By CANDICE BARTO ’28
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 16 Oct. 2026
I come from a non-denominational background, and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) was just a regular part of worship I never questioned; that is, until my freshman year of college. This was when the question of traditional hymns vs. contemporary music became real to me.
I was pleased to see this topic being discussed as it is something I am very passionate about. In fact, it is one of the factors that led me to change my major. I am a transfer student from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. It is a very traditionally oriented school and served as my first true introduction to the world of hymnody. We had regular chapel services four out of five weekdays, and they only ever sang hymns. I remember the initial disappointment and skepticism I felt. However, realizing that I would be spending the rest of my college career there, I tried to make the best of it. I missed home, being 12 hours away, and wanted to feel something. Music has always been something I could count on to process emotions, and even to “find God”. While my motivation was arguably wrong, God was gracious and met me right where I was at. I found myself concentrating on hymnal lyrics for the first time. That “feeling” I was chasing became a by-product that naturally followed from a search for meaning, and ultimately, God. I found true peace through hymns that have served as pillars of the Christian faith for many, many years. I recognized their value for the first time in my life. The “emotional high” I wanted to reach through music was actually a cry for peace. True peace. I found it in those hymns. I owe it to the men and women of the faith that gave us these anthems of praise.
Throughout that process of discovery, I never lost my passion and love for CCM. While some reject CCM for its emotional appeal, it saddens me to think some dismiss it as merely “mimicking” the presence of God. I want the real thing, whether it’s through hymns or not. God’s presence is not something we “make happen”. As the Bible says in Matthew 18:20, where two or more are gathered in His name, He is there. He’s in the room; our job is to make space for Him and invite Him in. We are all unique, and yet we each hold the potential to be His temple. Each of us are vessels carrying potential to be used by God, whatever He places in us. God can speak to someone however He wants to so who are we to decide what He uses? Listening to one form of music over the other doesn’t affect that truth. I want to be clay – moldable, adaptable and available for Him to use however He sees fit. I’m not here to make a case for CCM over hymns; I am here to defend Christian music. Period.
Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love” got rotten tomatoes in the last issue, and I’m here to present a different perspective. First, if you haven’t listened to it, you should. Instead of singling out the word reckless and reading into it too much, we need to take it into more context. Asbury is NOT saying that God is “reckless.” The song deals with the irony of the love of God from a human perspective. Lyrics such as “when I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me” and “when I felt no worth, You paid it all for me” highlight that God chose to love us, when He had every reason not to. Love like this goes beyond logic. I will join in and sing of God’s reckless love for me.
Let’s all follow our convictions, but stop turning them into a religion we force onto others. Whether you prefer hymns or CCM, Scripture can back both. Hymns made their entry into my Spotify – that itself is nothing short of a miracle! If God can turn a skeptic like me into an advocate for hymns and CCM, He can do it for anyone. We don’t have to be like-minded to be open-minded. Those who are believers are our brothers and sisters – we’re going to spend eternity together, so we might as well learn to get along!★
