Hymns play an important role in the worship of God because it is a solemn form of music that is filled with lyrics that uplifts your spirit towards the worship of God. When it comes to Nigerian church worship we have various forms of music to accompany different parts of the church service. For example during the thanksgiving period in most churches DANCE PRAISES are given with the main aim of making worshipers sing and dance. WORSHIP is another form of solemn church music that thrives in the Nigerian church however unlike hymns it lacks lyrical content and often times are short and
repeated time and time till the worship singer drops it. Hence worship songs CANNOT, i repeat CANNOT take the place of hymns in church worship, even if its to be judged by lyrical contents alone hymns are the benchmark of proper church music. Below are some other listed importance of singing hymns at church services and mass.
- Hymn-singing provides a natural vehicle for the primary activity of most
worshipping communities: the expression of praise and adoration
through the offering of song to God. Our hymns are both our gift
and our statement of gratitude to the One we worship.
- The practice of hymn-singing continues and extends the traditions of
worship that link the earliest cradle of Jesus's spiritual life,
synagogue worship, to the life and practice of modern Christian
communities. We sing because our foremothers and forefathers in
God also sang in this way.
- Hymn-singing contributes to a necessary variety of behaviour in the act
of worship. Singing can be and often is a welcome change from
liturgical gestures and bodily actions - standing,
sitting, kneeling, processing and so on, or from speaking
and listening - to the prayers, the bible readings,
the notices (the public administrative business of the
congregation), the sermon, the blessings, the creedal
affirmations and so on.
- Hymn-singing helps to develop the spirit of unity and solidarity in the
singing community, through shared and corporate activity by the
community. And it's not just any old kind of corporate
activity. It is a relatively simple popular activity in which
everyone can participate; one that does not require the performer to
have any special abilities or knowledge, or to act in a leadership
mode.It is also an activity which requires agreed standards of
discipline and self-control: like starting together and keeping in
time as a group.
- Hymn-singing strongly teaches and reinforces the faith and practice of the singing Christian community. What we sing we remember and internalise far beyond what we see or read or hear.
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