I don't know about you but I listen to a lot of hymns. We used to sing them at church when I was kid and the further modern churches have gotten from singing them, the more they lost me as even an attendee, never mind an active member. I particularly enjoy watching the Bill Gaither videos. The ones put out before 2015 are the best ones but some of the newer ones are pretty good as well, but regardless of when they were produced, the reason I like to listen to them is because of the hymns and, more specifically, the lyrics to those hymns. The biggest problem, in my view, with the Gaither productions is that they pretty much never sing all of the verses.
I recently started looking more closely at the lyrics of many of the most popular hymns because it struck me how almost universal they all are. Churches will fight over the most mundane details of various doctrines and practices but there seems to be a near unanimous love for these hymns. When I started looking more critically at the lyrics, I noticed how many of the hymns have phrases that can be taken to mean more than one thing and how easy it would be to read Calvinism into them or to not do that. Of course many of them have overtly Calvinist doctrine that anyone would have a hard time overlooking, but even then, it usually isn't so intrusive that virtually everyone could sing the song and not be overly put off by it.
At any rate, I thought it might be interesting to have a thread where we could discuss the lyrics to some of our favorite hymns.
To that end, I feel like you pretty much have to start such a discussion with what has to be the most popular hymn in all of Christianity, Amazing Grace....
Verse 7 is printed in blue because it is not part of John Newton's original song. It was added later, likely by an anonymous author. The stanza first appeared in print in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, where it was included in a version of the song sung by the character Uncle Tom.
Verse 1 of this hymn is a terrific example of what I was talking about above, where you can either read Calvinism into the verse or not. Verses 2 is a bit more overtly Calvinistic but not so much so that it makes anyone avoid singing the song and the rest of the hymn seems to communicate truths that are untouched, at least directly, by most any of the doctrines that Christians fight over.
I recently started looking more closely at the lyrics of many of the most popular hymns because it struck me how almost universal they all are. Churches will fight over the most mundane details of various doctrines and practices but there seems to be a near unanimous love for these hymns. When I started looking more critically at the lyrics, I noticed how many of the hymns have phrases that can be taken to mean more than one thing and how easy it would be to read Calvinism into them or to not do that. Of course many of them have overtly Calvinist doctrine that anyone would have a hard time overlooking, but even then, it usually isn't so intrusive that virtually everyone could sing the song and not be overly put off by it.
At any rate, I thought it might be interesting to have a thread where we could discuss the lyrics to some of our favorite hymns.
To that end, I feel like you pretty much have to start such a discussion with what has to be the most popular hymn in all of Christianity, Amazing Grace....
1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
2 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
6 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.
7 When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Verse 7 is printed in blue because it is not part of John Newton's original song. It was added later, likely by an anonymous author. The stanza first appeared in print in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, where it was included in a version of the song sung by the character Uncle Tom.
Verse 1 of this hymn is a terrific example of what I was talking about above, where you can either read Calvinism into the verse or not. Verses 2 is a bit more overtly Calvinistic but not so much so that it makes anyone avoid singing the song and the rest of the hymn seems to communicate truths that are untouched, at least directly, by most any of the doctrines that Christians fight over.