Now I see

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Myer Boulton's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

It's a truism that Christianity lives and breathes as much (or more) through music as through preaching or teaching, to say nothing of dense theological texts--so Christian preachers and teachers should be on the lookout for ways to incorporate the great hymns of the tradition into our sermons, lessons and other theological work.

But which are "the great hymns"? That depends on the local scene, of course--and here, as usual, the first task of the preacher or teacher is the ethnographic task, the task of the participant-observer in a local culture, the one who asks, "How are things done around here?" What are the hymns and spiritual songs at the heart of this particular community's repertoire? What are the tunes people are likely to hum while doing the dishes, walking the dog, hiking a mountain or waiting in line at the bank?