For those of us raised in church, if we’ve been around for many years, we’ve heard the old, familiar hymns countless times. We can sing multiple verses of many hymns from memory. We know the tunes, if not all the words, to many more. Hymnals still frequently fill the pew racks in churches, even if they aren’t used as often as before. Most hymns were written many decades, or even centuries, ago. Generally, the theology is sound and deep, rooted in Scripture, as noted by a Scripture Index frequently found in the back of hymnals. There are even modern hymns, such as those created by Keith and Kristyn Getty, that stir the soul and contain wonderful biblical truth.

When I was a few decades younger than I am now (69 as of this writing), I leaned more toward contemporary Christian music. It tended to be more upbeat and in keeping with the musical taste of someone who listened to a lot of secular pop music at the time, as I did. I still appreciate good Christian music of a variety of styles, as long as the theology is sound and scriptural.

These days, however, I find myself drifting back in my preference to the familiarity of old hymns. To satisfy my appetite, I’ve started using an app on my phone called Radio Garden. There is also a website where you can listen, if you prefer. The app allows users to search for specific radio stations around the world or enter search terms, such as genres, and browse the results.

To satisfy my desire for hymns, I listen daily to the station named “WOTR Instrumental Hymns Radio” out of Daggett, Michigan. It plays what the name suggests: only instrumental hymns. There is never a word spoken or sung on this station. The variety is great, from full orchestra pieces to guitar- or piano-only hymns, and everything in between. I start my day listening to these while getting ready in the morning and at various times throughout the day as desired. I find them very comforting and helpful for keeping my mind on the biblical truths behind the hymns (although, as instrumentals, you won’t hear the words sung on this station).

The Radio Garden app allows users to mark favorite stations, making it easy to hop between stations of interest. I have marked this hymn station, a classical guitar station, the local Christian station I listened to for decades when living in Louisville, Kentucky, and my favorite contemporary Christian station as favorites.

So, regardless of your musical preference, I encourage you to check out the Radio Garden app on your phone or the website. Search for stations of interest and enjoy. And if you find yourself wanting to enjoy old hymns without interruptions from talking or ads between songs, I highly recommend the station “WOTR Instrumental Hymns Radio.”