THE Bible and the hymn book belong together. They are old partners. The Church needs both. The Bible contains the Word of God. The hymn book is full of poetry and music which can console, challenge and inspire.
The words of our best hymns express thoughts we often cannot find words to express. The music can give expression to moods of the soul for which speech is too coarse and imperfect a medium. I believe one of the reasons why the hymn book is such a vital part of worship services, is that more people feel their faith than intellectualise it.