What shall give meaning to the thin, lifeless child in Africa, facing the deep prospect of spending another night in hunger and tears?
Shall a distant theological concept give solace to the woman in Serbia who has lost all her sons to war as she picks up her photo albums during the cold winter of Christmas?
Why should this matter to the homeless man in the streets of Oxford, who moves his bags of stuff from one spot and then back again as if engaged in perpetual activity?
Would it be too insensitive to mention the Incarnate Christ to them whilst they grieve and watch the passing world with pain. Surely, one would say, give them a hug and some loving affection. And that's right... on the night our Saviour came, we remember He came for the sinners (1 tim 1:15) and in Luke 15 while He gave the parables of the lost sheep, coin and (prodigal) son, he was purposefully seated amongst the tax collectors and prostitutes. To them He shared a fervent affection and love that we still stand confounded by.
And because the Incarnate Christ came one night, one distant night in the far flung lands of Palatine, the poor weaning child, the tearful mother, the homeless man can be reached with love. "For God so Loved the world"! Otherwise, every other effort of aid, every kind deed would be left empty without eternal insight, for how flawed our strongest efforts to love and give without seeing God Himself, the infinite and just One, giving of His only Son? The Incarnation is a full display of God's glory by demonstrating His love to the fullest.
I don't mean that we go up to the weak and just preach abrasively, If that's the case, you probably haven't got what we're dealing with here. I'm saying you can walk up and hug a crying soul, feeling all he/she feels because the incarnation first showed you what it means to feel and love. Because God desired to show His glory to man by giving His Son to this world, thus we can show Him to the destitute and sick henceforth. The power of the incarnation reveals a compassionate and caring Saviour and transforms us to become like Himself. We now have power to care, love, sacrifice selflessly because Christ did.
To the weakest and the needy, the Incarnation reveals that the creator cares more than they can ever know. He does not differentiate by wealth, status or might, He loves the whole world, every being in it, with an infinite love. No differences in this love. Thats why we join with the angels on high, singing emphatically
" Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. ...You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in the manger."
"Glory to God in the highest, And on Eath Peace, goodwill toward men!"
May we remember jesus this precious night and always desire to care for the weakest in our midst. Blessed Christmas.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I should be very sad
I began my morning lumbering to the restroom, staring at the dark sky that had yet to be painted orange. Distant lights and twinkling stars traced forms and shapes in the lofty horizons and the distant sea. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled to the dining table with diminishing pace, as if slowed down by friction. Munching my way in the car, I returned to Tekong to attend a Christmas celebration for all the instructors. Upon reaching the island, a glimmer of light shimmered from a tiny ball of orange and dispersed gently upon the wayfaring clouds, but still the morning was in its premature infancy.
I waited a good 12 hours before the celebrations started and the pole dancing women the Headquarters brought in to entertain us, elicited loud screams and left me deeply offended. I cringed, walked off and went my way. Christmas is deeply sacrosanct to the church, only because our mediator was born to us. This mediator is the only one who could wipe sin from our hearts and the only One worthy of doing so is God Himself-Jesus Christ. It's so fundamental and emotional a truth that to even have the heathen mock Christmas ignorantly was distinctly unbearable. I felt angered sorrow to be exact.
To add to the pain, I had to do guard duty on Christmas day and thus miss out on church. Yet what really cut the cake for me this day was receiving an SMS that told of an organization I was close to, having accepted non christians to assist in the ministry as leaders of sorts. This decision was made with a certain emphatic certainty which I disliked. Yet my motive for writing it here is not to make a fuss of it or indeed to gossip about the matter. Having given it much thought, I wrote it because I wanted to emphasize the need to consider all things in the light of Christ, the incarnate One and the baby born to us not long ago.
You see, Christ is our delight and if people make a mockery of celebrating him, it pains us. If we make decisions, that have eternal consequences, flippantly, we do not uphold Him. We tread on thin ice in these last days and a certain fear and trepidation with two eyes on Christ and His Word is a sure steer to safety. Yet if people in that organisation are no longer making Christ centric decisions, whatever they say will no longer hold water and its really very very sad. No matter, how well a man preaches, leads worship, talk or minister to others, if Christ is not the end of His Being, the supreme joy of His existence, he must repent or he has no part in leading the sheep. What more a man who refuses to acknowledge Christ? Can he be placed in authority over the sheep? Its stringent stuff (read the two books of timothy).
its different from the world and its offensive. Niceness is not the criteria for goodness and often we think its all that is necessary to determining everything. The chief criteria is whether Christ is at the heart of everything, or at least, the desired and pursued outcome. That's the evidence that a christian man or organization is being indwelt with the Spirit.
So the day was supposed to be sad, bleak, dark like the early dawn covered in sooty blackness. Yet after I'd received the sms, or watched for a moment the horrendous revelry, God led me to a place to pray. Each time, a glimmer of light broke through and a gentle nudge met me in my strained prayers. I complained, winced and shook my head. Each time, the light dispersed in my clouded mind, gently reaching the corners of my experience, sweeping what should have been overwhelming sadness aside. The end of each prayer was a good dose of joy, assurance in the great and unflinching control of a sovereign God.
He will always reign, always rule and always do what is right. He sees far beyond what I can grasp and His will is inscrutable to me. He has already made all things beautiful and will make it more beautiful still. He is the way, the truth, the life, the all in all. He is the reason for Being and His glory is the highest pleasure of every christian heart. He has created everything and nothing that is not created will bow. He is God, the LORD of all, He is our God, my King as much as yours. These situations are passing and even so, He shall have His glory from it. What shall I say then? Shall I limp on in sadness or be led to stillness and peace? Will I not place my head upon the Shepard's bosom and lay there long into my mortal existence? The darkness cannot last ..... The morning is just about to break.
I waited a good 12 hours before the celebrations started and the pole dancing women the Headquarters brought in to entertain us, elicited loud screams and left me deeply offended. I cringed, walked off and went my way. Christmas is deeply sacrosanct to the church, only because our mediator was born to us. This mediator is the only one who could wipe sin from our hearts and the only One worthy of doing so is God Himself-Jesus Christ. It's so fundamental and emotional a truth that to even have the heathen mock Christmas ignorantly was distinctly unbearable. I felt angered sorrow to be exact.
To add to the pain, I had to do guard duty on Christmas day and thus miss out on church. Yet what really cut the cake for me this day was receiving an SMS that told of an organization I was close to, having accepted non christians to assist in the ministry as leaders of sorts. This decision was made with a certain emphatic certainty which I disliked. Yet my motive for writing it here is not to make a fuss of it or indeed to gossip about the matter. Having given it much thought, I wrote it because I wanted to emphasize the need to consider all things in the light of Christ, the incarnate One and the baby born to us not long ago.
You see, Christ is our delight and if people make a mockery of celebrating him, it pains us. If we make decisions, that have eternal consequences, flippantly, we do not uphold Him. We tread on thin ice in these last days and a certain fear and trepidation with two eyes on Christ and His Word is a sure steer to safety. Yet if people in that organisation are no longer making Christ centric decisions, whatever they say will no longer hold water and its really very very sad. No matter, how well a man preaches, leads worship, talk or minister to others, if Christ is not the end of His Being, the supreme joy of His existence, he must repent or he has no part in leading the sheep. What more a man who refuses to acknowledge Christ? Can he be placed in authority over the sheep? Its stringent stuff (read the two books of timothy).
its different from the world and its offensive. Niceness is not the criteria for goodness and often we think its all that is necessary to determining everything. The chief criteria is whether Christ is at the heart of everything, or at least, the desired and pursued outcome. That's the evidence that a christian man or organization is being indwelt with the Spirit.
So the day was supposed to be sad, bleak, dark like the early dawn covered in sooty blackness. Yet after I'd received the sms, or watched for a moment the horrendous revelry, God led me to a place to pray. Each time, a glimmer of light broke through and a gentle nudge met me in my strained prayers. I complained, winced and shook my head. Each time, the light dispersed in my clouded mind, gently reaching the corners of my experience, sweeping what should have been overwhelming sadness aside. The end of each prayer was a good dose of joy, assurance in the great and unflinching control of a sovereign God.
He will always reign, always rule and always do what is right. He sees far beyond what I can grasp and His will is inscrutable to me. He has already made all things beautiful and will make it more beautiful still. He is the way, the truth, the life, the all in all. He is the reason for Being and His glory is the highest pleasure of every christian heart. He has created everything and nothing that is not created will bow. He is God, the LORD of all, He is our God, my King as much as yours. These situations are passing and even so, He shall have His glory from it. What shall I say then? Shall I limp on in sadness or be led to stillness and peace? Will I not place my head upon the Shepard's bosom and lay there long into my mortal existence? The darkness cannot last ..... The morning is just about to break.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Christian Civil Servant
When I attended ACS in my youth, I recalled someone say "What we desire is that you develop christian values though you need not be christian." Was there such a thing as an upright man without God?
When I struggled with placing my faith in the context of my future career in the public sector, someone said "in the public sphere, fight for christian values, you don't have to bring the gospel in".
For a long time, I did struggle, for if i did not elevate Christ, but just focus on His attributes instead, would that paradoxically demonstrate Christ? If I spoke against homosexuality by trying not to revert to the source of convictions, which is Christ and His Word, would I still be fighting for Christ? Can a nation be better if we legislated with christian principles without the acknowledging the person of Christ?
In the tumult of what was to me very real questions that really really mattered, I turned to Wilberforce. When I read William Wilberforce, his voice rattled away the blinding curtains of my confusion and broke asunder my comfort, for my ambivalence till then allowed no pain of decision. Yet very quickly I was faced with illumination and my chips fell firmly on one side.
Wilberforce said,
The Fatal habit of considering Christian morals as distinct from christian doctrines insensibly gained strength. Thus the peculiar doctrines of Christianity went more and more out of sight, and as might naturally have been expected, the moral system itself also began to wither and decay, being robbed of that which should have supplied it with life and nutriment.
If society is not first soaked and transformed by the knowledge of Christ, where shall it find strength to be ethically reformed?
He goes further to say this:
"The grand distinction which subsists between the true Christian and all other Religionists (here he undoubtedly refers to moralists and some christians as well) is concerning the nature of holiness and the way in which it is to be obtained."
To Wilberforce there must be a reconciliation with God and an imputed righteousness from him before we can live holy and righteous lives in the world.
the implications of these statements mean that no society can be moral unless it is first transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and imputed with righteousness by Christ alone. One cannot imagine what a revolutionary thing it was for a member of parliament in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries to say such words and this is even more taboo in the politics of many countries today. Christ has been stripped from christian morality. But when Christ is the whole focus with all morality springing from the wellspring Himself, the results are as clear as the cleanest waters. God himself will provide the fruit.
Pollock commented of England after Wilberforce :
"There is little doubt that Wilberforce changed the moral outlook of Great Britain ... The reformation of manners(morals) grew into Victorian Values and Wilberforce touched the world when he made goodness fashionable. .. Contrast the late eighteenth century ... with its loose morals and corrupt public life, with the mid nineteenth century. Whatever its faults, nineteenth-century British public life became famous for its emphasis on character, morals, and justice and the British business world famous for integrity."
I've much to pray and be humbled by.
When I struggled with placing my faith in the context of my future career in the public sector, someone said "in the public sphere, fight for christian values, you don't have to bring the gospel in".
For a long time, I did struggle, for if i did not elevate Christ, but just focus on His attributes instead, would that paradoxically demonstrate Christ? If I spoke against homosexuality by trying not to revert to the source of convictions, which is Christ and His Word, would I still be fighting for Christ? Can a nation be better if we legislated with christian principles without the acknowledging the person of Christ?
In the tumult of what was to me very real questions that really really mattered, I turned to Wilberforce. When I read William Wilberforce, his voice rattled away the blinding curtains of my confusion and broke asunder my comfort, for my ambivalence till then allowed no pain of decision. Yet very quickly I was faced with illumination and my chips fell firmly on one side.
Wilberforce said,
The Fatal habit of considering Christian morals as distinct from christian doctrines insensibly gained strength. Thus the peculiar doctrines of Christianity went more and more out of sight, and as might naturally have been expected, the moral system itself also began to wither and decay, being robbed of that which should have supplied it with life and nutriment.
If society is not first soaked and transformed by the knowledge of Christ, where shall it find strength to be ethically reformed?
He goes further to say this:
"The grand distinction which subsists between the true Christian and all other Religionists (here he undoubtedly refers to moralists and some christians as well) is concerning the nature of holiness and the way in which it is to be obtained."
To Wilberforce there must be a reconciliation with God and an imputed righteousness from him before we can live holy and righteous lives in the world.
the implications of these statements mean that no society can be moral unless it is first transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and imputed with righteousness by Christ alone. One cannot imagine what a revolutionary thing it was for a member of parliament in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries to say such words and this is even more taboo in the politics of many countries today. Christ has been stripped from christian morality. But when Christ is the whole focus with all morality springing from the wellspring Himself, the results are as clear as the cleanest waters. God himself will provide the fruit.
Pollock commented of England after Wilberforce :
"There is little doubt that Wilberforce changed the moral outlook of Great Britain ... The reformation of manners(morals) grew into Victorian Values and Wilberforce touched the world when he made goodness fashionable. .. Contrast the late eighteenth century ... with its loose morals and corrupt public life, with the mid nineteenth century. Whatever its faults, nineteenth-century British public life became famous for its emphasis on character, morals, and justice and the British business world famous for integrity."
I've much to pray and be humbled by.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Erasmus and Tyndale
I've thought for a while about the difference between Erasmus and Tyndale. Both were trained in Oxford, capable linguists and were blessed with fertile intellects. Erasmus was 28 years older than Tyndale yet both died in the same year. Erasmus desired that the Greek bible be printed for public reading and Tyndale translated the greek and hebrew into english. Yet Tyndale was killed for doing so whilst Erasmus stayed in good standing. Tyndale wished that everyman would be blessed with the ability to read the Holy Book, Erasmus dwelt in the nuanced ivory towers of intellectual elitism. Erasmus joked about Luthers' justification by faith, Tyndale poured energies into delighting in them and preaching it.
Erasmus played with words and dabbled in unnecessary complexity, Tyndale understood the importance of words and employed them to unparalleled effect in his translation. Erasmus mocked and satirized the notion that man are utterly depraved, Tyndale embraced them on trembling knees and gave thanks to Christ. Erasmus was a humanist of the highest calibre, intellectual, respectem, sharp, nuanced and rotten. Tyndale was rough, persistent, prayerful and O Boy, emblazoned with the grace of God.
Erasmus lived long, Tyndale died with cloth around his head pulled so tightly until his eyes bled. He was kept in a dungeon until his legs broke and when he was burned on a stake, He shouted "O Lord, Open the King of England's eyes!".
So when you lift up your bible, remember that a day not long ago, people were executed for teaching the Lord's prayer in English. Remember that the book you hold is soaked in blood, because the church, yes the corrupted church conspired to execute men for making the bible accessible to other men. Smell the scent of Tyndale's broken body all over the English translation. Every credible English translation today still contains so very much of Tyndale's translation because it was really that good. It simply magnified Christ (that preachers today would pay more attention to their language!).
And beware of those who appear smart and love to play with the Words of the bible. Even as I write, I hear of such folly! Allowing a non-Christian into the church to lead the sheep! Can you believe that... A man who rejects Christ is allowed into a christian organisation to lead the sheep. I write with anguish, sorrow and much indignation.... May we find grace at His feet.
Erasmus played with words and dabbled in unnecessary complexity, Tyndale understood the importance of words and employed them to unparalleled effect in his translation. Erasmus mocked and satirized the notion that man are utterly depraved, Tyndale embraced them on trembling knees and gave thanks to Christ. Erasmus was a humanist of the highest calibre, intellectual, respectem, sharp, nuanced and rotten. Tyndale was rough, persistent, prayerful and O Boy, emblazoned with the grace of God.
Erasmus lived long, Tyndale died with cloth around his head pulled so tightly until his eyes bled. He was kept in a dungeon until his legs broke and when he was burned on a stake, He shouted "O Lord, Open the King of England's eyes!".
So when you lift up your bible, remember that a day not long ago, people were executed for teaching the Lord's prayer in English. Remember that the book you hold is soaked in blood, because the church, yes the corrupted church conspired to execute men for making the bible accessible to other men. Smell the scent of Tyndale's broken body all over the English translation. Every credible English translation today still contains so very much of Tyndale's translation because it was really that good. It simply magnified Christ (that preachers today would pay more attention to their language!).
And beware of those who appear smart and love to play with the Words of the bible. Even as I write, I hear of such folly! Allowing a non-Christian into the church to lead the sheep! Can you believe that... A man who rejects Christ is allowed into a christian organisation to lead the sheep. I write with anguish, sorrow and much indignation.... May we find grace at His feet.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Do not cease to Hope
This will come to pass. We will be there to see it.
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, " Write for these words are true and faithful."
And He said to me "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev21: 3-8
This is an unassailable picture of beauty. It commands breathtaking proportions and its implications are so vast and staggering that the eyes will water, the heart tremble, the soul humbled and the heart overwhelmed with the sheer intensity of majesty. Its embellished with grace, soaked in oceans of undeserving Love for the never-ending, only eternal Being will dwell with once wretched humanity.
O how I long to be there this very day! And how I will fall into that final category of hell bent humanity if the Lamb had not revealed Himself. We really can't talk about these realities without exclamation marks. One has to constantly tell oneself that this is the wellsprings of Hope, the very heart of definition of Hope, that the Lamb will dwell with man forever! Forever....
The chapter ends with the glorious reminder of who did it all
But I saw no temple in it for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is the Light. Rev 21:22 - 24
My dear friends :) This is the christian reality, it is the only reality. What delights to savour for eternity we can only now know in part. Let us not cease to hope :)
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, " Write for these words are true and faithful."
And He said to me "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev21: 3-8
This is an unassailable picture of beauty. It commands breathtaking proportions and its implications are so vast and staggering that the eyes will water, the heart tremble, the soul humbled and the heart overwhelmed with the sheer intensity of majesty. Its embellished with grace, soaked in oceans of undeserving Love for the never-ending, only eternal Being will dwell with once wretched humanity.
O how I long to be there this very day! And how I will fall into that final category of hell bent humanity if the Lamb had not revealed Himself. We really can't talk about these realities without exclamation marks. One has to constantly tell oneself that this is the wellsprings of Hope, the very heart of definition of Hope, that the Lamb will dwell with man forever! Forever....
The chapter ends with the glorious reminder of who did it all
But I saw no temple in it for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is the Light. Rev 21:22 - 24
My dear friends :) This is the christian reality, it is the only reality. What delights to savour for eternity we can only now know in part. Let us not cease to hope :)
Monday, December 08, 2008
Of delight in Supremacy
Psalms 45 declares : My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. (verse 1) ... Your throne, O God is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness (verse 6).
For many of you who might not know, I'm now serving my National Service on Tekong, which really is an overseas posting without the perks. I'm beginning to think that this is a deliberate move by the One who rules all to train myself in His love through suffering and aloneness. There, I fight for joy. The beauty of being on the island is the forced dislocation from Singapore and the way nature displays herself to inhabitants of Tekong. There is a sublimity in it and I just hope that I would never lose my sense of wonder at God's expression of His glory.
Indeed, I'm beginning to see the difference between standing in awe at the Supremacy and glory of God and actually loving the supremacy and glory of God whilst in the midst of awe. On one hand I might very well be bludgeoned into obedience simply because He is great and begrudgingly I am forced to adhere to His demands versus actually delighting in the greatness and eternal splendour of Jesus Christ. The existence of delight in His supremacy is the difference between a non christian and a christian. At the end of the day, all will obey God, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God with our tongues and upon bended knee; the difference will be whether we're actually delighting in the praise of His glory.
Psalms 43: Send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my EXCEEDING JOY, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God my God.
I think this verse cuts the cake. God is our exceeding joy and the knowledge of His eternal glory overflows our hearts with pleasure. It transforms the dry rocky deserts of our hearts into lush dewy grounds, overflowing with praise and delight. The greatness of God is the christian's delight and this greatness that overcame death and sin through the resurrection of Christ is the wellspring of life eternal.
The sovereignty of God ignites pure and unadulterated joy and joy and joy.
For many of you who might not know, I'm now serving my National Service on Tekong, which really is an overseas posting without the perks. I'm beginning to think that this is a deliberate move by the One who rules all to train myself in His love through suffering and aloneness. There, I fight for joy. The beauty of being on the island is the forced dislocation from Singapore and the way nature displays herself to inhabitants of Tekong. There is a sublimity in it and I just hope that I would never lose my sense of wonder at God's expression of His glory.
Indeed, I'm beginning to see the difference between standing in awe at the Supremacy and glory of God and actually loving the supremacy and glory of God whilst in the midst of awe. On one hand I might very well be bludgeoned into obedience simply because He is great and begrudgingly I am forced to adhere to His demands versus actually delighting in the greatness and eternal splendour of Jesus Christ. The existence of delight in His supremacy is the difference between a non christian and a christian. At the end of the day, all will obey God, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God with our tongues and upon bended knee; the difference will be whether we're actually delighting in the praise of His glory.
Psalms 43: Send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my EXCEEDING JOY, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God my God.
I think this verse cuts the cake. God is our exceeding joy and the knowledge of His eternal glory overflows our hearts with pleasure. It transforms the dry rocky deserts of our hearts into lush dewy grounds, overflowing with praise and delight. The greatness of God is the christian's delight and this greatness that overcame death and sin through the resurrection of Christ is the wellspring of life eternal.
The sovereignty of God ignites pure and unadulterated joy and joy and joy.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Of Music
Even at a young and cheerful age of 24 (soon approaching 25), I've long been unable to race along with the worship fads of our time. With twirling lights that flash blue, red or orange in dimly lit rooms and throngs of youth with raised hands, swaying at the beat of the latest christian song, we've arrived from our older days of hymns and melodies. Very soon, it appears, the christian music of our time will take on a rock edge with the beat overcoming melody and synthetic music overwhelming lyric. Increasingly, this desire to affect the emotions through music is overtaking our concern with the substance of the songs.
As I plough through our old hymns, I notice how the same melody could be shared across a number of hymns. When I survey the Wondrous Cross could well be sung in 3 or 4 different tunes. The old hymn writers spent more of their time working to craft the lyrics so that we could express praise in increased varieties and push the worshipers to attach Holy affections to the words they sang. There was theology in the doxology. The vast stream of music that flood our shelves today concern themselves not with innovation in crafting praise in lyrical form but in developing the musical tune. More time is spent developing a novel tune to raise the affections than on the lyrics that are being sung. So in our time, we wouldn't find lyrics sung to different tunes.
As I considered this, I can see, how we have often entered into praising God in a mind-numbing fashion, without our minds conjoing with our emotions in the delight. An anti-intellectualism has bred itself in the modern church, subtly discouraging any attempt to conjon the mind, its intellect and logic into wholehearted worship, as if any attempt to employ the intellect or logic to meditate on the attributes of God be inconsiderate in the presence of God. This mantra does not perceive how God made us with the intention that our mind too would delight in His presence. Logic too is created by God for His worship. This is not an argument for dispassionate praise, its an argument for wholesome and wholehearted worship.
The consequence of worship without indulging in expanding the theology of the worshipper is that we have come to identify God as emotion. We think we know He is there if, ostensibly, He is felt. So when emotions are running high, we hear "God is here in our midst" and The Almighty, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God is probably absent when hymns are being sung. In fact, the anointing of God has probably left the hymns and imputed itself into emotive, one liner songs. You can probably see how preposterous this line of thinking go.
You see, I am not disputing the relevance of singing christian song in modern music, for hymns were modern tunes adapted to christian theology in that time. I am disputing the draining of christian theology from our music and the focus on stiring the emotions rather than the substance of the song - which is its lyrics. We must realise that the music of the Psalms is largely lost to us, but their lyrics remain with us and perhaps for good reason. Its the lyrcis that transforms our lives and gives us means to express praise in joy and in times of mourning. The music only helps to transport us there. The fuel and the direction of the vehicle remains its theology.
We must not forget that when hymns were used, the old form of music, chanting, was replaced but the substance of the praise remained largely intact. We were singing poetry to God whether by chanting or by hymn. Today we are singing mere tunes that stir our hearts without directing us appropriately. There are of course, still many many good songs today. Think " In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townsend, "Here I am to Worship" and a host of many more. God still did leave us with many goodies to praise Him, but we must recognise and be choosy with how we wish to praise Him.
When we are able to meditate and sing robust theology in times of suffering, pain and celebration, we realise again the depths of a great, vast, loving and Holy God. I've heard so many friends tell me that when they faced pain, they sung " That Christ had regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul - It is well with my soul" or " You give and take away, Lord Blessed be your Name." The repetoire of lyrics remembered through song, are used by His Spirit to embrace us in times of pain or celebration. They open our eyes to see Christ as our delight through the remarkable workings on the cross.
Let us not cease to praise Him, but we do well to remember, we worship in Spirit and in Truth. Robust and deep truth is lacking in our day. I hope many many young people will rise up to flood our charts with deep songs expressing beautiful theological truths in powerful tunes for our time.
As I plough through our old hymns, I notice how the same melody could be shared across a number of hymns. When I survey the Wondrous Cross could well be sung in 3 or 4 different tunes. The old hymn writers spent more of their time working to craft the lyrics so that we could express praise in increased varieties and push the worshipers to attach Holy affections to the words they sang. There was theology in the doxology. The vast stream of music that flood our shelves today concern themselves not with innovation in crafting praise in lyrical form but in developing the musical tune. More time is spent developing a novel tune to raise the affections than on the lyrics that are being sung. So in our time, we wouldn't find lyrics sung to different tunes.
As I considered this, I can see, how we have often entered into praising God in a mind-numbing fashion, without our minds conjoing with our emotions in the delight. An anti-intellectualism has bred itself in the modern church, subtly discouraging any attempt to conjon the mind, its intellect and logic into wholehearted worship, as if any attempt to employ the intellect or logic to meditate on the attributes of God be inconsiderate in the presence of God. This mantra does not perceive how God made us with the intention that our mind too would delight in His presence. Logic too is created by God for His worship. This is not an argument for dispassionate praise, its an argument for wholesome and wholehearted worship.
The consequence of worship without indulging in expanding the theology of the worshipper is that we have come to identify God as emotion. We think we know He is there if, ostensibly, He is felt. So when emotions are running high, we hear "God is here in our midst" and The Almighty, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God is probably absent when hymns are being sung. In fact, the anointing of God has probably left the hymns and imputed itself into emotive, one liner songs. You can probably see how preposterous this line of thinking go.
You see, I am not disputing the relevance of singing christian song in modern music, for hymns were modern tunes adapted to christian theology in that time. I am disputing the draining of christian theology from our music and the focus on stiring the emotions rather than the substance of the song - which is its lyrics. We must realise that the music of the Psalms is largely lost to us, but their lyrics remain with us and perhaps for good reason. Its the lyrcis that transforms our lives and gives us means to express praise in joy and in times of mourning. The music only helps to transport us there. The fuel and the direction of the vehicle remains its theology.
We must not forget that when hymns were used, the old form of music, chanting, was replaced but the substance of the praise remained largely intact. We were singing poetry to God whether by chanting or by hymn. Today we are singing mere tunes that stir our hearts without directing us appropriately. There are of course, still many many good songs today. Think " In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townsend, "Here I am to Worship" and a host of many more. God still did leave us with many goodies to praise Him, but we must recognise and be choosy with how we wish to praise Him.
When we are able to meditate and sing robust theology in times of suffering, pain and celebration, we realise again the depths of a great, vast, loving and Holy God. I've heard so many friends tell me that when they faced pain, they sung " That Christ had regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul - It is well with my soul" or " You give and take away, Lord Blessed be your Name." The repetoire of lyrics remembered through song, are used by His Spirit to embrace us in times of pain or celebration. They open our eyes to see Christ as our delight through the remarkable workings on the cross.
Let us not cease to praise Him, but we do well to remember, we worship in Spirit and in Truth. Robust and deep truth is lacking in our day. I hope many many young people will rise up to flood our charts with deep songs expressing beautiful theological truths in powerful tunes for our time.
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