Hymn History
Hymns have been around for a long time. Some hymns can even be traced back so far as to the New Testament. J. M. Efird mentions, “The early Christian church incorporated hymns in its liturgies (e.g., Acts 16:25; 1 Cor. 14:26; Col. 3:16). Some of the best-known poetic compositions in the Gospels are found in Luke: the Benedictus (1:68–79), the Magnificat (1:46–55), the Gloria (2:10–14), and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29–32).”(Efird) These are some of the oldest hymns recorded, and they have been preserved so well due to the fact that they are in the Bible. Following the New Testament we see some key figures who influenced music in the church. These people include Ambrose of Milan, Francis of Assisi, Pope Gregory, Martin Luther, John Calvin, J.
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In an article written in 2010, Margaret Cording Petty said, “Where are the hymn writers in the 21st century? There are very few good ones.”(Petty) One of the only prominent hymn writers today is Keith Getty (and his wife Kristyn). He said in an interview with CBS, "My joke with all my preacher friends is that if they finish a good sermon, the people go out singing the last hymn. And if they do a really bad sermon, people go out singing the last hymn. So it really doesn't matter what they say!" (Smith) Keith realizes the power of music, and wants to use this power to get people singing about the Gospel. His most famous hymn, “In Christ Alone,” was written when he was only 25 years old. It was the first one he ever wrote. He has been writing hymns ever since, but none have become nearly as famous this one. At the end of the 20th century, we saw the introduction of a new genre of church music. Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), as it this new style is referred to, came around in the 60’s as a more “godly” alternative to the pop and rock music of the time. This genre was birthed out of the Jesus Movement of the 60’s, which was started by Christians who were tired of boring church services, and wanted to add some rock to Christianity. The music that came out of this movement was met with a lot of criticism from the evangelical community. People called it “sinful” and said that the music was from the
In an article written in 2010, Margaret Cording Petty said, “Where are the hymn writers in the 21st century? There are very few good ones.”(Petty) One of the only prominent hymn writers today is Keith Getty (and his wife Kristyn). He said in an interview with CBS, "My joke with all my preacher friends is that if they finish a good sermon, the people go out singing the last hymn. And if they do a really bad sermon, people go out singing the last hymn. So it really doesn't matter what they say!" (Smith) Keith realizes the power of music, and wants to use this power to get people singing about the Gospel. His most famous hymn, “In Christ Alone,” was written when he was only 25 years old. It was the first one he ever wrote. He has been writing hymns ever since, but none have become nearly as famous this one. At the end of the 20th century, we saw the introduction of a new genre of church music. Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), as it this new style is referred to, came around in the 60’s as a more “godly” alternative to the pop and rock music of the time. This genre was birthed out of the Jesus Movement of the 60’s, which was started by Christians who were tired of boring church services, and wanted to add some rock to Christianity. The music that came out of this movement was met with a lot of criticism from the evangelical community. People called it “sinful” and said that the music was from the