It has been said that hymnals are the books we used to use. I contend that hymnals are a treasury of sentiments and melodies that have comforted Christians for many generations. Reading words on a PowerPoint presentation screen is not the same as holding a hymnal and singing, with numbered verses and lines of quarter notes on the printed page.
Singing “Keep me safe ’til the storm passes by” out of the hymnal reminds us that God’s providence can not only spare us from the April tornadoes but can also bring us through other kinds of storms that sometimes come into our lives.
Hymnals are dedicated to the memory of loved ones who have gone on to be with the Lord. If the books are never taken out of the back of the pew, then those dedications will never be read.
So open the book; take a look. Hymnals are not obsolete.
Kay Kelley Rudicell
Hamilton, Ala.
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