In Praise of Hymnals

The last thing I want to define is “the Christian hymnal.” My heart aches as I see this increasingly being neglected by congregations.

The Christian hymnal is one of the great depositories of the Christian life and experience. The men and women behind these hymns were writing out of deep spiritual experiences. The poetry of some hymns may not be perfect. In fact, some may be very difficult to sing. Pushing the hymnal aside, however, is to forfeit one of the great spiritual treasures of the Christian Church. The hymnal connects us with our Christian heritage, a legacy that should not be denied to this generation of Christians. If we are going to press on to be hundredfold Christians, on to Christian perfection and the crucified life, we need this vital connection to the historic Church.

Show me the condition of your Bible and your hymnal and I will accurately predict the condition of your soul. Our souls need to be nurtured and cultivated, and nothing does that better than the Christian hymnal. I cannot imagine a Christian not spending quality time in the hymnal. Hardly a morning passes when I don’t kneel down with an open Bible and a hymnal and sing comfortably off-key the great hymns of the Church.

I often counsel young Christians, after they have their Bible and their Bible reading established, to get a hymnal. If a young Christian would spend one year reading through and meditating on the hymns of Isaac Watts alone, he would have a better theological education than four years in Bible college and four years in seminary. Isaac Watts and others like him were able to put theology into their hymns. These hymn writers—both men and women—set their generation singing theology. And the theology of the heart bursts forth in melodious adoration and praise.

A. W. Tozer, The Crucified Life: How to Live Out a Deeper Christian Experience 17–18

Jesus, Our Sabbath Rest

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (He 4:9–10)

Pastor Mark Preus is a hymnist of high caliber. Recently, he posted the following on Jesus as our sabbath rest. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lord Jesus, Be My Sabbath Rest

1. Lord Jesus, be my Sabbath rest
For body and for spirit;
The soul to whom You speak is blessed,
And will Your peace inherit;
Have mercy, Christ, and come, draw near
To open now my heart to hear.

2. Your Sabbath Day is still profaned
When we love work and leisure
And think our faith could be sustained
While we serve care and pleasure,
Avoiding preaching of Your Word
For worldly work and its reward.

3. But for this sin Jerusalem
Was brought to sad destruction;
Though many years You called to them,
They shunned Your Word’s protection,
And scorned their loving Shepherd’s rod,
And lied when they called You their God.

4. Lord, it is this idolatry
That I find in me living;
Ignoring You and loving me
No rest to me is giving –
When sin is what I labor for,
I only serve sin even more.

5. It’s not in keeping outward rules
That I could end this labor;
I cannot find in me the tools
To love You and my neighbor,
Since there is rest in love, I know,
But only You this love can show.

6. The Sabbath knows You as its Lord,
Since You obeyed the Father,
When all our work on you was poured,
Since You became our Brother
To offer pure and sinless hands
To do the work the Law demands.

7. What is this pouring from Your side
Into my weary spirit?
What are these words that You once cried?
My heart so longs to hear it!
“It’s finished! All your work is done –
Now claim the rest My death has won.”

8. The water quenches all my thirst,
Your blood now teaches Abel
To sing to all in Adam cursed,
“Come, sit at Jesus’ table
To find forgiveness for your sin,
And rest from all regret within.”

9. Lord Jesus Christ, our Sabbath rest,
Still speak, our faith sustaining,
Till all your saints will have possessed
The rest that is remaining,
When as we rise we hear Your voice,
“All things are ready! Come, rejoice!”

12th-Century Praise & Worship

I am always on the lookout for “new” ancient hymnody.  This was written in the twelfth century by Adam of St. Victor and translated by Digby S. Wrangham.

Sequence for Christmas, V

Songs of joy let us be raising

To that Savior now, in praising

Whom with us heaven’s choirs delight;

News of peace from heaven is brought us,

Heaven is leagued with earth about us,

And the Church with angels bright.

God the Word, with our flesh blended,

As beforehand was intended,

She, who never knew a man,

Virgin, bears, God’s temple hallowed,

Following none, by no one followed,

Ever since the world began.

That a bush with red fire gloweth,

Yet the fire no harm there doeth,

Is a new and wondrous thing:

Heaven drops dew, the clouds rain fountains,

Melt the hills and drip the mountains,

Jesse’s root doth upward spring.

From that root a flower upgroweth,

As the prophet plainly showeth

In his prophecy of yore:

David as that root appeareth,

As the rod the maid that beareth,

As its flower the Child she bore.

Guilty man to raise to heaven,

Condescends the God-man even

To our nature’s misery.

Who would not with joy be praising,

Songs of wondering gladness raising,

Grace-work of such novelty?

What is more full of bliss,

What is more fathomless,

Than such a mystery?

How worthy all our praise,

How unlike human ways,

Our God's Humility!

Wondrous beauty hath the flower,

That rich grace’s sevenfold dower

Hath commended to our care.

Let us in this flower delight us,

Which doth both by taste invite us,

And by scent and semblance rare.

Jesu, infant death-defying!

May Thy birthday be supplying

Peace to us and Joys divine:

Flower and fruit of spotless maiden,

With immortal fragrance laden!

Glory and great praise be Thine!

By Grace I'm Saved, Grace Free and Boundless

Because sometimes you just need to relish the abundance of God’s grace in Christ Jesus.

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain;
By grace you too will life obtain.

By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.

By grace God's Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of thine own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.

By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
So long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace—grace through His Son.

By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.

Text: Ephesians 2:8, 9
Author: Christian L. Scheidt, 1742, cento
Titled: “Aus Gnaden soll ich selig werden”
Composer: Kornelius H. Dretzel, 1731
Tune: “O dass ich tausend”

The Earliest Christian Hymnbook

One could say, of course, that, indirectly, many of the psalms are about David, since so many of them are by David and in them he talks about himself. self. In this regard, we should notice the way in which the early church viewed the Psalter.  In his work On the Flesh of Christ, the church father Tertullian had this to say about the psalms of David: “He sings to us about Christ, and through him Christ sings about himself.”  Tertullian’s statement is firmly rooted in what the risen Jesus himself said (Luke 24:44).  Hengel points out that the most important titles given to Jesus in the New Testament “were already given or prefigured in the hymnbook of Israel.”*  He cites “Son (of God)” (Ps. 2:7), “firstborn” (Ps. 89:27), “Lord” (Ps. 110:1), and even “God” (Ps. 45:6), to which we may add “Messiah” or “Christ” (Ps. 2:2) and “Son of Man” (Ps. 8:4), although the primary Old Testament source for the Son of Man is Daniel 7:13-14.

In short, the New Testament does not contain a songbook, but that is because from a Christian perspective they already had one: the book of Psalms.  For the early Christians, the Psalms were about their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Any songs or hymns or psalms that the early Christians might have composed about Christ or to Christ merely supplemented the inspired hymnbook of Israel, now appropriated by the church as its own collection of hymns about Christ.  Then, as now, Jesus Christ was the center of the religious music of the church—yet in a way that never detracted from the glory of God or compromised biblical monotheism.

Robert Bowman; J. Ed Komoszewski,

Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ

*  Martin Hengel, Studies in Early Christology, 290.

A Hymn on the Incarnation

As much as I rail against Contemporary Christian Music in worship, the responsible thing is to offer viable alternatives.  To that end I offer you—ta da!—hymns written recently.  Actually, hymn-writing never has gone out of practice, just out of vogue.  The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada was established to promote and assist in the effort of writing new hymns.  As part of membership, they publish a quarterly journal entitled The Hymn.  I joined the society for a year or two, and though their effort is laudable, the theological and doctrinal content of the published writings primarily contained themes of inclusiveness and a generic love of God and man.

All is not lost, however.  For instance, Mark Preus, a pastor in Wyoming, actively puts pen to paper (or keystrokes to digital device).  Just recently on his blog, he offered a hymn on the incarnation in Long Metre.  I pass it along here for your edification:

1  Let praise spring from our hearts today;
Our God has put His wrath away –
The fullness of the deity
Now dwells in Jesus bodily.

2  If God had hatred in His heart,
Why would He then Himself impart?
If God did not desire our good,
Why does He now wear flesh and blood?

 3  Though I of glory fall too short,
Yet here God’s glory shows his heart,
Since how can heaven’s mercy cease
While heaven sings to earth of peace?

4  If God were now my enemy,
Why does He condescend to me?
For us and our salvation Christ
Comes down here to be sacrificed.

5  Can my Creator not love me,
When He a creature deigns to be?
The Lord of Glory enters in
Beneath the Law to bear our sin.

6  Here Mary finds her Savior born,
And man from his despair is torn,
As God unites with man’s distress
Beneath the curse the cursed to bless.

7  What is there in your heart so grey,
That Jesus doesn’t take away
By joining all He is to you,
And making his creation new?

8  Humanity now enters God,
As God now tents in flesh and blood,
And our poor nature Jesus lifts
Above the heavens with his gifts.

9  Come, feast today on God made flesh!
This food shall cleanse you pure and fresh,
And keep you steadfast till the day
When all your sins are purged away.

10  For this our hearts their praise will voice,
And in our Lord and God rejoice,
And join the angel choir to sing
Sweet Alleluias to our King!

O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee

Someone on the internet made a comment about how he had been considering the love surrounding Christ’s incarnation. Another person replied with a link to this hymn pointing out verse four, which considered the same thought.  This is a wonderful hymn.  Take some time and consider the God who did such great things for you.

If a person desired, minor editing could be applied to update language for modern use, but a case could be made for leaving it as is.  Now if only Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmond, etc. could deliver the same depth and breadth of content in their lyrics.

1. O Lord, how shall I meet Thee, How welcome Thee aright? Thy people long to greet Thee, My Hope, my heart's Delight! O kindle, Lord, most holy, Thy lamp within my breast To do in spirit lowly All that may please Thee best.	6. Ye need not toil nor languish Nor ponder day and night How in the midst of anguish Ye draw Him by your might. He comes, He comes all willing, Moved by His love alone, Your woes and troubles stilling; For all to Him are known.
2. Thy Zion strews before Thee Green boughs and fairest palms, And I, too, will adore Thee With joyous songs and psalms. My heart shall bloom forever For Thee with praises new And from Thy name shall never Withhold the honor due.	7. Sin’s debt, that fearful burden, Let not your souls distress; Your guilt the Lord will pardon And cover by His grace. He comes, for men procuring The peace of sin forgiven, For all God’s sons securing Their heritage in heaven.
3. I lay in fetters, groaning, Thou com’st to set me free; I stood, my shame bemoaning, Thou com’st to honor me; A glory Thou dost give me, A treasure safe on high, That will not fail or leave me As earthly riches fly.	8. What though the foes be raging, Heed not their craft and spite; Your Lord, the battle waging, Will scatter all their might. He comes, a King most glorious, And all His earthly foes In vain His course victorious Endeavor to oppose.
4. Love caused Thy incarnation, Love brought Thee down to me; Thy thirst for my salvation Procured my liberty. O love beyond all telling, That led Thee to embrace, In love all love excelling, Our lost and fallen race!	9. He comes to judge the nations, A terror to His foes, A Light of consolations And blessed Hope to those Who love the Lord’s appearing. O glorious Sun, now come, Send forth Thy beams so cheering, And guide us safely home.
5. Rejoice, then, ye sad-hearted, Who sit in deepest gloom, Who mourn o'er joys departed And tremble at your doom. Despair not, He is near you, Yea, standing at the door, Who best can help and cheer you And bids you weep no more.	Text: Matt. 21:1-9 Author: Paul Gerhardt, 1653 Composer: Melchior Teschner, 1613

Who Excels the Radiance of the Sun

Matthew Carver does the Church a service by translating hymns into English.  His latest offering is a Reformation-era Latin work by G. Fabricius, suitable for Good Friday.

Qui Solis Excellit Jubar
1.	The light whose brightness passes far The beauty both of sun and star, With stripes disfigured, hangs His head Upon the cross, and God is dead.	6.	To Thee, Eternal God, we flee, Our Seat of Mercy fair and free, Oh, take the sins which here we own, And cast them to oblivion.
2.	The Lord who gives His creatures breath, And life to those who lie in death, With arms the crossbeam spanning wide, Between the thieves is crucified.	7.	By Thee grant us to overthrow The devil, our salvation’s foe, The flesh, to stumbling ever prone, The world, with fruitless pleasures sown.
3.	So wracked with wounds and injured sore, Our wounds and injury He bore: He took the sins He had not done, And thus our remedy He won.	8.	Reach forth Thy tortured arms to take The pleas that we Thy mourners make, And to our faithful pray’rs incline Thy visage bloody and divine.
4.	The Lamb is lifted on the stock, The Spotless for the spotted flock: The worthy Victim who alone With God the Father can atone.	9.	O Life and Hope and Strength, to Thee, Redeemer, Savior, glory be, With God the Father on His throne, And Holy Spirit, God alone.
5.	O Christ, our true High Priest and Lord, Upon the Cross’s altar poured, Who, dying, didst death’s kingdom scour And lay to waste his tyrant pow’r:

Holy Everlasting God

I came across this fresh translation of a 16th-century hymn.  The solid Trinitarian doctrine is a pleasure to see.  The translator's post is here.

1.	Holy Everlasting God, Holy Lord of Sabaoth Holy, blessed Trinity, Thine the glory ever be.
2.	Father, Son, and Spirit, God, Now receive our praise and laud; Filled be earth from deep to height With Thy glory, pow’r, and might.
3.	Father of Christ Jesus, Lord, God our Maker thrice adored, Who upholdest by Thine hand, Thine be thanks in every land.
4.	Thou who sent’st Thy dearest Son From Thy lofty heav’nly throne To us in this vale of grief To bring Adam’s sons relief.
5.	Let us all, from high to low, Thee and Jesus only know; Thy Beloved grant, that we May in Him accepted be.
6.	Jesus Christ, Eternal Word, Image of the Father, Lord, His eternal Wisdom, Son, Evermore Begotten One.
7.	Unbegotten Deity Essence from division free, Yet in person Thou alone Art the everlasting Son.
8.	Jesus Christ, our thanks to Thee Who a Man didst deign to be To redeem man’s nature lost: Save us by Thy precious cost.
9.	Holy Ghost, Thou Comfort fair, Who from both proceedest e’er, Equal glory is Thy due: Make our heart and mind anew.
10.	Stir within us godly fear, Let our heart Thy Word revere, Grant anointing by Thy pow’r Fill Thy Church at every hour.
11.	Sanctify us and bestow That we in Thy way may go; And in Jesus’ righteousness Come to heaven by Thy grace.
12.	God who art in person three, Yet substantial Unity, Undivided, very God, Ever Thine be praise and laud.
13.	Hear us, Holy Majesty, As we lift our pray’r to Thee In Thy name: oh, kindly deign To reply Amen, Amen.

Translation © 2012 Matthew Carver.

Ancient Hymns for Home Worship

Last week I posted quotes by nineteenth-century theologian Edmond de Presenssé from his work Christian Life and Practice in the Early Church.  This is a good book, though I wish he gave more detail on how he formed his opinions on certain matters.  The following are ancient hymns from his chapter "Worship in the Home" (pp. 230-231).  Notice that though these are simple and brief, they communicate a profound understanding of the Lord and our response to him.

Morning Hymn
Day by day will I bless You,
And will praise Your name forever,
And from age to age.
Grant, O Lord, that we may be kept this day also without sin.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and
        Your name is to be praised and glorified forever.  Amen.

Evening Hymn
Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your judgments.
O Lord, You have been a refuge to us from generation to generation.
You, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
You have healed my soul [in] that I have sinned against You.
O Lord, to You I flee for refuge.
Teach me to do Your will,
Because You are my God;
Because You are the Fountain of life.
In Your light shall we see light.
Extend Your mercy to those who know You.  Amen.

Twilight Hymn
Calm light of the celestial glory,
O Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
We come to You now as the sun goes down,
And before the evening light
We seek You, Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit of God.
You are worthy to be forever praised by holy voices.
O Son of God, You give life to us,
And therefore does the world glorify You.

Sharing Hymns

I am thankful to Glenn Chatfield at The Watchman's Bagpipes for a post concerning the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul," because he shed light on two additional verses.  Most hymnals have verses 1-3, and 6, which are loved and sung heartily by every person I know.  Now I know there is more to love.  My thanks go out to Glenn for sharing.

Hymnals

Concordia Publishing House has a promotion going on entitled Hymnal in every Home.  The idea is to place a hymnal in every Lutheran's home as a resource for family devotions and teaching.

I applaud CPH for making the effort.  Every home should have a hymnal that is used regularly.  Throughout history, men of God were noted for always having a Bible and hymnal as their regular reading and teaching material.  They took seriously the following passages from Paul.

Ephesians 5:18-21 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The need to use music for teaching was clear to the early church as noted in the following excerpts.  First from Clement of Alexandria:

In the present instance He is a guest with us. For the apostle adds again, “Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to God.”  And again, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and His Father.”  This is our thankful revelry.  And even if you wish to sing and play to the harp or lyre, there is no blame.  Thou shalt imitate the righteous Hebrew king in his thanksgiving to God.  “Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; praise is comely to the upright,” says the prophecy.  “Confess to the Lord on the harp; play to Him on the psaltery of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song.”  And does not the ten-stringed psaltery indicate the Word Jesus, who is manifested by the element of the decad?  And as it is befitting, before partaking of food, that we should bless the Creator of all; so also in drinking it is suitable to praise Him on partaking of His creatures.  For the psalm is a melodious and sober blessing.  The apostle calls the psalm “a spiritual song.”

The Instructor, Book II, cap. 4.

Then another from Tertullian in relation to godly marriage:

Where the flesh is one, one is the spirit too.  Together they pray, together prostrate themselves, together perform their fasts; mutually teaching, mutually exhorting, mutually sustaining.  Equally (are they) both (found) in the Church of God; equally at the banquet of God; equally in straits, in persecutions, in refreshments.…Between the two echo psalms and hymns; and they mutually challenge each other which shall better chant to their Lord.  Such things when Christ sees and hears, He joys.  To these He sends His own peace. Where two (are), there withal (is) He Himself.  Where He (is), there the Evil One is not.

To His Wife, Book II

Lastly, I recommend this homily by John Chrysostom on Colossians 3:16-17.

I have hymnals of various denominations in my house—Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Plymouth Brethren to name some.  There are hymns used by all of Protestantism, while others are unique to a particular group.  Christian hymnody is broad and rich.  Local churches would do well to investigate the breadth and depth of what has been given to the church universal and make it their own.

Songs, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Doctrinal Truth

This week I stumbled across a blog maintained by Dan Engle entitled Necessary Roughness.  Those familiar with American football will understand the title's play on words.  OK, I like it whether you do or not.

As I was reading through some posts, one from June 20^th caught my eye: Good Hymns Confess Specific Truth.  Intrigued by the title, I read through this short entry.  I especially appreciated this:

We have a treasure in Christian hymnody that maintains correct doctrine and faith in the Truth. Our hymns must do more than not confess false doctrine; they must confess true doctrine. It is not sufficient that we believe in a god, but the God that revealed himself to us in His holy word.

As pastors and musicians choose hymns for worship, they should be care not only to choose tunes that people sing but choose lyrics that embed Biblical truth into our minds and hearts.

Have I sung hymns with questionable or unbiblical content?  Yes, back when I did not know any better.  Nowadays I keep quiet rather than sing the disagreeable parts.

After reading what Dan wrote, I followed a related link to here.  The point of this post is that we need to agree that lyrics must be biblical before we discuss how they are delivered via the tune and instrumentation.  He rightly states

The aim of a lot of Christian popular music is to praise God without laying out a lot of doctrine that would be offensive to some denominations.

It is no secret that Contemporary Christian Music lyrics are written blandly as not to offend, thus improving acceptability with an end to improved sales.  The church should not be in that same business.  We have doctrine to teach and with an obligation to teach it well.  Musical lyrics are a great tool to this end.

I am not addressing arrangement, tempo, or stylization at this time.  I definitely have my preferences, like using the original melodies for hymns, but do not wish to jump into rock vs. Bach as Dan Engle mentioned.  For the record, I am listening to Mozart's "Mass in C minor", K427 ("Great Mass") while writing this.

Conclusion
We need to learn proper doctrine properly.  Sometime take your Bible and read Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32.  What jumps out as a recurring theme? that God is to be obeyed, and to obey one must know what he requires.  This should be common sense in the local church.  Considering that most preachers spend about 20 hours preparing a message that correctly explains what Scripture says, should not the same level of care be put forth to ensure the music's message?  I do not expect the music leader to spend a proportionate amount of time as the preacher because the roles and tools are different.  However, the desire to properly express truth should be as great.

Finally, as an aside, how about we recommend to music leaders that the next time they wish to introduce a new song to the congregation, try something from a little-used author like King David or Venerable Bede or Ambrose or possibly this 9^th-century work by Theodulph of Orleans:

1. All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David's royal Son, Who in the Lord's name comest, The King and Blessed One.	4. All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. To Thee, before Thy Passion, They sang their hymns of praise; To Thee, now high exalted, Our melody we raise.
2. All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. The company of angels Are praising Thee on high, And mortal men and all things Created make reply.	5. All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. Thou didst accept their praises; Accept the prayers we bring, Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King.
3. All glory, laud, and honor To Thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. The people of the Hebrews With psalms before Thee went; Our praise and prayer and anthems Before Thee we present.

 
Any takers?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

"Man of Sorrows!" what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
"Full atonement!" can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
"It is finished!" was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip P. Bliss, pub. 1875

A "New" Hymn

Being on this theme of hymnody, I offer to the reader this one written some 1300 years ago which I found recently at The Lutheran Hymnal Online.

A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing

by The Venerable Bede, 673-735
Translated by Benjamin Webb, 1820-1885

1. A Hymn of glory let us sing:
New songs throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

2. The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And with His followers they see
Jesus' resplendent majesty.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

3. To whom the angels, drawing nigh,
"Why stand and gaze upon the sky?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
This is the Savior!" thus they say;
"This is His noble triumph-day."
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

4. "Again shall ye behold Him so
As ye today have seen Him go,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In glorious pomp ascending high,
Up to the portals of the sky."
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

5. Oh, grant us thitherward to tend
And with unwearied hearts ascend
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Unto Thy kingdom's throne, where Thou,
As is our faith, art seated now.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

6. Be Thou our Joy and strong Defense
Who art our future Recompense:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
So shall the light that springs from Thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

7. O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
All praise to Thee let earth accord,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Who art, while endless ages run,
With Father and with Spirit One.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #212
Text: Acts 1: 11
Author: The Venerable Bede, 735
Translated by: Benjamin Webb, 1854, alt.
Titled: "Hymnum canamus gloriae"
Tune: "Lasst uns erfreuen"

The Book of Psalms for Worship

Crown and Covenant Publications has recently released their newest psalter, The Book of Psalms for Worship. This edition purports to complete the revised wording begun in their 1973 psalter, The Book of Psalms for Singing.

I would venture that most people have never sung from a psalter, and if they have, it was the old Scottish metrical from the 17th century. From my perspective, they are difficult to read, much less sing, because of the stilted English used to put the psalms into rhyme and meter. The wording is familiar, since it is similar to the 1611 Authorized Version of the Bible. That psalter is foreign-sounding to modern ears and needed work. The revision process undertaken by these brethren makes this an accessible resource for the Christian community.

Perhaps someone might question using a psalter. The notion somehow sounds antiquated, but with the dearth of good new hymnody, why not turn to an ancient and eminently biblical collection of songs for use by a local congregation. Most of the selections are unknown to the typical church member and would help satisfy the desire for something new by offering something old.

Some may balk at psalm-singing as somehow anti-dispensational and claiming the promises of Israel for the church. Not so. It is merely a right understanding of the church's relationship to these works that is needed.

Do you want to sing a new song unto the Lord? Sing from the psalter.

Hatchet Jobs on Hymns

Warning! Pet peeve alert!

One thing that really jerks my chain is the way hymns are treated. For example, this past Sunday one of the songs was "And Can It Be?" by Charles Wesley. This lovely and powerful hymn has five verses. Our song leader reduced it to three. I was crushed. How would it be if Top 40 songs got treated the same way? Can you imagine singing only 60% of "American Pie?" And how do you cut out 40% of "Streets of El Paso?" If you are going to sing a song, sing the whole song.

For whatever reason, "worship leaders" think that they can cut out verses of hymns in a willy-nilly fashion as the mood fits. Not so. Hymns are constructed with a purpose in mind and a message to convey. Part of the story is being cut out when verses are omitted.

And do not get me started on tempo. A hymn is not a dirge, people.