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Monthly column on hymns and songs

Discovering and appreciating hidden treasure in holiday church hymns

To judge from the adverts and supplements in your favourite monthly paper, evangelical Christians are not averse to a few days' holiday now and then, notably in August.

This is not a criticism; the Old Testament Hebrews had plenty. Travel was at ground level but time off was generous. We assume that EN readers will also keep Sunday special by (among other things) meeting with fellow-believers, maybe in one of the advertised assemblies. We have sampled the 'Churches Away' to our profit and joy.

A parable?

Now the kingdom of heaven is like this. Two readers went up to the chapel to pray. And one returned home and said: 'It was really very disappointing. I suppose the sermon was all right, and they did make me welcome, but (would you believe it?) I didn't know a single one of the hymns!'

And the other one returned giving thanks to God and said: 'It was marvellous! Not only a warm welcome and an excellent sermon, but (would you believe it?) we had four great hymns I had never sung before in my life! Two sounded old and two seemed new; I'm going to ask if we can learn at least one of each at our prayer meeting.'

A professing 'Church Away' is unlikely to go out of its way to choose obscure or unknown hymns in August. But they may do it quite unwittingly; they use a different book, after all! And one holiday joy can be the discovery of hidden treasure among the hymnals. It may be a rediscovery: 'I'd almost forgotten that tune!'; 'I haven't sung that for 20 years!' Or something arrestingly different.

Anniversaries

How many will notice that this year August 6 falls on Sunday? 50 years after they dropped the bomb. For the more ecclesiastically-minded, every Sunday this month has at least three possible titles, depending on which lectionary they use.

Others will look for historic events and people to commemorate; we have no outstanding August centenaries, but it is not too late to recall that 200 years ago William Cowper died and Matthew Bridges ('Crown him with many crowns') was born. Others will hold religiously aloof from any such special dates except that most sacred of all, the Sunday School Anniversary.

Appreciation

But holiday churches present another opportunity. Did you appreciate the organist, the music group, the choir, even the choice of hymns? You could actually take a moment, before grabbing your coffee-cup or car keys, to tell someone - if possible the musicians or singers themselves. They may have spent hours last week working on the music, and practising to get it just right for the Lord's Day - for you! Some-times it is easier to say 'Thank you' if you are a stranger. The team behind a church's music, which may be a dozen, or a literal one-man, one-woman band, is sometimes barely noticed until they go sick, leave the church, or even take a holiday themselves.

Then having discovered that it can be done while you are holidaying, you find that it is possible even when you come home again! Just be prepared for the occasional hiccup. One visitor mentioned to the preacher that she had warmly thanked the choir that evening. 'You did what?', he exclaimed. 'That's the lot I am trying to get rid of!'

Christopher Idle

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