What features do praises and Church Hymns have in common?

First: If praises and Church Hymns do not originate from the heart, then they cannot be counted as acceptable and sacred worship of the Lord. Instead, they become a kind of boast in a spirit of pride. The singer focuses on performing well and becomes fanatical about the details of the tune, and thus loses his communion with God.

Second: Every church has its own culture, but all churches ought to have a spirit of unity by raising their hearts to heaven: congregation and clergy together — from the bishop to the priest to the deacon — in a spirit of humility and love for God and for one another, and in communion with heavenly beings.

Third: Praises and Church Hymns should be characterized by a mindset that is both heavenly and scriptural. For this reason, it is the custom of the Orthodox Church in all its liturgies to set passages from Scripture to melodies, while being very careful to ensure that the words are articulated clearly and easily understood, so that everyone can benefit from them. St. Paul says, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15).

Fourth: If many heretics — such as the Arians and his followers who denied the divinity of Christ — used hymns to spread their false teachings, the Church also needs to share her

605 Editors’ Note: Fr. Tadros uses the Arabic word alhan (ألحان) in this section, which literally means melodies or tunes, but in the context of the Coptic Church, refers specifically to the Church’s traditional liturgical hymns and their melodies. Since there is no exact translation in English, in this chapter we have translated alhan as the capitalized term ‘Church Hymns’ unless the context required otherwise.

theological doctrines through Church Hymns that guide the chanters and all the congregation to sound faith and the righteous and holy life in the Lord.

Fifth: It is fitting for the faithful to offer praise and to chant Church Hymns with reverence even in their homes, keeping in mind that all the heavenly hosts praise God with fear, trembling, and reverence, mingled with elation in their hearts and joy in their souls.