Many traditional hymns that became synonymous with Sunday worship are falling victim to almost rampant modernism. Across denominations, hymns are being replaced by contemporary praise choruses in order to accommodate a younger generation of church attendees.  The magnificent resonance of the pipe organ accompanied by the purity of young choristers has been replaced with the driving beat of the trap set and nasal voices.  The majestic, poetic language of the hymn which contained theology and lavish praise towards Almighty God has been traded for two or three repetitious sentences expressing mankind’s experiential ups and downs.  There is a danger that “family worship” will no longer encompass the spectrum of ages within church, and morning worship in churches will become increasingly segregated.  Furthermore, the ethos of the hymn as a way of communicating theology to people, is in danger of being lost as more “experiential” songs are used. 

 There are celebrations all over the world this year as lovers of old hymns celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Charles Wesley, who is considered to be the greatest hymn writer in the English language.  Charles was the younger brother of the equally famous, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.  While John traveled thousands of miles across Britain and Ireland, preaching the gospel of salvation, Charles was busy writing hymns for Methodist converts to sing.  He is credited with writing between six and ten thousand hymns, among which are favourites such as, “Love Divine,” “Arise, My Soul Arise,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” and seasonal carols such as, “Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”

Astonishingly, Charles Wesley’s greatest contribution to hymnody was not the number of hymns he wrote.  Rather, it was his ability to write a “balanced” hymn containing appropriate amounts of theological and biblical truths, yet including expressions of Christian experience.  The result is that Charles Wesley’s hymns are still enjoyed by people of all ages in 21st century Christianity. 

One Wesley hymn that particularly resonates with worshippers is “And Can it Be.”   This hymn is sung with great passion at large Christian youth events, magnificent Cathedrals, humble mission halls and through local churches across the country.  Irrespective of age and worship preference, Christians of different denominations sing, “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee.” Voices swell as they proclaim the final stanza with victorious acclaim, “No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!”  The rich poetic language of the hymn is maintained, the theology of freedom from sin is explained, and a prominent note of personal joy in a victorious Christian relationship with Christ is pronounced.

Wesley discovered a fervent and universally popular method of writing hymns for worship which obviously worked, the passage of time bowing to the strength of his words. Have you discovered the truth, and experienced the joy behind his hymns- of a life of freedom from the chains of sin?