Sing A New Song! Theological Reflection Based in Hymn Text Writing: A Workshop

Scripture exhorts the faithful to “Sing a new song!” but for many worshipers their songs are still predominantly those of a bygone theological era in terms of the language and imagery with which both God and people are described. Since hymns have long been understood to be major contributors to the shaping of personal theologies, and with inclusivity a contemporary justice issue in the United Church of Canada, it seemed desirable to find a way to address this perceived problem. Based on the commonly accepted premise that one learns best by doing, and supported by the dialogic adult learning strategies developed by educators Jane Vella and Patricia Cranton, a workshop in hymn-text writing for parishioners was designed and tested with ten volunteer participants. The purpose of this intervention was two-fold: to evaluate the structure and teaching efficacy of the workshop itself while teaching participants the basics of hymn construction, style and content, and to offer participants an opportunity for theological reflection and discovery. An open-ended, process theology approach was the underlying orientation; the researcher was interested to learn what types of transformative thinking or behaviours the participants might experience as a result of their hymn text writing and small-group discussions. The workshop was deemed a success, in that every participant produced a thoughtful, technically sound hymn and there was general agreement that it had been a positive experience. Weaknesses in the workshop design were identified and will be amended in future editions. Some type of transformative learning took place in each individual, with a range from primarily factual information to deeply spiritual insights. The long-term impact of the experience remains to be seen, but if only a general sense of empowerment through the new skill of hymn writing, and an increased awareness of hymns and their role in faith expression are the immediate results of the exercise, it was worthwhile. Although a few other hymn-text writing workshops have been published, this one breaks new ground by consciously adding the element of theological reflection. With some adaptation, it can be used by denominations outside the United Church.Doctor of Ministry (DMin