Singing Psalms

On my recent visit back home for my maternal grandmother’s funeral, I had opportunity, with my parents, sister and her family, to visit my paternal grandmother in the nursing home she now lives at. During the visit, my sister and I gathered at the piano and Darlene played the music while we sang a few of the less doctrinally objectionable hymns that I could find in the hymnals.

It occurred to me, as I read the words to the hymns, that a lot of church wars over contemporary music versus traditional hymn music have been fought over a lot of second-rate verse and sentiments. I have spent the last 10 years or more singing Psalms only in corporate and family worship and there just isn’t any comparison to the lofty sentiments and pungent and robust expressions found in the Psalms. Moreover, the focus in the Psalms points always to Christ and the Godhead whereas a lot of the hymns are navel-gazing in nature.

I don’t think I will ever go back to hymn singing for worship. Psalms rule!