Some 2,000 General Assembly participants and others filled Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium Wednesday night to participate in RUF’s first-ever Indelible Grace Hymn Sing.

“It was a great night of music—part worship and part concert,” said Kevin Twit, campus minister of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry at Belmont College in Nashville, and the founder of Indelible Grace. “We created this evening as a gift from RUF, and ultimately to help participants see Jesus as more beautiful and believable.”

The capacity crowd sang loudly and joyously throughout the two-hour event, as various musicians took the stage to lead each hymn. Twit shared stories about the history and context of some of the hymns to enrich the audience’s participation.

“Worship is formative,” said Kevin Twit. “And the hymns remind us that the church is bigger than just our peers.”

“Hymns are powerful, and full of the cross,” Twit continued. “They show a range of emotions to help people understand that the normal Christian life is full of struggle. When we only sing songs about ‘I’m so happy now that I love Jesus,’ we create a terrible barrier for those who are wanting to know what the faith is all about. We need songs that display Jesus as more beautiful and believable than anything else.”

Indelible Grace, a movement of setting old hymns to new music, began at RUF-Belmont in 2000, and has produced six CDs over the last decade. A number of the musicians featured on Indelible Grace albums have developed successful solo careers, and those featured in the Ryman hymn sing included Sandra McCracken, Matthew Smith, Dan Haseltine, Derek Webb, and Matthew Jones, as well as special guests Greg Thompson and Buddy Greene.

“All of these musicians represent a community of friends who fell in love with these hymns and wanted to add their voice as a gift to the larger church,” said Twit.

Ryman Returns to its Roots

Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium is well known as the birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry, the location where Johnny Cash kicked out lights and was thrown out in Walk the Line, and is regarded as one of the best acoustic venues in the country. But few know that the Ryman was originally built in 1890 as a church for revivalist preacher Sam Jones.

“They were excited to partner with us for this event,” said Twit, noting that the auditorium is currently displaying his 1892 hymnal signed by Sam Jones, which is on loan to the Ryman museum.

It seems a fitting tribute to an institution rediscovering its roots, from Indelible Grace, a group whose vision is to provide roots and wings for a new generation of worshipers.

“This hymn sing was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and a wonderful 10-year celebration of what the Lord has done through Indelible Grace,” said Twit.

To learn more about RUF-Belmont, visit www.belmont.ruf.org. To learn more about Indelible Grace, visit www.igracemusic.com.