The singing of hymns has been a valued part of our worship services since early-recorded history. In Exodus we learn that Moses and the children of Israel "sang ? unto the Lord" in gratitude for their deliverance from Egypt." And in Psalms we are directed to "make a joyful noise" to the Lord, to praise him with harp, timbrel, stringed instruments, organs, and cymbals. Christ and his disciples sang a hymn just before the events at Gethsemane and Paul and Silas sang in their prison cell.
Today, this rich tradition of singing hymns continues in congregations around the world. Many of the most treasured moments of our lives are accompanied by hymns. Singing, particularly hymn singing brings comfort, peace and assurance to our lives in a way little else can.
Often the words and music of a hymn will stay in our memories long after the words of a sermon have faded away. In fact, it has been said that, "Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns." Hymns can be part of our worship services in several ways. The congregation grows closer to the Lord and to one another when singing together.
When a parish or ward choir performs appropriate music, the hearts of both the choir and congregation are touched as the Spirit of the Lord is invited into the meeting. So, the question for most of us is how can we bring the music of hymns into our lives on a more consistent basis? One thing we can all do is invest in a hymnbook for our homes. Then we can sing hymns with our families and help our children become more familiar with the messages taught through melody and verse.
Many hymns are excellent resources that can encourage working, praying and loving others in our everyday lives. Singing hymns at home also teaches our children to value many different styles of music, not just the popular songs of the day. Memorizing one or two of our favorite hymns can help us review our relationship with the Lord and prepare our minds for spiritual communion before our daily prayers. A hymn committed to memory is with us to help us wherever we are and in any circumstance.
It is a way to touch heaven in our darkest hours. Getting to church a few minutes earlier and listening to the organ music can help us to contemplate our relationships with God and others. It can also help us put aside our day to day struggles and help us focus on the important aspects of our lives.
Since singing hymns is about worshiping, not performing, we can throw aside our feelings of inadequacy and boldly sing out during the congregational hymns in our meetings. We can find out when local parish or ward choirs rehearse or perform and support their efforts by participating as a singer, or as an avid listener. Hymns wear well. They have been around for thousands of years and will continue to be sung many years into the future. Long after other music has become obsolete, our hymns will continue to inspire and comfort generations to come.
Find free ward choir music at http://www.freewardchoirmusic.com or http://www.arreglosgratisdehimnos.com