Fans of a beloved contemporary Christian hymn won’t get any satisfaction in a new church hymnal.
The committee putting together a new hymnal for the Presbyterian Church (USA) dropped the popular hymn “In Christ Alone” because the song’s authors refused to change a phrase about the wrath of God.
The original lyrics say that “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song wanted to substitute the words, “the love of God was magnified.”
The song’s authors, Stuart Townend and Nashville resident Keith Getty, objected. So the committee voted to drop the song.
Presbyterians in my experience have a selection of hymnals to choose from, and a lot of people know this praise song by heart and/or can sing it from projected lyrics. It is not quite as in TEC where there is an official hymnal for the entire denomination.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I usually am in favor of keeping the words to the old hymns but in this case I can understand why they dropped the song.
The song accurately set out the theology to the atonement. The Church dropped the song because they are embarrassed by the cross and the need for substitutionary atonement.
Romans 5:8-10
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”
Elizabeth and I and a few thousand others enjoyed singing this hymn at Archbishop Welby’s enthronement last March. Its a favorite hymn at Truro as well! Sad to hear of its deletion among PCUSAs.
Why in the world would any organized demonination want to have a hymnal in 2013? With the availability of music on the interent and in various Christian bookstores, this undertaking is a monumnetal waste of resources. The truth is about 2/3 of hyms in demonination hymn books are basically never sung and 2/3 the rest are sung sparingly. I happen to love “In Christ Alone” but I can get 100 + renditions of it on the internet in the next 5 minutes.
David,
It isn’t a matter of being out of step with current technology. Songs and lyrics have always been available by just pulling then “out of the air”. Consider the words and tunes to the shanty usually known as “Rio Grande”. For that matter, think of the history of the “Star Spangled Banner”, set to a popular drinking song.
What’s at stake is, literally, that we’re all on the same page. Whom are you in communion with? How do you know? And are you in communion with all of them, body, intelligence, and will? Or just the physical part that drinks wine and eats bread? And what of those who don’t eat or drink anymore because they are on a farther shore? And those yet to taste at all?
For my part, not long ago I was in a heated exchange with a curate about the Confirmation program. He had blithely reported to the Rector that he was setting an “an alternate track” program because he and I had “agreed to disagree” about treatment of the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments, and the Nicene Creed. Typically, I wasn’t in a position to stop him from following through on his plan, but I realized then and there that communion had meaning and that he and I are not in it.
#7–I may not have stated my point well, and I can see your point. I have a greater concern with waste of time, money and other resources. If a denomination feels it needs a list of approved hymns, then fine. But why spend millions of dollars publishing an actual book? That is a total waste in our age. You can put the list on line (when I say “list” I also mean you could put the actual sheet music out there if you wanted) or send each church a CD. That, of course, still does not answer the question of what’s the point of having an apporoved list, 2/3 of which will never actually be sung. Not to mention, I personally don’t want to be on the same page with a bunch of liberal institutionalists who don’t like the cross/atonement. I am no longer in TEC, but in my church the rector and musicians, and the congregation for that matter, are all quite orthodox. So I think the answer lies not so much in having an approved list of songs, but having an orthodox understaning of theology, unlike the curate you describe. The songs will follow. As an aside, I was at the PEARUSA Inaugural Assembly last October and “In Christ Alone” was the processional for the consecration of our Bishop Presider. When we got to “Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave he rose again” all the clergy in the procession spontaneously raised their hands and, quite literally, cheered! Kind of like Jesus had just scored the ultimate touch down. I have been around the TEC block, including a multitude of diocesan conventions and meetings and three General Conventions. Somehow, something like that never happened there.
David Keller,
It’s illegal to simply “put the actual sheet music out there”. It’s copyrighted material, and the holders of the copyrights expect that their property will be used fairly, not copied willy-nilly and uploaded to hundreds of internet sites.
The music in hymnals isn’t “public domain”, it’s the property of the publishers of the hymnal and/or the authors. The fact that it is religious music and has a theological significance does not preclude the authors from receiving their just dues as writers/lyricists.
There are hymns which are old enough that the copyright has expired – but that simply means they can be used without fee based on historical sources. The 4-part arrangement in modern hymnals still retains full copyright by the owner of the hymnal; copying it and redistributing it is quite illegal.
Most churches receive mailings periodically from firms that offer music licenses to deal with this issue; it’s one that can sneak up on parishes very easily – such as making copies of music to project on a screen in the sanctuary to allow members to sing along. Copyright is a complex topic, and one which every church would do well to consider.
It is worth remembering that the decision of PCUSA to drop the hymn had nothing to do with whether or not people enjoyed singing it. It was a theological issue with which you may agree or disagree, but enjoyment has nothing to do with it.
Also worth noting is that when the General Convention of the Episcopal Church considers new hymns the tunes are not the subject of debate –only the theological statement made by the lyrics.
I point this out because I, like most of you, have been to many worship services where hymns were chosen because the music was “upbeat” or “solemn” or whatever and little regard was given to the theology expressed by the words.
While there are a number of hymns in the Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church that I refuse to sing for theological reasons, I still believe that having a standard hymnal is better than none at all –not to mention the fact that the Book of Common Prayer limits hymns to those approved by General Convention.
I was going to note that one of the advantages of a denominational hymnal is that you have a better idea of the copyright situation, either the hymnal has the copyright or will note who does at the bottom of the page. Or the hymnal publisher has already worked out the issue of royalties with the person who holds the copyright.
If you are just gathering your own stuff there are all sorts of copyright obligations and traps. I understand there is a limited right to use materials in the context of worship services only (if you are just singing a song), but if you record or broadcast the service, or use copyrighted material outside of worship, or charge admission or solicit donations for charity (making the church event seem more like a public concert), other requirements of copyright law apply. Use of pre-recorded music, or showing video clips during a sermon, or using overheads, also have their own issues. I don’t know all the ins-and-outs, but it is important for the worship leader or music director to understand that.
David Keller, Unless things have changed recently, most protestant churches need hymn books because their services always include congregational singing and even though their services may sometimes include a performance by a choir or professional musicians, their hymns are really meant to be sung by the congregation.
As for the internet, I would rather hear a few weak human voices sing a hymn with heartfelt devotion than listen to most of the unrecognizable hymns available on the internet.