Liberty celebrates Christian tradition through timeless hymns

Liberty University began Homecoming Weekend with its annual Hymnology Convocation, a time set aside to commemorate the history and lasting practice and tradition of hymn-writing in the Church, featuring pastor and songwriter Matt Boswell with a special guest appearance from award-winning Christian artist Danny Gokey.

Josh Rutledge, vice president of Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development began with a brief introduction on the tradition of Hymnology Convocation at Liberty and of Boswell, the lead pastor and a worship leader at The Trails Church in Celina, Texas.

A video opened the time of worship, explaining the importance of the “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” that Paul encourages the Church to use in the New Testament and how the annual Hymnology Convocation is designed to celebrate the songs that have edified the Church for hundreds of years.

The Liberty Worship Collective then led the singing of hymns, including “Be Thou My Vision,” “Come Thou Fount,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” and “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Boswell took to the stage during an interlude in the worship to speak from Colossians 3:16, explaining the importance of hymns to help believers let the word of Christ dwell richly within them, to help them understand their humanity and need for God, to teach them of the glories of Christ and how to respond to God.

“The hymns of church history are a treasure chest passed down through the generations — songs of praise from the saints of old, psalms of lament from deep loss, sung prayers of men and women who knew God’s faithfulness,” Boswell said. “These treasures are yours to enjoy throughout the Christian life.”

Throughout his message, Boswell referenced hymns from Church history, such as “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Rock Of Ages,” and “Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean.” He emphasized that hymns serve a dual purpose of serving the Church and glorifying God in their content.

“One of our greatest needs today is a biblical, beautiful, believable, transcendent view of God, and you can hear this vision in some of the titles that hymns give to God, like ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,’ or ‘The King Of Love My Shepherd Is,’” Boswell said. “Each one of those truths help lift our gaze a little higher to behold God, to gaze on God. They’re also an invitation to come and understand and give praise to God for who He is.”

“From the very first song in Scripture, found in Exodus 15, God’s people have been a singing people, and His salvation has been our song,” he added. “Because of the salvation that we have known in Jesus Christ, He will forever be our song.”

At the end of his talk, Boswell invited the students, faculty, staff, and alumni to stand and join in singing the Doxology, transitioning the assembly back into a time of worship. Boswell joined the Liberty Worship Collective for two songs that he co-wrote, “Christ Our Hope In Life And Death” and “His Mercy Is More.”

After a closing rendition of “All to Christ,” Chancellor Jonathan Falwell announced the Liberty Worship Collective’s new album, “Hymnology VOL. 1,” released on Friday, along with a corresponding five-day devotional on Logos, a Bible software available for free to Liberty students.

The album includes renditions of longtime favorite hymns such as “Come Thou Fount” and “Amazing Grace,” and some Liberty Worship Collective originals, including “Fire of a Thousand Years,” released for the first time in 2023, and “How Can It Be,” released in 2024. The album aims to provide the Church with both traditional and fresh language for worship gatherings of all generations and denominations.

Convocation finished with a surprise performance by Danny Gokey of “Give Me Jesus.” Gokey led a worship set on campus in the early afternoon in conjunction with Concerned Women for America.