From the preface of a 1988 UU Hymnal: 

Hymns in new form for common worship:

"The history of hymnody is a history of amending and altering words and music to fit current needs. Changes are prompted sometimes for psychological, sometimes for theological reasons."

These words written by the 1988 hymnal commission acknowledged a practice that has existed for hundreds of years: that songs which are to be sung in religious community are constantly being updated to reflect new understandings. In this case, the 1988 hymnal collections removed patriarchal language from 51 beloved Unitarian Universalist songs.

"We seek to move beyond gender in the language of our worship. The old patriarchal forms are contrary to present needs and ideals. If any portion of a congregation feels excluded by words sung or spoken in unison, the words fail to express the intended community. If religious language perpetuates views of the divine or the human in purely masculine forms, it runs contrary to our best understanding. Just as in the past Universalists removed the term "hell" and Unitarians eliminated "the Trinity" by recasting old hymns, this brief collection provides changes that should make many more hymns appropriate for our time."

In recent weeks at Jefferson Unitarian Church, you may have sung words that have been changed, reflecting emerging understandings about gender. Some of us feel female, others male, others both, and others neither. In a world where the dominant culture can bully those who move beyond gender-binary identities and where laws are being passed to specify restroom use, Unitarian Universalism seeks to uphold each person's worth and dignity. For us here in Golden, we will be trying out new lyrics in songs that we currently sing, to see what feels right and rings true in this year of Hospitality.

So instead of "Just call on me, brother, when you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on," we are trying out "Just call on me, darlin'..."

And instead of "Come build a land where sisters and brothers...," we are trying out "Come build a land where strangers and neighbors..."

The preface to the 1988 hymnal collection ends, "We hope others will join in the process of rewriting existing hymns and writing new words and new music to create truly inclusive Unitarian Universalist hymnody." I invite you to join and suggest new musical and inclusive words where you feel that they may have a place in our body of songs, joining in a tradition that connects us to 1517 (Protestant Reformation, where the people could sing in their own language, not in Latin), 1988 (Hymns in new form for common worship) or 2017.