Hymns have had an enduring legacy in our churches. Even though modern worship music has been around for several decades, hymns continue to punctuate our most important moments, ranging from Christmas carols to funeral songs. Why have hymns endured? Why do we continue to sing them? Do they serve a purpose, or are they the vestiges of a bygone era?

Over the next seven weeks, we will be looking at the theology behind our favorite hymns along with the authors and events that precipitated their writing. On this first week, we will discuss the beginning of hymn writing and the comparison between hymns and modern worship music.