Anyways, if you could provide some insight on why only ancient hymns should be sung in church or elsewhere, I'd appreciate it.
I rather think it's really a matter of "Personal preference" - "What I can HEAR?respond to", rather than any REALLY SIGNIFICANT SPIRITUAL issue.
I attend an Assembly of God Church (Crossroads AG in Duncanville, TX) The musical program is performed in a very professional fashion with a "Worship leader" who is excellent at what he does. Furthermore the majority of the congregation appears to "Get into" the whole "7-11 Worship process" and is very participatory. I half expect them to hold up lit cigarette lighters, and wave 'em around.
Quite frankly, it's all "Rock Concert" stuff to me. I listen to, and ENDURE the "Worship stuff" to get to the MESSAGE portion of the service that IS of VALUE to me. I Have have no interest whatsoever in trying to sing the 7-11 stuff that they do. Sometimes there are snippets of older songs, but performed in a MUCH DIFFERENT Style that the originals. RARELY they'll do a hymn, but general Re-Orchestrate it to that the Harmony I've sung for 50 years doesn't fit any more.
"It is Well with my Soul" will reduce me to tears - or "Amazing grace", or "In the Garden" along with any number of the Bible Choruses - "it is a good thing!", "Unto us a child is born", "Whoso offereth praise", etc. that we used to sing in the '70s during the Charismatic Outpouring.
But I have to admit, that even though I haven't "Moved on" to embrace the Modern 7-11 "Word game" stuff, and endless repetition, IT IS apparently what is meaningful to the younger crowd, who really seems to "Get into it". And folks are Saved in the services almost every week, so I can't complain.
The '70 saw A CHANGE in Hymnal music, which were admittedly largely "Escapist" in nature - "Won't it be wonderful - THERE" without any sense of the possibility of the Christian life being "Wonderful HERE".
But since life for ME is largely in the past tense, I like to hear about my future home - which I know little about, but which in FAITH - will be better.
So - bottom line, if YOU want to reach ME, and touch my soul - do something from Stuart Hamblin, or Fanny Crosby, or even John Wesley.
Personally, nowadays I DON'T get my "Worship songs" at Church any more, but instead at Bluegrass Jams, where the precious songs (to me) are played and sung with passion and gusto.