Teach a Course on the History of our Hymns


Every church I know has Bible studies. Why not devote a few weeks studying the rich history of our hymnody? I’m convinced that ordinary, pew-sitting, church-going Christians need to understand the history of the hymns, because the story of our songs is the musical record of our faith.

Might I suggest a textbook? In Then Sings My Soul, Book 3, I devote about fifty pages to a readable survey of the history of hymnody. It’s filled with easy-to-follow stories that begin with the first recorded hymn in Exodus 15 and tell the story all the way to our modern praise-and-worship choruses and hymns.

I’ve also prepared a free downloadable presentation guide for churches wanting to present this material in worship services or small groups.

Part 4 of Then Sings My Soul Book 3 also provides a rich body of material for group study: Hymning in Private and Public — how we can get the most from our hymns in both our private devotions and our public worship services.

Let’s teach our people to draw strength from the great hymns of the faith.

The planning guide is free; and heavily discounted prices are available for Then Sings in group quantities. Also, the first two volumes of Then Sings My Soul provide helpful background information on specific hymns and hymnists. If you have additional ideas for using this material in group settings, let me know. Let’s try to get something going here. Let’s rediscover the richness of our hymns!