Favorite Hymns?

[mnorian]

With All I Am (By Hillsong)

 

[mnorian]

OK - how does that definition differentiate between hymns, psalms, spiritual songs, praise choruses, gospel music, etc?

I would submit the world's definition is irrelevant to the redeemed community.

Sorry I didn't get back to you before; but I looked up "Christian Dictionary" and all the one's I could find only had words from the Bible in it; so they didn't have "hymn" in it; so hymn must be like most of the words we use to talk about the Bible, songs, etc. of the world and we use the meaning the world puts to those words so we can talk to each other.

If you mean a song can only be called a hymn if it is in some old book from a Church; some day these songs will be in a book and be called hymns; wait a minute I know a lot of people who call them hymns now; and they are put into choirs books and used in churches; close enough for me; as long as they praise the Lord Jesus.

 

[Dave-W]

If you mean a song can only be called a hymn if it is in some old book from a Church;

No - it has to fit certain structural and stylistic criteria.

 

[mnorian]

No - it has to fit certain structural and stylistic criteria.

For you.

Can you direct me to a dictionary or Christian encyclopedia that lays out these criteria?

Another thing about the word "hymn" the etymology of words changes over time; when I was going to Baptist, Assembly of God churches; 30 years ago; we had hymnals; but very seldom used them; mostly we used the chorus book or an overhead projector; to show the songs we sang.

So there are churches now that don't even have hymnals (most of the ones I have been in the last 10 years) so if you asked most younger Christian people today what a hymn was; they would say it's the songs we sing in church; and as CF is a vast variety of churches; to put up a hymn thread and exclude those people that have never seen a hymn; you leave those people out.

 

[Dave-W]

to put up a hymn thread and exclude those people that have never seen a hymn; you exclude those people out.

And to go with what you suggest leaves out Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, Isaac Watts. If you want to include 20th century GOSPEL hymns, then you have to also exclude Albert Brumley. (I met him in 1970)

 

[mnorian]

No - it has to fit certain structural and stylistic criteria.

I still don't know what they are.

 

[mnorian]

And to go with what you suggest leaves out Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, Isaac Watts. If you want to include 20th century GOSPEL hymns, then you have to also exclude Albert Brumley. (I met him in 1970)

Yes; this is a problem; there are old hymns I miss in the churches; but there are also praise and worship songs that we sang in the 70s and 80s that you never hear anywhere; here, youtube; churches; no where. That's the trouble about things aging; things of the past are left in the dust; it's the way of time; which stands still for no man.

 

[Dave-W]

I still don't know what they are.

I have not seen any dictionary that subdivides out the definitions of Hymn, psalm, spiritual song, etc. All secular dictionaries and musical dictionaries I have seen lump them all in together.

So I have to go with this:

European classical style
verse/chorus format
In either major key (diatonic, modal) or minor key (natural, melodic, harmonic)
Scored out for 4 part vocal harmony SATB

 

[Dave-W]

That's the trouble about things aging; things of the past are left in the dust; it's the way of time; which stands still for no man.

That is a mindset, and an incorrect one at that, IMO.

The true songs of God are timeless. We should be able to worship just as well on a song written yesterday as one written back in the 1600s (like Isaac Watts)

 

[mnorian]

This is My Desire - Hillsong

 

[mnorian]

And to go with what you suggest leaves out Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, Isaac Watts. If you want to include 20th century GOSPEL hymns, then you have to also exclude Albert Brumley. (I met him in 1970)

Have you seen Deadworm's thread on Worship Ministry about; Hymns vs Praise choruses? He has some good thoughts:

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/worship-wars-traditional-hymns-vs-praise-choruses.7948992/

 

[mnorian]

Christ Is Enough - Hillsong Live (2013 Album) Best Worship Song with Lyrics

 

[mnorian]

You are My All in All
Jesus Lamb of God--Worthy is your name

 

[Dave-W]

Since this seems to be more about contemporary worship than hymns:

 

[brinny]

 

[brinny]

 

[NIrelandGillian]

We Thank Thee - Jim Reeves

This record takes me back to the days of my youth - it was very popular in our house. I can't remember if that particular record had God be with you till we meet again on it, but my mother couldn't bear to listen to that - it made her very weepy.

Gillian

 

[mnorian]

This record takes me back to the days of my youth - it was very popular in our house. I can't remember if that particular record had God be with you till we meet again on it, but my mother couldn't bear to listen to that - it made her very weepy.

Gillian

Do you mean this one? "May the Good Lord bless and keep you till we meet again." I can remember this song when I was a kid too:

 

[NIrelandGillian]

No, this one:

Gillian

 

[faroukfarouk]

This record takes me back to the days of my youth - it was very popular in our house. I can't remember if that particular record had God be with you till we meet again on it, but my mother couldn't bear to listen to that - it made her very weepy.

Gillian

Oh I remember listening to Jim Reeves! he did an LP with hymns.