When I was a young girl, I procured several different hymnals from friends of the family. I still have one of those old hymnals, the Broadman. The others, The Presbyterian Hymnal, (the red one) and the first Baptist Hymnal have been lost on various moves over the years.

I know this may shock you, but I was a bit of a geek due to my love of playing the piano on Friday nights after dinner in what my mother called "the living room," not to be confused with the much more casual "den" where my sweet father suffered through many television shows while listening to background piano noise. Occasionally, he would give up, and bring in his guitar where we would forego the hymns for a rousing evening of Johnny Cash, but I digress.

My ultimate goal was to play through each hymnal from page 1 to page 899 or some ridiculous number. The amazing thing was that I did just that. When you aren't a popular student, your Friday nights are pretty much always free.

I was struck by how many hymns were common between the Protestant denominations, with the exception of what I call the "blood" hymns such as : "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus," and "There is Power in the Blood," both of which were either in the Broadman or The Baptist Hymnals. There was a lot of focus on the sacrificial act of the Crucifixion set to rousing melodies with upbeat tempos. I know what you're thinking. You don't get it. I never did either.

Why am I waxing poetic about hymns? I think it's because they hold memories of bygone days where the church was the central focus of all things both religious and social in our small community. We had hymn sings, revival hymn singing, gospel hymn singing and more, all accompanied by covered dish lunches or suppers.

Times have changed. I know many long for those times to return, but we often have selective memories when it comes to the past. The same is true of hymns and singing. Some of the hymns I once loved don't really speak to me in the same way they once did. Others have stood the test of time, and are relevant to our Theology, painting musical pictures of our belief system with clarity about the love and goodness of God.

I recognize that we must pay homage to some of the tried and true hymns, but I also know that we as believers must be open to new melodies and new songs that will speak truth to our children and grandchildren. Perhaps, the new hymns will become their "old hymns" when they pass into their golden years. The young always teach me more than I could ever teach them. Yes, the wisdom of years is important to be sure, but it is often stated: "Out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom" as well. For us to go forward, a mixing of the traditional and contemporary might just be the very thing that saves the church at large. Our youth want us to listen. They want to be heard. They want to be accepted for who they are, and who they may become. With this in mind, let's listen to them. Let's join in with them and sing "a new song." Maybe, Friday night singing and playing will look and sound different, but be even more meaningful. Shalom.