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Pros & Cons – The Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Pros & Cons: The Doxology

I’m going to jump right in and hope my reasons for selecting something so widespread and potentially controversial is apparent.

Pro: The Text

What a glorious, simple text. It fits well into our services as a reminder of our purpose in that place. I’ve even heard it used as a blessing before meals. The text carries with it the truth of God’s worthiness, not just of our praise, but of all praise.

Pro: Brevity

This is a short song, containing the one verse and, regardless of the tune, lasts only around a minute. It is easy to memorize, no matter the age, and pull out as a go to when instruments or even good singers are unavailable. Everyone knows what it should sound like, so who cares if it is perfect? Its not like it will go on long enough for the neighbors to complain.

Con: Presentation

Yes, I only have one con on this list, but it is a doozy as far as I am concerned. The Doxology is typically presented as part of a regular liturgy with its own set place in a service. It is sung week after week, year after year. On the whole, I don’t have any issues with the idea of repetitious liturgy because I think, if done correctly it can bring a sense of stability and help set people’s focus on God. The problem is that it is much easier to let it become a mindless pattern instead of a meaningful one. It becomes a thing you sing because it is after the confession and we need something to do. We stop listening to the words and they just sort of flow out of us and land on the floor, not carrying any heart or joy, but rather a sense of obligation. I’m not saying that this cannot be combatted, but because the art of liturgy has been lost in most places, there are few willing to do the work to revive this type of hymn.

Verdict: Use Wisely

If you can sing this song daily or weekly and have it mean as much each time you do, then by all means do it. The message is great and it is incredibly easy to teach to kids or new believers. If you find that it has become more of a drone than worship, step away for a while. Tradition shouldn’t mean beating a dead horse, it should bring meaning through continued practices. If those practices lose meaning, step away and come back when the fog has cleared. You might just find a renewed heart for something as simple as this little Doxology.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran

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Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Verse 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.

Verse 3*

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;
Vile and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

*From my research I cannot see that this verse is originally by Charles Wesley. When included, it is usually the third verse being sung. I have chosen to include it because, having sung it recently, I wanted to address it specifically.

I usually try to be very positive on this blog. Even when there are hymns or worship music I don’t agree with, I try to look for positive and be constructive. I love music and I especially love hymns, thus I see this as looking for the amazing message of this music and its poetry in an attempt to help others see why they are so important.

Bringing up Jesus, Lover of My Soul requires such an introduction because I have some less than positive words to say. But let me start with the positives before we dig into the heavy discussion. As Wesley wrote it, Jesus, Lover of My Soul is a beautiful melody with a strong message of relying on God’s power to bring us through the trials of life, bringing us through into His fold. The sentiment is well needed, especially so explicitly stated.

Let’s get to the nitty-gritty. I have some pretty major issues with some of the theological implications. First, let’s look at some of Wesley’s lines. “Hide me… Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide.” What a good bit of the text is addressing is the desire to be protected. However, these lines seem to imply wanting to be removed completely from all strife. As a result, the poet askes to bypass life to get to Heaven.

This is not what we are called to do as Christians! We are meant to live here, in God’s world, loving the people God made, serving Him with the gifts He has given. It will be hard, painful, and even setting aside the things the world says are good in exchange for the things God says are good, typically a very unpopular choice. We were never meant to have an unhealthy obsession with life after death; rather, the promise of eternal life is meant to encourage us now to push onward, with the help of the spirit, to accomplish God’s work.

Next, the added verse presents a fallacy that is incredibly prevalent in the American church, and with it comes an awful mentality which is leading many Christians astray. See, the verse labels Christians as the embodiment of unrighteousness. Note, the subject of that is a Christian, not just a person. Paul states quite definitively in Romans 6 that we are dead to sin. Because of the presence of Christ in our lives, we have the ability through the salvific act of Christ and the indwelling of the spirit to choose something other than sin. We can, in fact, live a life nearly devoid of sin. This is sanctification.

To combat the idea that humans are basically good, we have over emphasized the doctrine of the depravity of humanity. It is true that apart from Christ humanity is totally and completely depraved. However, that status is wiped from us when we are saved, meaning that we are not to be defined by our old sin nature. A focus on that ongoing nature is either (a) a dualistic notion that flesh is bad and spirit is good or (b) underestimating the power of Christ’s salvific work. Dualism calls God’s very image and creative efforts wrong even though God Himself called them good. The underestimating is either misunderstanding or lack of trust regarded God’s love for His people. Either way, we must not be defined by sin, but rather by God’s love and glory shining through us, not by our efforts, but by God’s grace.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran

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My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

Verse 1

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Verse 3

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

What more can I say about a hymn that has the word “whelming” in it?

Alright, seriously though, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less is another one of those classic pieces that most people just know. It has a great refrain, easy to sing verses, and the message is certainly powerful. I wonder, though, what messages we are getting and which ones we might be missing.

I think the one most people walk away with would be the Idea of Christ as the only sturdy foundation. This is as true as it is Biblical. And if that were the only lesson learned from this song, I still think it would be worth singing. I submit, however, that there is another potent lesson to be learned hiding in the title of this hymn: hope.

Maybe it isn’t fair to separate the two because what is remarkable about this hymn is the way it binds together hope with Christ as foundation. The lyrics paint a picture of hope in several ways, from times of distress to looking forward and even the origin of our hope, God. It manages to reinforce the truth that this hope is not only from God, but is only made perfect when built upon the foundation of Christ. When hope is dealt with in this way, it leads not only to salvation from darkness, but a permanent source of hope and rest.

When we can go no further, Christ is all of our hope and stay.

SDG,

Paul Hart Cochran

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Blessed Assurance

Verse 1

Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Verse 2

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Blessed assurance is one of those precious hymns that can pop into mind at any time. It makes a great lullaby and sounds just as glorious with the swell of a pipe organ. It holds a special place in the hearts of many, yet is another one of those hymns where certain lines and verse are less memorable than the tune and refrain. Yet Blessed Assurance has a lot to offer the attentive congregant.

The text of this hymn is often seen as a wonderful reminder of how amazing it is that we are saved. For the most part, I don’t disagree as I’m sure this is much of what Fanny Crosby had in mind. For me, however, there are three lines that stick out in this hymn, especially when set against what most see as the central point. Those lines are, “Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine,” “praising my savior all the day long,” and “perfect submission, perfect delight.”

“Why these three lines?” you ask. It is because they point at the fuller picture of what our story is in Christ, and it is something often ignored. First, the concept of foretaste indicates the acknowledgement that what we have here, even the assurance itself, is but a glimpse of eternity. We ought not rest in the here and now because we have not finished the race.

Second, the refrain claims that the singer is praising all day long. How often could any of us say we do this? Now, understand that I don’t think praising here refers to merely singing or the like, rather it is the sense that through our thoughts and actions we are striving to do God’s will.

Finally, I’ll bet most people have completely forgotten the phrase, “perfect submission, perfect delight.” I think that mostly because these days we don’t care for the word submission and the baggage it has in tow. In fact, we like to think of our relationship with God as more of a partnership. Jesus is our friend, the Holy Spirit is a constant companion, and someday we will get to throw the pigskin around with our heavenly Father. But scripture paints a different picture, one in which God is set apart, Christ is a perfect example and sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit is a guide and counselor. Our role in relationship to Him is complete obedience, or submission. It is only through that stance that we can be granted perfect delight.

How, then, does it all work together? Well, for starters, we have assurance of God’s love for us through the atoning death of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, assurance is not the same as resting on one’s laurels. The assurance we are given, if truly imprinted on our heart, ought to make us desire to be submissive, obedient servants. It is the natural outflowing of our love for God and His love filling us.

Let a servant’s heart be your story and your song.

SDG,

Paul Hart Cochran

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When Peace, Like A River

Verse 1

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Verse 2

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Not only is this hymn a classic, beloved by millions, but it is one of my personal favorites to sing. The verses flow smoothly, building to a tremendous climax and followed by a majestic, confident refrain. It sends chills up and down my spine just thinking about it.

I’ve had time to really think about this phrase, “It is well with my soul.” The hymn says that it is a phrase taught to us by God (note the capitol T in Thou) which we ought to say in every situation, whether that is Satan himself trying to pull us off the path, or in the times of great peace.

I don’t know about you, but I do not say this phrase in my daily life. In times of restful peace, I merely relax, occasionally thanking God for providing. In times of distress, I call on God, full of deeply rooted anxiety. In either case, it is not well with my soul. How do I know? Because the great sacrificial love of Christ is not in control. I am spoiled in my comfort and I am fearful in my despair. Yes, I have experienced God’s love, protection, and providence, but I rarely let it take full control of my own soul.

Maybe that is the issue in a nutshell. Maybe believing that my soul somehow exists as my property, a notion I feel that society supports, holds me back from realizing a glorious truth: I am my soul. Of course I am also a mind and a body, but I don’t own my soul, I exist as my soul. Christ didn’t come to save something we possess; He came to save us. God doesn’t speak peace to some part of our gut that needs calming; He speaks to our very being. And the Holy Spirt doesn’t enter into just our emotional states, He in our counselor, for the entirety of our beings.

How can it be well with our souls? Surrendering our possession of self for a realization of wholeness. Allowing our guiding thoughts to start and end with God’s love. And whatever situations we face, remembering the assuring words given to us: It is well with my soul!

SDG,

Paul Hart Cochran

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Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Verse 1

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love.

Verse 3

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

There is much that is similar in the texts for this piece and “O God Beyond All Praising” which I looked at last week. I think that is appropriate as both songs were chosen for our wedding to bring focus on God and our reliance on Him, something we wanted to be a part of our marriage from day one.

But there is a theme in Come Thou Fount that I wanted to look at this week: our tendency to wander. The song up to this line in the third verse is filled with a great message: we need God to be able to experience and rightly praise God. The song is one of reliance on Him because He is the only one equipped to do the things He asks. So, after all of this confession and praise, pointing out God as the source of their faithfulness, the hymn sets up the reason for that need and later presents a solution.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;”

It strikes all of us from time to time, this urge to wander. It may come physically wandering, avoiding the places we ought to be and frequenting those we should be avoiding. It may come in the utilization of our gifts, exercising them with pride instead of humility. Or, as is most likely in my instance, it comes as our thoughts wander, leaving the things of God and settling in the depths of the lost. I think we tend to do this because it feels safer, not satisfying, and immediately pays off. But no matter why, it is wandering, and the more we do it, the farther we stray.

“Here’s my heart, o take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.”

The lyrics give us the first component of the solution to this dilemma: realizing we aren’t in control and surrendering to the one who is. What the song speaks to, but never explicitly states is God’s response and promise which follows such a request. God doesn’t just let us wander alone after that. Sure, we may still veer off the path time to time, but the promise is that we don’t have to try and find God again; He never leaves us. He has sealed our hearts, never to wander off as we do. His love is perfect and eternal, which is why He helps us fulfill His commands, and never leaves our side in the process.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran

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Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us is one of those old classics with a catchy tune which gets stuck in my head every time I think of it. It is a soft, lilting melody that raises one’s spirit. Until recently, however, it didn’t occur to me the discrepancy between the gentle song and the potent lyrics.

All four versus of this song are infused with powerful lyrics about grace, mercy, and love. Not only that, it is a song of petitions to God: Hear us! Seek us! Love us! These requests are the pinnacle of pleas sent up to heaven. What more could be asked of God than wanting Him to be near us and pour His grace upon our broken lives? Are these requests the stuff of the hymn equivalent of an earworm? Perhaps more than I initially thought.

You see, the salvation God offers is important, and in may ways evangelical preparations for Christ’s second coming should always be of utmost importance. But that does not mean that the topic of salvation must always be handled as an overbearing weight. It is meant to be freeing, something which lifts the weight of sin off our backs to that, with new-found lightness, we can soar.

This hymn may not be able to portray all of that, but it present us with an unforgettable peace which ought to accompany the salvific work of Christ. We belong to blessed Jesus. He hears us, He welcomes us to Him, and His love is eternal. What greater reason for joy could there be?

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran

 

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Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Verse 1:
Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
Verse 3:
We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

If you pay attention to the categories I’m using for these posts, you’ll notice this is the first in a category entitled, “You’re Singing It Wrong.” Apart from the strong implication of humor, I hope to address in these types of posts how incorrect performance of a particular hymn can actually effect our understanding of the meaning. Need to use that B.A. in Music for something, right?

Blest Be the Tie That Binds is a favorite of many, but most people do not have a lot of formal vocal training. So what is the issue? Breathing. And honestly, most music leaders don’t help, either adding extra beats or moving things too slow. What happens is a break in the first line of text which most people don’t consciously realize, but which diminishes the song’s meaning for many of us.

If you are like me, you tend to just think of the blest tie, unrelated to the later mentioned christian love. However, without the poetic breaks, the first verse reads:

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

The theme of this song, supported by the remaining verses, is the unity of the Church. Verse 3 emphasizes this as is discusses the shared nature of our burdens, even our tears. This is all well and good within our own congregation or small group. However, what about other Christians in the church down the road? What if they are not your same denomination? What if they have opposing political views? We might be more likely to slander than to share burdens.

Christians will never agree on everything in this fallen world. Paul had disagreements with Peter and Barnabus. But that diversity can be incredibly beneficial as long as we strive to always treat one another with Christian love.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran

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How Firm A Foundation

Verse 1:
How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Verse 2:
“Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,
for I am your God, and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
Verse 5:
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake!”

In looking for favorite, classic hymns I tend to struggle more with the vast array of choices in front of me. Not a bad problem to have, mind you. How Firm a Foundation is a particularly special hymn to me as we sang it at our wedding, but I also feel it is one of those which, if we truly grasped the meaning behind the simple lyrics, could change our lives in some pretty amazing ways.

First, it is important to understand the structure of this hymn. The first verse is an introduction of sorts which lays out the idea that the foundation for our faith in Christ is through scripture itself. The outcome of this is incredible promises God has given us to allow help us stay steadfast. Verses 2-5, then, are quotes of what God is saying. They deal with fear surrounding tough times, situations, and even people which crop up in our lives. The promise is always the same: “I am with you.”

When we have struggles, we tend to pray for help, guidance, or other words to keep us going. What this song is saying is that we already have such words. We neglect the amazing promises of scripture, either because we don’t know them well enough or because we don’t understand how they apply. “God must speak a word directly to me,” we think, “or else He doesn’t care/I’m not important enough/He has forgotten about me.”

“What more can He say than to you He has said?! He will uphold you with an omnipotent hand. He will never leave you. Even all of Hell attacking you is not enough for Him to back off!” The song lays out incredible promises which, especially in light of the scriptures they derive from, ought to be enough to make the weakest continue on. When we sing this old hymns, they should give us great hope, cause us to stand tall, and make us want to rely on Christ all the more. These aren’t empty words from an old book; they are promises to each and every person who has fled to Jesus.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran