While I was growing up certain hymns contained lines that even then(I am female) kind of puzzled me, or put me off.
Many humns now, at least in the contemporary hymnals I am familiar with, have changed those lines or wording, presumably in a deliberate attempt to make them more PC, or gender neutral.
In Hark the Herald Angels Sing, the one line used to say Born to raise the sons of earth, now it says born to raise each child of earth.
In the church I grew up in the translation we had of A Mighty Fortress had the line And take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife In the church I am in now it is Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.
Instead of God in man made manifest it is God in flesh made manifest.
Those are just the first three that come to mind, I know there are many others. Which if any have you seen or noticed?
Have Thine Own Way, Lord had a verse changed from “Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,” to “Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,” because people of color can’t wash themselves white.
Joy to the World!
The Lord has come
Let earth with praises ring
I’ll try to remember some other ones. It’s one thing to gender neuter a hymn that only church nerds will know, but it’s weird when you change the words to a well known Christmas carol and half the congregation can’t read music and isn’t even looking at the bulletin.