Which comes first, the words or the music?
Well… yes. Like the chicken and the egg, a hymnwriter can go either way.
Words First
For me, writing a new hymn often begins with an idea for the words (aka text or lyrics). Perhaps some situation in my life or in the world around me suggests a musical parable. Perhaps my Holy GhostWriter prods me to explore a particular Bible passage or theological concept. Perhaps a hymn-writing competition specifies a theme or occasion to write about. Perhaps an intriguing turn of phrase begs to be rhymed and set to music.
Ideally, while I’m writing the words a good tune bubbles to the surface of my memory or imagination. If my verses have a commonly used meter (pattern of syllables per line), I might pick a suitable tune from the metrical index in the dog-eared back pages of my hymnal. Otherwise, a scrounge through the archives of public domain hymn tunes (and maybe a tweak or two to the existing notes) may be necessary to get the right musical setting.