Well the even older usage would have been "awful", with pretty well the same meaning as awesome, and I suppose we'd be hesitant of using that in that kind of context these days. Mind you, it might be quite an appropriate word to apply to some reputedly "awesome" performers.

It occurs to me that since most people probably do that much flitting around between churches, it's easy enough to fall into the trap of generalising from limited experience. "Why does no one ever sing such-and-such these days" - and in the next parish (or congregation) they're still singing it as a matter of course.