Introduction
Why a hymn blog? Because I believe hymns are a vitally important part of public worship, and therefore having a wider and deeper knowledge of hymnody increases one’s ability to both participate in and be inspired by worship. Hymns can contribute to many aspects of Christian worship: praise; prayer - including blessing, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving; teaching, proclamation, and benediction. Importantly, hymns provide a congregational voice in worship. Hymns are meant to be sung by the whole worshipping community, raising its collective voice to God. Although we have an excellent choir, we must remember that in our hymns, the choir’s role is to provide leadership in community singing, and not performance. As John Wesley says in his directions for singing, found in Voices United at page 720:
Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.
What will my hymn blog contain? I hope to include information that will increase our understanding and appreciation of the texts and tunes of the hymns we will be singing each week. This information may include biographical information on authors and composers, the dates written and the circumstances that inspired the hymns, and some commentary on the theology expressed in the texts. As a hymn text writer, my primary interest is in texts, but there may also be comments on the music. In his book Music and Theology: Horizons in Theology, hymnologist and theologian Don Saliers affirms
Hymns are theological miniatures. If you ask ordinary worshippers what has shaped their theological convictions about God, Jesus, Church and the Christian life, they will most likely refer to hymns. Hymns are, especially in the Protestant traditions, the bearers of the images that are both theological content and experiential patterns of faith and affection.
Where does my blog information come from? Mainly from hymnal companions. Hymnal companions are books which are produced after a hymn book is published, giving detailed information about each hymn. Not all hymn books have companions produced. Although a companion was originally planned for Voices United, for various reasons it was never produced. There is, however, a CD ROM version of Voices United which has some summary information about most hymns. More Voices has a web site providing mostly self-contributed biographical information about authors and composers. I have a good selection of hymnal companions for the hymn books of major denominations for reference. There is also a wonderful web site, https://hymnary.org/ based at Calvin College in Michigan, that is an invaluable source of information.
So I invite you to visit my hymn blog weekly, or on a more occasional basis. I’d be grateful to have your feedback on its usefulness and interest to you.
Paul Stott
January 31, 2018