Marv Nelson is a special guest editorialist who challenges the contemporary church not to abandoned the hymns of the church. Pastor Nelson is a retired Evangelical Free Church pastor with over 50 years of pastoral experience. One of the best ways to describe Pastor Nelson is “faithful.”
The old hymns have lost their luster to many from this generation of church attendees. Much of the traditional church music has been replaced with worship choruses. I have always personally enjoyed worship choruses,especially the ones we sang in Sunday School and V.B.S. Worship and praise is great. However, is that all we should sing in our church services as some of our churches are doing today ?
The message in some of the choruses is somewhat shallow and repetitive. For some reason we sing songs today without much thought of the words. To truly be blessed by a song one needs to absorb the words. I have always considered the old hymns as the testimony of the saints, being deep and meaningful.
The old hymns were written in an era when modern conveniences were few, hard physical work was common and medicine was primitive by today’s standards. There was plenty of illness, tragedy and premature deaths. Yet, the words of the old hymns seem to speak of God with peace, comfort and assurance. The whole gospel story is told in many of them– What tells the story better than—- One Day ? It has it all !
One day-Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin–
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain–nailed Him to the tree–my redeemer is He.—
One day He arose, over death He had conquered, now is ascended, my Lord ever more—
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming–Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
–Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away,
rising He justified, freely forever, one day He is coming, Oh glorious day !!
Perhaps we have lost some of the depth today, and the old hymns are too deep for our present age to appreciate. ( God is the same yesterday, today and forever !)
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