Most Frequently Chosen Hymns for Worship

What are some of your favorite hymns?

That’s a loaded questions since there are many from which to choose. My United Methodist hymnal includes 678 hymns!

Also, the word “favorite” is misleading since it might end up being the refrain from a lesser known hymn that ends up carrying us through a challenging situation that we may be facing at a particular time. It might not have been at the top of our playlist, but it was just what we needed to help us rely on God’s presence, strength, comfort, and guidance. 

For the past several decades, I have spent my Mondays scanning through the pages of the hymnal to select hymns that will help the congregation to sing our faith on Sunday morning. Most Sundays, I include three hymns for us to sing which include an opening hymn of praise, a middle hymn of reflection and prayer, and a closing hymn that sends us into our community to live out our faith. 

If you do the math (52 weeks x 3 hymns per week) that means I pick 156 hymns each year for our worship services. And then there’s the special services like Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Holy Week services when I also need to select hymns.

Fortunately, there are some basic boundaries and guard rails to aid in the selection of hymns. Thank you, seminary! I really did pay attention in class! For example, it’s probably not a good idea to sing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” for a Good Friday service or the hymn, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See” for your first Sunday at your new church. 

Some of the boundaries that I find helpful are choosing hymns of praise and thanksgiving for the opening hymn, hymns of reflection and prayer for the middle hymn, and hymns of being sent forth to serve and share our faith for the closing hymn. Also, it’s good to use hymns that support the main theme of the worship service and  are appropriate for the church season such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. 

And on a personal level, I try to not fall into the rut of simply rotating the greatest hymns playlist. Less familiar hymns can be just as meaningful if the lyrics are appropriate to the theme and they are at least a C+ in being singable. Sometimes these hymns can grow on you over time.

Ok, this is what I’m really getting to in this focus on selecting hymns. Recently, I decided to chart all the hymns I have selected for worship services from 2015 to 2025. Again, this has been selecting three hymns every Sunday! 

The first thing I discovered is that of the 678 hymns in the United Methodist hymnal, I have selected 260 of them at least once. During these past ten years of selecting hymns for worship, I have used 38% of the available hymns! I would be interested to know how this stacks up with other pastors because I really don’t know if this shows a decent amount of hymn diversity selection or if this is way too low of a percentage. 

The second thing that jumped out at me is that even the hymns I chose the most were only used an average of three times per year or less! 

Here are the top 10 hymns that I chose over these past ten years along with the number of times they were chosen.

#1 “Amazing Grace” (29 Times)

#2 “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (24 Times)

#3 “Spirit Song” (22 Times)

#4 to #5 (2-Way Tie) “How Great Thou Art” & “Here I Am Lord” (21 Times Each)

#6  “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” (20 Times)

#7 to #10 (4-Way Tie) “Joy to the World,” Blessed Assurance,” “Jesus Calls Us” & “How Firm a Foundation” (18 Times Each)

And congrats to “Amazing Grace” for being the most selected hymn as it probably deserves to be! 👏

So what do you think? Any surprises on this top 10 list?

I can’t only think of one. How did “Free Bird” not make the list??? 🤪

Why I Attend Church

There are many reasons why people attend or don't attend worship at church. Here are a few,

• I like to hear the choir.
• Christmas is my favorite time of year.
• It's good to see my friends.
• It's become a habit.
• I want to learn about God.
• The service is boring.
• It's the one day I can sleep in.
• The sermon goes on and on.
• They just want my money.

Yes, even we preachers think some of these things from time to time! But not yesterday. Not yesterday.

Yesterday was a day that I was reminded of why I enjoy attending worship each week. Besides the fact that it's my job as a pastor, and that it is so ingrained in me to attend that I can't imagine not attending worship, here's the real reason why I attend worship in church....

Are you ready for this?

Are you sitting down?

The real reason I attend worship on a weekly basis is because God seems to always show up there!

God shows up in worship even if the choir isn't singing, even if the refreshment people had to call in sick, even if it's a sermon that doesn't hit it out of the park. God always seems to be present anyway!

Yesterday was a Sunday morning. I woke up with a heavy heart. A good friend of mine, an elderly retired United Methodist pastor who has probably had the biggest spiritual influence in my life recently passed away after a long struggle with leukemia. 

He served many roles in my life. He was my first District Superintendent when I was just beginning pastoral ministry. He asked me to serve as his Associate Pastor for my second church appointment. We traveled to Israel together. He and his wife became surrogate grandparents for our two children when they were young since our parents lived out of state. Even in the years when we didn't live in the same area, we would meet for coffee, lunch, or breakfast and he always had an encouraging word to share with me.

When I served as his Associate Pastor, he taught me what he knew about the daily grind of being a pastor and the importance of staying focused on Christ. Even though he was a father figure, he was also a great friend.

And so, with a  heavy heart, I went to church yesterday to lead our two worship services. I had chosen to wear a tie that I bought from the same store where he liked to buy his ties. My paisley tie looks a little outdated, but it was a small way for me to pay tribute to my friend that day.

Before the second worship service, a church member commented on my tie! She said, "I like the paisley look!" I know this was subtle, but it was like God tapped me on my shoulder after that little comment and whispered in my ear, "I'm here for you."

Following the last worship service, I met a couple who were visiting their family over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. They live in the opposite corner of the state in a town where my friend and I had served together back in the early 90's. I smiled as I thought about that small world moment. "Of all Sundays," I thought to myself. "Thank you, God."

When this young couple told me that they actually attend the same United Methodist Church where my friend and I had served, that's when I felt another little tap on my shoulder from God. 

"Like I told you, I'm here with you today."

No, there were no big flashes of lightening or burning bushes during worship yesterday, but I was reminded of why I attend worship each week. It's because God attends worship, too.

What a novel thought.

Worship Bloopers - The Lighter Side of Faith

Last Sunday, we began a seven week sermon series on the Letter of Ephesians in which the Apostle Paul teaches us about seven key ways to have a varsity level faith. The first key way is through weekly worship. Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians with words of worship:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." - Ephesians 1:3a

What a way to begin a letter! Instead of starting with the usual, "How are you doing?" "I've been meaning to write to you." "How's your church doing?" Paul begins his letter with words of worship. It sounds like Paul is trying to tell us something here. Worship is important!

Worship can be inspiring, moving, and deeply touching, and at times, it can make us laugh when we least expect it. Just think about the bulletin bloopers that get forwarded in emails. I shared two of my favorite bulletin bloopers during my sermon this past Sunday.

"Ushers will eat latecomers."

"Please do not heave during the organ postlude."

Pastors are known to get a little tongue-tied during their sermons. For example, just a few months ago, I referred to one of our youth as "Harrison Ford."

One of my home pastors was known to use the word, "lesbians" when what she really meant to say was "Lebanese." 

During an ordination service several years ago, I could swear that as our Bishop was laying his hands on one of the ordinands, he said something about "aardvarks."

During a children's sermon, a child said that the reason his father doesn't attend church is because he likes to sleep in on Sunday. That father never lived that one down! By the way, I'm sure a whole book could be published with funny things kids say during children's sermons.

Now, why would anybody decide to not attend worship when they might miss out on all kinds of spontaneous worship bloopers? Worship is too important to miss! It's our opportunity to worship our Creator and Redeemer!

And besides, it would just be awful if you miss church one Sunday and later that week, someone says to you, 

"You missed a good one this past Sunday. You won't believe what the preacher let slip during his sermon!"

A Varsity Faith - A Summer Sermon Series

Remember the varsity letters and jackets people wore during high school? When you “lettered” in a sport or activity that meant that you were an important part of the team.

Beginning Sunday, July 12 and throughout the summer, I will be preaching a series on “A Varsity Faith” based on the Letter of Ephesians in the New Testament. We will be reflecting on what it means to letter in worship, Christian unity, Christian growth, spiritual gifts, kindness, a spirit-filled Life, and prayer. These are the key topics that Paul highlights in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus.

For the first Sunday of the series, I will be wearing my high school varsity jacket during the sermon. I would like to wear a different varsity jacket each week for the following Sundays to help emphasize our “Varsity Faith” summer worship theme.

Contact the church office before the series begins to let us know if you would be willing to allow your new pastor to wear your varsity jacket for one of the Sundays. I would be honored!

Together, may we grow in having a varsity level type of faith.

Please Lord, may it not be in the 90’s with high humidity during these Sundays. Amen.

• Worship (July 12)
• Christian Unity (July 19)
• Christian Growth (July 26)
• Spiritual Gifts (August 2)
• Kindness (August 9)
• Spirit-filled Life (August 16)
• Prayer (August 23)

We Need "Gene Gene Dancing Machine" Moments During Worship!

When I recently read that "Gene Gene The Dancing Machine" passed away, I was reminded of those fun "Gong Show" interruptions when a joyful dance would break out unexpectedly. Everyone, including the game show host, contestants, and audience began to dance at the appearance of Gene Gene the Dancing Machine and the first notes of the song, "Jumpn' at the Woodside."

They say that every Sunday is "A Little Easter." Why not break out into an unexpected dance of joy just after the offering announcement is given or after a scripture reading? Can you picture the ushers leading the congregation in a similar dance immediately after the Sacrament of Holy Communion?

A year or two ago, I conducted a funeral for an elderly man in our church. When I met with the family to plan for the service, his children shared fond memories of how their father would often surprise their mother by inviting her to dance together in their kitchen as they were preparing dinner.

I know that according to the Apostle Paul, worship is to be proper and orderly (I Corinthians 14:40) but that doesn't mean it should be boring and without life. We are an Easter people! The good news of the empty tomb should prompt us to break out into a song of celebration from time to time! New life has been made possible because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Do we need a Gene Gene Dancing Machine in the church to remind us that we are an Easter people?

The Church Singer - Reclaiming Congregational Singing

It happened again. Penny and I attended a worship service together this past Sunday evening. Immediately after the benediction, the people that were seated in front of us turned around and complimented Penny for her beautiful voice during the singing of the hymns.

Of course, I interrupted like I usually do and pretended that they were referring to my beautiful singing. I said, "Oh, thank you so much. That is so nice of you to say." 

This time, one of the ladies pointing right at Penny said, "No, we mean her!"

These fun exchanges always remind me of how awesome congregational singing could be in our churches if only we would internalize the lyrics and sing out our faith. Yes, I know that not all of us have the spiritual gift of singing, but all of us are called to be fully engaged in all parts of worship including the singing of hymns and praise songs.

To help reclaim congregational singing, these little reminders can make a huge difference in the quality of our collective singing:

• Think of the placement and the purpose of each hymn in the service. Typically, the opening hymn is one of praise and thanksgiving. Nothing sets the tone of worship like the opening hymn. As John Wesley reminds us, sing "lustily and with a good courage." Even a hymn that sets up the prayer can be sung with conviction. The closing hymn is chosen to help us take the message of he worship service with us to our homes, our work place, and to wherever we go.
• Think about the words that are in the hymn. One of the reasons hymns have several verses is because they tell a story. The verses build on each other. Allow the lyrics to grip your heart to the point where you can't help but to sing out your faith. 
• If you still feel that you can't sing out, at least mouth the words silently and be engaged during congregational singing. Just the visual of seeing everyone singing out is a powerful witness.

Singing in church is becoming one of those neglected spiritual disciplines. What if we reclaim this powerful way of expressing our faith through congregational singing? Would our churches begin to resemble the singing in this Welsh Church? (See video below.)

And if you ever sit in the pew in front of me during a worship service and compliment me for my singing, I can't take all of the credit. My wife is a pretty good singer, too.

"We Are the Church" - Tough Guy Version

Do you ever feel that some of our church songs just aren't tough enough? Well, listen to this new tough guy version of this old favorite song, "We Are the Church."

This is the kind of singing that will reach those blue collar, hard hat, lunch box carrying no no nonsense type of guys with the gospel. Teach this song to your congregation and before you know it, your church (choich?) will toughen up its image.

Keys to learning the tough version: It's not pronounced, "church." It's "choich." It's not "I am the church!" It's I's is the choich!" And last but not least, it's not "together!" It's "togettah!"

Lord, may this video go viral so that tough guys all around the world will know that we's is the choich togettah!

Sunday Morning Worship Highlights

The above picture is one of many cards I receive from little Methodists on Sunday mornings after worship services. This particular card looks like the highlights of this particular service were the Sacrament, a sermon graphic, and a picture of a dog which looks a lot like my dog!

These cards make me wonder what highlights stick with us when we worship. Was it a melody from the anthem, a phrase from the scripture reading, a sermon powerpoint visual, the moment of silence during the prayer, watching the acolytes bring in the light of Christ, or some other aspect of worship?

Too often, we take a worship service for granted and just go through the motions.

Call to Worship?  Check!
Opening Hymn? Check!
Offering? Check!
Benediction? Check!

Worship is much more dynamic than treating it as a series of things to accomplish. We believe that worship is one of God's "means of grace" that conveys God's love for us.

Attending worship is a key way for us to receive God's love made known to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Love is at the heart of worship. Love also invites us to respond by growing and serving in our faith.

Following a worship service, think about what stood our for you the most and share those highlights with someone. 

I'm still not sure how my dog, Lulu made it into the picture! Ha!

Top Ten Reasons to Go to Church

#10 - Can you think of any other place on Sunday morning where you can get free donuts and coffee?

#9 - I'm assuming your home doesn't have gorgeous and massive stained glass windows allowing heavenly light to overwhelm you with God's beauty and radiance.

#8 - It's good to clean up once in a while. Oh, wait. We're talking about "worship" and not "wash up." Never mind.

#7 - Some restaurants give you a 10% discount if you show them your Sunday bulletin.

#6 - A team of people spent more time than you can ever imagine in carefully preparing for those sixty minutes by writing prayers, selecting appropriate music, and crafting a sermon based on the scripture readings.

#5 - You will feel comforted, challenged, and inspired to live out your faith.

#4 - They just might be singing your favorite hymn that day.

#3 - Don't be surprised if out of the blue one day, someone says to you, "It was something you said to me at church one Sunday that helped me through a difficult situation in my life. Thank you."

#2 - Did I already mention the free donuts and coffee?

And the #1 reason for going to church is...

It's how we honor and glorify God as a community of faith.

The Worship After the Worship Service

As I was picking up my worship folder and hymnal following our last worship service this past Sunday, I noticed an impromptu mini-worship service taking place in the front pew section of the sanctuary.  Usually when the benediction is given, people scamper out to the parking lot, or grab a donut and some coffee in the parlor, or have polite conversation before heading home.

Not this group of youth and adults. They were forming a circle and offering prayers for one of our youth who will be moving to another state this week. As I watched this take place, I was reminded that worship isn't meant to end following the benediction. The benediction really marks the beginning of a new week where we continue to offer our support and encouragement for each other in the name of Christ. As I walked out of the sanctuary, a smile came to my face as I thought about that sacred moment for our young people.

Later that afternoon, I led a worship service at one of our local nursing homes for the residents, many of whom come in their wheelchairs. Only about half of the people were there because the Baptists had traveled to a special church event that day. I always miss the Baptists when they're not there because they know their bibles and they like to sing out!

Even though we were small in number, worship was really special that afternoon. One of my church members has been making a miraculous recovery from a massive stroke. When I visited her a few days before this service, she was able to drink coffee for the first time since her stroke several months ago. She has come a long way!

I brought communion elements with me to this Sunday afternoon service since it was World Communion Sunday. Together, we celebrated the Sacrament as part of our service.  Following the service, the church member who is recovering from a stroke said to me, Thank you for sharing Holy Communion. It meant so much to receive it with my two daughters this afternoon. It was a priceless moment as the daughters smiled back at their mom.

I left that nursing home, praising God for the gift of worship, not just for the two services I led earlier that day in my church, but also for the impromptu worship of our youth as well as the afternoon service at the nursing home.

This past week, our church focused on the importance of weekly communal worship as part of our "Committed to Christ" seven week church-wide focus. Yesterday, I was reminded why it's so vitally important.

Christmas Eve Worship Preview - December 24

December 24 - (5:30 P.M., 8 P.M., & 11 P.M.)

Sermon - "The Christmas Story According to St. John"

Features - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Scripture - Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-4; & John 1:1-14

Theme - John’s Gospel does not include the Christmas story like Matthew and Luke, but it does offer a much larger context of the coming of Jesus into the world. John tells us that Jesus is the light of the world and offers us the invitation to be born again and become children of God.

Happy New "Covenant" Year!

Several United Methodist Churches as well as other denominations with Methodist/Wesleyan theological roots will be offering "Wesleyan Covenant Services" in their churches around the New Year's holiday.

The Wesleyan Covenant service was an annual ritual of the early Methodists in London during the 18th century. This service was also used at different times throughout the year whenever John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, would visit the Methodist Societies (Wesley's organized small groups of Christian accountability within the Church of England.)

There's a long version, a shorter version, and sometimes churches simply use the more familiar prayer from this service called "The Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition" (See below.) This prayer is in the United Methodist Hymnal. Here at Lancaster First UMC, I will be using the shorter form of the service for tonight's mid-week worship service and we'll be using the prayer only for all three worship services this Sunday, January 3rd as the prayer following the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

At the heart of the Wesleyan Covenant Service is the foundational Christian belief that God is always faithful in keeping his covenant of love, forgiveness, hope, and salvation. As God's people, we are invited to respond to God's covenant through our faithful and joyful obedience. The Wesleyan Covenant Service helps us to make an intentional commitment in living out our covenantal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is even an opportunity in the service to sign our name and date it signifying that we will live out what we have stated with our lips in The Wesleyan Covenant Service.

Happy New "Covenant" Year, everyone!

Wesley’s Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

Christmas Eve Preview

Christmas Eve - 5 P.M. @ (Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue) & 7 P.M., 9 P.M., & 11 P.M. @ (Downtown Church Building, 163 E. Wheeling St.)

Sermon - "When there's No Room in the Inn"

Features - Christmas Eve

Scripture - Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; & Luke 2:1-20

Theme - The story of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus is a story of the holy family needing a home away from home. Christmas is also our story of finding a home with the Christ child. The porch light is on. C'mon in and make yourself at home.
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What Makes Worship, Worship?

Today, I was in a conversation with someone about what constitutes a "true worship service." It's a good question because so often we assume that we know what a true worship service is or isn't.

As pastor, I've been very specific in my use of the phrase, "worship service" to refer to those specific communal worship services appointed by a local congregation in which people gather in the name of Christ, hear the scriptures read and proclaimed, and respond with joyful obedience.

If you look on p. 2 of the United Methodist hymnal, it offers a very similar basic framework of worship. 1) Entrance 2) Proclamation & Response 3) Thanksgiving 4) Sending Forth

One of the reasons why I use the phrase, "those specific communal worship services appointed by a local congregation..." is because of the Apostle Paul's admonition in I Corinthians 14:40 in referring to worship, "But all things should be done decently and in order."

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This is not to say that folks in the church can't lead worshipful type gatherings in addition to the primary worship services that are offered each week, but it is to say that to ensure the orderly conduct of weekly worship, the appointed pastor needs to provide strong leadership and planning. This can lead into a whole discussion about the role of the ordained clergy but for this topic, there is an important connection between ordination and the leading of worship.

The basic framework for worship that is listed in our hymnal and which I mentioned above helps us to differentiate between preferences and purpose as they relate to a worship service. Preferences can refer to worship styles, music genres, casual vs. formal dress, etc., while purpose refers to the intentionality of at least having the four components of worship.

For example, someone who prefers a more traditional style of worship might not view contemporary worship as a legitimate worship style even though that contemporary service intentionally incorporates the four worship components. In this case, this person is focused on preference more than purpose in defining what true worship is.

By the way, what some people who prefer traditional over contemporary worship easily forget is that their idea of traditional worship can actually be viewed as contemporary by a church that offers even more traditional worship elements than they do!

One of my New Testament professors in seminary always reminded us that the most important element in a worship service is the public reading of scripture. He referred us to Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near."

At the heart of true worship is the reading of scripture and all of the other elements of worship including hymn selections (and hopefully the sermon!) should flow from there.

Whether or not we use praise choruses or hymns or if we worship in a gym or a sanctuary or if we use an organ or drums really misses the point of what true worship is.

The big question is if the worship service includes the four elements of worship (especially the reading of scripture) and if it has been appointed as one of the primary worship services of the congregation.

This is what makes worship, worship.

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Hope for Preachers & Worship Designers

Apparently, a popular Penn State football t-shirt for fans to wear at "white-out" games is at the center of a controversy. When I heard about this controversy, I thought that maybe it was regarding the message on intimidation.

Instead, it's centered around the solid blue vertical stripe and the words that go across this stripe forming what some folks see as a christian cross. Now, being the sensitive person that I am, and having just preached a sermon on "A World of Many Religions," I'll be the first to call a penalty (sorry for the bad pun) on people who would use a college football design to promote a certain religion over other religions.

But I don't get how this t-shirt design is offensive. I mean, yeah, that solid blue line with the words at the top do form a cross, but it doesn't appear to me to have been done in an intentional way to promote Christianity at a college football game. Is the nike swoosh supposed to represent the crown of thorns? Ok, now I'm getting sarcastic, but I hope you get my point.

Actually, I am glad to know that there are students who have protested the selling of these t-shirts, not that I agree with them, but because at least this tells me that they know what a cross represents. Let's put it this way. If you were the one to have designed this college football t-shirt with the intention of forming a christian cross out of the message and to promote Christianity at a college football game, you would be smiling right now, because my guess is that you never would have imagined that your creative and subtle design would have stirred things up and impacted this many people.

Preachers and worship designers everywhere, envy you.

Old Navy United Methodist Church

This is the first thing I saw when I entered the doors of a local Old Navy store this afternoon. As you walk into the story, there are several smiling fake people of different ages and skin color wearing new clothes (see picture above.) It struck me as funny because they each had identical facial expressions - all smiles.

We all know that this isn't how life works. We don't all experience life in the same way. Some of us might be smiling when we go to church because we are in a celebratory mode because of a special sense of God's presence and love in our lives.

But we also might enter church with heavy hearts; the loss of a loved one, an upcoming surgery, a friend who has let us down, the loss of a job, etc. To put a big smile on our face when going through such times, just to have the right "church look," isn't what God expects of us. God just wants us to come to church the way we are...happy, sad, troubled, elated, worried, expectant.

When people enter a church building, they may see all kinds of expressions, not just smiles. But that's OK. People don't have to all have the same look. The beautiful thing about the church is that the invitation to gather for worship is open to all people and one doesn't need to bring a certain look to be welcomed and accepted.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30
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