Have you ever heard anyone lament the absence of the good "old" hymns in churches today?
Or perhaps you've heard so much praise for the good "old-fashioned hymns", it's implied that old is always best or that new hymns are usually bad (or should be mistrusted at first).
While it's true that a good hymn typically does pass the test of time, it's not true that old hymns are always the best hymns. It's also not true that new hymns are usually bad!
Want to know why?
The answer may surprise you for a moment but not for long!
Lyrics to dialogue hymns are typically written in a question and answer format. Singers are split into two groups taking turns singing the question or the answer or a worship leader sings the question and then the congregation sings the answer in reply.
Singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson's Is He Worthy is a modern example of this.
"Do you feel the world is broken?" someone sings. "We do" is the...
