Some People Still Love Hymns

I encountered a fascinating article today about hymns that are perpetually popular. A survey was done of hymnals of six mainline Protestant denominations (Anglican (Episcopal), American Baptist, Congregational (United Church of Christ), Lutheran (ELCA), United Methodist, Presbyterian Church (USA)) from the 1870's to the 2006 Lutheran hymnal. The survey included a total of 28 hymnals. It was found that 27 hymns were found in at least 26 of the hymnals; 13 hymns were found in all of them.

The good news: Every single one of these hymns is an excellent hymn! You can see the full list here; if you have grown up in a church that uses a hymnal in any of these denominations, you should recognize most, if not all, of them.

And why are they kept in the hymnals from generation to generation? Because people value them. They recognize the timeless biblical truths, taking comfort in God's Word and promises. They recognize, at some level, the intersection of biblical worship and biblical truth.

Because the survey of hymnals includes those dating back to the antebellum period, hymns that have become better known in the past 150 years do not appear on the list. This might explain why you don't see certain of your favorites.

In the summer of 2009 I blogged about what I thought were the "Top Ten Hymns"; two of them, as well as two of my runners-up, were on this list (and in retrospect, I really dropped the ball by not including "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing").

Of the 27 hymns, four of them were written before the 13th century.

The average date of the texts of the other 23 hymns: 1774.

More proof that good music—words and tune alike—stands the test of time. To God be the glory!

Doxology

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

The word "doxology" comes from the Latin (and, ultimately, the Greek) words for "glory" (doxa-) and "word" (-logia). Its definition is "an expression of praise to God, especially a short hymn sung as part of a Christian worship service."

The words of the famous doxology above date to 1674 and are attributed to Thomas Ken. The tune, the "Old 100th," dates back another century further. But even though this is a very old piece of music, its truth is everlasting: Praise God! All blessings come from Him; all creatures benefit and should return praise; even the heavenly angels must praise Him. Much of the book of Psalms repeats this very same refrain.

Thanksgiving is this week, and gives us an annual reminder that we have much for which to be grateful. But we must praise God every day; "doxology" should be constantly on our lips and in our hearts. Let us not be negligent to praise and thank Him from Whom all has been given to us.

Singing the Praises of the President

By now most of us have heard about the video of the elementary kids singing the praises of President Obama. I find it repugnant, and, like so many other things, I am severely disappointed that the media isn't pouncing on school administrators for this. You know, like they would have if two years ago children were singing the praises of the last president.

Now we learn more about the principal of the school. Dr. Denise King (someone please tell me who granted her a doctoral degree) is an Obama fan, and attended Obama's inauguration last January. Consider the following:

• Pictures she took at the inauguration made it into the school yearbook...despite the fact this was not a school field trip.
• Pictures of the president adorned the halls and various classrooms of the school. I have no problem with hanging a picture or two of the president on the wall (students, after all, should know who the president is and be able to identify him), but it sounds like this school went a bit overboard.
• Photos of "Obama-themed activities" were in the yearbook. I wonder what exactly those were....?

However, there were two facts about the principal that I found particularly troubling:

• According to parents who spoke with Dr. Denise King, "The principal of a New Jersey elementary school where young students were videotaped singing the praises of President Obama is making no apologies for the videotape and says she would allow the performance again if she could" [Emphasis mine].
  
• According to public records, Dr. Denise King hasn't voted since 2004! The article states, "A search of public records revealed that King, 46, of Cinnaminson, N.J., last voted in 2004 and had not declared any political affiliation. No records of political contributions could be found."

On the upside, the article made me feel better that my children are not in public schools.

Proud To Be A Bob Jones University Alumnus

Always have been. And it's not just because their world-class choir can do a world class job with the Hallelujah Chorus. You can play that in the background while you read the rest of this entry. The video is great, too.

It came to my attention that a few weeks ago, BJU made a "Statement About Race at Bob Jones University." The university, like most southern colleges, was segregationist and did not enroll African-American students prior to 1971; it did not remove its ban on interracial dating until 2000. As a student there between those two dates, I was fully aware that antagonism and racism at a personal level was directly in violation of school rules and policies, and was virtually nonexistent on the campus. These were not major issues during my time there.

The statement (see link above) is an absolutely classy, yet humble, apology. Their policies, long since corrected, were wrong; now they have come clean about the matter. I hope this settles this issue once and for all in the eyes of everyone.

My biggest disappointment on this matter was the class-less way that a small percentage of alumni and "friends" of the University demanded this. There were vitriolic internet postings and rude demands from some, devoid of the Christian love and brotherhood that we should show to a brother whom we believe is in the wrong. I would expect that there will be some in the world, without connection to BJU, who would express such attitudes—indeed, for some, even this statement will not suffice. I trust now that all alumni and friends of the University will support this statement and support the University with their prayers and encouragement.

How To "Torture" Someone

Much has been made of the supposed "torture" of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and other foreign locations. I sincerely doubt any "true" torture has been taking place, although I found it highly amusing when I read these two articles (here and here) which described the musical selections that these detainees are forced to listen to for long spans of time. According to a British source, here are some of the most commonly used songs:

• "Enter Sandman," Metallica.

• "Bodies," Drowning Pool.

• "Shoot to Thrill," AC/DC.

• "Hell's Bells," AC/DC.

• "I Love You," from the "Barney and Friends" children's TV show.

• "Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen.

• "Babylon," David Gray.

• "White America," Eminem.

• "Sesame Street," theme song from the children's TV show.

Other bands and artists whose music has been frequently played at U.S. detention sites: Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Don McLean, Lil' Kim, Limp Bizkit, Meat Loaf, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tupac Shakur.

So is this torture?? I guess it depends on your definition of torture. But if your goal is to force enemies of our country to cough up information that will contribute to the safety of our citizens, then I have no problem with blasting Springsteen at them. Or Barney.

Here are some quotes regarding the efficacy of these tactics:

The experience was overwhelming for many. Binyam Mohammed, now a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, said men held with him at the CIA's "Dark Prison" in Afghanistan wound up screaming and smashing their heads against walls, unable to endure more.

"There was loud music, (Eminem's) 'Slim Shady' and Dr. Dre for 20 days. I heard this nonstop over and over," he told his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith. "The CIA worked on people, including me, day and night for the months before I left. Plenty lost their minds."

Not all of the music is hard rock. Christopher Cerf, who wrote music for "Sesame Street," said he was horrified to learn songs from the children's TV show were used in interrogations.

"I wouldn't want my music to be a party to that," he told AP.

Bob Singleton, whose song "I Love You" is beloved by legions of preschool Barney fans, wrote in a newspaper opinion column that any music can become unbearable if played loudly for long stretches.

"It's absolutely ludicrous," he wrote in the Los Angeles Times. "A song that was designed to make little children feel safe and loved was somehow going to threaten the mental state of adults and drive them to the emotional breaking point?"

Some musicians, however, say they're proud that their music is used in interrogations. Those include bassist Stevie Benton, whose group Drowning Pool has performed in Iraq and recorded one of the interrogators' favorites, "Bodies."

"People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down," he told Spin magazine. "I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that."

He said he was locked in an overcooled 9-foot-by-9-foot cell that had a speaker with a metal grate over it. Two large speakers stood in the hallway outside. The music was almost constant, mostly hard rock, he said.

"There was a lot of Nine Inch Nails, including 'March of the Pigs,"' he said. "I couldn't tell you how many times I heard Queen's 'We Will Rock You."'

For those of us who find rock music to be morally offensive in general, and even for those who don't, there are a lot of insights to be had here....

The Offertory

Have you ever wondered why people talk/chat/etc. during the offertory at church?

My wife and I would argue that such behavior is disrespectful both to God and to the musician. Odd though it may seem to some, giving is part of worship. We would all do well to teach others this, yes; but we would do even better to act like it is a time of worship. We should use the time of the offering to meditate on the fact that God has given to us and that we are to give back to Him, not only because it is commanded, but because we love Him and joyfully want to give to Him.

On top of this, the musician with the responsibility of playing an offertory has probably spent some time practicing the music. Hopefully this person wants to lend to the atmosphere of worship (as opposed to mere entertainment), and a quiet reflection upon the music is far more appropriate than distracting conversation.

So when the offertory begins at your church, I would recommend quiet meditation and reflection on what God has done for you, what you should do for God, and perhaps a thought or two about the worshipful music being played. Don't distract others during this important time.

And, Speaking of the Rich and the Poor....

Ever wonder what happened to the Jackson Five...or the rest of the family, for that matter? Twenty years ago they were the most popular family of singers in the land. This New York Post article gives a much fuller story, but it also included this summary [the girls, on the whole, are doing far better than the boys financially]:

Joseph Jackson, 79 and Katherine Jackson, 77

Dad hustles various girl groups in Las Vegas. Mom is still a stay-at-home housewife and the only family member in contact with Michael. Both have previously filed for bankruptcy

Janet Jackson, 41

The current family breadwinner. She bought her mom a Vegas home in anticipation of losing the family's mansion, Hayvenhurst, to foreclosure. Like their Neverland colleagues, workers at Hayvenhurst have not been paid for months.

La Toya Jackson, 52

Family turncoat who declared Michael guilty during the 1993 molestation case, she earns a living mostly in Europe and in the UAE judging beauty and singing contests. She lives with a wealthy boyfriend in Beverly Hills and has little contact with her siblings.

Rebbie Jackson, 57

The oldest, she's married to successful businessman Nathaniel Brown.

Tito Jackson, 55

Formed a blues band several years ago and plays at small venues for $500 to $1,500 a gig.

Michael Jackson, 49

On the verge of losing Neverland ranch as well as the family's Encino, Calif., home. He's hiding out in Las Vegas and repeatedly makes promises to his brothers while sabotaging any attempts by them to ply their musical trade.

Randy Jackson, 46

Does odd jobs like changing tires to support himself. He was Michael's business manager during the 2005 molestation trial but ran into serious problems with friends after he persuaded three people to take out lines of credits against their homes to help Michael pay his attorney fees and Michael stiffed them.

Marlon Jackson, 51

Lives in San Diego, where he works stocking groceries at a Vons supermarket. He fell on hard times three years ago when he was forced to leave his foreclosed home and move into an Extended Stay America hotel with his wife, Carol.

Jackie Jackson, 56

The oldest son started an Internet clothing business and is trying to produce records by his sons. Nothing has panned out.

Jermaine Jackson, 54

Splits time between the parents' Hayvenhurst mansion and his girlfriend's home in the San Fernando Valley. With more than $5 million in federal, state and other liens against him and a 1995 bankruptcy filing, he doesn't work or have a regular income.

By my calculations, the six Jackson brothers' combined net worth is less than my own.

Music in Worship

Vast quantities of words, some wise and others foolish, have been written on the topic of music's appropriate place in worship, especially in the context of church services. In order to add to the growing body of writing, I offer three thoughts on church music I had recently.

Music should be a form of service, and not performance. The honor and the glory should be directed to God and God alone. The musician must take great care, while doing his very best to play/sing to the best of his ability, to avoid drawing attention, honor, or glory to himself. Humility is to be the mindset. The godly musician will not be puffed up with pride when complimented on a job well done, but will instead praise God for being able to do it well.

Too many church musicians today "perform" in the exact same sense that a secular musician performs: To draw attention to oneself and one's talent. The performance of some church music differs little from the performance at a secular concert. Sad to say, sometimes the church music sounds like music from the secular world.

The purpose of church music is worship, not entertainment. There is entertaining music out there in the world, and some of it is good, enjoyable, and profitable. Feel free to enjoy it. But when we come to church, our focus must be on God. God is great; He is worthy to be praised; He alone is the object of our worship. If we are so carnal as to go to church to be entertained, we do not understand worship, and we certainly aren't participating in it.

Certainly, when a musician does a good job, the music should please us. We will enjoy it, and even want to here more later. This is good. But true worship isn't about us...it's about God, and what He wants. There are a number of Bible passages which speak to this issue, and they are worthy of our study.

Worshipful music must come from a sincere heart. There are, alas, plenty of "performers" of music who sing/play with talent, but whose hearts are not spiritual. It does not glorify God as it should when "praise" comes from unclean lips. True worshippers worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).

May our hearts ever be worshipful and Spirit-filled, regardless of our musical skills.