Growing up in the church, I became familiar with many hymns and choruses. And not just the hymns themselves, but even the style in which our church would sing them. I remember something peculiar about the way we would sing the hymns. Most hymns had four or more verses. Yet, Sunday after Sunday, we would sing the first, second, and last verse—omitting the third verse.

I have been to other churches and many have done the same thing or something similar. I’m not sure why it’s done that way. I’ve read many of those unsung stanzas and haven’t found anything that stands out as theologically incorrect. I haven’t uncovered any deep conspiracy against third verses, but for some reason, they are just passed over. I suppose there may actually be a reason behind it. Maybe it is because it would make the hymns too long. Perhaps if you take out the third verses you could sing one more hymn in the same amount of time. Or maybe, it’s just because it has always been done that way. Who knows? But, I do know that when you go from verse two to verse four it gives the impression that you missed something.

At this point, you’re probably thinking I have either got way too much time on my hands or I’m one of those weird types who finds some minute detail and blows it way out of proportion, then spends the rest of his life in a crusade trying to convince others of the importance of his viewpoint, and how that if you don’t agree with him you have been deceived by the “anti-third verse establishment”, and you should come out of those first, second and last verse only churches and attend his church where they only sing the third verse.

Let me assure you that I don’t have too much time on my hands, and as concerning being weird, if I am (as some may think), it is not for the aforementioned reasons. My real concern here is not how Christians sing hymns, but rather how we live our lives. And, I am afraid that like the third verses of many hymns that are passed over and have drifted off into obscurity, there are aspects of the Christian life that have been passed over and have drifted off into obscurity as well.

I would venture to say that for the most part it is not some major theological error or a conspiracy that has caused it. Instead it is often the idea that those parts of the Christian life are too time consuming, too difficult, or because we have too many other things to fit into our busy schedules. Maybe the most common reason so many have passed over various aspects of the Christian life is that it has always been done that way. Tradition, rather than God’s Word, has dictated what we do and when, where and how we do it. We have often replaced the Christian life with a church service.

My vision for this website is for it to become a source of inspiration for those who are seeking a life that is pleasing to God rather than men. I pray that it would prompt us to examine ourselves and our traditions and then hold fast to the things of which we have been assured from God’s Word.

Anyone for standing and singing the third, third and third verse?