What is your favourite song?
Everyone has one, or multiple. Chances are, you have a playlist of all your favourite songs. But— why is it your favourite song?
There is a saying: “When you’re happy, you listen to the tune. When you’re sad, you listen to the lyrics.”
There might be multiple reasons for this. You might like the tune, or it’s a ‘feel-good’ song. You can have the worst day in your life, but when that song plays wherever you are, it instantly lifts your mood by 1000%. I know for a fact a lot of my favourite songs are catchy, but sentimental old me, my favourite songs are tied to experience in my life. They’re part of my wall of highlights.
The songs on my playlist
I always go with “Better Than This” by Kimberley Locke when I think about my recent family week trip with my parents, and I was even blasting it in my headphones during midnight on New Year’s Day. It has a really hopeful tone of a confident future. “Scenery” by V of BTS is a special one I reserve for my memories walking the streets of London years ago. And until now, that song transports me back. Then there is “I Will Always Choose You”, which is an INC Original song, because yes, the Church Of Christ does have their own original music. That song is a great reminder to always choose God, no matter the circumstance.
My absolute favourite songs are my favourite songs because of the lyrics. These songs weren’t written for me, but that is the beauty of music and lyrics, isn’t it? Words and tunes crafted together in one way, but mean something different for each person. Songs like that might define who you are, or a song that represents everything you’re going through right now. Songs have a way of expressing for you what you can’t.
What are my absolute favourite songs, you might ask?
You won’t find them on any music streaming app.
They’re not even on my playlist.
They’re known by a different name: Hymns.
The Worship Service Hymns
I am a choir member in the Church Of Christ. My duty (or role) in the worship service is to lead the singing of hymns together with my fellow choir members. If you haven’t been to a service in the Church Of Christ, you are missing out. But let me tell you what you’ll hear first the moment you walk in: you’ll hear the hymns.
The hymns of praises open our worship services. You’ll hold a hymnal book, turn to a hymn number, and the choir members will stand up and begin to sing it. Led by the organist, the choir will stand up to sing each hymn, and the worshippers can pick up a congregational hymnal book (or follow the lyrics projected onto the screen) and sing along.
What Makes Church Hymns Unique
Like other songs, the worship service hymns are crafted with words and tunes that harmonize to create meaning. But unlike ordinary songs, they serve another purpose: they help you talk to and praise our Lord God and Jesus Christ. They’re also an integral part of the worship services in the Church Of Christ.
The hymns are pieces of music that are solemn, joyful, and meaningful. They aren’t what you might think they are—they aren’t made for “mega-church” concerts, crafted with loud bass and pop beats.
The hymns are crafted for the worship service. Each word is heavy with meaning, and each note is heavy with spirituality.
Each hymn is special, but they help us talk to our LORD God and our Lord Jesus Christ. For members of the Church Of Christ, the hymns not only help us to say what we can’t find the words for but also serve as reminders.
You see, the hymns understand us. We all live different lives, we all go through different things. But the hymns provide specific reminders always to worship God, no matter what; to follow His teachings; to love the brotherhood in the Church. And if we listen closely to them, each hymn reminds us how to be close to our LORD God.
But, let me tell you what my favourite part of the worship service hymns is:
They help me feel seen.
And I’m not the only one.
The Effects of Hearing the Hymns
I spoke to a sister from my local congregation, Sister Lois. She is not a choir member, however like me, she loves the hymn-singing part of the worship service. She says:
“The hymns express our innermost feelings, which may be sometimes hard to express in our spoken language. Most of all, they express our gratefulness to God and our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the Church Administration”
She told me about a difficult time she and her family went through. Her mum had been diagnosed with cancer, and it was challenging for Lois. She told me how her mum would request songs, as a way to cheer her up.
There was a hymn that Lois related to the most:
“Oftentimes, I sing with [her mother] “As for me and my Family.” It really gave us strength and always reminded us to stay strong as a family and reminded us of our commitment to God that no matter what happens we will serve Him.”
And when her mother passed away recently, it took Lois a while to get up on her feet. But I always see her, one of the first people to walk into the house of worship, waiting for the worship service to start. Lois is one of the strongest people I know and a Children’s Worship Service Teacher. But even people who inspire us, feel defeated at times too. I asked her how she overcame her sadness, how she handled her mother’s passing, needing to fly from the Philippines back to Melbourne to continue with her life here.
She told me about a time she was teaching for the Children’s Worship Service. The hymns began, and there was one hymn that resonated with her:
“The time I taught again in the [Children’s Worship Service] after my mom passed away, the hymn where it says “even though we will be orphaned” was sung and it was really something I needed. No matter what happens, God will never leave us.”
You would think that hymn was coincidentally sung on a day Lois needed it most. But I say it wasn’t a coincidence. That is the power, and beauty of God’s love, through the hymns. This is precisely how hymns work.
The Blessed Moments of Hymns
In a Blessed Moments episode, Sister Mirasol Anzunas Padilla from Tarlac, Philippines, expresses her gratitude to our Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, for officiating a special worship service for choir members which she was blessed to attend. Sister Mirasol has been a choir member for 69 years, calling this her “lifelong duty”.
She talks about how serving as a choir member all these years is the reason for her family’s peace and prosperity, from herself, to her children and grandchildren. She draws inspiration from the teaching of God, led by the Church Administration, to keep going in her duty. She says:
“[The messenger] reminded us to live a righteous life, be diligent, and wholeheartedly fulfill our duties…that we should hold on to what God can do in our lives.”
Just like Lois’s story, the hymns remind us of messages, just like what Sister Mirasol beautifully puts it. And that is a reminder to always believe in, trust in, and rely on what God can do for us. We should continue always to please Him, and when we cannot find the words to say, the hymns speak the words our hearts could not find.
It is no wonder why she remained a choir member all these years. As a choir member myself, I find hymns to be my greatest companion. I am blessed to have my music scores and look through them any time, and my duty as a choir member is a blessing from God. It brings me closer to Him, and whenever I sing, I feel closest to Him – as if He was right next to me, and I, holding my hymnal book, sing to Him as I silently plead for Him to look at my heart for the things I want to cry out to Him, that the hymns can kindly do for me.
Want to experience the power of the worship service hymns?
If you’ve found this blog, and you have never heard of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), or heard anything about our worship services, I encourage you to attend one. It is one perspective to read this blog, but you’ll need to find out more yourself. Even to just sit, observe, and hear the hymns of praises for yourself.
What to Expect in Your First Visit
You can watch this video on what to expect in a worship service. You’ll see what I mean when I say the hymns have a way of helping the members of the Church Of Christ feel seen.
It’s one of the elements that makes our worship services special, and unique from the others. The heart of our worship services is our Lord God’s teachings, but we start with the hymns to help us feel God’s presence. It is there for us to sing praises to God, to thank Him for the miracles He brings into our lives, and to help us put into words the troubles we have so God can bless us with what we need.
And when you’re ready:
Find a worship service near you>>
The next time you attend a worship service, tell me what hymn helped you express how you feel inside. You can find me on Instagram. You never know; we might have the same favorite hymn.
