If you are listening to things unseen yesterday, you may be remembered two things.

First that are theme for the week is, Christians love to sing.

And second, I signed off with a question.

Hardly the most profound soul searching question you've ever been asked, but nevertheless

I meant it quite seriously.

Do you own a hymn book?

Remember I was suggesting that next to a good Bible translation a concordance and a decent

one volume commentary, a hymn book is perhaps the most important book you could own.

And part of my reason for asking the question is because I've come to suspect that many

Christians today don't actually possess a hymn book.

That's a huge contrast with the church culture of 50 years or so ago.

When I became a Christian, many Bibles were actually published with a built in hymn book

at the back.

You not only took your own Bible to church, but your own hymn book too.

Now I realized there's something very convenient about the church supplying everything you

need for the worship service.

But I actually think it's been at a cost.

For example, it's no longer clear to your neighbors when you leave for church that that's

where you're going with the book in your hand.

But there's something else.

Part of the loss in some churches is that you end up at the mercy of seeing the word

you're singing only on a screen.

...