The Speechless Sing:
A hymnological portrait of two congregations

CRAIG NEIL MUIR
Dissertation submitted in part satisfaction for the degree of MA in Contextual Ministry at Partnership for Theological Education. Manchester

August 2003
Supervisor,  	      Rev. Jan Berry
.

INDEX
				One		Let all the world
				Two		The Church of Christ
				Three	When I survey
				Four		Lord, for the years	
				Five		O for a thousand
				Six		By powers of good
		Appendix 1		Questionnaires
			
		Appendix 2		Hallfold Hymn Choices
		Appendix 3		St. Andrew’s Hymn Choices
		Appendix 4		A Ministers Hymn Choices				Appendix 5		Unpublished hymn texts						Bibliography

One
Let all the world in every corner sing
"My God and King!"
The Church with psalms must shout,
no door can keep them out:
but above all, 
the heart must bear the longest part
Let all the world in every corner sing,
"My God and King!"

I enjoy music, I enjoy the physical process of singing, of feeling rhythm; of hearing melody; of letting the music sweep through the imagination and transport me somewhere new. We live in a society that has forgotten how to sing, yet singing together is still an integral part of church life and for many of us it is the only place where we are allowed to sing without embarrassment. Within the congregation we are joined as one voice a people gathered in praise and acclamation, each part coming together as a whole. As a leader of worship it is through my hymn choices that each service will be judged and accepted/rejected as a valid expression of our faith - hence this attempt to study two congregations from the perspective of the hymns they sing (or would like to sing).

I have an eclectic taste in music, a child of the sixties and seventies I grew up on pop, rock and folk; there is much in classical music that I enjoy and much that leaves me cold; my daughter's pop music is not real music - its too nice (or indecipherable) - I either want my guitars to scream with the bass pedal working overdrive or the simplicity of voice and accompaniment that good folk music brings. In worship I grew up on Revised Church Hymnary  and Church Hymnary 3, I became involved in charismatic worship when Kendrick was the new boy and I enjoyed its similarity to the music I played at home and the way worship could be expressed through the whole body. I learnt to appreciate Rejoice and Sing and I was bowled over by the hymns written and collected by the Iona Community - here were hymns that express so much about  God combining modern ideas with traditional tunes, or which allowed the southern hemisphere to speak to the old missionary churches. I have also discovered that there are lots of old hymn tunes (with words I wouldn’t use) that deserve to be carried forwards with new words.

I want my worship to be as eclectic as my taste. John Bell in Church Music Quarterly (April 1999) explores the ways in which our tastes in church music can be divisive. In the same way that the Corinthian Church which Paul was writing to had become divided by their favoured teacher, many church people today have become factionalised by music. "If we are not asking 'Who is for Peter? Who is for Paul?' we are asking the liturgical equivalent - 'Who is for Kendrick? Who is for Rutter? Who is for Taize? Who is for Tallis?'" The article goes on to ask "whether we can discern ways in which, with integrity, the new and emerging ranges of music can be harnessed together for the good of the Church." Bell believes that one of the ways in which this integrity can be found is by being open to different musical styles and using all the musical resources available. In this way we may chose to accompany one hymn with a flute or fiddle, another with a piano, some with a side drum and sing others a capella. "Amen" I found myself saying, but almost in the same breath came, "How? How can we develop our undoubted love of music and explore musical difference without alienating those who have grown used to one style of worship?" I wrote as much in the church magazine  - but got no response. Hence it feels like I am on my own and it is frustrating. Within the churches in which I minister there seems to be a reluctance to engage with different styles of music and with new hymns. Organs and choirs dominate and any style of music which falls outside the accepted boundaries is frowned upon. There are strong opinions about what is “proper” church music and vocal people in both congregations who are not afraid to express their own point of view.

It is an emotive issue, and the emotion arises from the role hymns play within our congregations. Within a tradition in which there are very few responsive prayers, in which we do not recite the creeds together and in which congregations play a very passive role in a worship which is largely led from the front, hymn singing is the only time we act together as a community. Our hymns have become our creeds, our learned scripture texts; the moments we have shared with past generations and the faith we pass to our children. They are precious and so many would argue that they should not be tampered with, ignored or passed over for some new thing that is not as meaningful.

The aim of this piece of work is to look at the role of hymns through the voices of two congregations and one minister. We will attempt to look at the relationship between favourite hymns and our faith; exploring the validity of the view that we learn our theology through our hymn singing. We will see which theological themes seem to have most importance and which may be missing. We will attempt to create a portrait of each church from the hymns they have chosen. We will examine which new hymns are becoming favourites, do they say something new or is it the old story in new clothes? We will look for hymns that can become teaching tools  - highlighting the gospel message within our song.

Armed with such information we shall contrast those hymns with my own list of favourites and an analysis of the hymns I have chosen for the congregations to sing over the last three years. Are there clear points of agreement or difference? Can the reticence I sometimes feel about the way I lead worship be enlightened by any differences between the hymns I chose and the hymns the congregations are more likely to choose? 

Hymns have always had a place in Judeo/Christian worship, Brian Wren (2000) takes us on a time machine to visit those who have sung before us and shows the way in which hymns have developed over the centuries. For a short while they became the preserve of the professionals and in the Puritan church all bar the psalms were frowned upon as an unwanted frivolity, but with the growth of dissent and the Evangelical Awakening hymns became a community way of articulating faith, giving strength and sustenance to the believer and a source of proclamation to the rest. As Routley points out “You can close your eyes, you can stay away from church and so neither taste nor see that the Lord is good. But you can not close your ears and if a group of Christian people choose to sing a hymn under your window you are defeated” (1952,2).

Hymns have become an integral part of church worship, thought and speech. St. Augustine stated that “a hymn … contains these three things: song (canticum) and praise (lauden) and that of God” (Haeussler 1952). It was a narrow definition that the writers of modern hymn texts have gone far beyond.  There are many that do indeed  proclaim praise to God, but many petition God; from time to time they are an honest lament. Others will proclaim what God is and tell what God does and challenge us to faithfulness (Duck, 102). Others will be instructive and  educational, supporting and supplementing the reading and expounding of the Word (Milgate, 1) . There are hymns of reverence, hymns of  penitence, hymns of forgiveness, hymns for guidance, hymns proclaiming loyalty, unity, hymns demanding justice and righteousness in fact the “modern hymn must be inclusive enough to take in all the Christian ideals and aspirations for a redeemed social order and Christ centred world (Haeussler, 1)

As we sing we communicate our faith in ways that can not be expressed in mere words. We combine the energy of text, music, emotion and the act of singing into a proclamation of good news. This exercise will take a particular interest in the hymn text, for it is in the ideas and concepts expressed through words that we will look for theological themes, but we will do so in the knowledge that some hymns are liked purely for their tune, for their good sing value. 

Our hymnology will tell something about the society of its time. Through twenty-first century eyes the late nineteenth/early twentieth century hymn books are filled with a few classics and many dated hymns. These are hymns that were relevant for their time and no doubt our modern hymns will look very dated in fifty years time so whilst we must not sit in judgement of the old favourites we can use them to see the way in which themes have been shaped by the years. For instance Wren shows the way in which a theme such as overseas mission has changed in our thoughts and through the hymn book. He contrasts Congregational Praise (1951) with its 1991 successor Rejoice and Sing showing the way in which the "we give, you take" missionary mind-set has broken down. Rejoice and Sing no longer subdivides mission into "Home and Foreign" but shares its comparable hymns between "Proclaiming the Gospel" and "Christ for the World". Most telling is the statistic that
Two-thirds of the "mission" hymns in Congregational Praise were discarded by its successor. Some were simply too archaic, but many were dropped because their viewpoints were no longer acceptable. ... When Christians in Asia and Africa far outnumber their European, Australasian and North American counterparts, it is inaccurate and offensive to characterise their territories as "heathen lands" wrapped in slumber ...

... the last thing today's British (and kindred) worshipers need is an imperialist mind-set that puts the singer at the centre of Christendom, looking north, south, east and west, as in Charles Edward Oakley's "Hills of the North Rejoice!" Since the risen Christ is equidistant from every time and place, and the Holy Spirit inhabits all creation, it is untrue to say that Christ has been "absent long" from "the north", that Western lands have been "unvisited, unblest" and that Eastern lands have been wrapped in the "sleep of ages" - even if the singer is willing to accept the obvious but usually unrecognised corollary that he or she belongs by definition to someone else's "west," "east," "south," and  "north"!

By contrast, new hymns in Rejoice and Sing do not set their singers apart from other lands and other Christians, but include them in the whole church. We ... recall how the Christian message has been both given and received, going first from (the singer's) east and west, then by God's "later voice" returned to sender, now heard in every land. (Wren, 2000, p284-288)

Wren's theme can be extended by looking at the development of such a theme through intervening hymnbooks. Hence, Church Hymnary 3 (1973) did not include many of the old missionary hymns but largely failed to replace them, Hymns and Psalms (1983) began to include new hymns and rewritten versions of the unacceptable hymns (such as Hills of the North Rejoice). The new hymns of mission are being written in non-English tongues and being included in new collections in their original language or as translations. American hymn books such as United Methodist Hymnal (1989) and Presbyterian Hymnal (1990) have led the way, in Britain the work of the Iona Community has opened up a whole new catalogue of hymns from developing nations and in Common Ground  (2001) a supplement produced by the Scottish Churches we find a larger proportion of hymns coming to us from Africa, Asia and Latin America than was included in previous collections.

Whilst it is clear that hymnwriting and the subsequent compilation of hymnbooks follows the general theological development of the time, it may also be true that hymn texts can stimulate and expand a theological discussion beyond the narrow confines of an academic debate. The first ideas about using inclusive language in worship were not expressed through hymn texts, but as people began to appreciate the need for inclusive language, so hymn writers began to find ways in which they could express themselves in such language and in some cases to revise their own and other peoples hymns. Hymnbook compilers began to make editorial decisions based on the acceptability of the language within the hymn text. When Rejoice and Sing was produced most of our congregations were faced for the first time with the real implications of inclusive language. The changing of familiar texts caused debate, gave an opportunity for new ideas to be expressed and some people caught a new glimpse of God. Others reject the need for inclusive language and will stubbornly stick to the non-inclusive versions, still others accept with Routley that the future is inclusive and thus we must “roll with the times” (Tindell; 1997) but prefer the old hymns to be left alone. A future generation will wonder what all the fuss was about - for their hymn language will always have been inclusive and they will be developing in ways that a present generation does not see the need to make.

Surprise us by the words we sing,
dear Christ, and as we praise,
break through each warm, familiar shell
and use the songs we know so well
to challenge and amaze. 
(Wren, 2000, 385)

Two
The Church of Christ, in every age
beset by change but Spirit-led,
must claim and test its heritage
and keep on rising from the dead.

St. Andrew’s is a Methodist and United Reformed Local Ecumenical Partnership worshipping in Rochdale Town Centre. The LEP was formed in May 2000. St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church was itself a merger of Milton (formerly Congregational Church) and Trinity (formally Presbyterian) in 1978. There is a membership of 86 and a regular congregation of around 70. Most of the congregation are aged 60+ with a couple of families with younger children.

St. Andrew’s take great pride in its music. They have an accomplished organist and choirmaster, a four part choir and various people who are involved in other musical activities around the town. Children are encouraged to be part of the choir and there are presently two members of the choir under 16 years of age. There are some very firm opinions about what constitutes good and appropriate church music and anything that strays outside those bounds is resisted very strongly. On the other hand there are some who are frustrated by what can appear to be very narrow boundaries of acceptance. The main hymn book is Rejoice and Sing. This was the book that the United Reformed members have been using for about ten years, Rochdale Methodist Mission had used Hymns and Psalms and each had used the previous denominational hymnbooks. 

Hallfold United Reformed Church is situated in the village of Whitworth. The church recently celebrated its 300th anniversary and the present chapel is the fourth place of worship in those 300 years. The membership is 76 and there is an average congregation of about 60 people. The congregation is drawn from the various communities along the Whitworth Valley and into Bacup. There is a good spread of ages and a friendly informal atmosphere. Hallfold can also boast a four part choir, a gifted organist and a great love of music. They take particular pride in keeping alive some of the old tunes - some of which are specific to the area, there is a particular love of the repeating hymn tunes such as Sagina and Lyngham. However there has been great difficulty in encouraging young people into the choir and despite their love of enthusiastic hymns of the nineteenth century there is a great resistance amongst a small but vocal group for anything that is deemed too modern. The main hymn book used is Rejoice and Sing, previously they have used Congregational Praise. 

PROCESS
The difficulty in analysing a congregations favourite hymns in order to make judgements about theological belief is that there is far more to a hymn than the text. Some will be chosen because they have a good rousing tune, others because they are associated with occasions and people that are memorable for us. Some will not be chosen because they have been overused, others because the words may be admirable but the tune has not caught the imagination. Hence the questionnaire had to explore the relevant importance of text and tune; in not setting a limit of favourite hymns it was hoped that all categories of favourite could be incorporated and therefore the collective favourites would begin to emerge. In asking for three specific hymns to which the respondents could say "That sums up what I believe" it was hoped that we could begin to pin down the significant theological themes. Thus the questionnaire at Appendix 1 was produced and sent out to 42 members of both congregations. This number meant that roughly half of each congregation was surveyed, no more than one was sent to any household and the choices attempted to mirror the age and gender ratios within the congregation. I have received 22 replies from St. Andrew's and 23 replies from Hallfold.

RESULTS (QUESTION 1)
Hallfold	St. Andrew's	
When I survey the wondrous cross	11	Lord for the years	9	
Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah	8	Father I place into your hands	8	
O lord all the world belongs to you	7	Thine be the glory	7	
O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder	6	For the beauty of the earth	6	
Brother Sister, let me serve you	6	Lord Jesus Christ	6	
O love that wilt not let me go	6	One more step along the world	6	
Love Divine	6	To God be the glory	6	
Abide with me	5	The Day thou gavest Lord is ended	6	
Just as I am	5	Lead us heavenly father lead us	5	
Dear Lord and Father of mankind	5	There is a green hill	5	
Colours of Day	5	How sweet the name of Jesus sounds	5	
The day thou gavest Lord is ended	5	Dear Lord and Father of mankind	5	
The Lord's my shepherd	4	Love Divine	5	
13 hymns with 3 votes		Be thou my vision	5	
		Great is thy faithfulness	5	
		8 hymns with 4 votes		

Question 5 was not attempted by all respondents. It asked; Are there up to three hymns which you could pick out and say "That sums up what I believe"?	If yes, what are they? The intention was to use the answers to help us focus on theological belief however the result was much more confusing. In the Hallfold survey 30 hymns were cited of which only four received more than one nomination. In the St. Andrew's survey there were 27 hymns of which five received more than one nomination. After some consideration it was felt that these results were too diverse to allow any meaningful analysis. However, for the purpose of creating a pool of hymns to be studied in more depth and to create a Songs of  Praise service for each congregation the results from Question 5 were added to the above results and if hymns were still tied then those mentioned in Question 5 were given greater weight. The final results were as follows and will form the hymn pool from which we work.

HALLFOLD
When I survey the wondrous cross 		Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah 		William Williams (1717-91) v1
						translated Peter Williams (1722-96) 
						vv 2-3 tr. William Williams (or John
						Williams (1754-1828)
O love that wilt not let me go		George Matheson (1842-1906)
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder	Russian or Swedish Hymn 
						tr. Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989)
Brother, Sister let me serve you		Richard Gillard (1953-  )
Love Divine					Charles Wesley (1707-88)
The Lord's my Shepherd			Scottish Psalter 1650
O lord all the world belongs to you 		Patrick Appleford (1925-  )
Just as I am 					Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871)
Dear Lord and Father of mankind		J.G. Whittier (1807-92)
Lord for the Years your love has kept and guided  	Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-   )
Abide with me					H F Lyte (1793-1847)
Colours of day dawn into the mind 		Sue McClellan, John Pac and Keith
						Rycroft 1974
The day thou gavest, Lord is ended.		John Ellerton (1826-93)
Amazing Grace				John Newton (1725-1807)
Lord Jesus Christ 				Patrick Appleford (1925-    )
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life	Priscilla J Owens (1829-1907)
Put peace into each others hand		Fred Kaan (1929-   )

ST. ANDREW'S
Lord for the Years your love has kept and guided 	Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-   )
Thine be the glory 				Edmund Budry (1854-1932) 
						Tr. R B Hoyle (1875-1939)
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father 	T O Chisolm (1866-1960)
Father I place into your hands 		Jenny Hewer, 1975
For the beauty of the earth 			F S Pierpoint (1835-1917)
Lord Jesus Christ 				Patrick Appleford (1925-    )
To God be the glory, great things he has done	Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
The day thou gavest, Lord is ended. 		John Ellerton (1826-93)
There is a green hill far away 		Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-95)
Be thou my vision 				Ancient Irish poem tr Maire ní Bhroin
						(1880-1931) versified Eleanor Henrietta
						Hull (1860-1935)
The Lord's my Shepherd 			Scottish Psalter 1650
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind		J.G. Whittier (1807-92)
One more step along the world I go 	Sydney Carter (1915-    )
When I survey the wondrous cross 		Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
I to the hill will lift mine eyes 		Scottish Psalter 1650
Lead us heavenly Father lead us 		James Edmeston (1791-1867)
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds 	John Newton (1725-1807)
Love Divine 					Charles Wesley (1707-88)

Three
When I survey the wondrous Cross
on which the Price of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride

Hallfold’s top ten hymn service took place on the afternoon of 14 April 2002. Rather ironically we started with Dear Lord and Father of Mankind a hymn which takes the last six verses of Whittier’s poem “The Brewing of Soma” and compares hymn singing to the hallucinogenic effects of drugs, asks for forgiveness from the foolishness of approaching God in song and insists that God is found in the stillness and quiet of a Quaker meeting.

Hallfold, as ever, sang with gusto and enthusiasm but as we reached our top three the mood became heavy, O love that wilt not let me go can not be sung without a few tears being shed, Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah deals with other aspects of death and our need for God to guide us into the next life until finally we surveyed "the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died". Gulp!

“We’re a maudlin lot” came the comment. “We do like a good cry” said another and I realised the power of the resurrection narrative - we need to move beyond the cross and into new life. We need more than the hope that is offered by the cross or the anticipation that we will be carried across the Jordan into glory. We need to know that Christ is alive, that Christ dwells with us and that in Christ we are called to live a resurrection life. If Hallfold’s hymns really do reflect their theology, then there is a wonderful awareness of God’s love, our need for God in the painfulness of life, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, God’s presence as we journey through life and death, but no Easter, no Pentecost, no Christmas, no justice, no Kingdom, no hope. 

New Hymns
In a hymn pool of eighteen, eight had not appeared in Congregational Praise and thus could be regarded as new to Hallfold, however neither O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder or Will your anchor hold can really be regarded as new hymns. O Lord my God … is based on a Swedish folk tune written in 1890’s, translated into Russian and then translated into English in the 1930’s for a series of evangelistic rallies. It became popular at the Billy Graham rallies of the 1950’s. Will your anchor hold first appeared in an 1882 collection of hymns, was popularised by Ira Sankey and then extensively used by the Boy's Brigade whose badge displays an anchor and whose motto is "Sure and Steadfast".  We therefore have six hymns in this list which can be assumed to have been new to the majority of the congregation when Rejoice and Sing was published and were written in the latter part of the twentieth century.  When we look at the overall themes we shall see that these hymns are the ones which have the most hopeful outlook on life and the only ones that touch on justice and social issues. This could suggest a growing awareness of such issues within the congregation and provides some glimpses of new life 

Lord, for our world, when we disown and doubt you
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign

They also touch on the upside down nature of God or the need for peace and show something of the generational divide. All except eight respondents chose at least one of these hymns, of those eight only one is under 60 years of age and five of those eight people (all aged over 60) did not choose any hymns written in the second half of the twentieth century. On the other hand the three respondents aged under 25 did not chose any hymns written before 1950 with the exception of two Christmas Carols.

What are we saying about God/Jesus/Spirit?
On the whole we are focusing upon God, in fact only Lord Jesus Christ and  Will your anchor hold are specifically about Jesus, whilst the Holy Spirit is only mentioned in Colours of Day as "Take seeds of his [Jesus] Spirit". Otherwise God is creator, provider, guide, protector, perfection to which we strive and Jesus is cast either as a distant Christ figure - surveyed upon the wondrous cross, a Christ-light, the Lamb of God, an anchor or an interchangeable Lord. Whilst Psalm 23 is surely about God the shepherd - is Lord, for the Years about God or Jesus, is it God or Jesus who is asked to Abide with me? The suspicion is that some are addressing God the Father and others Jesus the Christ. What is clear is that there is none of the intimate Jesus worship that would be found in modern charismatic worship or the easy to learn refrain hymns of Sankey. 

God is portrayed as a powerful image - one who is mighty, who will hold me in a powerful hand; the creator;
 consider all the works thy hand hath made,
 I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, 
thy power throughout the universe displayed

God/Jesus who is perfection 
Finish then thy new creation
pure and spotless let us be,
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;

and God/Christ who is with us;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.

Lord Jesus Christ
you have come to us
you are one with us,

Holding each of these themes together is the idea of a God who loves and the sacrifice of the cross. It is the love that wilt not let us go, - "no matter what I have to face in life, Jesus will be there to guide and support me" said one respondent.  
Love divine, all loves excelling,
... thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art

led two people to comment "Declares God's great love" and "God's love is very important" 
Time and time again comments were attached to hymns which acknowledged God's love for us and our need to respond to that love in our own lives, perhaps this comment sums up the thoughts of many, "Difficult to accept sometimes in the light of all the crises in the world, but God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) created and loves everything and every person and will sustain us, and we in turn should respect everything and every person created." It is reflected in a Mission statement which commits the church to witnessing to God's love through our words and through our actions and for worship to be a celebration of God's love. Hence we sing together 
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

and we are keenly aware of God's awesome presence with us revealed through the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. The cross is almost ever present, seven of our eighteen hymns specifically mention the cross, three others make allusion to it - Christ's agony, the Lamb of God and grace that saves a wretch like me. Four of the remaining eight hymns mention our own mortality and the expectation that "In heaven we take our place" an expectation that would seem to depend upon Christ's death. It may well be that we have two themes merging with one another, Christ's death mixing with our awareness of death and hope that our loved ones are dwelling in God's house for evermore and that one day we will join them. Clearly some of these hymns have been used at funerals and thus such memories are foremost in the mind of some respondents. Yet I know from other conversations the importance of the cross in the faith of many Hallfolders. The comments pick up on a sense of loss and a debt owed, an awareness that God's love has been painfully revealed through the sacrifice of Jesus, that God is made aware of our own sense of pain and suffering through the experience of the cross. The worry is that there is so little sense of resurrection. There are no Easter hymns in Hallfold's selection; in fact only four people chose any type of Easter Hymn at all. If these hymns are a reflection of Hallfold's spiritual journey, then the pilgrimage comes to a shattering stop at the foot of the cross, for there is no resurrection, no Pentecost and very little sense that Christ is alive and with us now. 

The exceptions are in some of the modern hymns chosen. The final verse of Lord for the Years, the last line of Colours of Day and the present continuous tense of Lord Jesus Christ. refer to the living Christ; but that is all. The comments share this great awareness of God with us, with very little mention of any living relationship with Jesus and a total absence of Holy Spirit.

What are we saying about ourselves?
Perhaps it is inevitable that when you ask people to chose personal favourites there will be a high proportion of hymns which are in the first person and are themselves personal responses to God. Within Hallfold's selection nine hymns are written in the first person such as When I survey, Guide me, O love that wilt not let me go. Others like Lord Jesus Christ begins each verse with a description about Jesus and ends the verse with a personal response. Lord for the years  and Put peace into each others hands are good examples of hymns which are concerned with the fellowship, they use we and us, they encourage the congregation to include one another and to belong to one another. 

When we look at what these hymns say about ourselves we find an impression of a people who lack self-confidence; "I am weak, but thou art mighty"; "my weary soul"; "though I walk through death's dark vale"; "poor, wretched, blind"; and so it continues hymn after hymn detailing our weariness and woes. We should expect than in any selection of hymns there will be some which are concerned with our own needs and some which as we become aware of God's presence we are also aware of our own inadequacies, yet this selection of hymns have so little to say which is positive about ourselves or about our lives that it would suggest that there is a trend within the congregation to take the pessimistic view on life.

It seems that there are three hymns which attempt to raise us out of despondency, Colours of Day encourages us "tell the people of Jesus, let his love show" , Brother, Sister let me serve you has the confidence to suggest that we can help one another in our journey through life and The Day thou gavest reminds us that the prayers of the church encircle the earth through every moment of every day. These hymns are reminders that within Hallfold there are people who are prepared "go down in the city, into the street" and "tell the people of Jesus, let his love show". That in their daily lives they "express their faith through individual service within the community"  Many members of the congregation are involved in a variety of voluntary organisations which allow the Christ-light to be shown and the people of Hallfold are supported by a small, very faithful weekly prayer group who ensure that the life of the church is covered in prayer. Yet very few of these activities are acknowledged in song. The overwhelming picture is one of a people very aware of their own inadequacies and whilst God's love consoles and supports them, they have not moved beyond the despair of Good Friday into the hopeful excitement of Easter Sunday.

I decided to use the Sunday after Ascension Day to explore some of these issues. In Acts 1: 10 the disciples are left staring up at heaven, wondering where on earth Jesus has gone, when two angels ask "Why do you stand looking up at heaven?" It has echoes of Luke 24:5, as the women look for Jesus in the empty tomb the angels ask "Why do you look for the living amongst the dead?" I spoke about some of the issues that had been revealed  through the hymn survey and closed with the challenge;
Men and women of Hallfold - why do you stand crying before an empty cross - Jesus is alive and calls you to live and grow and to devote yourselves to living as part of God's Kingdom. Allow yourselves to be filled with God's Spirit, to present yourselves as people who believe in life, people who can be joyful and share laughter together. People who can be witnesses to the good news that Jesus Christ is alive.

The reaction was interesting. One or two challenged the conclusions arguing that hymns are chosen for tunes, so little can be gauged by looking at words. Some who commented seemed to simply accept there may be a point and perhaps we should try to be different. One or two made it clear they were quite content to stay looking at the cross. Life is too difficult to consider making changes. These reactions mirror some of the pastoral situations and internal tensions that simmer along.  I am wondering if the lack of self confidence that is revealed in these hymns is part of the explanation for the overly pessimistic view taken by many at Hallfold. Perhaps we need to find ways of encouraging one another, of feeling good about ourselves so that we can leave the guilt trip behind and start to live out the good news that we are meant to proclaim.

The world is a scary place
It is not just ourselves that are given bad press in these hymns. The world is a barren, nasty, frightful, oppressive place to be; we would be much better to escape to the woods and forest glades than face the dangers, toils and snares of this bad place. It may well be that this view of the world can be linked to the lack of self-confidence and hence the need for a God who will protect and guide us through this frightful life. On the other hand, it may well be that our hymns are pointing out the truth about life and pointing us towards the hopeful alternative that is offered by God. The problem is that despite the pain, the doubt, the self imposed and culture imposed burden's we carry; life can be fun, fulfilling, exciting and our hymns should reflect this aspect of living. This selection of hymns do not do so, neither do they deal in any substantial way with issues of peace and justice. O lord all the world belongs to you  makes a start at turning the world upside down and Put peace into each others hands invites us "in love make peace, give peace a chance," but the overall tone is one which fails to engage with the world. This has been mirrored by the difficulty in encouraging involvement in justice and peace issues. Despite a whole section within the mission statement which seeks to "transform unjust structures of society" with a concern for fair-trade, investment issues, world debt, and by encouraging those who work for justice and reconciliation, Jubilee 2000 passed most of the congregation by, Christian Aid is supported by a faithful few and an attempt to create a One World Group was painfully unsuccessful. 

Is there any hope?
It is perhaps no surprise that where there are no Easter hymns very few hymns will speak of future hope. We talked earlier about the number of hymns which mention death, the only hope that these hymns offer is "to land safe on Canaan's side" For a people with so little hope for this life, it is the next life which provides the expectation of something better. Of course this is not the whole picture, the newer hymns offer an alternative view of this world for
O Lord, all the world belongs to you
and you are always making all things new.
What is wrong you forgive
and the new life you give
is what's turning the world upside down.

Any proclamation of God's love, any glimpse of God's grace has to bring hope for the future and time and time again it is God's love; supporting, encouraging, healing, inspiring which has carried people through life and is carrying them into the future. The love is best expressed in song and in well known rousing hymn tunes. It is where perhaps the love of music lifts many above the words and  allows spirits to soar beyond the pressures of ordinary life. Hallfold singing tunes such as Cwm Rhondda, Blaenwern, Lyngham, Sagina, Diadem, Forest Green, Shore Lane, is a rousing inspirational experience. They know the parts and split easily into them with the confidence to carry someone like myself along learning a part as we go. It is at such times and amongst such enthusiastic singing that hope can be experienced. Amongst the challenges for one who wishes to write modern hymns is to find the positive words to be carried by such positive singing.

The power of story
In reviewing these hymns we also see the power of a congregations story. Hopewell has shown that 
narrative underlies each congregation's view of the world, it's assumptions about the setting or backdrop against which its actions are sequenced, and its unique ethos - the style, behavior, and values that constitute a congregation's character. And narrative provides temporal form for its plot, the sequence of events it selects and retells to confirm its identity. Finally, narrative knits together all these elements - setting character, and plot - into a storied whole. (1988, 51)

Hallfold tells a story of struggle, conflict and perseverance. The first congregation was formed in secret in the late 17th Century. It met in a barn on the outlying moors until they grew confident enough to emerge and build a chapel. When one minister preached Unitarian views he was thrown out of his pulpit and members of the congregation were charged with affray. When the Anglicans built a brand new Church on the opposite side of the valley, Hallfold defiantly built their own larger chapel. More recent history revolves around the demolition of that building, the need to worship in the kitchen of the school rooms and the conversion of the schoolroom into a worship area. Newcomers now seek to make further changes to that building against the wishes of some who were involved in the original conversion. The local council ignores Hallfold, the local paper refuses to publish any stories, the local community will not support any events even the broadband internet companies ignore Whitworth and so the narrative continues to be written. Each episode involves struggle, internal and external conflict and a dogged determination to keep going, it does not actually matter whether any of these stories are the whole truth, they are believed and retold to the point when they become the only truth that is known. These themes of struggle conflict and perseverance resonate through the hymn choices

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.

Four
Lord, for the years you love has kept and guided
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today

St. Andrew's top ten hymn sing was a joyous uplifting experience. On the whole their top ten hymns are celebratory, feel-good expressions of God's faithfulness, presence and encouragement - as the only other person to have sung at Hallfold and St. Andrew's commented; "Well I didn't need my tissues this afternoon". The next evening the Housegroup looked in more depth at the hymn pool chosen, they were surprised at their own choices, in particular that a hymn that no one had known before Rejoice and Sing was published had been such a clear favourite. As we reflected we could see some of the reason's for the popularity of Lord for the Years; for an elderly congregation the first verse speaks of long years and gives thanks for the way God's love has guided, urged, inspired and cheered us on our way. Yet it is not a hymn which looks backwards, it is a hymn that gives thanks for the  past and moves confidently into the future. It is a hymn which sums up one of the dominant attitudes within St. Andrew's. It is the 'can do' attitude that saw many of them build a new church twenty years ago, that has allowed a small Methodist group to have an influence far beyond their numbers both at St. Andrew's and in the circuit and which has seen them raise £70,000 in two years towards a new church hall. Much of this is hidden behind a formal style of worship, a reticence to be open and vulnerable with one another, a suspicion of the wider world that can give the impression of being unwelcoming to strangers. It seems that hymn singing allows the more positive outlook on life to be expressed.

New hymns
When we look at the number of new hymns chosen we find that within the hymn pool we have 4 hymns written since 1960, 3 from the first half of the 20th Century, six from the 19th Century, three 18th Century and two 17th Century psalms. Six hymns had not appeared in Congregational Praise, five were not in Church Hymnary 3 and two were new to those familiar with Hymns and Psalms. Of those responding five people (all aged 60+) did not chose any modern hymns, but we are unable to look at a generational divide as only one respondent is under 15 and only one other was under 60 years, they both included a mixture of old and new but we can hardly draw conclusions about the tastes of those under 60 based on such a tiny sample. The surprise was that a survey amongst such an age group produced so many new hymns and challenges the view that is occasionally expressed that "the congregation are not very good at learning new hymns."

What are we saying about God/Jesus/Spirit?
Like Hallfold the focus is primarily upon God the creator, provider, protector. Jesus appears as the crucified saviour, the risen conquering son, and the one who is God with us. The only appearance of the Spirit is the third verse of Lead us heavenly Father  lead us;
Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy.

God the Creator is best seen in For the beauty of the earth, which not only celebrates creation but give thanks for the beauty, joy and gift of life - each chorus offering "our sacrifice of praise". It is a hymn which was written as a communion hymn but with language far too Anglo-Catholic for most nonconformist congregations, thus it has been adapted into the celebration of creation and of life that we now know. As one who chose it said "In spite of everything this is a beautiful world". This is a view that come across over and over again, Great is thy faithfulness links creation
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
sun, moon and stars in their courses above

with God as faithful, provider
... great is thy faithfulness, 
morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided

When we look at the way Jesus is portrayed we will see that the focus is on death, resurrection and the Saviour who 
soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds
and drives away our fear.

When I survey the wondrous cross and There is a green hill far away focus on the cross and the events of Good Friday. The latter was written as a children's hymn and it seems to be remembered with affection from childhood and yet still speaks to adults about the atoning work of Christ. It has a simplicity of language and concept that many seem to find helpful even if some might question the way in which "it oversimplifies the intractable moral and theological aspects of the [Apostles] creed" (United Reformed Church, 285). Thine be the glory is a joyful, triumphant celebration of Christ's victory over death, his presence with us and our desire to sing in praise of new life
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness hymns of triumph sing.

Add to these Lord Jesus Christ and its themes of incarnation (you have come to us/you are one with us) presence (now and every day/teach us how to pray) and discipleship (we would come to you/live our lives for you) and we begin to get as reasonably a rounded view of Jesus as can be expected from this size of hymn pool.

The missing focus is upon the Holy Spirit. For a church whose Covenant asks that they "be encouraged by the life-changing Spirit" one would hope that there would be more recognition of the way in which the Holy Spirit is active within our lives.

What are we saying about ourselves?
There are five I/me hymns, four us/we hymns and an overwhelming sense of a movement from the goodness of God to our response together as a community of God's people. Take Lord, for the years ... as an example. It is addressed and begins with The Lord and we sing about the years your love has kept, guided, urged, inspired, cheered us on our way; and together we give thanks. It moves to the Word, given by The Lord in which we respond by offering praise. We sing for our land, our world and finally for ourselves - the only hint of the first person is in the second line of the fifth verse "self on the cross" and then we return to the communal "past put behind us, for the future take us". Thine be the glory begins with Jesus - the risen, conquering Son. It is in the second verse that Jesus meets us, the Church responds with gladness and in the final verse we ask for aid in our strife and to be brought "safe through Jordan to thy home above".

St. Andrew's are a people who praise, who gives thanks to God
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice!

They also acknowledge their weaknesses, doubts and fear, but see God as one who takes our insecurities makes us whole and moves us forward into life.
Father I place into your hands
the way that I should go,
for I know I always can trust you.

Is there a world out there?
When the housegroup met I asked the question "What's missing?" "There's no justice, lame leaping, blind seeing" came the reply. Indeed when we look at these hymns we wonder whether the world exists at all. Apart from one or two references it does not even exist as a scary place to be. We have one reference to "the world's tempestuous sea:" and one to the "presence of my foes" but in most of the hymns we are concerned with our relationship as the people of God with the presence of God. The exception is again Lord, for the years
for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:

for our world when we disown and doubt you,
loveless in strength and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

But even these verses do not deal with issues of justice, with a desire for Kingdom values or a recognition that for many the world is a place of pain. It is difficult to know what the St. Andrew's view of the world is. The covenant talks about
a fellowship of service and mission;
...a spring of tolerance and tenacity;
a body intolerant of discrimination and prejudice;
a flow of justice and righteousness;

but for many they are issues that are just not discussed. There are a few involved in development and justice issues but when we try to be involved corporately in Commitment for Life or similar issues there does not seem to be any enthusiasm. I know from various sources that the sympathy for such issues is widespread yet there is an unwillingness to articulate, share or sing of such issues. If there is a story that will help us to make sense of this reluctance, I have not yet heard it.

Our Hope is in the Lord
The first sense of hope is in the hymns themselves. They are mainly feel good happy tunes that send you away singing, feeling good with the world. The hymn texts give a positive, confident image of life lived in the presence of God. It is interesting that a congregation who would dismiss "happy clappy" as a form of worship unworthy of God, engage in a similar, although more culturally acceptable form of using music to lift the spirits and engage with the hopefulness of faith. Whether it is Deborah Kerr's encouragement to "whistle a happy tune" or the Psalmists desire to 
O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day

we know that an upbeat song gives encouragement, courage and hope.

Brueggemann points out
new song time is a way to sing a new social reality as the freedom songs stood behind every freedom act. The energy comes from the song that will sing Yahweh to his throne and Babylon to her grave... New song time is when a new covenant inaugurates a new mode of reality (2001:74).

Perhaps St. Andrew's has reached new song time.

Other signs of hope come from the way in which Jesus is viewed as the Saviour who blesses, triumphs and walks through life with us. In acknowledging weakness, giving our pain to the one who 
soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds
and drives away our fear

we are strengthened and enabled to "praise" and "proclaim." It is clear from so many of the comments that Christ is alive, a daily part of life and a source of joy and excitement. These are the hymns of people filled with a deep sense of God's presence. 
The St. Andrew's Covenant draws towards a close with the statement 
a people at prayer;
Pilgrims of God.

These are aspects which flow through the hymn texts. The prayerfulness underpins hymns such as Father I place into your hands, Lord Jesus Christ (verse 2) and The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended, in which the world-wide church joins together in a continuous outpouring of prayer. Yet prayer is something private. St. Andrew's have no prayer groups, there is a reluctance to share prayer needs with one another and corporate prayer is met with such silence that I sometimes wonder if anyone shares the concerns that have been expressed. 

Pilgrimage is another strong theme, 
One more step along the world I go,
from the old things to the new
Keep me travelling along with you:

It is not very clear in this hymn who the "you" is that is being addressed. The hymn does not mention God, Jesus or Spirit and could easily fit into any faith (or non-faith) tradition. Yet used within the context of Christian worship, one must assume that the travelling companion is God and that with God we travel joyfully into the future for 
Father, we love to walk with you
and in your presence rest,
for we know we always can trust you.

 A different picture of pilgrimage - a pilgrimage of the intellect is picked up when we sing;
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word

Ultimately a Christian pilgrimage must acknowledge the life changing power of Christ who we follow and with whom we walk confidently into the future. In the final verse of St. Andrew's favourite hymn we find such belief expressed.
Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us -
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Transforming broken lives
St. Andrew's covenant closes by declaring that "our fellowship and our church" is "to be used in the transformation of broken lives, in the pursuit of righteousness and in the search for a unity which is open, inclusive, radical and evangelical". Yet the transformation we must contemplate is how to turn the positive outlook of the congregation into a people who are truly open, inclusive, radical and evangelical. Ever since we wrote those words and whenever we say them together we have been aware that it is the last two words which cause the most discomfort, for such is the private faith of the people that we are not very comfortable with spreading the good news, sharing the "evangel" or in sharing views that may be regarded as radical. In recent months we have discovered many who will pray for peace but few who will march. 

It has been the St. Andrew's hymn choices which have most surprised me. Such is the general reticence to speak of faith that I had not realised the deep faithfulness that lives within the congregation. Such was my own discouragement by the lack of interest in Bible study, prayer groups, anything that suggested outreach that I did not suspect the confidence with which God's love is expressed. They are not afraid to change or to move onwards, and that has been well illustrated by forming a Local Ecumenical Partnership and plans to replace the old church hall with something suitable for the 21st Century. The task ahead of us is to practice what we sing; fill the hall and the church with people whose lives have been transformed and continue to sing new hymns, expressing a hope for a God-filled future.

Give me courage when the world is rough,
keep me loving though the world is tough;
leap and sing in all I do,
keep me travelling along with you:

Five
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise
the glories of my God and King
the triumphs of his grace

Those leading worship are in a unique position to influence which hymns are to be sung by any congregation. We are given the responsibility of preparing the whole of worship and will include hymns which are sympathetic to each particular service. We may be guided by an organist and choir's knowledge of what is known and unknown, as well as their perception of what is liked or appropriate, however for the most part the hymns chosen will be attempted by the congregation and the service will be judged on the success or otherwise of the hymnody.

It therefore seems appropriate to review my own favourites and the hymns included in the services conducted prior to carrying out the survey of favourite hymns. Thus, before sending out questionnaires to the congregations I made my own list and the reasons for their inclusion. Would my hymns reflect those of the congregations? Would the themes be similar? Where are the signs of agreement or conflict?

A MINISTER'S FAVOURITES
A Touching Place					John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule
							(1958- )
By gracious powers, so wonderfully sheltered	Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45)
							tr. F. Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing			Brian Wren (1936- )
Eternal God your loves tremendous glory		Alan Gaunt (1935- )
For the healing of the nations				Fred Kaan (1929- )
From Heaven you came (Servant King) 		Graham Kendrick (1950- )
God is love let heaven adore him			Timothy Rees (1874-1939)
Great God your love has called us here		Brian Wren (1936- )
Hark the Herald Angels sing				Charles Wesley (1707-88) altered
I dream of a church					Kate Compston 1999
It came upon the midnight clear			E.H. Spears (1810-76)
Now the green blade rises				J.M.C. Crum (1872-1958)
O for a thousand tongues to sing			Charles Wesley (1707-88)
Put peace into each others hands			Fred Kaan (1929- )
Sent by the Lord am I					From the oral tradition
							translation Jorge Maldonado 1991
The Church of Christ in every age			F. Pratt Green (1903- 2000)
The Kingdom of God is justice and joy 		Bryan A Rees (1911-83)
The love of God comes close				John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule
							(1958- )
We shall go out with hope of resurrection 		June Boyce-Tillman 1993
When I survey the wondrous cross			Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Will you come and follow me?			John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule
							(1958- )

Theological themes and difference
In preparing the Top Ten Hymns Sings it was not only clear that there were very few hymns that the churches would share with one another but that my own preferences would be largely absent. Hallfold chose When I survey the wondrous cross but at St. Andrew's there was no connection between my choices and those of the congregation. The comment "round peg in square hole" was made and is a cause for concern.

So just how striking is the difference? The most obvious is in the age of the hymns chosen, amongst the above list are three from the 18th century and  one 19th century. The majority are post 1970 and are representative of the creative wave of hymn writing that has marked the late 20th century. If this highlights a difference in musical taste across some degree of generational divide, then there is little to discuss. However as we look at the themes represented by these hymns we shall begin to see a different emphasis.

God is love
My focus is on God who loves us and Jesus who reveals God's love and calls us to follow. In addition there is one hymn in which the Trinity is centre stage, two which focus on the Church, three on the Kingdom of God and one about Angels! On reflection I am surprised that like both churches there are no hymns which focus on the work of the Holy Spirit, for I set great store on the way in which the powerful, disturbing breath of God's Spirit guides, inspires and challenges our pilgrimage. This has highlighted a weakness in this approach to considering theology - in my case the Spirit is important, I would appreciate being able to reflect that view in song, yet I am constantly disappointed by the insipid nature of many hymns which focus on the Spirit. How many others have felt the same? Are there themes which we need to add to our hymnsinging and writing repertoire? 

Whereas Hallfold and St. Andrew's primarily focus on God the creator, provider, protector, my choice of hymns talk of God's love
Great God, your love has called us here
as we, by love, for love were made.

God is love, and is enfolding
all the world in one embrace;
his unfailing grasp is holding
every child of every race;

Love is expressed through peace, joy and grace, it is revealed through God's care;
we know that God is with us night and morning
and never fails to greet us each new day.
and in 
The Kingdom of God
is mercy and grace,

Jesus is the incarnate God; Creator and Saviour
hands that flung stars into space
to cruel nails surrendered.
He is resurrected, risen
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing
The cross stands empty to the sky.

He calls us to serve, to follow, to Put peace into each others hands and to work together through the Church
Then let the Servant Church arise
a caring Church, that longs to be
a partner in Christ's sacrifice.

This is a very different to the Hallfold image which ends on Good Friday and much closer to the St. Andrew's portrayal of God with us. Even so, the link with Christ as a servant to the lost, the unloved, those who cry in pain and disgrace, whose voice calls us to care is a step further than the very personal me/Jesus Christ/us relationship which emerged from the congregations.

Another difference can be seen in the way these hymns suggest we view ourselves and view the world. At Hallfold most hymns were in the first person and suggested a lack of self-confidence; they saw the world as a scary place from which we need to be protected. At St. Andrew's there was a greater emphasis on our response to God's goodness and a confidence that God is with us, but a lack of hymns expressing issues of social justice. On the whole my hymns start with God and move to us as people who have been entrusted with God's work. 
Sent by the Lord am I;
my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place
in which the kingdom comes.

We are made as a "living likeness" of God, "summoned to love" joined with God laughing, weeping, dancing, loving, living. We are redeemed, loved, reconciled, restored and loved by the God who is love. These hymns express the confidence that God has in us and gives us the confidence to be singers of Christ alive! This confidence and trust allows us to face the world. There is pain and suffering,  a need for justice, peace and reconciliation yet we do not need to be scared of such a world, because "Christ is the one who meets us here" and we can offer ourselves to be part of the solution

We'll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted
We'll dream our dreams of hurts that can be healed
...
We'll leap and dance the resurrection story
Including all within the circle of our love.

We shall go out with hope
From this view of God's love, our response to that love and a conviction that amongst the painfulness there is Christ, seeking justice and righteousness, there is hope. The hope and power of a resurrected community pours out of We shall go out with hope, the anticipation of liberation from sin is proclaimed throughout O for a thousand tongues to sing the expectation that amongst nations there can be healing, a "just and equal sharing". In fact all of these are hopeful songs even the sadness of By gracious power is tempered by the hopefulness of the final verse;
Yet when again in this same world you give us
the joy we had, the brightness of your Sun,
we shall remember all the days we lived through,
and our whole life shall then be yours alone.
for
Christ is alive, and come to bring
good news to this and every age,
till earth and sky and ocean ring
with joy, with justice, love and praise!

What have we sung?
The other aspect to be reviewed is the hymns that we have been singing. In the three years from June 1988 to June 2001 I led about 50 services in each church, usually with five hymns in each service. The most used hymns within each congregation were as follows:-

Hallfold		R&S	St. Andrew's		R&S	
From Heaven you came	6	522	Great God your love has called us here	5	339	
Who would think that what was needed	4	178	O for a thousand tongues to sing	4	285	
Great God your love has called us here	4	339	Guide me, O thou great Jehovah	4	345	
I want to walk with Jesus Christ	4	367	Come living God when least expected	4	354	
Lord thy Church on earth is seeking	4	579	Be thou my vision	4	489	
Praise to the holiest	3	103	Put peace into each others hands	4	635	
Ye Holy Angels Bright	3	125	God is love: let heaven adore him	3	95	
It came upon the Midnight Clear	3	144	Praise my soul the king of heaven	3	104	
O come all ye faithful	3	160	The love of God comes close	3	107	
Lord of the Dance	3	195	Brother, sister let me serve you	3	474	
When I survey the wondrous cross	3	217	Christ for the world!	3	599	
Loving spirit, loving spirit	3	326	Make me a channel of your peace	3	629	
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah	3	345	The Church of Christ in every age	3	636	
And can it be ...?	3	366	We can not measure how you heal	3	653	
By gracious powers, so wonderfully sheltered	3	486	We turn to you O God of every nation	3	654	
O love that wilt not let me go	3	511	Love Divine all loves excelling	3	663	
Living God your joyful Spirit	3	530				
The King of love my shepherd is	3	552				
Will you come and follow me	3	558				
Total from CNM list	6		Total from CNM list	7		
Total from Hallfold list	3		Total from St. Andrew's list	2		

This survey would tend to suggest that I have been more likely to pick my own favourites rather than those preferred by the congregations. In my own defence I would point out that during this period I was taking one service a month and tended to avoid the popular hymns used by the lay preachers in the intervening weeks. However, it does seem that my own favourites are amongst the first I am likely to select. To what extent is this a problem?

Clearly when hymns are chosen to support a theme and when a minister is preaching from their own point of view, there is a high likelihood that the hymns will follow those themes. We have already seen that my own emphases are different to those expressed through the congregations hymn choices, it is therefore inevitable that in suggesting that a congregation view the world and issues of faith in a different way, that hymns will be used to support such a suggestion. The pertinent issue is around the question of whether a minister should be inviting the congregation towards a different worldview or is the task of ministry to support the congregation in their own struggle with the world? To some extent the minister must do both, there must be some sympathy for the congregational view and a willingness to work with them in a mutual expectation that we are following the way of Christ. Thus in terms of hymn choices there should be a good mix of the hymns the congregations want to sing and the hymns the minister feels they might like to sing. In this case, there is cause for concern because there really should have been more occasions in which the congregations favourites were chosen than has occurred over these three years. It would serve as a starting point, a way of saying here is something we share, new hymns can then be introduced as a way of moving on together. This of course presupposes that those leading worship know where the congregation are beginning from. This has not been the case, it has only been through engaging in this exercise that I and others have had an insight into the mind of each congregation.

The result has been that in the time since this information was collected, the congregational favourites have been chosen a little bit more often than they had before, but not by much and as I look back through the last year there are still some from the congregational hymn pools that I have not used, once or twice because I am aware that they have been used on other occasions, but hymns like Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Will your anchor hold in the storms of life and Lead us heavenly Father lead us would rarely be amongst those that I ask the congregation to sing because - to put it bluntly - I disagree with the first and I don’t like the other two. I therefore find myself more concerned with hanging on to my own integrity than giving the people what they want and that bothers me. It could be argued that my role is to move the congregation forward. At Hallfold I have felt a particular need to stress that Christ is alive, that we can move forward in confidence because Christ walks with us - in doing so I am more likely to stress that with hymns from my own pool. Yet in doing so there is a danger that I am devaluing the belief structures of too many members and so there needs to be ways in which people are allowed to value where they have come from and be encouraged to learn something new about the goodness of God. 

On a more positive note, I have become more comfortable with the role of round peg in a square hole for it can be looked upon as a positive image. This investigation has highlighted a number of ways in which I view the world differently from a large proportion of the congregation and to do so means that we challenge one another, we are not allowed to grow complacent and comfortable with one another for there are always new questions to wrestled with, new roads to travel together. The result of such interaction is that the round peg is looking slightly chiselled - no longer so smooth and the square hole has the odd indentation; neither will ever be forced to fit the other smoothly but they know that God's goodness flows from one to the other in a variety of ways.

God make us a church that joins in with your living,
as you cherish and challenge, reign in and release,
a church that is winsome, impassioned, inspiring:
lioness of your justice and lamb of your peace.

Six
By powers of good so faithfully surrounded,
secure and comforted in spite of fear,
we live each day with you, Lord, unconfounded,
and go with you to meet the coming year.

Reflection on Process
The announcement of this project was met by an encouraging amount of interest. Most people can express an opinion when it comes to hymns and they seemed to enjoy doing so. On various occasions people asked what I was discovering, what were the favourite hymns; were their own choices included? Yet there was also cause for tension and clearly in some cases a lack of interest. In an attempt to create a representative survey I took responsibility for distributing the questionnaire and choosing the sample - one per household, targeting a mix of ages. Some people were upset that they did not receive a questionnaire, feeling that their views could not possibly be represented if they did not have direct input. If a  larger sample had been returned then I'm confident that their views would have been represented but in hindsight the sample, covering just under a third of each congregation would have benefited from being bigger. If this exercise was repeated I would sample the whole congregation. Based on the same return there could be a larger selection of hymns with more votes and the top ten could have been announced with more confidence that it was representative of the whole congregation. However, the Top Ten Hymn Sing was greeted with some enthusiasm and plenty of interest at each church. Even those who had grumbled about non-participation did not seem to feel there was anything missing and as I reflect on both churches the selections may have been different with a bigger sample but not noticeably so.

Studying a congregation in which one is working as minister automatically creates transformation - it has caused me to consider my own practice; it has introduced me to different hymns and I have felt encouraged to use some of them; it has opened my eyes to the potential of using hymns to learn about ourselves and teach about God. The opportunity to read through the poetry of hymns brought a fresh insight into the pain and pleasure of human existence. If that has been so for myself, has it also transformed some of the congregation? I know that many who completed questionnaires found it an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I hope that they discovered new hymns and have been able to enjoy singing them on some occasions. St. Andrew's Top Ten Hymn Sing led to an interesting discussion at the Housegroup, which included an opportunity to look at some of my favourites. This was followed up at Christmas when we looked at Advent and Christmas hymns, none of which had appeared in our hymn pools, but we were able to spend time looking at some of the underlying theology within well known hymns. The opportunity for some to interact with the process is ongoing as from time to time I will use hymns to help us think about faith and this paper will be available for all who wish to read it. In doing so we each have an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, our congregations, and thus take time to reflect upon our own understanding of God.

As a form of congregational study this has been a good introduction. It could not stand alone, for as Lyon comments "It is widely recognised today that if one is to mine the immense riches of congregational life one must do so from a variety of different angles of vision" (Woodward & Pattison, 261). To provide a wider and deeper study it would need to be set alongside other areas of study such as history, narrative, power structures and community interaction. Yet, despite limitations, it has taken us into areas of theology and our outlook on life and worldview which we may not otherwise have explored. It has reminded me of Hallfold's narrative and has highlighted some of the issues with which we still wrestle. On the surface these do not seem to be theological issues but show the tension between our need and desire to dwell in the safety zone of the past set against a need to acknowledge the old stories but create new stories for future generations. Underlying this reticence to move on, there seems to be a lack of theological confidence to move away from the cross and into resurrection. Looking at St. Andrew’s, this study has made sense of the positive mood with which many worshipping there approach life. Yet I remain anxious to find ways in which St. Andrew's can move forward together spiritually alongside the very practical purpose of building a new church hall and equally frustrated that we still fail to express such positive attitudes through our worship. St. Andrew’s remains very formal and too often I am left with the uncomfortable feeling that we have engaged in a performance by preacher, choir and organist rather than having joined together to worship God.

There is reason to suggest that any future study of this nature needs to be owned by the congregations in a much more productive way. This project has been conducted, analysed and reflected upon by myself  with specific regard to the way in which I lead worship. I know that I have benefited from the analytical process and  hope that each congregation has found value in this work. However, it would take on a different nature if a group from within the congregation had carried out the original survey and subsequent analysis. Perhaps it would be possible to hear a variety of links to congregational story or become aware of a greater variety of theological themes. The analysis of the reflection upon the practice of worship leaders could be far more interactive allowing us to react together to the statistics and the emotions. Some of us tend to hear the moans and the delight but not the gradual process of insight that will be the common reaction to a new hymn, it may be that a more collective approach to this type of exercise will allow such voices to be heard. When I began this process I was not sure whether analysing hymn choices would be a good route into the study of a congregation but I have found it to be such a good insight into congregational life and belief that I will certainly look to suggest it in any new situation - encouraging others to be far more involved than on this occasion and if any group from Hallfold or St. Andrew's feels the urge to take up the mantle and carry out further study in the area I would look forward to hearing the results.

Where do we go from here?
So far we have not looked at the possibility of using these hymns as teaching tools. The first draft of this section was written on Shove Tuesday 2003 - there were no pancakes - just an intention to spend some time during Lent reflecting and contrasting some of our chosen hymns. At Hallfold I felt we could look at Just as I am, without one plea alongside By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered- When we sing these hymns what are we saying about ourselves? What are the positive images we draw upon? What are we saying about suffering? Can we draw strength in our own pain from either image and discover hope for the present and future? Reflecting upon the first Sundays in Lent I realised that this may be the opportunity;
I know that for many of you it [Just as I am] is a very significant hymn from which you have drawn great comfort over the years, however my concern whenever we sing Just as I am is that we are being given permission to wallow in self-pity - to allow all our difficulties to overwhelm us  - for God loves me like this - so why change? In these words I can find no sense of transformation - of new life - it takes us to the cross of death rather than the cross of life...

Bonhoeffer faced imminent violent death ... yet his hymn sparkles with life and the expectation of life - ... there is serene confidence in God's goodness - despite the evil with which he was surrounded and the prison in which he was  sheltered, Bonhoeffer declares “confidently waiting, come what may, we know that God ... never fails to greet us each new day.”

God is calling us to the cross of life - to live each day confident that God is with us and we are surrounded by goodness - I invite you to sing and to gather around the table to share a meal which celebrates the goodness of God and the new life we are offered.

Some disagreed with my analysis of Just as I am, but seemed to be challenged to find the life giving aspects in the hymn. Most people were unaware of the story behind By gracious powers and valued the opportunity to learn and to take the confidence in God’s goodness, despite the suffering with which we are surrounded, into their own lives. 

I am confident that in the future we will find opportunities to engage in further hymn studies. On another occasion I plan to take O love that wilt not let me go and contrast it with the Love that comes again "like wheat that springs up green" wondering how the images of "ocean depths", "sunshine blaze", "rainbow promise" and "cross that liftest up my head" can walk hand in hand with the “green blade rising” and the touch which "calls us back to life again". Perhaps one Good Friday at Hallfold will be an opportunity for reflection upon When I survey the wondrous cross whilst Easter Sunday will proclaim Christ is alive! and invite the congregation to live as followers of the resurrected one.

At St. Andrew's the task is to become more outward looking, to live up to the name we have given ourselves and be the disciples who bring people to an encounter with Jesus. If God/Jesus is to be our vision, wisdom, breastplate, sword, inheritance and ruler - where does that lead us - what is beyond the horizon? With the confidence and faithfulness with which we sing can we begin to express the spirit of We shall go out with hope of resurrection in our every day lives? What does it mean to place the things we can not do into the hands of the Father? What might be the consequences of declaring "I know I always can trust you"? Might God respond by putting peace into our hands and asking us to "share it like a treasure"? Might Christ test out our trust by asking us to leave self behind, care for cruel and kind, risk the hostile stare, let Jesus answer prayer? These are all issues to be explored over the coming months and years, how we respond may become apparent in the hymns we sing across those years.

The Speechless Sing
It is in the act of singing that those with little voice can articulate faith. It is through the gifts of many hymn writers that those who struggle to put faith into words can say that is what I believe, these words, this phrase, that melody, expresses something of God and I can take it as my own. As a leader of worship I know what the vocal members of my congregations think - they tell me often enough, sometimes believing that they express the view of the silent majority, but in this exercise many of the silent majority have spoken and I have been surprised. I hope that some who have spoken for “everyone” have also been surprised. 

I suspect that many who have participated in this project will be surprised to find that they have been ‘doing theology’, for most would not regard themselves as theologians.  Wren argues that 
If the task of theology is, “by artistic skill and creativity, the interplay of intellect and imagination, and/or the methods of reasoned enquiry, to grasp, know and understand the meaning of God’s creating, self-disclosing and liberating activity centred and uniquely focused in Jesus Christ,” most of these questions have theological implications. If I identify with a hymn’s viewpoint, it will express my belief and orient me in relationship to God. If I sing it often enough to memorize it, the hymn will help shape what I believe, and so either develop or distort my faith. The more I sing and enjoy it, the more it will encourage me to emphasize what it highlights and overlook what it hides. If ... my repertoire is varied, one hymn’s individual piety will be balanced by another’s social conscience, and I can entrust myself to the viewpoint of the hymn I’m singing now, confident that it will be enriched, corrected and supplemented by the next hymn I sing and by the hymns I sing next Sunday. (2000, 365)

It is in such theology that we have been engaged. Each selection of hymns has complemented one another, drawn out different aspects of our belief, expressed ways in which our hymn singing focuses upon what is important to us and ultimately upon God or has developed faith or has communicated belief. So that when one respondent states that The King of Love my Shepherd is “expresses my sincere belief” and another says “There are many [hymns] which lead, guide and point the way, uplift and strengthen my life but none that particularly sum up my belief” we see  people engaging in reasoned theological enquiry which has been provoked by a lifetime of song and the activity of choosing some favourite hymns. 
Most of all I would endorse the comment made by one of our youngest respondents, “Thanks that was great fun”. May she have a lifetime of fun with hymns. 

Sing to the Lord with joyful voice;
let every land his name adore
the farthest isles shall send the noise
across the ocean to the shore.

We’ll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
high as the heavens our voices raise;
and earth with her ten thousand tongues
shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

Appendix 1

The questionnaire was shown on this page
Appendix 2
Hallfold
	
A	B	A= Chart Position
B = Rejoice and Sing Hymn Number	Information source is United Reformed Church (1999) and Bradley (1989)	
1	217	When I survey the wondrous cross

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)	First published in 1707 to be used at the Lord's Supper. The version in Rejoice and Sing is Watt's slightly altered 1709 version. 	
2	345	Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah

William Williams (1717-91)
v1 translated Peter Williams (1722-96)
vv 2-3 tr. William Williams (or John Williams 1754-1828)	The Welsh original was first published in 1762 and the first English translation appeared in 1771. This was amended either by William Williams or by his son John to appear in a hymn book of the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapels and George Whitefield's Psalms and Hymns in 1774	
3	511	O love that wilt not let me go

George Matheson (1842-1906)	A hymn of personal anguish written in a single evening in 1881 and first appeared in the Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work. The tune St. Margaret was written specifically for the text in 1884 to accompany it's inclusion in the Scottish Hymnal	
4=	117	O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Russian or Swedish Hymn
tr. Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989)	A Swedish Hymn by Carl Boberg translated into Russian and then into English from the Russian version to be used during a preaching campaign in 1939. The final verse was added in 1948.	
4=	474	Brother, Sister let me serve you

Richard Gillard (1953-  )	Expanded from the original single verse (now verse 3) to be recorded by the New Zealand based organisation 'Scripture in Song' in 1978	
4=	663	Love Divine

Charles Wesley (1707-88)	Included by Charles Wesley in his 1747 collection and based upon John Dryden's Fairest isle, all loves excelling. It was altered by John Wesley in 1780 to tone down Charles' belief that we could become pure and sinless within this life	
4=	679	The Lord's my Shepherd
Scottish Psalter 1650
	A hymn written by committee! There were many versions of Psalm 23 in existence in the mid-seventeenth century. The compilers took the best from at least seven sources to create this version. Its association with Crimond dates to the 1930's and whilst always popular in Scotland it only came into regular English usage after being sung at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947.	
8	90	O lord all the world belongs to you

Patrick Appleford (1925-  )	First appearing in Twentieth Century Hymns in 1965 this hymn came to be known through its inclusion in the BBC schools hymn book Come and Praise.	
9=	364	Just as I am

Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871)	From age 32 - 82 Charlotte Elliott  spent much of her life confined to bed. Written in 1834 when her family were organising a bazaar to raise money for a college she sat alone feeling particularly useless and helpless and  wrote these verses. They first appeared in The Invalid's Hymnbook 1836	
9=	492	Dear Lord and Father of mankind

J.G. Whittier (1807-92)	These are the last six verses of a 17 verse poem entitled "the Brewing of Soma" first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1872 and the six verses we now know were included in Congregational Hymns 1884. As Whittier was advocating the silent, personal worship of the Quaker meeting he surely did not approve its inclusion.	
11	603	Lord for the years your love has kept and guided

Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-   )
	The words were written for a service held in St. Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the centenary of Scripture Union in 1967. It was then included in Youth Praise 2 1969. 	
12=	336	Abide with me

H F Lyte (1793-1847)	Probably written in 1847 shortly before the author's death after a life of poor health and first published a couple of months later. 	
12=	572	Colours of day dawn into the mind

Sue McClellan, John Pac and Keith Rycroft, 1974	A popular hymn in many schools as a result of its inclusion in Come and Praise.. Rejoice and Sing appears to have been it's first inclusion in a denominational hymnbook	
12=	584	The day thou gavest, Lord is ended.

John Ellerton (1826-93)	Originally published in A Liturgy for Missionary Meetings 1870 it has become too associated with Evening Services. In fact it is a reminder that God is being praised by all peoples in all places at all times.	
15=	92	Amazing Grace

John Newton (1725-1807)	First published 1779 it became popular in the United States of America but was largely unknown in Great Britain until the 1960's. It appears in Hymns and Psalms but not in Congregational Praise or Church Hymnary 3	
15=	373	Lord Jesus Christ

Patrick Appleford (1925-    )	First published in Thirty 20th century Hymn Tunes 1960 with an indication that it was to be used 'At the Communion'.	
15=	598	Will your anchor hold in the storms of life

Priscilla J Owens (1829-1907)	Published in 1882 and popularised by Ira Sankey it became closely associated with the Boys Brigade.	
15=	635	Put peace into each others hands

Fred Kaan (1929-   )	Written in 1987 and entered for a BBC Songs of Praise Festival in 1988 it was published in the BBC Festival booklet New Songs of Praise 4 (OUP 1988)	

Appendix 3
St. Andrew's
	
A	B	A= Chart Position
B = Rejoice and Sing Hymn Number	Information source is United Reformed Church (1999) and Bradley (1989)	
1	603	Lord for the Years your love has kept and guided

Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-   )
	The words were written for a service held in St. Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the centenary of Scripture Union in 1967. It was then included in Youth Praise 2, 1969. 	
2	247	Thine be the glory

Edmund Budry (1854-1932)
Tr. R B Hoyle (1875-1939)	Budry's A toi la gloire,O Réssuscité was written in 1884 for the Handel melody. It was translated in 1924 and has been included in most hymn books since that date with the exception of Congregational Praise.	
3	96	Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father

T O Chisolm (1866-1960)
	Text and tune were written for one another in 1923. and soon became the unofficial theme-song of the Moody Bible Institute, Chigago. It owes its UK popularity to the Billy Graham Crusade of 1954. Rejoice and Sing would have liked to have changed some of the language but the copyright holders are very protective of the original version.	
4	518	Father I place into your hands

Jenny Hewer, 1975	The first known publication to include this hymn was Mission Praise 1983. Rejoice and Sing have omitted the final verse of the original on the grounds that it makes a leap of faith far in excess of the beginnings of faith made in the first three verses.	
5=	41	For the beauty of the earth

F S Pierpoint (1835-1917)	First published in 1864 this was written as a communion hymn from a very Anglo-Catholic point of view. It has been much altered by hymn book compilers unable to use the imagery of the original and never appears quite the same in any version.	
5=	373	Lord Jesus Christ

Patrick Appleford (1925-    )	First published in Thirty 20th Century Hymn Tunes ,1960 with an indication that it was to be used 'At the Communion'.	
5=	289	To God be the glory, great things he has done

Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)	First published in 1870 it was introduced to the UK by Moody and Sankey and then largely forgotten until reintroduced by Billy Graham in 1954.	
5=	584	The day thou gavest, Lord is ended.

John Ellerton (1826-93)	Originally published in A Liturgy for Missionary Meetings 1870 it is a reminder that God is being praised by all peoples in all places at all times.	
9=	223	There is a green hill far away

Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-95)	Written to accompany instruction in the Catechism it appeared in Hymns for Little Children, 1848 to illustrate the credal clause 'Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried'.	
9=	489	Be thou my vision

Ancient Irish poem
tr Maire ní Bhroin (1880-1931)
versified Eleanor Henrietta Hull (1860-1935)	The translation dates from 1905 and the versification from 1912. There are a number of metrical irregularities and so each hymnbook has made different changes in order to fit the tune. Rejoice and Sing has created a consistent 10.10.10.10 whereas Congregational Praise changes the metre for each verse.
10.10.9.10 / 9.9.9.10 / 10.10.10.10. / 10.10.9.10
11.10.10.10.	
9=	679	The Lord's my Shepherd

Scottish Psalter 1650	A Hymn written by committee! There were many versions of Psalm 23 in existence in the mid-seventeenth century. The compilers took the best of at least seven sources to create this version. It's association with Crimond dates to the 1930's and whilst always popular in Scotland it only came into regular English usage after being sung at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947.	
9=	492	Dear Lord and Father of mankind

J.G. Whittier (1807-92)	These are the last six verses of a 17 verse poem entitled "the Brewing of Soma" first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1872 and the six verse we now know were included in Congregational Hymns 1884. As Whittier was advocating the silent, personal worship of the Quaker meeting he surely did not approve its inclusion.	
13	549	One more step along the world I go

Sydney Carter (1915-    )	This hymn was written in 1971 for the end of summer term service at Southwark Cathedral School, whilst its theme of journeying sits comfortably within the Pilgrimage section of Rejoice and Sing. God (in any incarnation) does not get a mention - although when being used in Christian worship one must assume that the 'you' of verse five is addressed to at least one part of the Trinity.	
14=	217	When I survey the wondrous cross

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)	First published in 1707 to be used at the Lord's Supper. The version in Rejoice and Sing is Watt's slightly altered 1709 version. 	
14=	726	I to the hill will lift mine eyes

Scottish Psalter 1650
	Metrical version of Psalm 121 	
16=	543	Lead us heavenly Father lead us

James Edmonton (1791-1867)	This was headed 'Hymn, Written for the Children of the London Orphan Asylum' and was first published in 1821. There have been various attempts to replace the rather mournful second verse without any real success. Rejoice and Sing decided to maintain the original with a footnote to explain away 'dreary'.	
16=	277	How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

John Newton (1725-1807)	This verse appeared in Olney Hymns (1779) and is based upon a reading of Song of Songs in which  Jesus becomes the bridegroom. Verse four has caused numerous problems as compilers have tried to rearrange Newton's 'Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend' into something which male members of the congregation may be more comfortable singing.	
16=	663	Love Divine

Charles Wesley (1707-88)	Included by Charles Wesley in his 1747 collection and based upon John Dryden's Fairest isle, all loves excelling. It was altered by John Wesley in 1780 to tone down Charles' belief that we could become pure and sinless within this life	

Appendix 4
A Minister's Selection	
Source			
WG3	A Touching Place

John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule (1958- )	Christ meets us throughout our life - when we are lost, feeling unloved and when we meet with those who cry in pain - we come into the touching place	
Rejoice and Sing 486	By gracious powers, so wonderfully sheltered

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45)
tr. F. Pratt Green (1903-2000)	One of Bonhoeffer's last communications from prison was a New Year letter  to his parents which included this hymn. He would not see out the new year and despite the knowledge of what he may face that year there is a serene confidence in God's goodness. I am always struck by the third verse "And when this cup you give ..." and wonder if I could take such a cup so "thankfully and without trembling." 	
Rejoice and Sing 260	Christ is alive! Let Christians Sing

Brian Wren (1936-)	This is a wonderful hymn for Easter and beyond. Wren wrote it in 1968 for an Easter service aiming to express a view that Christ's sovereignty is not something remote but 'here and now'. 	
Rejoice and Sing 33	Eternal God your loves tremendous glory

Alan Gaunt (1935-  )	I include this hymn not just for the theology it expresses but for the beautiful word play. There is nothing wasted and yet it opens the imagination to the tremendous glory of God.	
Rejoice and Sing 620	For the healing of the nations

Fred Kaan (1929- )	This was written to mark Human Rights Day in 1965 and expresses so well "our common quest for justice".	
Rejoice and Sing 522	From Heaven you came (Servant King)
Graham Kendrick (1950- )	This was written as the theme song for Spring Harvest 1983, I sang it then and was struck by the image of "hands that flung stars into space/to cruel nails surrendered". I still pause each time we sing to reflect on the immensity of such a statement.	
Rejoice and Sing 95	God is love: let heaven adore him

Timothy Rees (1874-1939)
	Written at Mirfield in 1922 it did not find it's way into hymn books until 1951 and thus feels like a new hymn. It starts with the truth that God is love; and explores our response of praise and God's response of "enfolding/all the world in one embrace"  	
Rejoice and Sing 339	Great God your love has called us here

Brian Wren (1936- )
	The most complete, succinct statement of Reformed theology I have ever seen. Who needs creeds?	
Rejoice and Sing 159	Hark the Herald Angels sing

Charles Wesley (1707-88) altered	Amongst the sentimental trash of Christmastide the theology of incarnate Deity and the restoration of true humanity through Christ. It is also a wonderful example of the way in which a hymn has developed over the centuries and bemuses those who complain about modern changes to hymns.	
Partners in Learning
	I dream of a church 
Kate Compston 1999	This hymn was published in Partners in Learning in May 2001 and I was struck by this wonderful image of God and her church "that can pick up its skirts, pirouetting,". I'd like to belong to one like that please. I've not found it published anywhere else and so include the full text at Appendix 5. 	
Rejoice and Sing 144	It came upon the midnight clear

E.H. Spears (1810-76)
	The angels proclaim "Glory to God! Peace on earth" not "Glory to Asda! Hand over your cash".	
Rejoice and Sing 243	Now the green blade rises

J.M.C. Crum (1872-1958)	The notion that love lives again and again, constantly reborn, always renewed.	
Rejoice and Sing 285	O for a thousand tongues to sing

Charles Wesley (1707-88)	Combines praise of God's glory, with the power of liberation, the goodness of grace and our need to proclaim the honours of God's name. To be sung to Lyngham for best effect.	
Rejoice and Sing 635	Put peace into each others hands

Fred Kaan (1929- )	With my clumsy hands outstretched I am offered peace to protect, treasure, share.	
Sent by the Lord
	Sent by the Lord am I

From the oral tradition, translation Jorge Maldonado 1991	We sang this at my ordination and I always sing it with a large degree of trepidation - are my hands really ready? Is it really my task to "change a world of hurt and pain"? Yet it gives confidence for God trusts us to do these things together.	
Rejoice and Sing 636	The Church of Christ in every age

F. Pratt Green (1903- 2000)
	Like I dream of a church, this hymn is an aspiration for those of us who believe that despite itself the Church of Christ is called to "spread his liberating Word".	
Rejoice and Sing 200	The Kingdom of God is justice and joy

Bryan A Rees (1911-83)
	The Kingdom of God is.  	
Rejoice and Sing 107
WG2	The love of God comes close

John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule (1958- )	The love, peace, joy, grace, Son of God is close - embracing those who walk his way.	
Partners in Learning 	We shall go out with hope of resurrection 

June Boyce Tillman 1993	A confident inspiring proclamation of hope which gives voice to the power of a community immersed in resurrection story.  I’ve not found it published elsewhere so include the text at Appendix 5. 	
Rejoice and Sing 217	When I survey the wondrous cross
 Isaac Watts (1674-1748)	There have been many attempts to reflect on the significance of the cross but none have matched the poetry and emotion of Isaac Watts	
Rejoice and Sing 558	Will you come and follow me?

John Bell (1949- ) & Graham Maule (1958- )	Despite the confidence with which this is often sung - our journey is marked by a series of question marks and before we can contemplate singing the final verse there needs to be at least a tentative "yes" to the nine queries.	

Appendix 5
I dream of a church that joins in with God’s laughing
as she rocks in her rapture, enjoying her art:
she’s glad of her world, in its risking and growing:
’tis the child she has borne and holds close to her heart.

I dream of a church that joins in with God’s weeping
as she crouches, weighed down by the sorrow she sees:
as she cries for the hostile. the cold and no-hoping –
for she bears in herself our despair and dis-ease.

I dream of a church that joins in with God’s dancing
as she moves like the wind and the wave and the fire:
a church that can pick up its skirts, pirouetting,
with steps that can signal God’s deepest desire.

I dream of a church that joins in with God’s loving
as she bends to embrace the unlovely and lost:
a church that can free, by its sharing and daring,
the imprisoned and poor – and then shoulders the cost.

God make us a church that joins in with your living,
as you cherish and challenge, reign in and release,
a church that is winsome, impassioned, inspiring:
lioness of your justice, and lamb of your peace.

© Kate Compston, 
(suggested tune: The Streets of Laredo)

We shall go out with hope of resurrection.
We shall go out, from strength to strength go on.
We shall go out and tell our stories boldly,
Tales of a love that will not let us go.
We’ll sing our songs of wrongs that can be righted.
We’ll dream our dreams of hurts that can be healed.
We’ll weave a cloth of all the world united
within the vision of a Christ who sets us free.

We’ll give a voice to those who have not spoken.
We’ll find a word for those whose lips are sealed.
We’ll make the tunes for those who sing no longer,
Vibrating love alive in every heart.
We’ll share our joys with those who still are weeping,
Chant hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief.
We’ll leap and dance the resurrection story
Including all within the circles of our love.
		 
June Boyce-Tillman ©1993 Stainer and Bell, Ltd, London & Women in Theology.
Suggested Tune Londonderry Air

Rejoice, the reign of God is here;
the broken down stand tall
the speechless sing,
we all draw near
To crown him Lord of all

Rejoice, the grace of God will rain
as gentle love shall fall;
the sleepless dream,
we grasp love's strain
To crown him Lord of all

Rejoice, the cross becomes a throne;
the grave a banquet hall
the hungry feed,
walk not alone
To, crown him Lord of all

Rejoice the Son of God will reign
Rise up and hear the call
The child shall lead.
renewed again
We, crown him Lord of all.

 © Craig Muir 2001
Suggested Tune:	Diadem

Bibliography
HYMNBOOKS
Congregational Union of England and Wales (1950), Congregational Praise [CP] (London: Independent Press)
Common Ground Editorial Committee and Saint Andrew Press (1998) Common  Ground: A Songbook for all the Churches (CG) (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press)
Methodist Publishing House (1983) Hymns and Psalms: A Methodist and Ecumenical Hymn Book (HP) (London: Methodust Publishing House)
The Church Hymnary Trust (1927) The Church Hymnary, Revised Edition [CH2] (London: Oxford University Press)
The Church Hymnary Trust (1973) The Church Hymnary, Third Edition [CH3] (London: Oxford University Press)
The Iona Community (1987) Heaven Shall Not Wait, [WG1] (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications)
The Iona Community (1988) Enemy of Apathy, [WG2] (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications)
The Iona Community (1989) Love From Below, [WG3] (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications)
The Iona Community (1991) Sent By The Lord: songs of the world church, volume two, [WG1] (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications)
The United Reformed Church (1991) Rejoice and Sing [Rejoice and sing], (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
United Methodist Church, U.S.A. (1989) United Methodist Hymnal: Book of United Methodist Worship (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House)
[http://www.gbod.org/worship/umhlist.html, accessed 5 August 2003, gives a full alphabetical index]
[http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=7909&loc_id=17,482,485, accessed 5 August 2003, lists hymns from Asia and Pacific Region]
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The Presbyterian Hymnal: Hymns. Psalms and Spiritual Songs, (Louiseville: Westminster/John Knox Press)
BOOKS
Bell, John (2000) The Singing Thing: A case for congregational singing, (Glasgow, Wild Goose Publications)
Bradley, Ian (1990), The Penguin Book of Hymns, (London: Penguin)
Brueggemann, Walter (2001) The Prophetic Imagination; Second Edition, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,, 
Davie, Donald (1993) The Eighteenth-Century Hymn in England, (Cambridge: Cambrige University Press)
Duck, Ruth (1995) Finding Words For Worship, (Louiseville:Westminster John Knox)
Gaunt, Alan (1991) Hymn Texts, (London: Stainer & Bell)
Haeussler, Armin (1952) The Story of our Hymns: The Handbook to the Hymnal of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, (St. Louis: Eden Publishing House)
Hopewell, James F. (1988) Congregations: Stories and Structures (London: SCM)
Milgate, Wesley (1982) Songs of the People of God: A companion to the Australian Hymn Book With One Voice, (London: Collins)
Routley, Erik (1952) Hymns and Human Life, (London: John Murray)
Sydnor, James Rawlings, (1982) Hymns and Their Uses, (Carol Stream: Agape)
Tindall, Adrienne (1997) Encounter with Eric Routley, (Vernon Hills: Darcy Press)
United Reformed Church (1999),  Companion to Rejoice and Sing, (Norwich: Canterbury Press) 
Watson, J.R. (1997) The English Hymn: A Critical and Historical Study, (Oxford:Clarendon Press)`
Woodward, James and Pattison, Stephen (2000) The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing)
Wren, Brian (1989) What Language Shall I Borrow? God-Talk in Worship: A Male Response to Feminist Theology, (London: SCM) 
Wren, Brian (2000), Praying Twice: The Music and Words of Congregational Song, (Louiseville: Westminster/John Knox)
ARTICLES
Bell, John, “Who is for Apollo?” Church Music Quarterly, April 1999, 14-17
Boyce-Tillman, June “We shall go out with hope”, Partners in Learning, April to August 2000, p50 [also available on various websites
 e.g. http://www.ncca.org.au/aic/week_of_prayer/Weekop03.doc, accessed 5 August 2003
Compston, Kate, “I Dream of a Church”, Partners in Learning, April to August 2001, p56 [see also http://www.womenpriests.org/prayer/poems.htm#dream, accessed 5 August 2003]
Lyon, Brynolf, “What is the Relevance of Congregational Studies for Pastoral Theology?” in Woodward, James and Pattison, Stephen (2000) The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing) pp257-271
INTERNET
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/ accessed 5 August 2003
http://www.hymnsite.com/ accessed 5 August 2003
Bell, John and Robertson, Charles on behalf of the Church Hymnary Revision Committee, http://h10.tripod.com/hymnary_revision.htm accessed 5 August 2003
Dictionary of American Hymnology http://www.oberlin.edu/library/libncollect/DAH.html accessed 5 August 2003
Muir, Craig,  http://www.rochdale-urc.care4free.net/minister1999.htm#worship accessed 5 August 2003
St. Andrew’s Covenant http://www.rochdale-urc.care4free.net/standrews accessed 5 August 2003
Hallfold Mission Statement
http://www.rochdale-urc.care4free.net/hallfold.htm#mission accessed 5 August 2003