It’s a good idea to remember that when the apostles asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom in Israel, he basically changed the subject. He promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and that they/we would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth—but he did not promise the restoration of the kingdom.

So perhaps our music selections, instead of lauding the Lord in triumphal terms, might concentrate on how we, his followers, are to witness to his truth. Maybe we’re looking in the wrong places.

Hymnals and missals often have hymns sectioned off into convenient categories: seasonal (Advent, Christmas, Easter), ritual (weddings, funerals, baptism) and topical (praise, love comfort, etc.). This can have its advantages, but it can also constrict the wide realm of choices. For instance, my song “Parable” tends to show up in the Funeral section, even though I wrote it for a beloved pastor being reassigned. It’s useful for rites of passage like graduation; or to echo the passages from Matthew 13 and Ecclesiastes; or any number of non-funeral occasions. But because it’s in the Funeral section, people (including choir members) will wonder, and may ask, “Why are we singing a funeral song?”

Now that can be a teachable moment, if you’re prepared with a good pastoral answer.

Songs in the Communion section tend to concentrate heavily on the subject of bread. But the term “the Body of Christ” originally applied to the people of God. Our communion—the communion of God’s holy people—is more than bread. Eucharist—thanksgiving—is an action.

Be careful of hymnal categories; however well meant, they can have misleading implications in our sacramental theology and limit our choices to same-old, same-old.