The believer, having heard and sung hundreds of hymns, will not flinch. Even if they have not heard the particular song before, there is a familiarity with this musical genre that is familiar to a regular churchgoer. The unchurched person, however, poses another problem altogether. Due to the lack of affinity with the "churchified" feel that most hymns engender, experiencing them for the first time can be mystifying. To persons weaned on music within a pop-cultural context, hymns sound like musical leftovers from a bygone era.

Very often, the sentiments expressed by those hearing hymns for the first time have merit. While there are hymn writers composing today, many of the great standards found in hymnals were usually penned in either the 18th or 19th century. Luther's magnanimous bulwark-never-failing, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," was written over 400 years ago. Those who enjoy hymns need to keep this in mind.

Hymns are indeed a distinctive type of church music. Yet after a generation or two of secularization and the widespread availability and accessibility of popular music-including the amazing growth of contemporary Christian music-hymnody seems isolated in a subcultural music ghetto. This is unfortunate because of the hymn's remarkable ability to communicate essential biblical truths.

The spiritual seeker, especially those in Generation X or subsequent categories, has little patience with music that does not reach them intuitively. Very often, those that lead worship conclude that in order to attract the seeker's attention, music must be written in the cultural vernacular of the day.

Is there anything wrong with trying to be culturally relevant with church music? Not necessarily. As any informed church musician or historian knows, expressing Christian truths within the musical verve of the age has a long, rich tradition. The musical "packaging" (tune, rhythm and style) have often reflected the musicality of the time. Luther used tavern songs to enable his congregations to sing his texts. John and Charles Wesley adapted the Top 40 music of the late 18th century so that their hymns could be sung familiarly in open-air preaching.

As an experiment, it might prove interesting for worship leaders to take the lyrics of an old hymn and marry them to a contemporary melody that is well-known. I once superimposed the lyrics of a completely unsingable hymn to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" with tremendous results. By uniting the strong lyrical content of this otherwise "musically-challenged" hymn to a more singable melody, I think I stumbled upon the lessons that Luther and Wesley (among others) have taught us from their example.

Practical issues remain, however, as we wrestle to understand the role that hymns should play within a contemporary worship setting. How can hymnody be reintroduced to a new generation of seekers and believers? To anticipate the thoughts of some, why should contemporary worship bother to include hymns at all?

The Origin of the Hymn
Hymns began as statements of theological truth. The Psalms are hymns. The texts found in Philippians 2:6-11 and II Timothy 2:11-13 are Christological hymns thought to have been sung during early Christian worship settings. The book of Revelation is filled with similar songs of the early church. As the church progressed into the fourth century, hymn writers found themselves engaged in the defense of orthodoxy as they battled heretics in something akin to a theological sing-off. Where the music captivated the listener, the theologically intricate lyrics communicated solid biblical truths.

Cultural Capitulation
In our contemporay context, the hymn is being raised as a potential resolve to the trend of present-day worship songs and their preoccupation with sentiment and individualization. Much criticism is raised over the lack of theological reflection within contemporary worship songs. Musician and theologian Michael Card believes that the contemporary worship movement has simply capitulated to cultural trends. "So many songs and choruses focus on me‚ and how I feel," he says. "The great hymns focus on the Triune God and reinforce biblical themes in a way that has since been lost by the new musical verve."

Card believes that the priorities of much contemporary worship are misguided: "The point of any worship experience is whether God has been worshiped. How we feel about the experience is a secondary issue." The result of this me-oriented worship experience is that hymns are often set aside for more individualistic, emotionally-charged songs. Card laments, "since our culture suggests that everything old is necessarily bad, hymns are neglected despite the fact that they contain so much sound theological material that could potentially counteract the poor values that are threatening the church."

In his current Starkindler Tour, Card and his entourage have tried to find a balance between contemporary songs and hymns that go back as far as the fourth century. "It's interesting," he observes, "because so many people don't know them at all. As far as they are concerned the songs are new." Card senses a search for strong spiritual foundations in the present culture. He believes that hymns can help contemporary believers by reintroducing them to the historic Christian heritage: "The function of hymns in contemporary worship is to provide the rootedness of the worshiping community over time."

Rediscovering Our Ancient Heritage
Our Christian faith is involved in a constant dialogue with the past. Ron Ferlito, a pastor involved in planting seeker-friendly churches in Yelm, Wash., believes that hymns can be used to reach the unchurched. He states, "It is important for us to remember and honor our heritage. By exposing new people to many of these old classics in a way that is musically familiar but non-threatening, we encourage a very healthy type of connection to our ancient faith."

Consider the hymn "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," composed in 1779 by the English hymn writer Edward Perronet. Perronet's lyrics explore why we emphasize the Lordship of Christ and call all believers to "crown Him Lord of all." The third verse states, "Hail Him, the heir of David's line/Whom David's Lord did call/the God Incarnate, Man Divine/and crown Him Lord of all." The theology soundly places the focus of the worshiper upon God.

Musical Adaptability?
But what about the the musicality of older hymns? While in some instances there are two (or even three) arrangements available to the worship leader, this is not often the case. Ron Ferlito points out, "Many of the old hymns are sung in a plodding along fashion with nothing but block chords shifting with each word or harmonic change. Everything is vertical with very few linear elements present to propel the piece along." He notes that many hymns offer little if any rhythmic flexibility.

By making hymns more musically-friendly to the unchurched, historic truths can become more accessible. Doug Hanks, a worship leader in Easthills Community Church in Riverside, Cali, uses hymns even though his church is primarily seeker-sensitive. Hanks states, "the melodies of old hymns aren't too bad, but the harmonizations do sound dated. About 100 years old to be exact."

Hanks thinks that a way to introduce hymns to contemporary seekers is not to rewrite the melodies, but to change the harmonies and arrangements. "Most hymns are actually arranged for choral settings or to be played on the organ as the main instrument. This makes it very difficult for guitarists to try and interpret." Hanks voices his appreciation for publishing houses like the Vineyard who have begun to work in this area of simplifying the style and harmonies of a number of classic hymns. He cites the Vineyard arrangements of "O For a Thousand Tongues" and "Crown Him With Many Crowns" as excellent examples.

Function of the Updated Hymn
It's all in the arrangement, say worship leaders. Ferlito, who has arranged dozens of hymns for contemporary use, says that it is important to determine what the function of the hymn will be in the service, whether for congregational singing or solo work. "If you intend to use the contemporary arrangement for congregational singing," he says, "it would be advisable to keep at least the melody intact and true to the original." Anyone familiar with the hymn will then be able to easily understand what is happening musically. Ferlito adds: "If you are modifying a hymn for use as a performance piece or on a recording, you can take greater liberties and really get creative as long as there are at least portions of the original melody to be found so that the listener can get their bearings."

Ferlito has written more flowing accompaniments to "Praise to the Lord Almighty" and "Just As I Am," where he has allowed the text to fall into place more naturally. He states, "I believe this makes the words easier to understand, sing, and remember."

Concerted Effort
In the end, introducing a new generation of believers to hymns will be an intentional decision on the part of worship leaders. Michael Card concludes that there must be a recommitment to teaching people how to use hymns within worship and how hymns can be utilized to remain within a solid Trinitarian context. "You have to be willing to make an effort to reintroduce people to the historic tenets of the faith through theologically exquisite hymns," he says. "In essence, you are teaching people a language of prayer. It isn't simply a technique to be learned.