Did you ever stop to think that there was a time when those Hymns in our Hymnbook were new, when entire congregations actually learned them for the first time?  I think that we tend to look at our hymnals almost as a closed canon (like scripture).

But there was a time when a invalid preacher named Isaac Watts would write a new hymn a week for his congregation to sing.  There was a real man named Sankey who wrote gospel songs (sometimes during the service) that people began singing in their own churches when they left the revival services.  Charles Wesley wrote and taught many new hymns while traveling the world with his preacher brother John.   And Martin Luther, while defending the authority of scripture and the doctrine of Salvation by Faith Alone was also writing doctrinal hymns that would boulster the believers faith.

May our time does not end without great new hymns being written that will benefit the church.  I’ve been excited to see some great new hymns being written that are doctrinally strong, well crafted poetry with beautiful tunes.   I’m looking forward to teaching the congregation some of them this year!

In the meantime, check out this website: http://www.churchworksmedia.com/  Right now the Teen Choir is learning “My Jesus Fair”

Pastor Pritt