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The “Total Message” of a Song

The message of a song is contained and expressed in more than the words. More, even, than the music. If we are determined to communicate God’s truth effectively with our hymns and gospel songs, we must give some thought to the total message of the song.

To begin with, we need to make an important distinction. That there is a vast difference between music in general, and a particular song. We can say that God created music–that He gave us the gift of music. But does that mean that God alone is responsible for every single song that’s been written? No, it doesn’t. But that’s an argument we sometimes hear. That all music is good, because it’s a gift of God.

Well, that’s a neat trick. But it won’t work–because when a song is written, God’s gift of music passes through the filter of a human personality. And it’s subjected to a multitude of decisions, based on the musician’s own purpose. So, yes, music is a gift of God. But it’s individual people who write the songs. And at that point, God’s gift can be abused.

It’s just like the gift of speech. Because God gave us the gift of speech, does that mean all we say is good and edifying? No, the Bible’s very clear about that. God’s gift can be misused, and abused. So, Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.” And Colossians tells us, “Put off…filthy language out of your mouth” (Col. 3:8). The words we choose and use, can either honour the Lord, or dishonour Him. And so can the music we write, and use.

And to see how music conveys its message–whether good or bad, we need to look at the total message of the song. Because a number of things are working together in any musical presentation.

It’s similar to what the Bible says about the operation of the local church. God’s Word talks about “the effectual working in the measure of every part [in other words, the effective work done when every part of the body of Christ does its job]” (Eph. 4:16). That has to do with the cooperation of God’s people, in the work of the church. But the same principle applies to the message of our songs.

I suggest to you that there are at least five elements that work together, contributing to the whole presentation, when, let us say, a soloist ministers in music in our Sunday morning service. Here is a little equation relating to our church music:

THE TOTAL MESSAGE = the Words + the Music + the Presentation + the Musician’s Known Lifestyle + the Social Context of the Music

1. The Words of the Song

If we’re using a song in Christian ministry, the words should be our first consideration. We should begin be asking, are they biblical? Are they in harmony with the Word of God? Then, the next thing is, are they clear? Is there a good, solid, biblical message? And is it expressed in a clear and unmistakable way?

Paul says, “If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (I Cor. 14:8). In other words, if the bugler plays, and you can’t tell if it’s the signal to go to bed, or charge the enemy, then you’ve got a problem! And it’s the same with any inaccurate or vague lyrics to our Christian songs.

Here’s a song recorded a few years ago by a group that professes to be Christian. It’s meant to be a Christian song. But what do you think?

There inside my dream I heard the river roar;
I stumbled through the darkened mist
But I couldn’t find the shore.
Then a voice within the mist said,
“Tell me what you seek?”
I said, “I have a mighty thirst,
But I feel so tired and weak.”
[And] He said, “I am the river,
full of power and truth.
You’ve been looking outside yourself,
When it’s there inside of you.
And the river is love, the river is peace,
And the river will flow,
Through the hearts of those who believe.

Now maybe that’s supposed to be telling us about the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life. But it sounds more like New Age teaching to me. And it illustrates another of my pet peeves about some contemporary religious songs. Never once does it identify the Lord by name. It’s a “voice,” and it’s “he.” But who’s what? It could be Buddha, or Mohammed. Or the fellow’s girlfriend, or somebody else.

It says in Malachi, “‘Where is My honour?’…says the Lord of hosts, ‘to you priests who despise My name?'” (Mal. 1:6). And I get the feeling that some songwriters, today, despise the name of the Lord. Or perhaps they choose to omit it and ignore it for commercial purposes. More people will buy their music if it’s not too specific!

The words of our sacred songs need to be biblical, and clear. And let me give you an example of some simple words, that present a profound message.

I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Tells of His love, in the Book He has given.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
And this is the dearest, that Jesus loves ME.

Though I forget Him, and wander away,
Still He doth love me, wherever I stray.
Back to His dear loving arms would I flee,
When I remember that Jesus loves me.

Oh, if there’s only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song in eternity be,
Oh, what a wonder, that Jesus loves me!

There’s no question there about what that song’s saying. There’s no vague, uncertain “he” or “him.” The words are perfectly clear. But that’s one of those old-fashioned hymns that some folks want us to discard.

2. The Music of the Song

The second element in the total message of a song is the music. And here’s a principle. When music is used to help communicate God’s truth, it functions like the frame of a picture. If you have a lovely work of art, you don’t want the frame to distract from the picture, or clash with the picture. It should enhance it. And draw our attention to the picture, helping us to appreciate it.

It’s the same with the wedding of words and music, when it comes to Christian songs. If the words and the music aren’t compatible, the result will be confusion. Both should be heading the same way. The music should help us understand the words. The comments of Bernard of Clairvaux (circa 1090 to 1153) on sacred music are of interest because they show this thinking nearly a thousand years ago:

“Let [the music] be sweet, but without levity, and while it pleases the ear, let it move the heart….It should not contradict the sense of the words, but rather enhance it.”

Now, let me meddle for a moment. That principle shows us precisely why it’s so difficult to take music with a pounding rock beat–music that, according to many secular musicians, preaches rebellion, and sexuality, and put a Christian lyric with it, and expect to have clear communication. It doesn’t work that way. Because the music and the words are saying something quite different.

In Deuteronomy, God warns the Israelites not to say, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” No, God says, “You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods” (Deut. 12:30-31). And as the Lord Jesus says later, “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15).

So, when we try to put those two together–worldly music and Christian lyrics, the frame doesn’t suit the picture very well. But even using the wrong hymn tune can do the same thing–even if it’s a perfectly good hymn tune. Let me give you an example.

Try singing the hymn Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed? to the tune used for the gospel song Faith Is the Victory (omitting the refrain of the latter). Then, try singing Faith is the Victory to the tune used for Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed? (a tune called Martyrdom).

The galloping rhythms of Ira Sankey’s tune suit the advancing army pictured in the text of Faith Is the Victory, but the tune Martyrdom would put the cavalry to sleep! Nor is Sankey’s rousing tune fitted to a prayerful meditation on the cross. The tune should provide an appropriate frame for the words.

3. The Presentation of the Song

In our services, much of the music is sung by the congregation. But at this point I want to consider particularly the music that’s presented from the platform. How it’s presented will have a definite influence on the message that comes across.

Some singers seem intent on drawing attention to themselves, and how good-looking they are. In my own experience, having preached in many different churches, dress can be a problem, especially with respect to the current styles for women. Some can be decidedly immodest! Or perhaps the singer wants to call our attention to what a great voice he or she has, rather than focusing on the clear communication of God’s truth.

If we’re not careful, the congregation can get so enthralled with (or repelled by!)  the presentation that they lose sight of the message. We musicians need to meditate on the words of John the Baptist: “He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).

That is one reason I am against applauding after a ministry in music. Say what you like, the main message sent when we clap is, “Good job! Well done! You sure are talented!” But if folks are giving that much attention to the performance, then the one up front has failed. He has stopped being a minister of the Lord and has become an entertainer.

4. The Musician’s Known Lifestyle

Think again of a ministry in music from the platform. What do you know about the presenter? And I refer to his or her known lifestyle for this reason. It’s what we know about the person that’ll affect the integrity of the presentation. I’m not saying secret sins aren’t important to God. Of course they are. But I don’t know about them. So they don’t affect me the same way, when I listen.

For instance, I can listen to a recording of John Doe singing a hymn. And if he does it well, I can appreciate the message of the song. But I cringe when I hear some Hollywood type singing about the Lord. Some fellow that I know has a filthy mouth, or a bad moral reputation.

I’ve been in the mall, at Christmas time, and heard music over the PA. Maybe a Christmas hymn I love, and I’ve felt sick in the pit of my stomach. “Christ by highest heaven adored, / Christ the everlasting Lord…” And I know, in his life, the singer’s openly profaning that very name, by how he behaves.

The Word of God says that “for every word men speak they will give account in the day of judgment.” (Matt. 12:36). But my point here is that it’s what I know about the lifestyle of the musician that particularly affects the message of the song to me. I wonder how many needy people were turned off from the gospel, and from all preachers, and from all churches, when the wicked lifestyles of a couple of TV preachers were revealed, back in the 1980s? It matters!

No, nobody’s perfect. But we need to take care of our walk with the Lord if we are going to minister to others. (Compare the many references to behaviour when the Bible describes those qualified to take leadership in the church, I Tim. 3:1-16; Tit. 1:5-9.) How we live will say as much as (or more than) the words that come out of our mouths. I could say more about this, but I want to move now to the fifth element.

5. The Social Context of the Music

And what I mean by that is this: We need to consider carefully just how the music, or music like it, is being used in other places. What is it associated with in people’s minds?

This is really a version of the “meat offered to idols” problem that Paul deals with in Corinthians (I Cor. 8:1-13). Meat previously offered to idols was often taken down to the market, and sold. (After all, why not? The idol wasn’t going to eat it!) And it was often excellent meat. So some Christians said, “Well, an idol isn’t a real god. So why can’t we buy the meat?” But other folks–maybe those who used to worship those very idols–felt terrible about it. They wanted no part of it.

And something similar can happen with music. If we insist that all music is neutral, and we’re going to use any music we like in church, we may be in danger of offending some, and causing them to stumble. I was in a church one time, and a fellow came to me afterward, quite upset. He said, “What are they doing playing that kind of music in here? That’s what I used to listen to in the bars. I came here to get away from it!”

As Martin Luther put it, our sacred music should “wean [people] away from…carnal songs, and teach them something of value in their place.” And I love what English essayist Robert Bridges had to say. He wrote:

If we consider and ask ourselves what sort of music we should wish to hear on entering a church, we should surely, in describing our ideal, say first of all that it must be something different from what is heard elsewhere. It should be a sacred music, devoted to its purpose, a music whose peace should still passion, whose dignity should strengthen our faith, whose unquestioned beauty should find a home in our hearts.

That’s pretty good. But it’s quite contrary to the prevailing attitude. The current thought is that we should give people the kind of music they listen to on the radio all week (with some appropriately christianized words), so that they’ll enjoy coming to church.

Listen to the perceptive words of Archibald Brown, a contemporary of Charles Spurgeon’s. (This sounds very up to date, even though it was written a century or so ago!)

It is only in the past few years that amusement has become the recognized instrument of our warfare and developed into a mission….The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church of Christ that part of her mission is to provide entertainment for people, with a view to winning them into the ranks. The human nature that lies in every heart has risen to the bait. Here now is an opportunity of gratifying the flesh and yet retaining a comfortable conscience. We can now please ourselves in order to do good to others.

Ouch! But that is what is being done. And as a result, instead of the church advancing into the world with a fiery gospel, the world has more and more encroached upon the church. We need a sacred music that is different from what is heard elsewhere, a music dedicated to the glory of God, not associated in people’s minds with the godless world.

I invite you to consider carefully the Total Message of our songs, as we seek to minister to the people of God in the house of God. Each of the elements is a factor contributing to the message we receive, and its clarity and effectiveness.

Lord’s Day Meditation – Abounding in Hope

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rom. 15:13

This is one of the loveliest prayers in the Word of God. Short, and simple, yet simply profound. It may be thought of as a capstone and conclusion to all that has come before in the book of Romans. What we are to “believe” includes the apostle’s comprehensive teaching on God’s great work of salvation in the chapters before. Or the verse may be seen as an introduction to what comes after, the personal news from Paul, and the greetings to his friends that follow. But as he prays for his friends, so we may pray for one another.

Graphic Hope Diagram

The desire and goal of the prayer is that we “abound in hope.” Hope may be defined as: the joyful certainty of future blessing. Surely Christians ought to be just bubbling over and overflowing with it. And the verse gives us a kind of anatomy of hope, or, if you will, a prescription for hope. As we trust in the promises of God’s Word, the Spirit of God awakens joy and peace in our souls. The full flower of the process is hope. Perhaps we might say: faith + joy + peace = hope.

It is when we are depending on God, and filled with joy and peace–when our thinking and planning, and all our relationships are flooded with it–that hope overflows and blesses those around us. In contrast, when we fail to trust in God, our lives are more likely to be filled with crankiness and criticism, and with frustration and stress. Then we will surely abound and overflow with dis-couragement–which will easily spread to others.

How can people survive without hope. In fact, they probably can’t. Sometimes it seems as though suicide is epidemic in our day. And what would bring a person to a point where he would take his own life? At the bottom of it there is a loss of hope, and the conviction that things can only get worse. The individual feels surrounded on all sides by a blank wall of despair. No way out. No hope.

But we have a message for the hopeless, a message of the imperishable spring: That  through a personal relationship with the Lord the picture will begin to change dramatically. To be without God, is to be without hope (Eph. 2:12), since He is “the God of hope.” It is only the Christian who is able to abound in eternal hope. And central to the Christian’s hope is Christ. He is “the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (I Tim. 1:1). That is where Norman Clayton’s hymn takes us.

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me,
And paid the price of all my sin
At Calvary.

For me He died, for me He lives
And everlasting life and light
He freely gives.

Today in 1863 – Howard Smith Born

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Howard E. Smith was a church organist who composed a number of hymn tunes, including the one used for Love Lifted Me. The words for this song were written by James Rowe, and his daughter describes for us how the two men worked on it:

Howard E. Smith was a little man whose hands were so knotted with arthritis that you would wonder how he could use them at all….I can see them now, my father striding up and down, humming a bar or two, and Howard E. playing it and jotting it down.

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

There is a line in the second stanza of the hymn that I especially appreciate. “Love so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs.” That is a worthy sentiment. In both the writing and the selection of our hymns, and in their use, we should keep in mind who we are singing for, and singing about. The Lord is worthy of our very best.

Having said that, I do have some reservations about this particular song. The words are fine, but Howard Smith’s tune does not always suit their mood and meaning. The tune of a hymn should serve as the frame of a picture does, enhancing the message, and supporting it. The tune and the words should be saying the same thing. But that is not always the case here.

The kind of bouncy rhythm of the melody does not suit the words “I was sinking deep in sin.” (Someone suggested it almost sounds as though the lyric should be, “I was sinking deep in sin, Yahoo!”) The third stanza’s “Souls in danger, look above” is likewise not suited to the happy, rhythmic tune. Since the song uses a somewhat irregular metre, it does not seem possible to switch to another familiar tune. It might help a bit to sing it more slowly.

(2) Today in 1895 – Elwood Stokes Died

Graphic Elwood Stokes

Little is known of Elwood Haines Stokes except that he was one of the founders of a New Jersey religious community, and president of the Ocean Grove Campmeeting Association. His prominence in the late nineteenth century is attested to by the statue raised in his honour. Sensing a need for more hymns about the Holy Spirit, Stokes wrote Fill Me Now in 1879.

Hover o’er me, Holy Spirit,
Bathe my trembling heart and brow;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, O come and fill me now.

Fill me now, fill me now,
Jesus, come and fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, O come, and fill me now.

Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit,
Though I cannot tell Thee how;
But I need Thee, greatly need Thee,
Come, O come and fill me now.

Of this prayer hymn, my musician father would likely have said, “I don’t agree with all the details, but I appreciate the sentiment being expressed.” The work of the Holy Spirit is often misunderstood, and there are few hymns on that subject that are fully biblical.

A Note on the Filling of the Spirit

“Be filled with the Spirit,” says Ephesians 5:18. But in order to grasp what the Word is saying we need to note a couple of things. First, all Christians are forever indwelt by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 6:19). We do not need to ask Him to come into our lives. And second, the Greek word for “filled” (pleroo) is more often translated fulfilled in the New Testament.

His filling ministry is not a spatial thing. It’s not as though we need to be “topped up” with the Holy Spirit the way we fill a gas tank. What Paul is speaking of in the Ephesians text is His empowering to enable us to fulfil the will of God. (The artisans of Israel were filled with the Spirit to equip them to design the intricate furnishings of the tabernacle, Exod. 31:1-5).

Occasionally, in Bible times, the filling of the Spirit was a sovereign act of God, seeming to require no personal qualifications or human action at all. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit while still a babe in his mother’s womb (Lk. 1:15). But that does not seem to be the norm for Christians on this side of the cross.

Greek scholars suggest the verb tense for “be filled” (or, if you will, be fulfilled) is more literally “be being fulfilled.” That is, be in such a condition, and have such an attitude, that the Spirit of God is able to fulfil His purpose of equipping you to serve the Lord. No Bible verse actually tells us to ask for the Spirit’s fulfilling ministry. But we are responsible, by God’s grace, to be in a condition of heart and life which allows Him to do His work unhindered in and through us.

While not exactly synonymous with walking in the Spirit, these two are closely related. “If we live in the Spirit [through the new birth] let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). Walking requires step-by-step faith in God and obedience to His Word, and the confession of any known sin (I Jn. 1:9). And as we walk, the Spirit fills (and fulfils), and as He fulfils, we walk.

It might be going too far to suggest believers should never ask for the Holy Spirit’s filling–which is tantamount to praying for God’s enabling grace. But more pragmatic and practical prayers, related to the specific need, can have the same result. The believers in the early church prayed, “Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word….And when they had prayed…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29, 31).

Today in 1814 – Edward Caswall Born

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Edward Caswall is best known as a translator of ancient Latin and German hymns, though he did occasionally write song texts of his own. (The carol Sleep, Holy Babe is one of his.) Caswall was the son of distinguished clergyman in the Church of England, and brother of another. He is said to have had a loving concern for the poor, the sick and afflicted, and for little children. Eventually, Mr. Caswall became a Roman Catholic.

One of Edward Caswall’s best known translations is of the eighteenth-century German hymn Beim Fruhen Morgenlicht (meaning At the Early Morning Light).  Originally known in English as “A Christian Greeting,” it is now called When Morning Gilds the Skies. The tune was written by Joseph Barnby.

Like the Levites of old who were to “stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening” (I Chron. 23:30), we are fulfilling a sacred duty when we bathe our days in praise to God. It is both an act of devotion and a witness to others. “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful” (Ps. 147:1).

When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind? A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss? My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

The night becomes as day when from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

(2) Today in 1828 – Josiah Alwood Born

Alwood was one of a hardy band of circuit-riding preachers. He travelled on horseback through Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, visiting small isolated churches. Since he often had to traverse creeks and swamps, and ride through the driving rain, Alwood sometimes would arrive, and stand in the pulpit to preach, in his wet clothing.

One night in 1879 Josiah Kelly Alwood was returning after midnight from a meeting, riding through a rainstorm, and he saw a rainbow–a rare thing at night. The next day, still awed by his experience, he wrote the words for the gospel song The Unclouded Day. He created a melody on a little pump organ, committing it to memory. The next time a music teacher came through, he had him write out the tune for him.

O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.

O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded day,
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.

Homer Rodeheaver was born in 1880, during the golden age of the gospel song. He served as a song leader for evangelist Billy Sunday, and also wrote the tunes for some songs (such as Good Night and Good Morning, and Then Jesus Came). He later formed a music publishing company, and a recording company. Here, in a recording made in 1913, is Homer Rodeheaver singing The Unclouded Day.

(3) Today in 1860 – Charles Fillmore Born

Charles Millard Fillmore began as a seminary music teacher, later travelling to conduct singing classes in various parts of the United States. Later still, he studied for the ministry and became an evangelist. He wrote several hundred gospel songs, but few are remembered today. One that is still found in a few songbooks is Tell Mother I’ll Be There. A sentimental ballad, typical of the nineteenth century, it still carries a message, and there is an interesting story behind it.

The mother of American president, William McKinley, took seriously ill in the winter of 1897. Since she lived some distance from Washington, McKinley had a special telegraph line installed between the capital and her town so he could keep current on her condition. When word came that she was near death, he wired back, “Tell mother I’ll be There.” On reading later of her death, evangelist Charles Fillmore wrote a song that made a spiritual application of the president’s words.

The “rooftree” mentioned in the second stanza was the beam that ran along the peak of the roof of a house, and it came to stand for the roof itself. The line simply means “when I left home.”

When I was but a little child how well I recollect
How I would grieve my mother with my folly and neglect;
And now that she has gone to heav’n I miss her tender care:
O Saviour, tell my mother, I’ll be there!

Tell mother I’ll be there, in answer to her prayer;
This message, blessèd Saviour, to her bear!
Tell mother I’ll be there, heav’n’s joys with her to share;
Yes, tell my darling mother I’ll be there.

When I became a prodigal, and left the old rooftree,
She almost broke her loving heart in mourning after me;
And day and night she prayed to God to keep me in His care:
O Saviour, tell my mother, I’ll be there!

Today in 1800 – Matthew Bridges Born

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Matthew Bridges was raised in the Church of England. Critical of the Roman Catholic Church, he even wrote a book against its teaching. But Bridges was drawn into the Oxford Movement, and eventually followed John Henry Newman and others into the Church of Rome. The latter years of his life were spent in Quebec, Canada. In the past, some suggested that he died there, but it seems he returned to England before his death in 1894.

The hymn for which Matthew Bridges is known, written in 1851, is the great worship hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns. The hymn is based on the description given in the book of Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ at His triumphant return. There John says, “On His head were many crowns” (Rev. 19:12). Bridges developed that thought and built his hymn around a series of descriptive titles for Christ: “Crown Him the virgin’s Son,” “Crown Him the Lord of love,” “Crown Him the Lord of peace,” and so on.

In 1864, Anglican clergyman Godfrey Thring took some of Bridges’ hymn and combined it with stanzas of his own. He was asked to do this as there were some parts of Bridges’ poetry that raised objections doctrinally for Protestants. “Crown Him the Son of God,” and “Crown Him the Lord of life” are two stanzas from Thring’s pen. What we have in most hymnals today is a combination of the work of the two men. The result is a stirring hymn of worship.

Notice, in the second of two of Bridges’ stanzas below, the thought expressed that we will still see the wounds of Calvary on the glorified body of Christ in eternity. There is some evidence to suggest this will be so. Thomas said he would not believe the Lord had risen from the dead unless he could “see in His hands the print of the nails, and put [his] finger into the print of the nails, and put [his] hand into His side.” And the Lord Jesus invited him to do just that (Jn. 20:24-27). Later, in his vision of heaven, John saw in the midst of the throne of God “A Lamb as though it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6).

In that realm of infinite perfection, when all the saints have been clothed in glorified, resurrection bodies, do you expect your body to retain the scars and imperfections of earth? I don’t! Yet apparently there will be one jarring exception to that, the scars in the hands and feet and side of Jesus. But far from being distracting and repellent, those wounds will be, for us, heaven’s most beautiful sight. Why? Because of the richness of their meaning.  Because they will be eternal evidence of God’s matchless love, and of what He sacrificed to save us.

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his wondering eye at mysteries so bright.

There are many versions of this great hymn posted on YouTube (good, bad and indifferent!). In searching through them, I found some that made me cringe–syncopated renditions, sung in a crooning, sexy way more suited to a sensual love song. And one that illustrates a pet peeve–a dramatic choral arrangement sung while the offering was being taken. What? Do we not have enough time for both? Must we worry about paying the bills while trying to revel in the majesty of the Lord? (Yes, I know: offering our gifts to Him should be an act of worship. But realizing that is so, does it not deserve a place of its own?)

(2) You May Have the Joybells (Data Missing)

I can remember singing You May Have the Joybells as a boy, many years ago. This happy gospel song was written by J. Edwin Ruark (1849-1914), with the tune provided by busy songsmith William Kirkpatrick. As far as I know, it is the only song Ruark wrote, and we know nothing more about him.

You may have the joy-bells ringing in your heart,
And a peace that from you never will depart;
Walk the straight and narrow way,
Live for Jesus ev’ry day,
He will keep the joy-bells ringing in your heart.

Joy-bells ringing in your heart,
Joy-bells ringing in your heart;
Take the Saviour here below
With you ev’rywhere you go;
He will keep the joy-bells ringing in your heart.

You will meet with trials as you journey home;
Grace sufficient He will give to overcome;
Though unseen by mortal eye,
He is with you ever nigh,
And He’ll keep the joy-bells ringing in your heart.

Let your life speak well of Jesus ev’ry day;
Own His right to ev’ry service you can pay;
Sinners you can help to win
If your life is pure and clean,
And you keep the joy-bells ringing in your heart.

Today in 1769 – Thomas Kelly Born

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Thomas Kelly was the son of a judge in Ireland. He intended to follow his father into the legal profession, but then the Lord got hold of his life and turned him in a new direction. He trained for Christian ministry, but his energetic preaching of the doctrine of justification by faith closed the pulpits of the established church to him. Undaunted, he pastored independent churches instead.

Kelly was a fine scholar, and a powerful preacher, but was also known as a deeply humble and generous man. During the year of the great famine in Ireland (1847) he gave continuing assistance to the impoverished people in his community. One poor man reputedly said to his wife, “Hold up Bridget! There’s always Mr. Kelly to pull us out of the bog, after we’ve sunk for the last time!”

Thomas Kelly wrote over 760 hymns (several of which are still in use) and he compiled a number of hymn books. Many of his hymns overflow with joy and praise. Among his creations:

Praise the Saviour Ye Who Know Him
Hark! Ten Thousand Harps and Voices
Look Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious
The Head that Once Was Crowned With Thorns

When he was on his deathbed, a friend quoted from the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd,” to which Kelly replied, “The Lord is my everything.”

The Bible exhorts us, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6). And Kelly has given us a fine little hymn of praise.

Praise the Saviour, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him
All we are and have.

Jesus is the name that charms us,
He for conflict fits and arms us;
Nothing moves and nothing harms us
While we trust in Him.

Thomas Kelly’s final stanza below may seem a bit of an enigma at first glance, but it presents a biblical promise when you think it through (cf. I Pet. 1:3-5; I Jn. 3:2). As believers, we’ll soon be where we “would be” [i.e. want to be]–in heaven, and we’ll be what we should be–finally and fully perfected.

Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving
To Thyself, and still believing,
Till the hour of our receiving
Promised joys with Thee.

Then we shall be where we would be,
Then we shall be what we should be,
Things that are not now, nor could be,
Soon shall be our own.

Singing Through the Alphabet – Have you ever tried it–singing (from memory) the first stanza of hymns starting with A…B…C–and so on. I did it yesterday, as I was driving to a preaching appointment in a city some distance away. It can provide an uplifting session of praise, as well as being a helpful test of the memory. Why not check out my article on the subject, and give it a try.

(2) I Sought the Lord (Data Missing)

The little hymn I Sought the Lord was published in America around 1880, but we know nothing of the authorship. It provides an important reminder regarding the prior work of God in our lives. Concerning the unsaved, the Bible says, “There is none who seeks after God” (Rom. 3:11). Nothing in the unregenerate heart has either the inclination or the power to seek God. It is the Lord who must take the initiative. “We love Him because He first loved us” (I Jn. 4:19). For the tune, check the Cyber Hymnal.

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me.
It was not I that found, O Saviour true;
No, I was found of Thee.

Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm vexed sea.
’Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold,
As Thou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee!
For Thou were long beforehand with my soul,
Always Thou lovest me.

Today in 1843 – Ralph Hudson Born

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Born in Ohio, Ralph Hudson was a lay preacher and gospel musician in the late nineteenth century. He also served as an army nurse in the American Civil War, later going on write and compile books of gospel songs.

Ralph Erskine Hudson often took old hymns, set them to a bouncy gospel tune, and added a refrain (this was not always an improvement!). The praise song Blessed Be the Name was written by William H. Clarke, of whom we know nothing. Hudson provided the tune, adding a refrain that Donald P. Hustad calls “one of those ‘wandering choruses’ that was appended to many different sets of words” (Dictionary-Handbook to Hymns for the Living Church, p. 47).

All praise to Him who reigns above
In majesty supreme,
Who gave His Son for man to die,
That He might man redeem!

Blessèd be the name! Blessèd be the name!
Blessèd be the name of the Lord!
Blessèd be the name! Blessèd be the name!
Blessèd be the name of the Lord!

His name above all names shall stand,
Exalted more and more,
At God the Father’s own right hand,
Where angel hosts adore.

Redeemer, Saviour, Friend of man
Once ruined by the fall,
Thou hast devised salvation’s plan,
For Thou hast died for all.

(2) Today in 1873 – Lydia Leech Born

Lydia Shivers Leech wrote the second and third stanzas of a gospel song that came out of great tragedy in the life of another songwriter. Adam Geibel was born in Germany in 1855. When he was 8 years old, an eye infection left him blind. The family emigrated to America a few years later and, in spite of his disability, Adam grew up to be a successful composer, conductor and organist with many hymn tunes to his credit (such as the tune Geibel for Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus).

Then, on Easter weekend of 1911, his happy family life was shattered. Adam Geibel and his wife, along with their daughter and her husband, had planned to spend a vacation together. But the Geibels’ son-in-law was killed in an industrial accident while trying to save the lives of his coworkers. Adam Geibel was crushed by a weight of sorrow that lasted for a long time.

But one day friends noticed the man’s peace and joy had been restored, seemingly overnight. He said that the night before, he was praying about his personal struggle, feeling he couldn’t continue to bear the weight of it. He said the Lord Himself seemed to say to him, “Adam, someday you’ll understand all about it, for someday I’ll make it plain to you.” As the Bible puts it, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now [we] know in part, but then [we] shall know just as [we] also [are] known” (I Cor. 13:12).

That assurance was the restorative he needed. He sat down at the piano and wrote the first verse and chorus of the gospel song, Someday He’ll Make It Plain to Me. He sent this to Lydia Shivers Leech, who added the remaining stanzas.

I do not know why oft ’round me
My hopes all shattered seem to be;
God’s perfect plan I cannot see,
But some day I’ll understand.

Some day He’ll make it plain to me,
Some day when I His face shall see;
Some day from tears I shall be free,
For some day I shall understand.

I cannot tell the depth of love,
Which moves the Father’s heart above;
My faith to test, my love to prove,
But some day I’ll understand.

Today in 1819 – Susan Warner Born

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Susan’s sister was American hymn writer Anna Warner (Jesus Loves Me, and We Would See Jesus). Susan was a novelist whose books were extremely popular in their day. Her story The Wide, Wide World has been called America’s first bestseller. It went through 14 editions in two years.

Both women were dedicated Christians. And Susan said, “He who serves God with what costs him nothing, will do very little service, you may depend on it!” The two of them held regular Bible studies for the cadets at West Point Military Academy, near their home. When they died, they were buried there with full military honours.

Though she wrote a great deal of prose, Susan Bogart Warner is known for one gospel song, Jesus Bids Us Shine. It expounds on the words of Jesus, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world of darkness so let us shine–
You in your small corner, and I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine, then, for all around;
Many kinds of darkness in the world abound–
Sin and want and sorrow; so we must shine–
You in your small corner, and I in mine.

(2) Today in 1895 – Alexander Ewing Died

Ewing was a Scottish military man whose avocation was music. He learned to play the violin, the cello and the clarinet, and was interested in choral music. He is known today solely for the tune that bears his name, Ewing. It has been used with a number of hymns, including Frances Havergal’s O Saviour, Precious Saviour, but it is best known as the tune for Jerusalem the Golden.

The latter hymn comes from a lengthy poem written by Bernard of Cluny in 1145. He called his poem De Contemptu Mundi (On the Contemptibleness of the World). In it he spells out the evils and social corruption of his day. With that he contrasts the beauty, peace and joy of the heavenly city, expanding somewhat on the description we are given in Revelation 21–22.

Jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, O I know not, what joys await us there,
What radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare.

They stand, those halls of Zion, all jubilant with song,
And bright with many an angel, and all the martyr throng;
The Prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene.
The pastures of the blessèd are decked in glorious sheen.

If you are concerned that hymn singing is being neglected in your church, check out my article 77 Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing. There may be a few ideas there you could try.

Today in 1908 – Phoebe Knapp Died

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Some confusion has resulted in hymn history from Mr. and Mrs. Walter Palmer naming their daughter after her mother! Hymn books sometimes credit one instead of the other for a particular song. But here is the correct information.

Mrs. (Phoebe) Palmer (1807-1874), and her husband Walter, were both evangelists. In 1839, Phoebe gave birth to a daughter whom the Palmers named Phoebe, after her mother. The younger Phoebe (1839-1908), who eventually became Mrs. John Knapp, served the Lord as a musician and hymn writer, producing some 500 hymns.

On one occasion the younger Phoebe combined her talents with those of Fanny Crosby in the writing of a hymn. Fanny says, “My friend, Mrs. Knapp, composed a melody, and played it over to me two or three times on the piano. She then asked me what it said, and I immediately replied Blessed Assurance.” In just a few minutes, Fanny Crosby supplied the words for the song, and it was published in 1873.

The Lord Jesus says of His own, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn. 10:28). Paul testifies, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded [convinced] that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day [i.e. the day of Christ’s return]” (II Tim. 1:12). And Jude describes Christians as “those who are…preserved [kept safe] in Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1).

It is the privilege of the Christian to be assured of his eternal salvation. As R. A. Torrey put it, “It is the blood of Christ that makes us safe; it is the Word of God that makes us sure.”

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

(2) Today in 1942 – Edmund Simon Lorenz Died

Mr. Lorenz is responsible for one of the most repetitious gospel songs we have! He wrote the 1876 original in German, and it was translated into English by Jeremiah Rankin four years later. One little song, and it repeats the same four-word phrase 24 times! Not surprisingly, that phrase has given the song its title, Tell It to Jesus. So we have:

Are you weary, are you heavy hearted?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone.

Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,
He is a Friend that’s well known.
You’ve no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.

But before we dismiss Edmund Simon Lorenz’s repetitive work as unworthy of our attention, ask yourself this question: Do I “tell it to Jesus”? In other words, do we pray about the things that are troubling us? Sometimes (and I speak for myself) we spend way too much time worrying, or fretfully struggling first, before we think to bring our need to the Lord!

The Bible is full of exhortations to pray. “Men always ought to pray” (Lk. 18:1); “continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Rom. 12:12); “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18); “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17). Perhaps, given our frequent failures in this area, we need Edmund Lorenz’s 24 reminders after all!

And here, with a nod to the saying “different strokes for different folks” (within limits!), is a Bluegrass version of Mr. Lorenz’s song. Outstanding pickin’ and a-strummin’, and I believe the folks are sincere in their sharing of the message of the song. But whether this is your cup of tea or not, you can let me know.

Lord’s Day Meditation – A Bosom Full

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Lk. 6:38
Graphic Robe

Luke chapter 6 repeats some of the teaching found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). And this promise is a picture of the Lord’s abundant blessing. In those days, both men and women wore long robes, tied at the waist by a cord or sash. The “bosom,” was the full gather of the robe above the sash. It was used to carry children (Num. 11:12), lambs (II Sam. 12:3) and other things (cf. II Kgs. 4:39; Prov. 17:23; 21:14). If a quantity of grain was purchased in the marketplace, it could be poured into the bosom to be transported home.

Here, the portion is delightfully generous. More than was expected. The principle is that we can never out-give the Lord. Whatever of time, talents and treasures we invest in His service will reap blessing and reward many times over. And it is humbling to realize the goodness of God in the face of our frequent ingratitude–or our careless misuse of His gifts. In the context, Jesus says:

Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful (vs. 35).

“Hoping for [expecting] nothing in return.” What a high standard! Mercy and grace, even to those who may well deserve just the opposite! But that is how the Lord treats us. And to live in this way–since it is characteristic of God Himself–can be seen as a result of being made in His image. Treating those well who do the same to us is hardly a demonstration of grace. It is common in the unsaved world (vs. 34). But the child of God is to live by a higher standard.

And a brief note on the expression “You will be sons of the Most High.” This is not speaking of how to earn eternal salvation. That is, the Lord is not saying, “Do good, and your good works will get you into heaven.” That would be totally at odds with the Bible’s emphasis on salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

Rather, the expression should be seen in the context of the Jewish culture  of that day. To them, “son of” often meant the person showed characteristics of his family relationship. Jesus means that those who live as He describes demonstrate that they are members of His family because they reflect their Father’s character. Contrast this with Jesus’ stinging rebuke of the Pharisees: “You are of your father the devil” (Jn. 8:44).

In our kindness toward the undeserving and our love of the loveless, we are to be like the Lord Jesus. In the words of James Rowe’s 1911 gospel song:

Earthly pleasures vainly call me;
I would be like Jesus;
Nothing worldly shall enthrall me;
I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus, this my song,
In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus, all day long!
I would be like Jesus.

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