Methodists Love to Sing (Long)

Feb 24, 2021, 4:32 PM

This story is from one of the two books I hope to get published before I pass on. Several unexpected events have resulted in a delay.

Methodists love to sing but certain restrictions may apply. We don't particularly like a new hymn because many of us can't read music. We like those hymns we learned as a child. We knew every word and we didn't even have to open the hymnal. In fact, we knew the page number of a particular hymn before we learned to read. I suppose that was just part of being a Methodist.

I grew up in the Alachua Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The merger of several branches of Methodists had mot yet occurred. Alachua was a small town located in the north central part of Florida. I suppose it can no longer be called a small town because it now has it's own McDonalds, Dollar General and several places where on can get a pizza. Alachua has grown from about 1,000 during my youthful years to about 10,000. Walmart, Dollar General one of the large food companies have distribution centers located there. When I lived there, everyone knew all of the townspeople and there were not many opportunities to commit even a minor sin without everyone knowing about it.

The Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches were located on the same street, all within three blocks of each other. The Presbyterian congregation was small and held services on two Sundays each month. On those Sundays when they did not have a service, most of them came to the Methodist church. Those Presbyterians were know as Half-Methodists but they could sing like a full-blooded Methodist.

On the side wall of the sanctuary of the Methodist Church was a bulletin board which listed the page number of the hymns we would sing during the service. We sang the same hymns so many times every one knew the hymn without looking in the hymnal. I've seen so many of those same bulletin boards in other churches I've visited over the years. I've even seen some in Baptist and Presbyterian churches. I know the Methodist Publishing House or whatever the source of those bulletin boards must have made a fortune in sales. Sometimes the bulletin board contained other information such as attendance at Sunday School and/or church, and even the the amount of the offering receive the previous Sunday. Methodists talents always seemed bent toward the singing and making casseroles for church suppers than giving generously when the offering plate was passed. Some of those churches may have been too embarrassed to post the amount of the offering from the previous Sunday.

Now there were a few members who could really sing and they were usually in the choir but he talent level of those in the audience was difficult to describe. The voices were so different it was if we could call the roll simply by identifying the voice of the singer. Sometimes at the Sunday night service we had a songfest. Members called out the number of their favorite hymn. Sime of us younger boys knew the favorite hymn of most of the members of the congregation and we named them Mr. 347 or Mrs. 293.

There must have been a rule in the Methodist Book of Discipline about the number of verses of a hymn we allowed to sing. When the hymn was announced it was always followed by "we will sing the first two and last verses", The rule applied even if there were only three verses and sometimes when there were only two verses. Ever hymn was concluded with "Amen" and was strung out long enough for everyone to catch up and end at the same time.

Most Methodist ministers, when leaving a church for a new assignment, may give the incoming minister a few suggestions re the congregation in general and perhaps some specific suggestions. Probably the most important admonition would be to never ever introduce a new hymn until it has been approved by the Administrative Board and thoroughly discussed at a Quarterly Conference. I've seen newly assigned ministers attempt to introduce a new hymn. If page number was posted on the bulletin board the entire congregation would recognize it as a new hymn. Oh, sometimes the congregation liked the new hymn, particularly if the "not so good" singers could follow along with a decent hum. If some of the long-time members started patting their feet in cadence with the music, we knew the hymn was acceptable. But when the hymnal was slammed shut half way through the first stanza, the minister had already lost his congregation. He might as well say "Amen" and dismiss the congregation. I always associated a closed hymnal as a closed mind and the devil had already sneaked in the back door sporting a big grin.

Methodists are as varied as the weather but the one thing they have in common is their love for singing. In my travels around much of this wonderful world, I've seen Methodist churches where ever I went. In some countries, where the dominant religion was not a Christian church, they were few and far between, an usually a small congregation. Even with a small congregation when it came time for a hymn, those few members would raise their voices to a level which made it sound like a 157 voice choir. But the best singers by far, and the joy they they derive from singing must go to the Welsh. Anyone in the United Kingdom will readily tell you the Welsh Methodists put their heart and soul into a hymn. Their choirs, even in the smaller congregations are outstanding and hey have tapes to prove it.

Over the years we Methodists have gradually been introduced to more and more beautiful hymns. No longer do we close the hymnal when introduced to a new hymn. We have discovered that between the first and last page of the Methodist Hymnal, not only do we find beautiful music, we also find words that define our faith and offer us comfort.

And from the congregation, I hear a loud AMEN

Message was edited by: Joe21®

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Methodists Love to Sing (Long)

Re: Methodists Love to Sing (Long)

We Methodists love to sing, but if you dial up a hymn that

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