My word at the bottom is “evidence”.... Interesting… It’s story time:

One of the things I do as a woman minister is teach Bible study classes at our physical church building. We’ve just concluded another semester. One of the classes I taught was on Tuesday mornings. It was a parenting class, so therefore, there were more younger women than older.

The women’s council decided to try to have a “gathering time” before the classes each Tuesday. I must confess, I was excited. It was going to include a time of worship. My excitement ended rather quickly. Not my love for these individuals mind you....

I grew up in SBC churches. (Read: Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday evenings, and any other time the door was open since I was born.) I grew up on hymns. Yet, I was disheartened when even I didn’t know the words to songs the older women had chosen to sing at our “gathering time’s worship"… If I didn’t know the songs, I knew that most of the women who were there to attend my class afterwards, wouldn’t know them at all either. Sure enough, they stopped coming and honestly, so did I. The gathering time came to an end. A real opportunity was greatly missed.

This is one of those times when I do feel caught in the middle. There is no doubt that there are some great old hymns. And yet, there is also no doubt that some of the “praise” songs are just as great and oh my… some are even direct quotes of scripture. This is one area where I’m constantly being stretched myself. I am now a contemporary worshipper with a mix of old time religion looking to connect and reach those whose paths I come across who do not have a relationship with God/Jesus or are seeking to grow in theirs.

For me, worship can take place with or without music any where… I know many though that do not think they can worship at all without their style of music being a part of a service inside the walls of their church. This is honestly one of the things that keeps me on my knees the most.

In my opinion the day of the Hymnal is over. I’m surprised they are coming out with a new one at all.

I don’t understand why people who like the old hymnal have such a problem with the proposed new hymnal.  If you prefer the old hymnal, by all means continue to use it.  But don’t begrudge the SBC churches that have a more progressive worship style a hymnal they can also use.

I wonder if you SBC would publish how many of the hymnals are bought, and the demographics of those buyiing them. I would bet there is a story to be told with those facts but I doubt will see them.

I am proud to be Southern Baptist, I have been my entire life.  I am also a Worship Leader.  Every time I hear or read one of these stories about the so-called “worship wars” it troubles me.  When are we as the Church going to realize that Worship is not about hymnals, screens, instruments, sound systems, or even music.  Worship is about God!!  Worship is not an event either.  Certainly we should worship together, but until we as leaders in the Church start teaching Worship as a lifestyle there will always be battles about what we like or want.  Let’s make Worship about what God wants.

Yup, and I hate the term “Worship Leader” and tend to use “Lead Worshippers”

And I’m not against hymnals by the way.  If it works for you and your ministry go for it.  But it’s just not where our community is at.

And I really don’t buy the “We need hymnals to teach our congregation to read music.” That is not the purpose of a worship service.

I want them to be focused on God, not on how to learn to read notes and time signatures!

Boy, I’m just full of opinions today. LOL