Vintage Worship: The Glory of Historic Hymns

Here's another great post from Matt Boswell.  I think he makes some good points that the wider church needs to hear.   

I love old hymns. I keep a stack of hymnals on my nightstand, and have an ever-growing collection in my library. I cut my teeth on Charles Wesley and John Rippon. I hope to write academically on the pastoral theology of hymns. I even have a dog named Watts.

While I certainly don’t think that historic hymns are the only thing we should sing in corporate worship, I am concerned that omitting older hymns in our gatherings silences the rich voices of church history. Some churches seem uninterested in any song that is more than two years old, much less two hundred years. Yes, the church will continue to write and sing new songs (Psalm 96:1), but it is also good and helpful for us to sing old songs.

What’s New Is Not Always Best

When I mention historic hymns, maybe you cringe as you recall a “worship war” in your local church. Maybe you’re eager to only sing the old hymns. Or maybe you wonder why it is important at all. My aim is not to renew local church disputes or bolster mere sentimentality, but to commend something else altogether — to encourage younger churches to remember their history by joining with the countless men and women who have shared these songs over hundreds of years.

Our society is fixated on what’s new and what’s next, but hymns remind us that what’s next is not always what’s best. Singing the historic hymns of our faith reminds our congregations that we are not the first generation who have wrestled and prayed, asked and believed. We are not the first to write hymns of praise to God. We walk gladly in the footsteps of our fathers who have written praises to Christ that have stood the test of time.

With a steady diet of merely new choruses, we can develop both modern idolatry and historical amnesia. Perhaps we should adopt this paraphrase of C.S. Lewis?Sing at least one old hymn to every three new ones.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him all creatures here below,
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
–Thomas Ken, 1674

Hymns Teach Us

Hymns are portable sermons that articulate, exegete, and pronounce biblical truths. They shape the way we view God, man, Christ, and how we are to live in light of the gospel. The truths they communicate preach to us throughout the week following the style of Deuteronomy 6 — at home and away, when lying down and waking. As R.W. Dale famously said, “Let me write the hymns of the church and I care not who writes the theology.”

Singing is a form of teaching that uses poetry to open to us the word of God. When Isaac Watts published Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, his intention was not to sing Scripture line by line, but to create poetic and emotive renditions of Scripture that enabled the church to sing the truths of Scripture.

Singing for the Christian is formative and responsive, and therefore must be informed by Scripture. We learn what we sing.

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.
–Samuel Stone, 1886

Hymns Admonish Us

Throughout the week, other things call for our praise, attention, and affection. Singing hymns of God’s character reminds us of his greatness. Singing hymns of our sin reminds us of the role of confession. By singing hymns of the atonement, we remind one another of the efficacy of the work of Jesus. Hymns of consecration remind us of the dependence of the Christian upon the steadfast grace of God.

We sing to admonish the weak and weary that their salvation is in God. We sing to admonish the doubting to believe and be renewed. We sing to admonish the suffering that they have a hope that is unwavering.

Begone unbelief, my Savior is near,
And for my relief will surely appear:
By prayer let me wrestle, and He wilt perform,
With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm.
–John Newton, 1779

Hymns Inspire Worship

We should choose historic hymns that provoke thankful hearts. The aim of singing hymns is engaging both the head and the heart. Just as we read and meditate on the Scriptures to see and worship God, so we choose songs that teach robust theological truth that cause our hearts to erupt with praise. The chief end of theology is doxology.

In choosing historic hymns for corporate worship, we should choose those that make our hearts sing. From the content of the lyric, to the movement of the melody, we want beauty and transcendence to come together and serve the people of God. In our pursuit of theological precision, we must not neglect the pursuit of heartfelt response.

A church’s hymn-singing — whether old or new — is not simply an opening act for the sermon. It is not obligatory filler-time to warm up a congregation. Singing is a holy practice. We sing because God has commanded us, and our songs should fill our hearts with thankfulness and delight in God.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
–Martin Luther, 1529

The New in the Old

Surely the hymns recorded for us in Scripture are meant for our singing today. In these songs of praise and prayer, contrition and confession, we see the breadth and inclusiveness of the hymns the church has sung for ages.

Regardless of the median age or church experience of a congregation, when I lead in worship by singing these historic hymns together, a sense of identity and reverence seems to rest upon the people. These songs unite the body of Christ as they have for generations, joining the youngest and oldest of our congregation and everyone in between, as they consider and hope in the same truths of God and his grace.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
–Isaac Watts, 1719

Holiday Reading

Holiday Reading

At LBC we try and rest as a church, during August.  It’s not about going on holiday but about being in a healthy rhythm where we slow down, stopping some regular activities in order to gain space to remember God and his grace shown towards us in Christ.  It’s the Sabbath principle.  One of the ways we can make good use of that time is to read a decent Christian book that will strengthen and encourage us in our faith.

It’s worth remembering that Christianity is a book oriented faith; God has revealed himself in a book, the Bible, and Spirit filled teachers have written other books to help us understand it.  So whether we love reading or struggle with it, it’s important to persevere and try, with God’s help, to receive the blessings that he wants to make available through books. 

“I do not remember 99% of what I read but if the 1% I do remember is a life-changing insight, then I do not begrudge the 99%” John Piper

I’m going to make some suggestions of books that I would recommend to you as your Pastor.  They are books that, if read humbly and carefully, will be helpful to you as you seek to live a fruitful life for Christ.   If you were to read just one of these every six months, perhaps painfully slowly, you would be extremely well served.   In 5 years you could have read 10 excellent books which would strengthen you hugely but would also impact those around you. 

So in no particular order my recommendations:

Knowing God by Jim Packer.     

A true spiritual classic that will open your eyes to the amazing God we celebrate.  If your understanding of who God is and what he is done is thin your worship will be thin too.  This book will help you to grow in you r worship of and love for God.  It was written in 1973 and it will still be being read in another 40 years and beyond. 

Enjoy Your Prayer Life by Michael Reeves. 

At just 48 pages this short book wonderfully conveys what prayer is really all about.  It’s super encouraging and makes you want to pray. 

You Can Change by Tim Chester.  

This is book shows you how the gospel – not trying hard, doing more, learning more or getting special prayer ministry – can change our actions and attitudes.   This is old-time “reformed theology” written for the nitty gritty reality of 21^st century life.  

The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg.  

I read this “by accident” on holiday last year and loved it.   How can we be the best version of ourselves, the one that looks like Jesus, the one that is flourishing and not languishing?  Deep, profound and at times laugh-out-loud funny.  A book you will want to go slowly through.  

Anything by Tim Keller.  

Literally anything - I bet even his shopping lists will lead you closer to Christ!  As far as I know Keller didn’t write anything for the first 30 years of his ministry but now when he’s a seasoned pastor and evangelist it feels like he’s writing a book a month.  

The Reason for God       How to explain Christianity to a sceptical world.

Kings Cross                     A journey through Mark’s gospel.  The thing you’ll say the most: “Why had I never noticed that….I want to tell my non-Christian friend

The Prodigal God              The teaching he gives here changed my life and ministry for ever about 10 years ago.   There are two ways of being lost…

Counterfeit Gods                Unbelievably helpful stuff about what we trust in other than Christ, why it fails to deliver and how it hurts us.  He then shows how Jesus will always be sufficient and better than anything else that calls for our allegiance.   

 Prayer                              This is on my pile of books to be read.  I cannot wait!

Honest Evangelism, Rico Tice    

I keep meeting people who have read this book and rave about it, I’ve read extracts and reviews but I need to read it and soon!  I need to be stirred to share my faith in only the way Rico Tice can do it.  

Compared to Her by Sophie de Wit

I’ve not read this but it sounds great.   I’ve read another of her books and she’s got a great style.  Here’s the blurb:    "I am a recovering Compulsive Comparison Syndrome sufferer. It causes me to feel envy, despair, pride and superiority. It cuts away at my relationship with God, with my loved ones, and with myself. It has promised me contentment, and yet robbed me of it.  This book is about how to spot this syndrome and its effects in your life; the view of life that causes it; how the gospel treats it; and how you can move beyond it to live a life of true, lasting contentment.”

Is God Anti Gay by Sam Allberry

I’d like everyone to read this.  It’s a short book that addresses the issue of same sex attraction, what God thinks and how Christians should respond.  It’s not the last word but it is super helpful for those who want to live under the authority of Scripture and truly love others.  

The Art of Pastoring by David Hansen

Ever wondered what a Pastor is for?  For many years I wasn’t sure and I was one!  This book is a gift to Pastors who don’t want to sell out to the “pastor as CEO” spirit of the age and it’s a gift to those who they serve. 

A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald.  

A wonderfully encouraging book about how to walk with Christ over the long haul and finish strong.   

More by Simon Ponsonby.  

This book was the excellent basis for a Sunday evening sermon series looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit.   How can we have more of the Spirit when we already have everything in Christ?   Mining the Cross without undermining it!

Living the Cross Centred Life by CJ Mahaney.

I’ve recommended this little book before.   Read a chapter a day and see what God does in your heart.  It’s wonderful!

I think I’ll leave it there for now!    Most of these you will be able to pick up second hand from Amazon for £3-£5.

I really hope that these books will help you as you seek to live well for Christ.

How Bible-reading Can Damage Your Health

I love this article (an extract form John Hindley's book).  I think he makes a good point really well. 

For years, I have struggled with Bible reading. Most Christians I know struggle to read the Bible (though we don’t like to talk about it).

We wonder why it doesn’t seem to make a difference to us. We wonder why we don’t miss it when we don’t read it.

We know we should read its words, but often we don’t really feel like reading it. We know it’s true; we don’t remember it’s beautiful.

Maybe you’re in that position as you read this. Maybe you are in church leadership and wish your church family would read the Bible more (even as you wish that your own Bible-reading was more than doing your duty).

Well, I think I’ve worked out what I was getting wrong about the Bible. I was reading the Bible as though it were about me—my understanding, behaviour, guidance, feelings. But it is not about me. It is about Jesus. And really knowing that changes everything.

When my wife and I were dating, we wrote each other letters. I read Flick’s letters for information on how she had been doing (you might call that reading intellectually), to know how to be a good boyfriend to her (reading morally), or because they made me feel good (reading emotionally). But if that had been it, I’d have entirely missed the point. I read those letters first and foremost because I loved Flick, and I wanted to hear from Flick because of my love for her and her love for me.

  

I read them because I couldn’t not read them—because I loved her.

The Bible is first and foremost a love letter, from Christ, to us as his people. Yes, the words are the words of Moses, Matthew, Paul and so on, but they are the words of Christ’s Spirit, too. This is why Jesus says to a group of people who were very, very good at making time for “quiet times”:

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5 v 39-40)

The Scriptures are all about Jesus. They point us to him, because they are from him. So reading the Bible is not about me learning more, but loving more. It is my chance to hear from Jesus, to see Jesus, to grasp more fully the love and power and perfection of Jesus.

When we forget that, our Bible reading not only doesn’t grow us, but it can actually stunt us. It can turn our Christian life into an intellectual pursuit, or a moral crusade, or an emotional rollercoaster, or a job on the to-do list. Even a “good” quiet time (I understood the passage, or I saw how I must change, or I felt great, or I got it done) doesn’t really change anything, for very long. Too much of this and I give up Bible reading, or I shrink through Bible reading.

Let’s read the Bible because it’s about Jesus. We’ll need to understand it. It will show us how to live. It will sometimes fire our feelings. It will need to be done diligently.

But it will change so much, and help you grow so much, if you sit down with your Bible and think: I am about to hear from Jesus, about Jesus. I am opening up his love letter. You may need some notes or devotional books to help you. But most of all, you need to know what the Bible is: or rather, Who the Bible is from and who it is about. He is true, and he is beautiful, and he is speaking to us.

Get that, and you and I will read the Bible because we can’t not read the Bible.

This is an edited excerpt from John Hindley’s new book, You can really grow: How to thrive in the Christian life.

You Snooze You Lose

Jesus himself said that we should be careful how we listen to what God has to say (Luke 8:18) and so it's worth giving some thought to how we approach the sermons we listen to.

Christopher Ash's book "Listen Up! A practical Guide to Listening to Sermons" is excellent and we used it at Lymington Baptist Church some years ago as study material for small groups.

And this week's edition of Mortification of Spin speaks really helpfully to the same issue.  Worth a listen - it's about 15 minutes.  (MOS isn't everyone's cup of tea and much of the time, theologically, it isn't where I am but I absolutely love it!)

Four Powerful Words

Please take 11 minutes to watch this piece of film.   It speaks to such an importnat issue that we all need to get more familiar with.   Click here

A Glimpse of Heaven

The other week I had the opportunity of preaching from the book of Revelation, the last in the current morning series at LBC based on the Community Bible Experience readings.   I chose as my text Chapter 5.  I couldn't wait to get into the study to start work; sleeves rolled up, brow furrowed.

I recalled, as I have done on a few occasions, how Revd Glen Marshall's preaching on Revelation at the Baptist Assembly in 2002 had knocked me off my feet.  He had presented Christ to me in such a vivid and compelling way it was etched in my mind.  In particular I had been gripped by his introduction to the book itself and, amazingly, I managed to find his notes on this introduction online. As I read his opening remarks about how we should approach this particular book I was again transfixed by the very nature of the text God had given to us in John's Apocalypse.

I read this introduction at the beginning of my sermon as I could find no better way of being able to capture people's hearts and imaginations for the message that would follow from Rev. 5   I've pasted in Glen's notes below and also the link to the sermon itself.   I have to say I was blown away by it. That's sounds kind of inappropriate doesn't it but I'm not referring to my own preaching but what the experience of announcing this particular section of God's Word to the congregation (including myself!) did to me.   It was a rare thing I can say.   Heralding the truth that despite all manner of horrendous circumstances "the lamb still wins" was an incredible privilege.  

An Introduction to Revelation by Glen Marshall

Revelation is a virtuoso performance.  John is the Salvador Dali of the prophetic image, the Lewis Carol of biblical literature and the Tim Burton of scriptural story telling.

He breaks all the rules - the Greek is a nightmare, he is radically creative with the conventions of apocalyptic and daringly innovative with the prophetic tradition.

Why? Because what he is dealing with, what he has seen, what he has been charged to share is so huge, so profound, so fundamental, so gob-smacking that he has to find a way to assail our senses and our sensibilities in the hope that we might see it too - and be changed as a result.

It’s worth remembering that Revelation was designed to be read out loud in church (“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it …1:3).   It’s a spoken drama - imagine it - in Ephesus, eyes closed, transported to another world - not an imaginary world but a heavenly world, not a dream world but our world viewed from the perspective of the eternal purposes of the creator redeemer God. It is designed to break open our world to transcendence. 

John wants us to see what he’s seen so that the vision will invade our hearts, infect our dreams and so transform our living. 

That’s why the last thing that you must do to Revelation is turn into a doctrinal textbook or still less a futurist timetable like some eschatological equivalent of the national rail enquiry service. 

John did not use his images to conceal what could have been said more straightforwardly, but to communicate that which could not be expressed in any other way.

This is a Pink Floyd Video not a government information film. This is Moulin Rouge, not a documentary on the Parisian entertainment industry.

We evangelicals need to repent of the violence we have done to scripture – Like some insane cook we have spent our time extracting the individual ingredients from the stew in order to analyse their taste; we’ve been so busy dissecting the body of scripture in order to extract precise and consistent doctrinal formulations that we’ve been left with a corpse, not a living word.

So let’s get on and see what he saw - and don’t just bring your reason with you bring your imagination as well.

Revelation 5: A Glimpse of Heaven

Flowers for Gay Weddings

I'm always interested in what James Emery White has to say about church and culture.   This post addresses an issue that we will find more and more in the UK and it's worth giving some thought to.   It reminds me of DA Carson's book "The Intolerance of Tolerance" in which he says that it's no longer enough to permit and accept things you don't agree with, you have to support them and be in favour of them if you're to be tolerant.  

By now, most have heard of the many and varied court cases related to conscientious objection, usually of a religious nature, to serving gay weddings. They are filling the courts as bakers and florists, bed and breakfast operators and caterers, are being sued for not wanting to engage in activity they deem supporting the wedding itself.

But now we are starting to get the decisions.

A judge ruled that a Washington state florist who refused to provide a flower arrangement for a gay wedding "because of [her] relationship with Jesus" violated the state's anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws.

Background: the couple asked the florist to provide flowers for their wedding in March 2013, three months after Washington state legalized same-sex marriage. The florist had served the couple at least twenty-times before, and knew they were gay. But when the request came to provide flower arrangements for their wedding, she said that she could not provide the arrangements because doing so would have constituted a demonstration of approval for the wedding itself.

"I just put my hands on his and told him because of my relationship with Jesus Christ I couldn't do that, couldn't do his wedding."

The charge against the florist was discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The State Attorney, who brought one of two lawsuits against the florist (the other came from the ACLU), said "If a business provides a product or service to opposite-sex couples for their weddings, then it must provide same-sex couples the same product or service."

But the legal team for the florist said she hadn't denied the couple flowers, just the arrangements. An arrangement, it was argued, was a form of free speech. They were welcome to her flowers. Further, they argued the florist's faith should exempt her from anti-discrimination laws.

In a sixty-page opinion, the judge maintained that "religious motivation does not excuse compliance with the law…In trade and commerce, and more particularly when seeking to prevent discrimination in public accommodations, the courts have confirmed the power of the legislative branch to prohibit conduct it deems discriminatory, even where the motivation for that conduct is grounded in religious beliefs."

More specifically, the judge maintained that while religious beliefs are protected, religious actions are not. When the state of Washington approved gay marriage, a Christian refusing to serve gay weddings became illegal.

The florist's attorney, Kristen Waggoner with Alliance Defending Freedom, said of the pending appeal: "The ruling basically said that if you dare to not celebrate same-sex marriage because it violates your religious convictions, that the government has a right to bring about your personal and professional ruin…Her home, her business…her life savings and retirement, these are all in jeopardy…all because of her deeply held religious views."

Many Christians are conflicted about such stories, not to mention verdicts. No one wants to see true discrimination take place.

But there is a significant difference between serving a wedding and, say, serving a meal. Many in opposition to the florist's stand want to link it to the civil rights movement and the abhorrent Jim Crow laws that were in effect until the mid 1960's.

However, the analogy is specious on several fronts, but most importantly because a wedding has always been a deeply religious event. Among many Christians, it is one of the holy sacraments. It is not about a general refusal of service on the basis of race, gender or even sexual orientation. It is about forced compliance in regard to what has historically been, and continues to be for most, a sacred act being treated in a sacrilegious way, and people being forced into participating in that sacrilege.

She would sell them flowers. She just didn't want to create something that would be used for the wedding itself. She didn't try to stop the wedding, or refuse them flowers for their wedding…she just didn't want to be aparticipant. They could use the flowers for whatever they wanted, but that was their concern. She didn't want to have to create something expressly used to, in her heart and mind, dishonor God.

Think of it this way: suppose she had been asked to make a floral arrangement for a Hindu wedding, a floral arrangement that was destined to be given as a sacrifice to a particular Hindu god. To make such an arrangement would be, for a Christian, unthinkable. It would be making something for a purpose that they simply could not bring their hands to craft. And for some reason, I think the court of public opinion would be with her.

To say that belief cannot be linked with action is to say that religion is fine as long as it isn't real. As long as it doesn't result in an actual lifestyle of conviction. It should be treated as a personal, private preference, but not a transcendent reality. As such, it must compromise itself to anything society deems desirable.

Let's not be naïve about the not-so-subtle agenda that seems to be creeping into the cultural discourse on such matters. For many, it is not enough for homosexuality to be allowed; it is not enough for it be accepted; it is not enough for gay marriage to be legal. The end game for some seems to be the penalization, if not criminalization, of any and all convictional opposition.

To my thinking, this is the heart of the "religious freedom" concern.

And this is the heart of the matter for the florist as well, for after being offered a settlement in this case she responded by saying:

"Your offer reveals that you don't really understand me or what this conflict is all about. It's about freedom, not money. I certainly don't relish the idea of losing my business, my home, and everything else that your lawsuit threatens to take from my family, but my freedom to honor God in doing what I do best is more important."

So when the argument goes, "Yes, of course I believe in religious freedom. But if you're going to be a photographer, you will have to subvert that to your role in society as a photographer. After all, you don't have to be a photographer!"

...or,

"Of course clergy and churches should not be forced to officiate gay weddings. But if they don't, they should lose their tax exempt status,"

...let's call it what it is. This is the active penalization of religious conviction, and the polar opposite of religious freedom.

Of course the photographer has to be a photographer. It is their vocation, their livelihood, the fruit of their training and education. If you want discrimination, here it is: you are saying you can't be a Christianphotographer, at least not a practicing one.

So there you have it.

A judge has ruled that a "relationship with Jesus" doesn't justify acts of conscience. The only problem is that a relationship with Jesus demands just that.

James Emery White