We had a lively conversation about hymn-singing this morning.  As I type that, it strikes me that folk may come to this post thinking I'm going to be responding to Coivd regulations on congregational/public singing - so to be clear I'm not and we weren't. We're online, and mostly sing along, in our homes, to recordings of ourselves from the past.

The interesting points that seemed to emerge in conversation were...

• Do we 'like' or 'dislike' hymns/songs because of the words or because of the tune?
• Should we refuse to sing words with which we struggle or disagree?
• Is it true that (to borrow a phrase from someone who was part of the chat) there is a degree of 'Darwinism' about hymns such that, given time, only the 'best' or 'fittest' survive?
• What should/could we sing at harvest?
• Does it matter if we 'like' hymns/songs if the theology is 'good'? (Or vice versa)

These are excellent questions, to which whole research projects have undoubtedly be devoted.  I don't have any answers.

For now, the 'harvest' choices have been made. No scattered seeds and no harvest homes, but some awesome wonder and prayer for healing of the nations.