Surprise! Lutheran Hymns Stick
We have started a new time for family devotions at our house. We have a junior in high school, three kids who go to school across the driveway, and a newborn. As school started this week, I thought that having devotions first thing in the morning at breakfast would be the way to go. Our high schooler doesn’t have to leave the house until 7:15am so having devotions when everyone is at breakfast is working great. Our family calendar isn’t the point of the post, rather what happened when I announced our new arrangement.
Right now we are using the rite “Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families - Morning” on page 295 of Lutheran Service Book, and I’m reading the New Testament reading from the Treasury of Daily Prayer as the reading. The hymn that we sing is the Hymn of the Day from the previous Sunday, and this week it is “Oh How Great is Your Compassion” LSB 559. On Sunday, when I told the kids when we were going to have devotions, one of the children (3rd grader) asked, “What hymn are we singing this week?” I responded, “The hymn of the day - Oh How Great is Your Compassion”. And then what astounded me is that two of them started singing it on the spot. They already knew it by heart.
I was astounded because I don’t recall specifically teaching them this hymn, it just stuck to them. They had sung it that morning, and have been singing it all their lives; the older ones starting out with TLH 384 and now all of them from LSB (except the youngest, she is only 3 months old). I don’t think this is because they are pastor’s kids or are somehow more inclined to memorize hymnody. Musical ear worms dig in and stick. Advertisers and marketers know this very well. How many jingles do you know and remember from your childhood? How many hymns? The ability for text and tune to stick is why we need to give our children, and our congregations, faithful Lutheran Hymns. They preach and teach the Gospel - read the text of “Oh How Great Is Your Compassion.” It is glorious. For my kids every 11th Sunday after Trinity it has been “Oh How Great is Your Compassion”. So it has stuck with them. Long after I’m gone, my children will know the hymns of the Faith, and may God grant it, be believing them.
May it be that way for all Lutheran children of God, young and old.