How to Make Hymns a Part of Your Life
Sometimes, it can be the “how” that really trips us up. I can’t tell you the number of times in my life that I look at a problem and say, “I know such-and-such needs to happen, I’m just not sure how to do it.”
If you’re anything like me, identifying the problem—or even seeing the end goal—does not necessarily equate with getting there.
So, do we sometimes find ourselves in the same position when it comes to incorporating great literature into our daily lives? Do we recognize the value of good and great hymns, but struggle to see how we can introduce them into our busy schedules?
If that’s ever been a problem for you, then be sure to read on!
Make A Regular Time for Singing Hymns Each Day
Singing hymns once a week on Sunday morning really isn’t enough to instill a love of hymns in your family. On the other side of the coin, having a regular time for singing hymns in your weekday schedule is very valuable.
This doesn’t have to be a major time commitment. One or two songs sung at the beginning or end of a meal, the start of your homeschool day, or added to your family devotions time, can take less than ten minutes, while providing significant rewards.
Make Hymns A Part of Your School Curriculum
Our 21st century educational model is heavily centred around text—and yet the message of that text is often unimportant. Every student completes hundreds of exercises every year for which it truly doesn’t matter what the text is saying!
Examples of this kind of scenario include:
- reading practice
- penmanship/copy work
- grammar exercises
- memory work
- typing practice
- composition topics
- art projects
In most of these cases it really doesn’t matter, from an academic perspective, what text you use for these assignments! Why not take advantage of this fabulous opportunity to incorporate hymns into your child’s life?
Learn New Hymns
One thing that can really be a stimulus to family enthusiasm about hymns in general, is the simple practice of learning new hymns.
Years later, I can frequently pinpoint the exact time of my life when I learned a given hymn. The words and tune still bring back the thoughts and feelings that were vivid when it was “new.” There are hymns that I love simply for the connotation they bring with them.
Another way of sparking interest is to involve the whole family in picking new hymns to learn. And if you’re concerned that learning new tunes is too difficult for you, let me assure you that in our day and age, it doesn’t have to be. The internet abounds with hymn recordings and tune samples which will make learning new music simple and fun!
One great way of learning new hymns that I have enjoyed in recent years, is listening to Oasis Chorale’s Hymns of the Church CD series. Every hymn in this set (currently three volumes) is taken from the Hymns of the Church hymnal, published by Benchmark Press. Both the hymnal and the CD set are excellent resources for expanding your repertoire.
How To Make Hymns A Part of Your Life
So you see, this time the “how” wasn’t actually that hard. It just requires a little intentionality to incorporate hymns into your day-to-day life.
The rewards are definitely worth it. And the methods are pretty simple! Even for those of you who don’t feel musically ready for learning new hymns, there are many helpful resources that can get you over the first bumps and make hymns an enjoyable family experience.
So why don’t you try it? I’m confident that you’ll not be disappointed!
Wondering where to start in choosing new hymns to learn? Check out this resource for free hymn lyrics and tunes—by the thousands!
You might also enjoy:
Isaac Watts’ four reasons to teach your children hymns challenges you to make use of a powerful tool for training the next generation.
Are you looking for ways to add hymns to your school curriculum? Our Hymns of American History series offers hymn lists for eight key eras.
Do you frequently struggle to engage your students’ attention and interest? This Timeless Tip draws a vital connection between discussion and thought.