Re: How Hymns Influence Us -- Dog in the Manger Forum

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Date Posted: 21:53:23 12/18/05 Sun
Author: George Williams
Subject: Re: How Hymns Influence Us
In reply to: Joanne 's message, "How Hymns Influence Us" on 15:15:31 11/17/01 Sat

>Mike Sanders put an article on the Chofjclist which I
>found very interesting. I also had thought many of
>these things myself, but hadn't heard it expressed by
>anyone else?until now.
>
>Mike uses quotes from Michael Hicks and John
>MacArthur. It is quite a long article, but I will
>post some excerpts from it.
>
>"The hymns we sing speak of what we are and of what we
>believe."
>
>"A history of a people will reveal what they speak of
>out of their hearts in song."
>
>"Cheville discusses the importance of song and
>revival. He also notes that "hymn singing speaks what
>is in the heart of the people...These song revivals
>are of the people and by the people."
>
>"Music is a very powerful medium for both good and
>evil. It preaches into our souls and stays in our
>minds."
>
>"The 1956 hymnal had a section called Historical Hymns
>which Roger Revell describes as "a way for the 1956
>committee to include hymns about which they felt
>musically or theologically uncertain. Most of the
>hymns in that section got there because their music
>did not meet the committee's standards; they hoped
>these hymns would be seen as something apart from the
>main body of hymnody."3 The committee for the new
>hymnal decided, however, that each hymn would have to
>be either in or out; if a hymn qualified for the
>hymnal, it would have to do so without apology or
>special tags. For this reason, the new hymnal omits
>all but one of the hymns previously consigned to the
>Historical Hymns section. The one remaining hymn--and
>Mr. Revell claims he voted against its inclusion with
>both hands raised--has as its tune "Aloha Oe" (no.
>472)."
>
>Hymns used to be wonderful didactic tools, filled with
>Scripture and sound doctrine, a medium for teaching
>and admonishing one another, as we are commanded to do
>in Colossians 3:16.
>
>"Songs emphasized personal experience and the feelings
>of the worshiper."
>
>"The biblically mandated didactic role of music is all
>but forgotten."
>
>"The modern church, fed on insipid lyrics, has little
>appetite for Scripture and sound doctrine. We are also
>in danger of losing a rich heritage of hymnody as some
>of the best hymns of our faith fall into neglect,
>being replaced with banal lyrics set to catchy tunes."
>
>"We all can readily see that much music that passes
>itself off as Christian today is simply carnal music
>aimed to appeal to a worldly disposition found in the
>hearts and minds of many professing Christians."
>
>"...if the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith story and
>so forth are downplayed--and there are very few
>references to such matters in the hymns--then the gain
>in universality and acceptance means that a certain
>price has been paid in terms of historical and
>doctrinal uniqueness. On the one hand it is admirable,
>as a gesture toward universality and ecumenism, that a
>Methodist or a Presbyterian would be comfortable with
>almost all of the Hymns of the Saints. But on the
>other hand, it is irresistible to ponder what might
>have happened if authors and editors had decided as
>one of their explicit goals to exemplify distinctive
>RLDS history, doctrine, scriptures, and institutions
>in their new hymnal."
>
>This article shows quite conclusively how important
>the hymn life of the church really is. Some people
>that I know, while never reading scripture, regularly
>sing the hymns that are contained in the hymnal. If
>the restoration hymns are omitted, how can these
>people become acquainted with the these beliefs.
>Right! They can't! It is sometimes hard to realize
>the steering power that a hymn can have.
>
>Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
>wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
>and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
>your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16
>
>Joanne

>

Dear Joanne,

I think the current CofChrist hymnal adequately reflects the theology of the First Presidency.

The liberalists do not believe that Satan actually is a being who exists (this disbelief has many implications). The old and venerable hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" was altered by them in an attempt to excise Satan from any role in CofChrist theology.

One verse of the original hymn (in English translation) reads near the end:

The Prince of Darkness grim...
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.

The next verse following is:

That word above all earthly powers
No thanks to them abideth.
The spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus it is he,
Lord Sabaoth his name.
From age to age the same,
And he must win the battle.

In their anxiety over having Satan mentioned at all, the hymn's entire message is marred. Satan exists, and Christ has defeated him.

In their attempt to "limp along on both sides," the First Presidency attempts to maintain some identity with historic Christianity, while attempting to destroy the very message of both historic Christianity and of the Restoration.

Regards,
George

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Replies:

Re: How Hymns Influence Us -- Mamusz, 18:40:03 02/10/06 Fri