Anglican praise music

The last two Sundays have taken us away from our normal 1928 BCP/Hymnal 1940 parish. While the choices were geographically convenient, they serve as a reminder as to why I am fighting to preserve our hymnal and liturgy for future generations.

Yesterday was an ACN low church parish, complete with rock band. (Some rock band churches draw the lines at a drummer — this modern liturgy does not).

The worship music consisted of

• “This is the day that the Lord has made,” John W. Peterson ©1953
  
• “I will celebrate,” Linda Duvall ©1982 Marantha Praise
• “Hallelujah Glory,” uncredited
• “Shout to the Lord,” ©1993 Darlene Zschech/Hillsongs Australia
• “The Lord’s Prayer,” ©1976 Resource Publications, Jack Noble White†
• “Agnus Dei,” uncredited but apparently by Michael W. Smith
• “How can I keep from singing,” Chris Tomlin, 2006 worshiptogether.com (not to be confused with Robert Lowry’s 1860 hymn of the same name)

(† The copyright assertion is probably an error — or intended for the music — since the words are just a paraphrase of the 1611 KJV version)

As pop-rock (or pop-folk), the music is harmless stuff. A little bland, and without the timeless qualities of, say a hymn that’s survived for 700 years or a four-part Bach harmony. But nothing too terribly offensive, and at times I even wonder if I could be up there, strummin’ or singin’ away.

However, at the end of the service, something struck me: it’s all “praise” music. (Which is I guess why they call it “praise music.”) Words like “praise” and “love” are common, but expressions of contrition, penitence or obedience are not.

Let’s take a few examples. Here’s an excerpt from the MW Smith Agnus Dei:

Alleluia, Alleluia

For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

Here is what John Merbecke wrote in 1549, for the first English-language service music:

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Here are some words from the closing hymn at Our Lady of the Praise Music:

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

According one of the two liturgical indices in my favorite hymnal, the closing hymn for Trinity XXIII is #147, an 1897 composition by Rudyard Kipling.

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

What’s missing? Sin. Humility. Penitence. But, if you think about it, there’s no surprise here.

Lutherans (like LCMS founder CFW Walther) and also the Reformed talk about the Christian message as being Law and Gospel. In contrast, this praise music (like most praise music) is all about the Gospel — God’s love — without the obedience to his will and the confession of our failings implicit in any discussion of the Law. We are incomplete Christians without both: admitting God’s great power — and thus humbling ourselves before him — requires both Law and Gospel.

It’s been long known that a major failing of the hip, modernized nondenominational churches (notably including the megachurches) is that “the sin-free pep rallies don't encourage personal transformation and reflection, keystones of religion” (to use a quote from Fox news).

So my question is for my CCM-toting Anglican brethren: is it really safe to pick up our worship music (and thus our theology and instruction of the laity) from a branch of Christianity that repudiates (or carefully avoids) many of the tenets of our 39 Articles? Perhaps if Anglicans want to use CCM they need to write their own — or borrow some from the Catholics — making sure that it emphasizes not only praise but obedience.

Holy, Holy, Holy

One of my favorite hymns in my favorite hymnal has always been “Holy, Holy, Holy,” with lyrics by Reginald Heber and a tune, Nicaea, by John Dykes.

The website, SongAndHymns.org, is profiling the hymn as part of its ongoing series on important hymns. The lyrics, MP3 (or Real) audio version, and the history of the hymn are provided in each profile.

The website is from the Center for Church Music, which promotes hymn education through a radio program and a kid’s summer camp to teach hymns. It‘s based in Grand Rapids, and the camp sounds like a great opportunity for kids (or grandkids) to learn about the hymns of the faith. Even though it’s a Reformed parish (adhering to the Heidelberg Confession and Belgic Confession), its interest in promoting hymnody seems consistent with a wide range of Protestant hymn-lovers.

Since I first saw it mentioned in a Catholic hymn site, perhaps I should say a wide range of Christian hymn-lovers.

Speaking the unspeakable

Christianity Today has an interesting discussion of whether Christians should use the holiest term of the Jewish faith, Yahweh. This word, unspeakable and unwritable in the Jewish faith, is often abbreviated YHWH to avoid this prohibition. (Just as some Jews write G*d to reflect the spirit of this belief.)

The word is so holy, that Christians have 3 chapters in the Old Testament named after a minor prophet, Joel, whose name means “Yahweh is God.”

The CT article was prompted by a recent change in Catholic doctrine to respect the Jewish tradition by banning Y*hw*h from worship.

"By directive of the Holy Father, in accord with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, this congregation ... deems it convenient to communicate to the bishops' conferences ... as regards the translation and the pronunciation, in a liturgical setting, of the divine name signified in the sacred Tetragrammaton," said the letter signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze and Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, congregation prefect and secretary, respectively.

The Tetragrammaton is YHWH, the four consonants of the ancient Hebrew name for God.

The impact should be small, because only a few hymns in the Catholic missal use the word.

Since the 16th century, the English have used the word “Iehovah” as a reading of YHWH. Under the current interpretation, saying “Iehovah” (or “Jehovah”) does not violate the prohibition on saying YHWH.

For that I thank God, for I certainly want to keep in the liturgy all the Anglican hymns containing that term. First on that list “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,” an 18th century lyric with a 100-year-old tune.