We Teach Hymns, and Hymns Teach Us
Fr. Roberto Rojas teaching on the relationship between grace and works
LSB 555:9
Back in October, I had the privilege to visit Zion Lutheran Church in the Orlando, Florida area. Pastor Rojas has a lovely family and congregation. They desire to be authentically Lutheran, and they are! What a joy to hear the Word of God preached rightly and the sacrament administered according to Christ’s institution - conducted with reverence with no liturgical monkeyshines!
After the Divine Service, Father Roberto taught a Bible class focusing on the tension between Paul and James regarding Justification as seen through the lenses of both grace and works. He appealed to a wide swath of Scriptures, as well as the Athanasian Creed and the hymn “Salvation Unto Us Has Come.”
I had written about this lesson in a certain Facebook group:
Our pastors teach our hymns, which teach our pastors and us. Why? Because hymns proclaim the Word of God! They are not pop songs to entertain. They are sermons and prayers and summations of God’s Word that Christians sing and pray together.
Don’t trade your birthright for pop ditties!
When I last checked, the discussion had yielded 246 reactions (one of which was angry and one was sad) and a whole lot of comments. Most commenters appreciate our rich hymnody - but there was sure a lot of “butthurt” - as the kids say. People love their entertainment, and even suggesting that it’s not healthy in matters of divine worship draws the same reaction as trying to limit a teenager’s screen time or taking a video game away from a young child. Only in this case, we’re not talking about a four-year-old’s tantrum or a teenager’s cold shoulder - but rather the manipulative meltdown of the baby-boomer who is used to telling the whole world how to think, speak, and act. It was a virtuoso performance of Karenism from Karens of both major sexes.
I was treated to a whole lot of testimonies about how much they “enjoy” contemporary songs, and how they reach the youth (of course, there’s a lot of gray hair and ear tufts growing on a lot of these “youths.” Maybe they mean the euphemistic “young at heart”).
OK Boomer.
At any rate, I was treated to some lyrics of “worship songs” that are allegedly acceptable for the celebration of the Mass.
One lady asserted that only the lyrics matter, that the “beat” and “instrumentation” don’t matter. And of course, she went for the particular brand of logical fallacy that we might call “the appeal to Luther,” because, you know, Luther and stuff. At least she didn’t lecture me about “bar tunes” - so let us chant a Te Deum for that small grace. At any rate, only the lyrics matter. Style is irrelevant. Really? So how about this arrangement of How Great Thou Art by the Christian band Becoming the Architype?
Is this appropriate for use in the Divine Service?
Speaking by virtue of my office as a confirmed metalhead - this particular genre is not my style. I can’t speak for Stuckwisch. But I do know of at least one pastor who would probably consider this piece too mellow. You know who you are, dear brother. As the old Z-Rock tagline went: “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.” Then again, for a lot of us whose hearing took a pounding from concerts in the 1980s, we turn it up loud just to hear it at all.
But a different pastor, one who loves “worship songs” in the service, could not understand how this following “praise song” could ever be inappropriate for worship.
As I write this post, knowing that I’m going to have to read this for the audio, I can only think of Pastor Hans Fiene’s Lutheran Satire of Clint Eastwood reading so-called praise lyrics. I apologize in advance if I start laughing or vomiting. This is where I really need Braaten’s deadpan narration. Listener discretion is advised. So here goes:
“Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on
And when you’re tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go
So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held
If your eyes are on the storm
You’ll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You’ll know I always have and I always will
And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands
So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held
Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won’t let go
So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
(Stop holding on and just be held)
Just be held, just be held
Just be held, just be held”
Other than the really effeminate nature of this song, it’s just shallow, it never mentions Jesus, and it certainly won’t be around 500 years from now, let alone 50. In five years, it will no doubt elicit eyerolling from the youth it is supposed to be attracting along with an obligatory “OK Boomer.”
And if this is to be used in worship, how can a congregation sing this? It’s intended to be performed on a stage with lots of performer emoting and embellishment, not sung in unison by the community.
At any rate, at least it wasn’t as bad as the one that has the word “Oh” repeated ten times and projected on the screen.
Okay, we all need some soul-bleach now. So how about “Christ is the World’s Redeemer” (LSB 539) - a real “praise song” that the church has been singing for nearly 1500 years, a mighty hymn that covers redemption, faith, hope, trust, the militant Christian life, the triumph over death, our Lord’s victory over evil by means of the cross, the atonement, the great exchange, the resurrection, ascension, and His continued presence, plus a Trinitarian doxology. This is a real “praise song” packed into a mere four stanzas set to an inspiring, timeless, and triumphant melody that people of all ages can actually sing together - especially with the help of an organ.
And, bonus: I can read this without embarrassment.
“Christ is the world’s Redeemer, the lover of the pure,
The font of heav’nly wisdom, our trust and hope secure,
The armor of His soldiers, the Lord of earth and sky,
Our health while we are living, our life when we shall die.
Christ has our host surrounded with clouds of martyrs bright,
Who wave their palms in triumph and fire us for the fight.
Then Christ the cross ascended to save a world undone
And, suff’ring for the sinful, our full redemption won.
Down through the realm of darkness He strode in victory,
And at the hour appointed He rose triumphantly.
And now, to heav’n ascended, He sits upon the throne
Whence He had ne’er departed, His Father’s and His own.
Glory to God the Father, the unbegotten One,
All honor be to Jesus, His sole-begotten Son,
And to the Holy Spirit—the perfect Trinity,
Let all the worlds give answer: Amen! So let it be.”
Thank you Pastor Rojas and Zion Lutheran Church for not going with the flow of other LCMS parishes in the area. You stand defiant like Daniel, refusing to bow before the idol of Entertainment. If any of our readers find themselves near Orlando, this is the parish that you’ll want to visit!