From John Wesley's sermon, "The Almost Christian": 9. But, supposing you had, do good designs and good desires make a Christian? By no means, unless they are brought to good effect. "Hell is paved," saith one, "with good intentions." The great question of all, then, still remains. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart? Can you cry out, "My God, and my All"? Do you desire nothing but him? Are you happy in God? Is he your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing? And is this commandment written in your heart, "That he who loveth God love his brother also"? Do you then love your neighbor as yourself? Do you love every man, even your enemies, even the enemies of God, as your own soul? as Christ loved you? Yea, dost thou believe that Christ loved thee, and gave himself for thee? Hast thou faith in his blood? Believest thou the Lamb of God hath taken away thy sins, and cast them as a stone into the depth of the sea? that he hath blotted out the handwriting that was against thee, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross? Hast thou indeed redemption through his blood, even the remission of thy sins? And doth his Spirit bear witness with thy spirit, that thou art a child of God? 10. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who now standeth in the midst of us, knoweth, that if any man die without this faith and this love, good it were for him that he had never been born. Awake, then, thou that sleepest, and call upon thy God: call in the day when he may be found. Let him not rest, till he make his "goodness to pass before thee;" till he proclaim unto thee the name of the Lord, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin." Let no man persuade thee, by vain words, to rest short of this prize of thy high calling. But cry unto him day and night, who, "while we were without strength, died for the ungodly," until thou knowest in whom thou hast believed, and canst say, "My Lord, and my God!" Remember, "always to pray, and not to faint," till thou also canst lift up thy hand unto heaven, and declare to him that liveth for ever and ever, "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee." 11. May we all thus experience what it is to be, not almost only; but altogether Christians; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus; knowing we have peace with God through Jesus Christ; rejoicing in hope of the glory of God; and having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost given unto us! Jesus, Lover of My Soul: 1 Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last! 2 Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing. 3 Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the fountain art; freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. Rev. Meredith MillsSenior Pastor
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Jesus, Lover of My Soul – Charles Wesley UM Hymnal #479 MARTYN We are only 4 weeks into our hymn blog and Charles is getting up close and personal. In fact, he wrote this hymn in 1740, probably shortly after his own conversion in October of 1738. The language is quite intimate, even for today, and in many ways, it feels more fitting in a service that celebrates the immanent God like our Encounter service. Originally the hymn was published under the title “In Temptation” in 5 stanzas as shown below but soon the 3rd stanza was left out and the United Methodist Hymnal contains stanzas 1,2,4 and 5. John Wesley did not include this hymn in any of his collections because he did not think it to be associate the divine Christ with words like lover or bosom. Charles, the poet, did not shy away from the close intimacy these words demonstrate. It is an interesting example of the affinity for the immanent God versus the transcendent God. 1 Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: hide me, O my Savior, hide, 'til the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last! 2 Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me! All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing. 3 Wilt thou not regard my call? Wilt thou not accept my prayer? Lo! I sing, I faint, I fall! Lo, on thee I cast my care! Reach me out thy gracious hand! While I of thy strength receive, hoping against hope I stand, Dying, and behold I live! 4 Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find: raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness; false and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace. 5 Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within: thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. The text is probably based on the Wisdom literature “Wisdom of Solomon” that can be found in the Apocrypha[1]. “But thou sparest all, for they are thine, O lord, thou lover of souls”. The first stanza reminds me of a child running to a parent’s safety and I can only imagine what these words might have meant to anyone seeking protection from violence and persecution. The Wesley's were abolitionist and familiar with the pain or African slaves. It is God, our parent, always ready to receive us. As Wesley was a new convent, he was like a child staying close to the Father’s/Mother’s hand. The second stanza intensifies the image of protection seeker. Stanza three has been left out in most hymnals as it represents moments of doubts and yet it is that moment that endears the hymn to me. When we are in the pits, is it not there when we doubt the presence of God? Stanza four points to the ever-present feeling of unworthiness and guilt. By making himself that vulnerable, Charles’ words speak deeply to the souls who feel the same and are too ashamed to share it. The final stanza speaks to the ongoing sanctifying grace of God. As we invite Jesus into our hearts, the Holy Spirit is at work to bring the everlasting healing of our broken selves. No sin is too big, no burden too heavy, when we respond to the knocking Christ, our brokenness is being healed, day by day. There are several stories revolving around this hymn. I want to share story of the soldier in the American Civil War[2] who was about to shoot a picket from the other side when he heard him singing, ‘Cover my defenseless head/With the shadow of thy wing.'”[3] All this makes me think of how the appeal to others out of deep vulnerability makes us stronger and more loving. We need not only God but also one another in the healing of our brokenness. Originally, we had discussed to use the tune EASTER HYMN for this text because the tune that it is matched up with in the hymnal, ABERYSTWYTH, seems way too sad for a sending hymn. However, EASTER HYMN that you might all know as the triumphant tune to “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” does not match this intimate text. So, we looked for another tune and found one that might be less familiar but very singable. We look forward to singing together these amazing words which pour out of Charles Wesley’s heart. [1] The apocrypha are a set of texts included in the Latin Bible translation called Vulgate and the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible called Septuagint. However, these texts were not included in the Hebrew Bible. Catholic tradition includes these texts while Protestants do not. Luther did not translate anything from the Hebrew Bible that was not in the Hebrew text. Thus, Protestant bibles do not include the books within the Old Testament but have often included them in a separate section, usually called the Apocrypha. [2] www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-jesus-lover-of-my-soul [3] Stanza two, last two lines. Rev. Suzi ByrdAssociate Pastor From John Wesley's Full Sermon called "The Means of Grace" Lyrics to: "A Charge to Keep I Have" (see Rev. Suzi Byrd commentary) A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify, A never-dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill: Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage To do my Master’s will! Arm me with jealous care, As in Thy sight to live; And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare A strict account to give! Help me to watch and pray, And on Thyself rely, Assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die. But are there any ordinances now, since life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel? Are there, under the Christian dispensation, any means ordained of God, as the usual channels of his grace? This question could never have been proposed in the apostolical church, unless by one who openly avowed himself to be a Heathen; the whole body of Christians being agreed, that Christ had ordained certain outward means, for conveying his grace into the souls of men. Their constant practice set this beyond all dispute; for so long as "all that believed were together, and had all things common," (Acts 2:44,) "they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the Apostles, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42.) But in process of time, when "the love of many waxed cold," some began to mistake the means for the end, and to place religion rather in doing those outward works, than in a heart renewed after the image of God. They forgot that "the end of" every "commandment is love, out of a pure heart," with "faith unfeigned;" the loving the Lord their God with all their heart, and their neighbor as themselves; and the being purified from pride, anger, and evil desire, by a "faith of the operation of God." Others seemed to imagine, that though religion did not principally consist in these outward means, yet there was something in them wherewith God was well pleased: something that would still make them acceptable in his sight, though they were not exact in the weightier matters of the law, in justice, mercy, and the love of God. In the following discourse, I propose to examine at large, whether there are any means of grace. By "means of grace" I understand outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men, preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace. I use this expression, means of grace, because I know none better; and because it has been generally used in the Christian church for many ages; -- in particular by our own Church, which directs us to bless God both for the means of grace, and hope of glory; and teaches us, that a sacrament is "an outward sign of inward grace, and a means whereby we receive the same." The chief of these means are prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation; searching the Scriptures; (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating thereon;) and receiving the Lord's Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him: And these we believe to be ordained of God, as the ordinary channels of conveying his grace to the souls of men. Rev. Meredith MillsSenior Pastor A Charge to Keep I Have – Charles Wesley UM Hymnal #413 BOYLSTON I was not familiar with this hymn until recently. As I have been listening to Pastor Meredith’s sermons, I chuckle a little bit how the brothers Wesley seem to fall into the categories of believers she has been highlighting. This past Sunday she spoke about sanctifying and perfecting grace and how God through the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in us (if we open ourselves to God) to heal, restore and recreate us into what we were designed to be in the first place. Reading through the hymn below I can see both, the guilty and the overachiever! Do You see it? A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, A never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage To do my Master’s will! Arm me with jealous care, As in thy sight to live, And oh, thy servant, Lord, prepare A strict account to give! Help me to watch and pray, And on thyself rely, Assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die. Both, John and Charles Wesley took every opportunity to convince their audience that God’s salvation is not one moment in time but an ongoing journey. I believe that their writings have not lost their power and even though the language is old, the contents is completely relatable today. In their recent book, Presidential Praise: Our Presidents and Their Hymns (Mercer University Press, 2008), authors C. Edward Spann and Michael E. Williams Sr. note that the title of President George W. Bush’s autobiography, A Charge to Keep, was drawn from Charles Wesley’s hymn. The choice of this title is but one indication of the role this hymn has played in the life of President Bush, as well as the influence of this hymn 250 years beyond its composition. [1] Originally, this hymn was published in 1762 as a two-stanza short meter[2] hymn under the title “Keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not”. Charles liked to base his hymns on Scripture just like John based his sermons on scripture. In this case, Charles used Leviticus 8:35 “You shall remain at the entrance of the tent of meeting day and night for seven days, keep the Lord’s charge so that you do not die; for so I am commanded.” However, F. Hildebrandt and O. A. Beckerlegge tell us in their commentary on the 1780 collection that more than likely did Charles base his text on Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Leviticus. There are obvious similarities in both texts: ‘We have every one of us a charge to keep, An eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, Needful duty to be done, our generation to serve; And it must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is our peril if we neglect it. Keep it ‘that he die not’; it is death, eternal death, to betray the truth we are charged with.’ The beauty of Charles Wesley’s hymns is the ongoing narrative throughout the stanzas. I agonize over what stanzas to cut in a hymn because it feels likes cutting out some of the story and that feels like shortchanging those who sing the hymn. What if I leave out the stanza that helps them to hear God’s wooing? Stanza one states unambiguously what our call (charge) is – salvation! We are to love and submit to God and to prepare our souls for heaven. Stanza two states on how we are to fulfill that call – through service! Stanza three begins with a petition to God to help us to be faithful to servanthood and ends with a warning that judgment will come. The final stanza continues with a petition to the unnamed Holy Spirit to help us to stay on the path because otherwise there will be no reward. I can see you rolling your eyes because of the threatening tone of stanzas three and four and you are right to do that because it is indeed threatening. We can read this through the lens of guilt and shame and will not be able to see beyond the wall that goes up inside of us. Or, we could read this through the lens of compassion and empathy. It is indeed difficult to believe that God would love and restore us even though we seem to fail constantly in this thing called faith. Fear is a great motivator and it is very possible that Charles and John used fear to help others (and maybe even themselves) to repent (turn around) and fully open themselves to the work of the Holy Spirit inside of them. Fear works, we see that every day. But if we could give the thought of unconditional love a chance, we could realize that we are not alone in this; we are walking hand in hand with God and nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Therefore, let us join the choir of angels who have spoken to humans and said: Fear not, our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth! Glory to God! Hallelujah! Amen! A quick word to the tune BOYLSTON. New England native Lowell Mason wrote this tune in 1832, seventy years after Charles wrote the hymn and on a different continent. This is another good example how the matching of a tune with a hymn may also be an interpretation of that hymn. The melody is modeled after the ancient psalm tones[3] giving the text the feel of scriptural wisdom. We will sing this melody, but I invite you to sing this hymn with the personal faith narrative Charles Wesley gave it. [1] www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-a-charge-to-keep-i-have [2] Short meter refers to the number of syllables in each line. In this case 6.6.8.6 with rhymes in lines 1 and 3 and 2 and 4. [3] Psalm tones consists of a single pitch for monotony with the text, followed by a half cadence; a second pitch for monotoning, followed by an ending cadence. Rev. Suzi ByrdAssociate Pastor Key Points to Wesley's Sermon "The Great Privilege of Those Born Again" "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." 1 John 3:9. 1. It has been frequently supposed, that the being born of God was all one with the being justified; that the new birth and justification were only different expressions, denoting the same thing: It being certain, on the one hand, that whoever is justified is also born of God; and, on the other, that whoever is born of God is also justified; yea, that both these gifts of God are given to every believer in one and the same moment. In one point of time his sins are blotted out, and he is born again of God. 2. But though it be allowed, that justification and the new birth are, in point of time, inseparable from each other, yet are they easily distinguished, as being not the same, but things of a widely different nature. Justification implies only a relative, the new birth a real, change. God in justifying us does something for us; in begetting us again, he does the work in us. The former changes our outward relation to God, so that of enemies we become children; by the latter our inmost souls are changed, so that of sinners we become saints. The one restores us to the favor, the other to the image, of God. The one is the taking away the guilt, the other the taking away the power, of sin: So that, although they are joined together in point of time, yet are they of wholly distinct natures. 3. The more any believer examines his own heart, the more will he be convinced of this: That faith working by love excludes both inward and outward sin from a soul watching unto prayer; that nevertheless we are even then liable to temptation, particularly to the sin that did easily beset us; that if the loving eye of the soul be steadily fixed on God, the temptation soon vanishes away: But if not, if we are _exelkomenoi_, (as the Apostle James speaks, James 1:14,) drawn out of God by our own desire, and _deleazomenoi_, caught by the bait of present or promised pleasure; then that desire, conceived in us, brings forth sin; and, having by that inward sin destroyed our faith, it casts us headlong into the snare of the devil, so that we may commit any outward sin whatever. 4. From what has been said, we may learn, Secondly, what the life of God in the soul of a believer is; wherein it properly consists; and what is immediately and necessarily implied therein. It immediately and necessarily implies the continual inspiration of God's Holy Spirit; God's breathing into the soul, and the soul's breathing back what it first receives from God; a continual action of God upon the soul, and a re-action of the soul upon God; an unceasing presence of God, the loving, pardoning God, manifested to the heart, and perceived by faith; and an unceasing return of love, praise, and prayer, offering up all the thoughts of our hearts, all the words of our tongues, all the works of our hands, all our body, soul, and spirit, to be a holy sacrifice, acceptable unto God in Christ Jesus. 5. And hence we may, Thirdly, infer the absolute necessity of this re-action of the soul, (whatever it be called,) in order to the continuance of the divine life therein. For it plainly appears, God does not continue to act upon the soul, unless the soul re-acts upon God. He prevents us indeed with the blessings of his goodness. He first loves us, and manifests himself unto us. While we are yet afar off, he calls us to himself, and shines upon our hearts. But if we do not then love him who first loved us; if we will not hearken to his voice; if we turn our eye away from him, and will not attend to the light which he pours upon us; his Spirit will not always strive: He will gradually withdraw, and leave us to the darkness of our own hearts. He will not continue to breathe into our soul, unless our soul breathes toward him again; unless our love, and prayer, and thanksgiving return to him, a sacrifice wherewith he is well pleased. Rev. Meredith MillsSenior Pastor Love Divine, All Loves Excelling – Charles Wesley UM Hymnal #384 As I was taking a quick look at hymnary.org (an amazing research database) I was not surprised to find that this hymn appears in 1635 hymnals. It is a testimony to the relevance of this text which speaks to many different people, regardless of their theological view, culture, race and/or age. Contemporary hymn and songwriters are rediscovering the old texts, and just like Rev. Meredith Mills is helping us to see the theological depth and relevance of John Wesley’s sermons, so are worship leaders and enliveners taken by the theology exposed in Charles Wesley’s hymns. Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven, to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love thou art; Visit us with thy salvation, Enter every trembling heart. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast. Let us all in thee inherit; Let us find that second rest. Take away our power of sinning: Alpha and Omega be; End of faith as its beginning. Set our hearts at liberty. Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Nevermore thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve thee as thy hosts above, Pray and praise thee without ceasing. Glory in thy perfect love. Finish, then, thy new creation; Pure and sinless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation Perfectly restored in thee; Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise! The Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal informs us that this much beloved hymn first appeared in 1747 in Charles Wesley’s collection of Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ. I think that is a rather lengthy title for a hymn collection, but it perfectly describes how Charles Wesley felt about salvation. Actually, he kind of made a poetic pun. Henry Purcell, British Composer (1659-95) set John Dryden’s poem to music for his opera King Arthur. Fairest Isle, all isles Excelling Seat of Pleasures and of Loves; Venus here will chuse her Dwelling, And forsake her Cyprian Groves. But that is truly more on a side note of knowledge that might come in handy when you want to impress at your next church musician luncheon. The hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, printed above, has been undergone numerous editions due to the various ideas about Christian perfection. Wesleyan theology speaks of the transforming work of the Spirit in us as an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. As soon as we recognize and accept the love of God for us, God’s grace is at work in us to perfect us. The ordination vows every United Methodist ordained person makes contain that very belief – ‘Do you believe in being perfected in Christ Jesus?’ Many people can jump on board with the idea of God continuing to heal our brokenness through ongoing sanctifying grace but cannot believe that we could actually reach perfection, meaning pure love for God and neighbor. Charles Wesley, however, believed in Christian perfection and expresses this in every stanza. Stanza one is the beginning of the journey with God. Now, God journeys with us from before we have been born but due to free will we do not always accept and reciprocate God’s love. Stanza two goes more into detail about the Spirit’s work in us – to take away our power of sinning! This was a controversial view as well because of the notion that if God takes away our ‘power’ then we are no longer free willed people. John Wesley himself disliked the use of that word and simply omitted the whole stanza to avoid the subject. But, as in any Charles Wesley hymn, if we take stanzas out, we miss out on the whole story. Hymnal editors have replaced the word ‘power’ with the word ‘love’. Stanza three describes what Christian perfection looks like. Finally, stanza four brings the conclusion of why we want to strive for Christian perfection. Can there be a more desirable life than being perfectly restored in Christ? Not according to Charles Wesley. Yet, many hymnal editors have changed the word ‘sinless’ to ‘holy’, ‘unspotted’, or ‘spotless’. I think, when you read through this new lens of perfect love, you will no longer find it necessary to change Charles’ words. As I had mentioned in a previous blog entry, hymns and hymn tunes are written in a certain meter and hymns and tunes with the same meter are interchangeable. Our hymnal has printed the tune BEECHER with this hymn but also give the option of the tune HYFRYDOL. Although John Zundel wrote BEECHER for these words, I often choose HYFRDYDOL because I find it more fitting to the text. It also reminds me of the text that is also paired with HYFRYDOL and the promise of perfect love coming to earth in ‘Come Thou Long Expected Jesus’. (This is also a Charles Wesley hymn). Reading more about BEECHER I realize that the composer Zundel gave tempo instructions for the singing of the tune and they are much slower than I have ever heard it played or sung. We are to sing it in about one beat per second. For now, I think that I still prefer HYFRYDOL until I can truly unhear the fast and bouncy tempo of BEECHER. This Sunday we will sing this hymn to the tune of HYRYDOL. What does Christian perfection look like today? Can you imagine a life with only love for God and one another? Can you imagine no more division, no more hate, no more violence, no more pain? I think that today just like in Charles’ days, or Jesus’ days, or Moses’ days, or Abraham’s days humanity is broken and only the Grace of God will heal this brokenness and unite all of God’s creation in the most glorious celebration of a God of perfect love. I want to invite you to sing this hymn this Sunday with the vision of perfect love, and I too believe that our God is big enough to perfect us if surrender all and allow him to fully enter in. Rev. Suzi ByrdAssociate Pastor Sunday, June 9, 2019 – Pentecost (Whitsunday) Spirit of Faith, Come Down – The United Methodist Hymnal 332Spirit of Faith, Come Down - Tune - DIADEMATA (UMH 88) Spirit of faith, come down, reveal the things of God, And make to us the Godhead known, and witness with the blood. ‘Tis thine the blood to apply and give us eyes to see, Who did for every sinner die hath surely died for me. No one can truly say that Jesus is the Lord, Unless thou take the veil away and breathe the living Word. Then, only then, we feel our interest in his blood, And cry with joy unspeakable, “Thou art my Lord, my God!” O know my Saviour lives, he lives, who died for Me, My inmost Soul his Voice receives who hangs on yonder Tree: Set forth before my Eyes ev’n now I see him bleed, And hear his Mortal Groans, and Cries, while suffering in my Stead. O that the world might know my dear atoning Lamb! Spirit of faith, descend and show the virtue of his name; The grace which all may find, the saving power, impart, And testify to humankind, and speak in every heart. Inspire the living faith (which whosoe’er receive, The witness in themselves they have and consciously believe), The faith that conquers all, and doth the mountain move, And saves whoe’er on Jesus call, and perfects them in love. This Sunday our theme is twofold. Pastor Meredith will speak to salvation and it also happens to be Pentecost. The word Pentecost describes the journey to this day, 50 days after Easter Sunday and on this day, we celebrate the birthday of the church and the Holy Spirit as the agent whereby the risen Christ is made present to the church then and today. This does not mark the Holy Spirit’s first appearance though. The Spirit was there hovering over the water in the very beginning when the earth was a formless void. In my first blog entry I spoke about the Hebrew word ruach being translated as wind, breath or Spirit. The Pentecost scripture in Acts 2:1-4 also speaks about wind. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Charles Wesley wrote this hymn around 1746 for the day of Pentecost (Whitsunday for our British friends). He carefully weaves in the work of the Spirit to bring salvation to the individual. This becomes especially clear in the third line of the first stanza ‘’tis thine the blood to apply and give us eyes to see’. The second stanza is filled with Scripture references. (1 Corinthians 12:3) Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. And John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Charles describes prevenient grace, the grace that goes before. It gives us an understanding that God woos us continuously even when we do not know God. We do not understand the saving love of Jesus Christ until that moment when we recognize God’s love when ‘the veil is taken away’. Charles describes this incredible moment in a somewhat personal way, as to say to the reader that ‘you too can have that relationship with God and the joy of life that comes with it. The third stanza printed here is omitted in our hymnal but in this case, we must refrain from blaming the hymnal editor Carlton (Sam) Young because John Wesley, Charles’ famous brother, is the culprit here. When he published this hymn in his Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780) he omitted the third stanza and made some other minor changes as in stanza 4 where he changed the original ‘My dear atoning Lamb’ to ‘the all atoning Lamb!’. While Charles might express a deeply personal view of Jesus’ redemption, John might have counteracted their context of Calvinism (only God’s pre-elected are being saved). Wesleyan theology insists that God loves and welcomes all into a relationship with God. Presbyterians find their heritage in Calvinist theology, but I can honestly say that I have not heard that being preached in a Presbyterian Church. One might wonder if it would not be beneficial to the deepening of our relationship with God if John’s edit should be reversed to Charles’ original ‘my dear atoning lamb’. That would also apply to omitting the third verse which also expresses our deeply personal relationship with God. The final stanza also tells us about Charles’ belief that faith is a gift from God, not something we acquire. However, we do have the choice to say yes to that gift. This might be a new concept to you, and I would encourage you to ponder on that this week. Say yes to God – I recommend it. Rev. Suzi ByrdAssociate Pastor Charles (1707-1788) an Anglican Clergyman, and younger brother of John Wesley is known for his gift of over 6,000 hymns. You will probably say that you’ve never heard of Charles, but I guarantee you that you know at least two of his hymns. Do you find this text to be familiar? Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!” Now that we have established familiarity, let’s see if you know this one: Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! Like I said, there are another 6,000 other hymns Charles wrote. In my last blog entry, I wrote about how lyrical theology that we find in the Psalms and today in our hymns is another way for us to get to know God. Charles and John understood this early on and their combined efforts of sermons and hymn singing provided double opportunities for people to begin or deepen their relationship with God. As I said before – Lyrical theology is based on poetry and poetry is like a springboard for our imagination and that, in turn, strengthens our individual relationship with God. If I cannot hear the message through the sermon, I may hear it through the hymn and vice versa. As Methodist we practice this double approach still today. Preachers and Worship Teams sit down together, talk about the interpretation of the scripture and carefully choose hymns and prayers that convey the same message as the sermon. We remember that our role as worship leaders is to prompt the congregation in their worship to God, to ensure that ample opportunity is given to anyone who walks in the door to worship God in their own way. Our Wesley series speaks to the spiritual ethos and cultural context out of which John’s sermons and Charles’ hymns were born. What makes it spectacular though is that these words apply to us as much as they did to the people then. The Wesleys were a vessel for God’s love to the people they encountered, and our mission has not changed. Each one of us is designed to be that vessel and for some of us that means to help others to sing so they too can experience God that way. Theology in hymns can be a tricky thing though, because multiple criteria in a hymn can result in different theological interpretation. S T Kimbrough, JR. outlined 5 layers of theological meaning conveyed through a hymn/song in his latest book The Lyrical Theology of Charles Wesley: A Reader.
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. Although the first line seems to be fairly easy to understand – a great emphasis on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross – the second line is really not so clear. My richest gain and loss are probably different from yours. There is a multilayered theology involving the author’s intent and the singer’s response. Diverse communities will sing the same hymn in different ways due to their culture, language, ethnicity and life experience. The Wesley’s were well aware of that. African Americans will have a different theological understanding of the following hymn than a native German. Jesus, Lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my savior, hide, Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last. At the same time, one wonders about Charles Wesley’s context and what prompted him to write those words. How would a prisoner walking to his execution have heard these words? I have experienced many times how different worship settings receive hymns in different ways. The contemporary/traditional settings come to mind but more interesting are different cultures. I remember sitting in my office listening to the Tongan choir practicing and realizing that the song they were singing was an adaptation of Handel’s aria -Lascia qu’io pianga from the opera Rinaldo. I had sung that aria many times and did not associate it with my faith at all and yet, here were 20 + Tongan women and men who sang their hearts out to God. Of course, they sang in Tongan and a different text, but still… Charles Wesley’s hymn text often included 20 plus stanzas and it was not feasible for publishers to print all of them and many congregations would not sing all of them either. Hymnal editors proceeded more or less carefully to reduce the hymns to 5 – 7 stanzas. As you can imagine, that changes the theological meaning of the hymn. The famous Charles Wesley Hymn O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing was originally titled Glory to God, and Praise and Love and included 17 stanzas. The opening stanza in our United Methodist Hymnal is the 7th stanza in the original hymn text. Thinking that a poem usually tells a story, the story will be altered when you begin to tell it in the middle. Melody and rhythm of the tune that the text is matched with can make a huge difference in the theological meaning of the hymn. I guess, now is the time to let you in on a little secret. Each hymn has a particular meter. There is common and long meter, and many, many other kinds and they all have to do with how many syllables are in each line. Let’s look at Amazing Grace: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound (8) that saved a wretch like me (6) I once was lost, but now am found; (8) was blind, but now I see. (6) This is called a common meter. Here is another hymn with the same meter: O for a thousand tongues to sing (8) my great Redeemer’s praise, (6) The glories of my God and King, (8) the triumphs of his grace! (6) Now sing this text to the tune of Amazing Grace and vice versa. Isn’t it amazing? If you really want to have fun with this, you should try to sing O Little Town of Bethlehem to the tune of the Yellow Rose of Texas. O Little Town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. I know you are in shock that that works! Something else you might not know about the hymns we sing is that the tunes were often matched with the hymn long after the hymn had been written. A hymnal editor made this choice for us and sometimes we come across hymns that we do not sing because we are so unfamiliar with the tune that it would be too much of a challenge. Sometimes the tune does not seem to fit the hymn very well. You have maybe observed that I am in the habit of changing the tune if it is unfamiliar or awkward, but the hymn would fit well with the sermon. It has often been said that Charles matched his hymns with drinking songs, but I should probably not perpetuate this although helpful myth. He and John did, however, look for music that would be familiar to the people they were trying to reach. In our Wesley series we (the worship team including the preacher) sat down and looked at Charles’ hymns in the hymnal and were shocked how few of them we sing due to the often-awkward tunes. Together we made an effort to choose tunes that will help us to sing these beautiful texts. But and there is a huge but…. Familiarity is only one factor in the decision of what tune to match with what text. If the character of the text is contemplative and the tune is a joyful marching song, we have obscured the theological message completely. The decision of what to sing in our worship comes with tremendous responsibility and very quickly can the intent of inviting someone into a relationship with God become a gigantic roadblock. Like Charles, we always must know our audience. The following entries will discuss the hymns we are singing each Sunday. You will have an opportunity to look at what they are and what their theological message is (to you). If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Rev. Suzi ByrdAssociate Pastor Key Points to Wesley's sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation" 1. Faith, in general, is defined by the Apostle as - an evidence, a divine evidence and conviction (the word means both) of things not seen; not visible, not perceivable either by sight, or by any other of the external senses. It implies both a supernatural evidence of God, and of the things of God; a kind of spiritual light exhibited to the soul, and a supernatural sight or perception thereof. Accordingly, the Scripture speaks of God's giving sometimes light, sometimes a power of discerning it. So St. Paul: "God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." And elsewhere the same Apostle speaks of "the eyes of" our "understanding being opened." By this two-fold operation of the Holy Spirit, having the eyes of our soul both opened and enlightened, we see the things which the natural "eye hath not seen, neither the ear heard." We have a prospect of the invisible things of God; we see the spiritual world, which is all round about us, and yet no more discerned by our natural faculties than if it had no being. And we see the eternal world; piercing through the veil which hangs between time and eternity. Clouds and darkness then rest upon it no more, but we already see the glory which shall be revealed. 2. Taking the word in a more particular sense, faith is a divine evidence and conviction not only that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself," but also that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me. It is by this faith (whether we term it the essence, or rather a property thereof) that we receive Christ; that we receive Him in all His offices, as our Prophet, Priest, and King. It is by this that He is "made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 3. "But is this the faith of assurance, or faith of adherence?" The Scripture mentions no such distinction. The Apostle says, "There is one faith, and one hope of our calling"; one Christian, saving faith; "as there is one Lord," in whom we believe, and "one God and Father of us all." And it is certain, this faith necessarily implies an assurance (which is here only another word for evidence, it being hard to tell the difference between them) that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me. For "he that believeth" with the true living faith "hath the witness in himself": "the Spirit witnesseth with his spirit that he is a child of God."Because he is a son, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father"; giving him an assurance that he is so, and a childlike confidence in Him. But let it be observed, that, in the very nature of the thing, the assurance goes before the confidence. For a man cannot have a childlike confidence in God till he knows he is a child of God. Therefore, confidence, trust, reliance, adherence, or whatever else it be called, is not the first, as some have supposed, but the second, branch or act of faith. Rev. Meredith MillsSenior Pastor This seems like a good title for what you are about to read but before I ask that question, I should probably ask the question ‘Why do we sing?’ and further, ‘Why do we sing in worship?’ We sing because we have been designed to sing. I can already hear your protest but hear me out. Scripture speaks about music and ‘singing God’s praises’ from the early beginnings. Moses sang praises to God (Exodus 15:1) the Psalms are full of singing references, the Prophets Isaiah, Zechariah, Amos and Nehemiah speak of singing, the Gospel writers remind us that Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn before they left the upper room and St. Paul writes about singing in many of his letters. But there is one reference that often is overlooked. “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while the breath of God swept over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1) The Hebrew word ruach is often translated as Spirit or wind or breath as in this case. Singing is basically phonated breath, so it is entirely possibly that the Spirit of God, the breath of God is also the song of God. Expanding on this thought, when God then created the first human “…he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;” (Genesis 2:7) This is the same word ‘ruach’ that is used earlier in Genesis 1:1. Did God breathe song into us? When we think about our vitals what comes to mind is breath and heartbeat. It has been scientifically proven that when we sing, our blood pressure normalizes, and our heartbeat adapts to the beat of the music. When we sing together, we breathe together which does not happen in any other instance, and, our hearts begin to beat in unison. Singing is the ultimate community builder because we literally form one body that breathes together, and all the heartbeats become one. In fact, cardiologists recommend for us to sing in choirs because of these amazing health effects. Singing is good for our body. Singing stimulates our brain more than any other activity. Actually, it does not only stimulate the brain, but it also promotes the growth of new neural pathways. Studies also have shown that people with dementia can have moments of clarity and remembrance when they sing the songs they have known. The memory of music is the last one to go. Singing is good for our mind. My friend, Rev. Dr. Victoria Campbell, recently told me about a brand-new study about the affect of the presence of a human voice singing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They have found that when someone is in the room and sings, all the stats of the prematurely born babies go to normal. You might call all these examples coincidences, but I think that God designed us that way. Singing is good for body, mind and spirit. And, not only did God give us a voice to sing, God desires for us to sing to him. We received the greatest commandment: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) When we sing to God, we express our love for God with our heart, soul and mind. When we sing to God together, singing each other’s songs, we also love our neighbor. Singing together to God fulfills the greatest commandment as we become one in loving God. That is why we sing in worship. It is also how we welcome the stranger into our midst, loving them by singing their song and them singing our song. Back to the original title – Why do we sing hymns? When I say hymns, I refer to the text, not the tune. Hymns are poetry written in love to God or as some scholars call it – lyrical theology. You might ask if this is a new thing, but it really is not. Miriam and Moses celebrated God and their rescue from slavery with a beautiful poem and certainly the Psalms are a witness to ‘lyrical theology’. In the new testament there are so called ‘Canticles’. I think you might have heard Mary’s ‘canticle’ also called the Magnificat. Mary’s Song 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55 There are several more and I will be glad to show them to you if you send me a quick email. ([email protected]) The language of a poet is like a springboard for our imagination. I am certain that my spirit rejoices in God in different ways than yours and the poet evokes that kind of thinking in each of us. I always enjoy when our choir director Christopher Carter prints out the hymns for the choir and then asks them to read the text and write a word of response on a colored stickie note posting it on the hymn. Our choir is culturally and generationally diverse and the text evokes different emotions in different people and the responses are like a plethora of emotions. That is the beauty of poetry, it brings the word close to each of us through our experience with God and one another. We learn about God, each person in their own way and relationship with God. In other words, when we sing hymns, we learn more about God and deepen our relationship with God. Sometimes a hymn can reach an individual in a better way than another teaching can. (bible study, sermon, etc.) We continue to sing hymns in worship to God because we never want to lose out on an opportunity for someone to be in relationship with God. Why did they not just write down the facts but instead used prose? The difference lies in the emotion and mystique of the genre. Poetry takes us into a world of imagination and emotion and we each will read it and experience it in a different way. Rev. Suzi ByrdRead more about her, here. |