Think Your Sunday Service Feels Long? Try 26 Hours of Non-Stop Hymns in Minnesota!
Find out why St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard Lake, Minnesota sang all 569 hymns in their hymnal for 26 straight hours. 🌐 #News #HowardLakeMN #Minnesota #Faith
HOWARD LAKE, MN – St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard Lake, Minnesota, decided to turn their Sunday worship into an all-day, all-night marathon – 26 hours of hymn-singing, to be exact. The goal? To raise money to repair their beloved but aging church organ. Forget a quick “amen”—this congregation tackled every single hymn in the book. You read that right: all 569 songs.
Singing to Save the Organ
The 55-year-old organ at St. John’s has seen a lot of action over the years, playing through both happy and sorrowful occasions. But like a lot of things in life, time has taken its toll on the instrument.
To bring it back to its former glory, the church needs to raise a cool $300,000. And what better way to raise funds than to belt out every hymn known to man, non-stop?
Pastor Paul Koch, who must have a set of iron vocal cords, decided he’d take one for the team and lead the charge. With help from his congregation, the event – dubbed “Hymnstock” – aimed to sing through all 569 songs in their hymnal. It was a feat of both faith and endurance.
After realizing the extent of his commitment, Pastor Koch basically trained like it was a marathon. He prepped his voice with a vocal coach, jogged, and even did a couch-to-5k plan just to be in shape for this hymnfest.
As for the organ? It had 35 different organists taking turns, ensuring the music kept flowing, even when the parishioners were running on fumes and coffee. Thankfully, it appears that no lutefisk were consumed (or harmed) during this epic event.
The Midnight Hymn Crew
By 2 a.m., you might expect the pews to be empty, right? Nope! The marathon hymn-singing continued with a little help from modern technology.
An organist Zoomed in from Germany (as you do), while a Facebook Live stream kept folks tuned in from the comfort of their beds. Meanwhile, the congregation yawned through the early hours but kept the melodies going.
Koch, for his part, paced himself by singing at a low volume to conserve his voice – and, well, he occasionally had to finish some verses in the men’s room. Dedication at its finest.
Cherished Memories Fill the Sanctuary
The event wasn’t just about endurance. For some, like Dan Judd, it was deeply emotional. His father, Grant, had been the church’s organist for 45 years, and hearing those hymns again on the same organ brought back cherished memories.
After 26 hours, 569 hymns, and a congregation running on nothing but faith and maybe too much caffeine, the final note was played. The church raised $14,000—short of their $100,000 goal but enough to keep hope alive for their beloved organ.
If you’re thinking about skipping your next Sunday service, just remember: it could be 26 hours long. And if you’d like to help St. John’s reach that organ repair goal, donations are still welcome! Find out how you can help by visiting their website here.
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