Evaluating New Songs
Mark Roberts
For the longest time it seemed brethren were fairly
certain Sacred Selections contained just about every
hymn that needed to be sung. Like it or not, that has
certainly changed. Many congregations are now using
some other hymnal other than Sacred Selections.
Many congregations have also added a “supplemental”
book (often paperback) that contains all kinds of
new hymns. Several brethren are actively writing and
publishing new hymns, with an emphasis on songs of
praise. All of these new song books and new songs
have dramatically expanded the options in our singing,
but is that a good thing? Just how do we go about
evaluating all these decidedly newer songs?
Is it too much to suggest that the criteria for new
songs is no different than that which should be used for
old songs, indeed, for every song? The New Testament
mandates acapella singing of “psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19) but allows us considerable
liberty in choosing those songs. We can sing fast
or slow, in four-part harmony or in unison. There is
nothing inherently good about old hymns nor is there
anything inherently wrong with a song simply because
it was written yesterday. We are at liberty to sing old or
new songs, but there are some important considerations
that should apply to every hymn we sing.
For example, a song ought to be a scripturally
accurate. The most important element of any hymn is
the words. If those words reflect or teach false doctrine
then the song fails. This is true of any hymn, old and
new. Singing has a teaching aspect to it. Who wants
to teach error? Of course, hymns receive some poetic
license because they use poetry and imagery to express
our emotions and feelings. This is true in the
Bible’s psalms (see Psalm 51:5, for example). Thus if
our standard is to go over every song with a fine tooth
comb and a magnifying glass we may end up unable to
sing even the inspired psalms in Scripture! That isn’t
fair to any hymn, and it is certainly unfair when that
standard is only applied to new songs. Yet if something
notably stands out as being inconsistent with New
Testament Christianity why should we have such a “fly
in the ointment” in our worship? We have no shortage
of hymns. Let us sing what is clearly and obviously
scripturally correct.
A song ought to be sing-able. In Restoration
Days most hymns were sung to the same tune so that
brethren could concentrate on the words instead of its
music. We have come a long ways since then! More
melodies have been introduced, and then four part
harmony became popular. As brethren’s musical sophistication
grew so our taste for more and more
complicated songs has grown. Now we sing hymns
with repeats, different parts “leading out”, all kinds of
musical notation and a variety of choruses and endings.
Some hymns are so complicated one needs a
roadmap to get through them! We need to remember
that if a song becomes too complex for “regular folk”
(especially those without formal musical training) to
sing then it loses its functionality in worship. If the
worshiper is paying too much attention to the repeats
and holds then he or she may not be giving sufficient
attention to the words and that is not good at all!
A song ought to edify. In a meeting once I found
myself singing with a congregation from their “supplemental”
song book. We sang a hymn where each part
(tenor, alto, soprano, bass) were singing different
words – all at the same time! I wonder if an elementary
school used four different teachers teaching four different
subjects simultaneously if the students could learn
anything at all? Such chaos and confusion is not
conducive to learning, so what was such doing in the
assembly of the saints? For certain, the hymn we sang
sounded very beautiful but I could not pick out any
specific words or hardly keep up with what I was
singing. From a spiritual standpoint, it seemed like a
complete disaster. How could anyone be edified when
nothing could be distinctly heard? Colossians 3:16
says we are to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord.” “Teaching and
admonishing” requires some degree of clarity, doesn’t
it? Further, it is fair to note that teaching also requires
a message that is being taught. Some songs repeat
the same word over and over. Repetition can be a part
of scriptural singing (see Psalm 136). But what is
taught, what is the message, in the continual repetition
of one word?
Singing is one of the easiest acts of worship, and
also one of the hardest. It is easy because it involves
a physical action on the part of the worshiper, it is
something we can all participate in. However, it is hard
to keep one’s heart engaged while doing the mouth and
tongue sing, isn’t it? We should be glad that new songs
are being written that help us praise God and edify one
another in contemporary terms and through new music
styles. Just their newness may help us “re-engage” in
singing in a better way. That said, all that is new is not
necessarily good. Let us choose wisely, both from our
rich heritage of grand old hymns and these new songs,
so that when we are singing our music is beautiful to
God because we are “singing and making melody in
our hearts to the Lord.”