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Musical devotions: Hearing familiar hymns with new ears

The published and unpublished verse of Charles Wesley teach us a great deal about our relationship with God. Image by Kathryn Price, United Methodist Communications.
The published and unpublished verse of Charles Wesley teach us a great deal about our relationship with God. Image by Kathryn Price, United Methodist Communications.

Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,000 hymns that were sung by the early Methodists. Through these lyrics they learned about God, Jesus, discipleship, love, and so much more.

This is still true for United Methodists today. Spending time with the hymns of Charles Wesley, both those in the United Methodist Hymnal and others, can help us grow in our faith.

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Church History
The Rev. Ted Campbell edited and published “A Core Methodist Hymnal,” a collection of 126 hymn texts by Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby and others. Campbell intends the book as a devotional and teaching resource “to form people today in a Wesleyan and Methodist way of being Christian.” Photo courtesy of the Rev. Ted Campbell.

New attention for old hymn texts
Scholar Ted Campbell has edited a book for devotional reading of early Methodist hymns. Each of the 126 hymn texts is followed by a short commentary from Campbell.
Worship
Graphic by Taylor W Burton Edwards.

Ask The UMC: How do the Sunday readings for Advent differ from year to year?
The Advent readings pursue three different themes in the three different years.
Worship
The St. John's United Methodist Church Choir in Lubbock, Texas, performs "My Soul Gives Glory to My God." Photo courtesy of St. John's United Methodist Church.

Ask The UMC: The liturgical history of Lessons and Carols
Increasingly over the past four decades, United Methodist congregations with choirs have included a service of Lessons and Carols among their Advent or Christmas musical celebrations. While the music may be what draws people to the services, what actually drives the vigil form of worship historically is an extended period of listening to the Scriptures.

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