were included so that people could follow along during worship (and know what was giong on now) but also could hold services within their home. This was a huge step for Christians to be able to experience the Word of God every single day.
As time went on, people would begin to sing those hymns by singing them for fun as a family. (Remember this was before radios and iTunes) The hymns were often written to familiar tunes that were also sung within bars and so familiar to the people as well.
Hymnals were a means of helping people stay within their faith traditions and also within their ethnic groups, for the hymnals were still produced within the native language of the people. Even as people traveled to the United States, the hymnals still remained in the language of their homelands. Hymnals were kept in homes and brought to church on a weekly basis. It was not until the early 1900s, did the language really change to English in churches within the United States. Some churches changed the languages earlier but this was the shift that happened largely in part of World War I. Through this change some groups decided to merge based on similar understanding, however hymnals were still used within the congregations.
As time went on hymnals remained in the pews within the church. No longer were they resources at home. For many in congregations today, the hymnal is only a tool to follow along with the liturgy or singing some of the hymns during the worship service. For this reason, some congregation do not purchase the hymnals as books but instead will print the songs within the weekly bulletin or will post the hymns on projectors. This allows various hymns to be used that does not limit the people to only a small collection of songs or liturgies for the worship service. This allows new songs to be incorporated but it also opens up a wide list of songs that could be used but does not allow the people to really allow the music and the message of the words to really help them form their understanding of God and their faith within their daily life.
So what could the future look like? I think that the web does hold the future. It would be great if there were resources that allowed Pastors, worship leaders, and musicians to have a library in which songs could be utilized that could incorporate new songs but still have similar messages that would allow the people to be shaped through the words but also have something new within the congregations. Yet the greatest resource that could be available is that for the people in the pew. A resource that would allow families to gather together for discussion and teaching on the important aspects of the church and their faith as members of that church. A greater presence of faith in the home but also resources that would help the people form that faith over the years, through celebrations and even marking of important events. This pooling of resources would help large and small congregations within the denomination.
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