7.30.2010

Hymns.

Confession, I don't really like most Christian music. So much of it is cheesy and sounds nothing like the type of music I really like (acoustic and indie rock, folk, ya know stuff I play on this blog). But, I do love  old hymns made new. Growing up at Centenary in Winston-Salem we only sang hymns, so by age 18 when I graduated high school I knew the words to so many hymns and had my favorites. At UT (Tennessee, not to be confused with Texas) RUF many of the songs we sang were hymns in new arrangements, and that is where my love affair began. There is something so beautiful to me about the words from songs of the old Church. The songs have lasted so many years but, are very much a picture of my heart today. I have started collecting old hymnals and at an antique store in Austin even found an old glass slide of the song "Jesus, Lover of my Soul". The thing I love most about hymns is God uses them to bring my heart to a place of seeing Him more. Some of my favorite hymns to new melodies artists are Red Mountain Music, Indelible Grace, and Sojourn Music . 
Right now my very favorite song is "Jesus, I Come".  Shelly Moore Band does a beautiful version. The video is pretty boring because it is simply a picture of Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son painting (which is one of my favorites), but the song is worth it. It has such tender and freeing words.

I made a playlist this morning to burn to a cd (because, yes, I still play cds in my car) that has a couple of my favorite hymns, but also lots of other good music. And there is one Caedmon's Call song that some may find cheesy, but I actually really like.  (Click to enlarge and see the text.)

4 comments:

April said...

My favorite hymn is "Come Thou Fount" and I really, really love the different ways that newer groups have done it. (I also love it old-school though...)

My best friend makes a good argument that newer Christian songs - not all of them, but most - don't have the rich, truthful lyrics that old hymns do. I have to agree with her.

April said...

...Also, I LOVE Andrew Peterson. Have you ever seen Behold The Lamb of God?

kristen vasgaard said...

sandra mccracken is doing a lot of old-made-new hymns these days. her new album (in feast or fallow) is pretty good...

Anonymous said...

Shelley Moore goes to/sings at my boyfriend's church! Such a beautiful voice!

Laura