In my dissertation work, I've come across a hymn that has been missing from Baptist hymnals since the New Baptist Hymnal of 1926, to our detriment. It's a hymn by George Washington Doane, who was the Episcopal bishop of New Jersey in the early nineteenth century (there's a memorial to him at St. Peter's Morristown, although he's buried in Burlington, NJ).
It's still a well-known hymn in Anglican circles, and has continued to be published in some Presbyterian and Lutheran hymnals, as well. It takes Jesus' statement "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" as its basis, and builds its poetic structure around that text.
1. Thou art the Way,—to thee alone
From sin and death we flee:
And he who would the Father seek,
Must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2. Thou art the Truth,—thy word alone
True wisdom can impart;
Thou only canst instruct the mind,
And purify the heart.
3. Thou art the Life,—the rending tomb
Proclaims thy conquering arm;
And those who put their trust in thee,
Nor death nor hell shall harm.
4. Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win,
Whose joys eternal flow.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wordless Wednesday
God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a Trumpet!
Originally uploaded by lapeeler.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Prayer Meeting Singing
While working on my dissertation (which, by the way, is why you don't see many posts at kirchenlieder these days), I've come across this statement about music. Read it, and I'll put some comments afterward.
'"How sweetly the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!"
In a prayer meeting not long since, a great longing came over my old-fashioned heart to hear one of these familiar strains of the first days when I began to walk in God's ways.
"Behold a stranger at the door!
He gently knocks, has knocked before."
"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound."
"Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove."
Oh, those precious old hymns, so full of penitence, of devotion and consecration how the memory of them flits across the mind like a vision of the past, stirring within again the holy fire that many of our modern [songs] have almost been the means of extinguishing.
But, say our leaders in music, we need this jingle and this tingle to keep up the spirits of the young people to hold them to the prayer meetings. In school education, to promote the progress of the young scholar it is not thought best to bring ideas in words just adapted to their present comprehension, the aim is to lead the child on to grasp thoughts clothed in language of advanced style, thus preparing the mind gradually to assimilate in word and thought with the best literature of the day. Are the children of this world wiser in their generation than the children of light? Why not avail ourselves of this rule in the education of the young people of our churches, drawing them up from a baby hymnology into the grand and sublime strains of sacred poetry that strengthened the piety of the fathers and mothers of a generation back, and quickened their children to cry, "Show pity, Lord, oh Lord, forgive!"
Dr. Vincent, in a recent lecture alluding to this subject, said these popular hymns were created for a purpose, for general gatherings of all denominations in Christian mass meetings.... At such times some of them are admirable, bringing out one great volume of feeling and sound, thrilling beyond expression in its effect. But individual churches, he remarked, should return to the standard hymns, thus in their services making use of this means to elevate the tone of piety and cultivate a higher degree of spirituality than that which characterizes many of the Christians of this period.
The depressing influence of these [songs] in the church prayer meetings has long been felt and acknowledged by older Christians, and yet even many of our ministers help along the present weakness by keeping them on milk who need strong meat in this service. Instead of an assembly of devout men and women at the close of a prayer meeting singing at the top of their voices,
"Only an armor-bearer, proudly I stand,
Waiting to follow at the King's command.
Marching if 'onward' shall the order be,
Standing by my Captain, serving faithfully."
let us have
"Am I a soldier of the Cross,
A follower of the Lamb!
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?"
Such sentiments, when fairly imbibed, might not only encourage many to earnest, active service outside of the church walls, but also serve to embolden hitherto silent ones to speak a word for Jesus in the prayer meeting.
Many of us are very much of the opinion of our correspondent on this subject. We are, oh, so weary of the tin-tin-nabulation, the little jigging refrains, and the frivolous repetitions of much of the hymnology which has lately been popular. We long for noble hymns set to noble music, and these are provided in our church psalmody. In the practice of our children at home on piano or violin, there is a constant tendency at present towards what is severe and classic, but the same children in the Sunday school and prayer meeting sing only the light melodies, wedded to bits of doggerel verse, which the desire for novelty appears to induce. They are sentimental rather than thoughtful or emotional, and while some of them have their place, and they might be sparingly used with good effect, it is a great pity to see them swamping the prayer meeting with their flood of froth and foam...
After all, what prayer meetings need and what we want is a spirit of fervent praise, and that vehicle which best conveys our gratitude to God for his favors, and best awakens in us a mood of devotion, is the best for our use.'
Now, if you're thinking that this was written in 1995 as "praise and worship" music had taken over most churches, you're wrong. Hopefully the flowery style of writing clued you in anyway, but it was written in 1883 in the Christian Intelligencer, denouncing the Sunday school hymns such as those of William Howard Doane, Fanny Crosby, Ira Sankey (click that for a recording of Sankey), etc.
The same arguments are made as have been made more recently, though—the older hymns are better for penitence and devotion. The older hymns are better musically. It's the music directors who are making us do them to try to draw in the young people. Of course, there are some good ones, but they are mostly drivel. They express very simple things, when the older hymns express deeper theological themes. They have too much meaningless repetition, and the music is too lively for appropriate use in worship.
This is one thing I love about studying history—seeing how it so often it repeats itself. As you consider the gospel hymns that remain in common usage, most of them came and went, as do examples of all styles of music. It remains to be seen what will do the same from today.
'"How sweetly the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!"
In a prayer meeting not long since, a great longing came over my old-fashioned heart to hear one of these familiar strains of the first days when I began to walk in God's ways.
"Behold a stranger at the door!
He gently knocks, has knocked before."
"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound."
"Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove."
Oh, those precious old hymns, so full of penitence, of devotion and consecration how the memory of them flits across the mind like a vision of the past, stirring within again the holy fire that many of our modern [songs] have almost been the means of extinguishing.
But, say our leaders in music, we need this jingle and this tingle to keep up the spirits of the young people to hold them to the prayer meetings. In school education, to promote the progress of the young scholar it is not thought best to bring ideas in words just adapted to their present comprehension, the aim is to lead the child on to grasp thoughts clothed in language of advanced style, thus preparing the mind gradually to assimilate in word and thought with the best literature of the day. Are the children of this world wiser in their generation than the children of light? Why not avail ourselves of this rule in the education of the young people of our churches, drawing them up from a baby hymnology into the grand and sublime strains of sacred poetry that strengthened the piety of the fathers and mothers of a generation back, and quickened their children to cry, "Show pity, Lord, oh Lord, forgive!"
Dr. Vincent, in a recent lecture alluding to this subject, said these popular hymns were created for a purpose, for general gatherings of all denominations in Christian mass meetings.... At such times some of them are admirable, bringing out one great volume of feeling and sound, thrilling beyond expression in its effect. But individual churches, he remarked, should return to the standard hymns, thus in their services making use of this means to elevate the tone of piety and cultivate a higher degree of spirituality than that which characterizes many of the Christians of this period.
The depressing influence of these [songs] in the church prayer meetings has long been felt and acknowledged by older Christians, and yet even many of our ministers help along the present weakness by keeping them on milk who need strong meat in this service. Instead of an assembly of devout men and women at the close of a prayer meeting singing at the top of their voices,
"Only an armor-bearer, proudly I stand,
Waiting to follow at the King's command.
Marching if 'onward' shall the order be,
Standing by my Captain, serving faithfully."
let us have
"Am I a soldier of the Cross,
A follower of the Lamb!
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?"
Such sentiments, when fairly imbibed, might not only encourage many to earnest, active service outside of the church walls, but also serve to embolden hitherto silent ones to speak a word for Jesus in the prayer meeting.
Many of us are very much of the opinion of our correspondent on this subject. We are, oh, so weary of the tin-tin-nabulation, the little jigging refrains, and the frivolous repetitions of much of the hymnology which has lately been popular. We long for noble hymns set to noble music, and these are provided in our church psalmody. In the practice of our children at home on piano or violin, there is a constant tendency at present towards what is severe and classic, but the same children in the Sunday school and prayer meeting sing only the light melodies, wedded to bits of doggerel verse, which the desire for novelty appears to induce. They are sentimental rather than thoughtful or emotional, and while some of them have their place, and they might be sparingly used with good effect, it is a great pity to see them swamping the prayer meeting with their flood of froth and foam...
After all, what prayer meetings need and what we want is a spirit of fervent praise, and that vehicle which best conveys our gratitude to God for his favors, and best awakens in us a mood of devotion, is the best for our use.'
Now, if you're thinking that this was written in 1995 as "praise and worship" music had taken over most churches, you're wrong. Hopefully the flowery style of writing clued you in anyway, but it was written in 1883 in the Christian Intelligencer, denouncing the Sunday school hymns such as those of William Howard Doane, Fanny Crosby, Ira Sankey (click that for a recording of Sankey), etc.
The same arguments are made as have been made more recently, though—the older hymns are better for penitence and devotion. The older hymns are better musically. It's the music directors who are making us do them to try to draw in the young people. Of course, there are some good ones, but they are mostly drivel. They express very simple things, when the older hymns express deeper theological themes. They have too much meaningless repetition, and the music is too lively for appropriate use in worship.
This is one thing I love about studying history—seeing how it so often it repeats itself. As you consider the gospel hymns that remain in common usage, most of them came and went, as do examples of all styles of music. It remains to be seen what will do the same from today.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Three Theological Hymns
This past Sunday, I was happy to hear a sermon on Hebrews 1 and 2 from Amy (located here if you'd like to listen to its Sunday evening form). Hebrews has long been my favorite book of the Bible, largely for its theological depth, as well as all its temple and covenant imagery. For this sermon, which focused on God speaking to and through the Son, the Son becoming human, and the Son's subsequent reign in heaven, we chose three hymns: "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," "Of the Father's Love Begotten," and "At the Name of Jesus."
These are three excellent hymns, all with weighty theological statements. Rather than reproduce all their texts here, I will provide links to their cyberhymnal versions. They all three deal with the Father and the Son, and, while it was not a focus of the sermon, angelic beings, which do figure in the text (reminding me of Eastern Syriac liturgies). The first, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," is well-known. While I've heard complaints that it's not the best because it ascribes attributes to God with no reference points, its latter verses, especially, tell much of the wonder of the incarnation. Most hymnals combine the last two verses in order to remove the "vile from our hearts" language, and to conclude with "light hideth Thee" in order to make a nice reference back to the first line of the hymn. It was written in 1876 by Walter C. Smith, a Scottish Presbyterian minister.
The second, "Of the Father's Love Begotten," has briefly come up before because of its Trinitarian final verse. Its text is usually shortened to three verses, those beginning with the title, "O ye heights of heaven...," and "Christ to Thee, with God...." I've wondered why it is always included in the Christmas sections of hymnals, but reading the full verses make it more clear. It gives a wonderful view of the incarnation (even in just those three included verses). It comes from the fifth century, but was translated during the Oxford Movement by John Mason Neale. Its chant tune makes it slightly difficult for congregational singing, but not impossible.
The final hymn, "At the Name of Jesus," is a version of Philippians 2:5-11, the famous Christ hymn. A weighty statement itself with its idea of kenosis, the hymn gives singers much to think about. Our hymnal includes verses 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8, with the majestic tune KING'S WESTON by Vaughan Williams.
While these are three excellent doctrinally-conscious hymns, I began considering if they were too difficult when put together. I don't delude myself to think that everyone pays attention to the texts they're singing all the time, but I like to think that some do and that everyone does part/most of the time. Each of these hymns, though, could have a whole sermon series based on it. Is it too much to ask to have a congregation sing them all in a Sunday? Or is it better to have more hymns like these and leave out some of the others, in the hope that people would learn their theology better?
These are three excellent hymns, all with weighty theological statements. Rather than reproduce all their texts here, I will provide links to their cyberhymnal versions. They all three deal with the Father and the Son, and, while it was not a focus of the sermon, angelic beings, which do figure in the text (reminding me of Eastern Syriac liturgies). The first, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," is well-known. While I've heard complaints that it's not the best because it ascribes attributes to God with no reference points, its latter verses, especially, tell much of the wonder of the incarnation. Most hymnals combine the last two verses in order to remove the "vile from our hearts" language, and to conclude with "light hideth Thee" in order to make a nice reference back to the first line of the hymn. It was written in 1876 by Walter C. Smith, a Scottish Presbyterian minister.
The second, "Of the Father's Love Begotten," has briefly come up before because of its Trinitarian final verse. Its text is usually shortened to three verses, those beginning with the title, "O ye heights of heaven...," and "Christ to Thee, with God...." I've wondered why it is always included in the Christmas sections of hymnals, but reading the full verses make it more clear. It gives a wonderful view of the incarnation (even in just those three included verses). It comes from the fifth century, but was translated during the Oxford Movement by John Mason Neale. Its chant tune makes it slightly difficult for congregational singing, but not impossible.
The final hymn, "At the Name of Jesus," is a version of Philippians 2:5-11, the famous Christ hymn. A weighty statement itself with its idea of kenosis, the hymn gives singers much to think about. Our hymnal includes verses 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8, with the majestic tune KING'S WESTON by Vaughan Williams.
While these are three excellent doctrinally-conscious hymns, I began considering if they were too difficult when put together. I don't delude myself to think that everyone pays attention to the texts they're singing all the time, but I like to think that some do and that everyone does part/most of the time. Each of these hymns, though, could have a whole sermon series based on it. Is it too much to ask to have a congregation sing them all in a Sunday? Or is it better to have more hymns like these and leave out some of the others, in the hope that people would learn their theology better?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Happy Father's Day—Especially to You, Dad!
Having a baby has made me very reflective, just as I imagined it would. We found out she was coming on Maundy Thursday, and she was born just ten days before Christmas, which gave me such a new appreciation for both Mary's experience and to the pasch itself.
It's also, of course, caused me to think about my own parents. I was especially thinking about my father recently when I was playing a funeral. Bad theology always rears itself at funerals during people's remembrance times, and this one was no exception. I started amusing myself—rather morbidly, since it was a funeral—by, after planning my own funeral, thinking what I would say if it was my father who had died. But, I decided better to say (or write) it now, when he's around to appreciate!
I think my father is best described from the beatitudes, because growing up in our home I saw him demonstrate these teachings of Christ so well.
Matthew 5:3-11
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I've always understood this verse to be saying not to be too attached to material things. His ever-growing collection of books aside, I remember so many times that I spilled a huge drink on something (even books), only to be cheerfully told "that's OK!" as it was cleaned up. Later in my life, when my parents sold the house they'd been paying on for almost 20 years to move to their current farm, they forgave part (or most, I don't remember) of the down payment from the poor family that was moving in. Some called that naïve, but it showed me that gaining material things was not as important as helping people.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Everyone mourns sometimes, and of course my father is no exception, from deaths of family members, to difficulty finding jobs. Through everything he is strong, but not afraid to cry, too. And, as a pastor, he's done a great deal of comforting those who mourn, himself.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
My father is a very gentle person. To me, I can only think of one time when he yelled at me as a little kid, and he instantly took me in his arms and apologized profusely. As I've gotten older, I've seen his gentleness shown to others, too. While he was slandered by some fundamentalists, I've never heard a negative word about those people from him. When trouble was caused in his church by members who grew angry with him and other members, I never heard anything other than the positives in the situation from him.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
My dad is one who seeks righteousness, and encourages it in others, too. As an early teen, he always put me on the hot seat, asking how my Bible reading and prayer life was going. I always saw him deep in Bible study, and it was a good example for me to follow.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
I've mentioned above how many times I was forgiven without even asking, and how money was forgiven to the poor family buying our house.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
I can't know what's in my dad's heart, so I'll leave this one alone. I would direct you here, and say that I've generally seen only the fresh.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
As I grew older, the neighborhood in which we lived was becoming worse and worse. When I was 12 or 13, I had a friend over on Sunday afternoon. We heard shouting at the apartments across the street, and saw a large crowd gathering around two men, one with a butcher knife and the other with a machete (or not, but it seemed that big then). My dad ran out of the house, ran right over to them, and talked them away from each other, and dispersed the crowd. I remember being scared to death, and then incredibly proud of him, as the police showed up to cart one of the two away.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I combined these last two, because they're related. Another time, one of the knife-wielders was drunk and yelling outside our house. My dad went out, and the man started yelling at him, calling him "preacher" like it was a curse. My dad just listened, and, when he took a swing at him, ducked and then pinned him until the police arrived. It was never clear what exactly was going on there, but "Preacher" had something to do with it.
Also, before I was born, my dad left the United Methodist Church, because he stood for what he believed, and did not baptize a baby. Although he would soon become a Baptist, it was not just adult baptism that was the trouble, but also that it was not even a member of the church. He nevertheless got in quite a bit of trouble over this refusal, and left rather than cause divisions in the church.
Of course my father is not perfect, since no one is but God. But, Happy Father's Day to him, a wonderful example to me as a new father!
It's also, of course, caused me to think about my own parents. I was especially thinking about my father recently when I was playing a funeral. Bad theology always rears itself at funerals during people's remembrance times, and this one was no exception. I started amusing myself—rather morbidly, since it was a funeral—by, after planning my own funeral, thinking what I would say if it was my father who had died. But, I decided better to say (or write) it now, when he's around to appreciate!
I think my father is best described from the beatitudes, because growing up in our home I saw him demonstrate these teachings of Christ so well.
Matthew 5:3-11
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I've always understood this verse to be saying not to be too attached to material things. His ever-growing collection of books aside, I remember so many times that I spilled a huge drink on something (even books), only to be cheerfully told "that's OK!" as it was cleaned up. Later in my life, when my parents sold the house they'd been paying on for almost 20 years to move to their current farm, they forgave part (or most, I don't remember) of the down payment from the poor family that was moving in. Some called that naïve, but it showed me that gaining material things was not as important as helping people.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Everyone mourns sometimes, and of course my father is no exception, from deaths of family members, to difficulty finding jobs. Through everything he is strong, but not afraid to cry, too. And, as a pastor, he's done a great deal of comforting those who mourn, himself.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
My father is a very gentle person. To me, I can only think of one time when he yelled at me as a little kid, and he instantly took me in his arms and apologized profusely. As I've gotten older, I've seen his gentleness shown to others, too. While he was slandered by some fundamentalists, I've never heard a negative word about those people from him. When trouble was caused in his church by members who grew angry with him and other members, I never heard anything other than the positives in the situation from him.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
My dad is one who seeks righteousness, and encourages it in others, too. As an early teen, he always put me on the hot seat, asking how my Bible reading and prayer life was going. I always saw him deep in Bible study, and it was a good example for me to follow.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
I've mentioned above how many times I was forgiven without even asking, and how money was forgiven to the poor family buying our house.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
I can't know what's in my dad's heart, so I'll leave this one alone. I would direct you here, and say that I've generally seen only the fresh.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
As I grew older, the neighborhood in which we lived was becoming worse and worse. When I was 12 or 13, I had a friend over on Sunday afternoon. We heard shouting at the apartments across the street, and saw a large crowd gathering around two men, one with a butcher knife and the other with a machete (or not, but it seemed that big then). My dad ran out of the house, ran right over to them, and talked them away from each other, and dispersed the crowd. I remember being scared to death, and then incredibly proud of him, as the police showed up to cart one of the two away.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I combined these last two, because they're related. Another time, one of the knife-wielders was drunk and yelling outside our house. My dad went out, and the man started yelling at him, calling him "preacher" like it was a curse. My dad just listened, and, when he took a swing at him, ducked and then pinned him until the police arrived. It was never clear what exactly was going on there, but "Preacher" had something to do with it.
Also, before I was born, my dad left the United Methodist Church, because he stood for what he believed, and did not baptize a baby. Although he would soon become a Baptist, it was not just adult baptism that was the trouble, but also that it was not even a member of the church. He nevertheless got in quite a bit of trouble over this refusal, and left rather than cause divisions in the church.
Of course my father is not perfect, since no one is but God. But, Happy Father's Day to him, a wonderful example to me as a new father!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)