How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 4

Emerging from their own Reformation saga, the Anglican Church initially focused on Psalms and developed their own Psalters, much in the spirit of Jean Calvin’s musical reforms. While there are a few examples of hymns from the 16th and 17th centuries in England, in the early 1700s Isaac Watts steps into the fore and contributes well over 600 hymns. Disgruntled with only the emphasis on Psalm singing of the times, Watts promoted hymn singing to such a degree that many have called him the “Father of English Hymnody.” Since Watts preached and served in a non-conforming Congregational Church at the time, he was more free to experiment with the concept of hymn singing. 

Despite his initial reaction to Psalms, Watts never-the-less adapted many Psalms into hymns, such as “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” based on Psalm 90. He was also known for “Christianizing” Psalms by including a more overt Christian perspective into particular Psalms, and often boldly cast his hymns into the present tense. When I survey the wondrous Cross for instance forces the singer into the presence of Jesus on the cross. Other Watts favorites still in common use include: “Joy to the World,” “I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath,” “From all that Dwells Below the Skies,” I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” Alas, and did my Savior Bleed,” Am I a Soldier of the Cross,” “Come We that Love the Lord,” and many more. Watts’ emphasis on hymn singing paves the way for the hymn explosion fostered by the Wesley brothers’ Methodist movement.

How Can I Keep from Singing: Episode 3

Episode 3: Reformation Hymns

The Reformation arrives and congregational hymn singing bursts forth from a long hibernation. Not only did Martin Luther’s 95 thesis send shockwaves through the Catholic Church on doctrinal and theological matters, but eventually he and his followers ushered in some of the great hymns of the Church. Drawn from many musical sources, the Lutherans over time contributed such memorable hymns (or chorales as they called them) as: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” “Out of the Depths I Cry to You,” “Now Thank We All Our God,” “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” and many more.

On the heels of Martin Luther came John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland, who took a more Augustinian approach and approved of singing in a more limited fashion, specifically the Psalms. Creating metrical paraphrases of the Psalms combined with newly written tunes, Calvin both renewed and revolutionized Psalm singing in the era of the Reformation. So influential were these new “psalters” that nearly every reformation movement translated and adapted Calvin’s and musical psalter. 

The most iconic tune that originated with Calvin’s musicians and later manifested in England as “The Old Hundredth.” 

Over time, many more break-away movements contributed to a growing and robust Protestant hymnody.

How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 2

Episode 2: Biblical Songs & Ancient Hymns

The people of God are a singing people, and the Bible is replete with songs in both the Old and New Testaments. The early Christians drew on the Judaic heritage of music and worship, and grafted onto it principles of music and notation developed by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, contributing to a new body of hymns for the early Church.

We briefly mention Old Testament Songs, and then we move on to the Psalms, the hymnbook of the old testament if you will, designed to be sung.

There are numerous types of Psalms (laments, praise, prophetic and royal, thanksgiving, etc.), and we discuss the range of authentic emotion they display. 

We also briefly mention of New Testament Canticles – Mary (Magnificat), Angels (Gloria), Simeon (Nunc Dimittis), Zechariah (Benedictus).

Some Early Church hymns in our hymnal:

• O Gladsome Light (UMH 686)
• O Splendor of God’s Glory Bright (UMH 679)
• Of the Father’s Love Begotten (UMH 184)
• The Day of Resurrection (303)
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel (211)

How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 1

Episode #1: Why We Sing

“When religious texts are sung well, greater devotion is inspired: souls are moved…and with warmer devotion kindled to piety than if they are not so sung.” – Augustine

“It could not be otherwise but that Christianity be a singing faith. The Founder sang. He learned to sing from His Father. Surely they have been singing together from all eternity… When He speaks, galaxies come into being. And when He sings for joy, more energy is released than exists in all the matter and motion of the universe. If He appointed song for us to release our heart’s delight in Him, is this not because He also knows the joy of releasing His own heart’s delight in song? We are a singing people because we are children of a singing God.”

Why do we sing? How many of us could imagine worship without a substantial measure of music? What is it about singing that seems to resonate so powerfully with both our individual and corporate expressions of faith? Today, we dive into these questions and more, as we begin to learn the intrinsic nature of God’s gift of music to his people, and our return of that gift to him in the form of hymns and other congregational songs. 

• Why do we sing? 
• What is a hymn? 
• Why is it that some hymn texts have different or multiple melodies associated with them? 
• What is the role the music plays in the hymn and its meaning? 

Colossians 3:16 reminds us, "Let Christ’s word dwell in us richly!"

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: ALPHA & OMEGA

 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS (NAMES OF JESUS)

April 6

Alpha & Omega (Revelation 22:13)

Based on Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of Jesus

 

The Key Scripture

Revelation 22:13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” 

 

The Name

·      Alpha & Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. 

 

·      The title “Alpha and Omega” appears only 3 times in the Bible. All three are in the book of Revelation. 

·      These verses allude to passages in Isaiah where God identifies himself as being both the first and the last. (Isaiah 44:6, 48:12)

 

·      Jesus revealed Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

 

·      Jesus was present at the world’s beginning; Jesus will also be present at the world’s end, when He and His work are finally and fully revealed. 

 

·      When you pray to Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, you are praying to the One who is, who was, and who is to come. 

 

·      He is our all-sufficient Lord, who will not fail to complete the good work He has begun in us. 

 

Questions 

·      Can you imagine a human claiming to be the A to Z?

·      How does this title relate to Christ’s identity?

·      Think of how this title relates to Jesus’ role in both creation and in world history. What do you think that means?

·      How is Jesus first and last in your life? 

 

Reflections

·      If Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of the world’s painful but hopeful story, it is vital that we not only listen, but that we respond, letting Christ weave our own small stories into the greatest story ever told. 

 

·      Let us fix our eyes on Christ, who is God forever. He is the One who is, who was, and who will be. He is the One who banishes our fear because He holds the past, the present, and the future in His all-powerful hands. 

 

·      May He be the beginning and the end of everything we believe, everything we strive for, everything we trust in. May He be the first in our families, the first in our relationships, the first in our businesses, and the first in the days that lie ahead for us. Our lives are in the hands of the only One able to save us both now and forever. 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: NAMES OF JESUS - MESSIAH

 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS (NAMES OF JESUS)

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Christ/Messiah (Colossians 3:15, John 4:25-26)

Based on Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of Jesus

 

The Name

·      Did you ever think that “Christ” was just Jesus’ last name?

·      Like “Messiah”, “Christ” means “anointed one.” This means someone who has been set apart for a special mission. 

·      As Israel’s Messiah, He was the greatest of all kings, the one called and empowered to destroy God’s enemies, and extend His kingdom throughout the earth. 

·      Jesus’ mission was to put an end to our deepest troubles – to rebellion, sin, and death. 

·      His mission now is calling the world back to God through the power of His love. 

 

The Key Scripture – Acts 2:36

 

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

 

 

Understanding the Name

·      Oil was a staple of life in Biblical times. It served as a symbol of wealth & joy. An abundance of oil was evidence of God’s pleasure. Oil was also used for scared purposes – consecrating altars & vessels for worship – indicating they had been set apart for the Lord’s purposes. People could also be anointed. Samuel anointed David as king…

·      Oil became a symbol for the Holy Spirit, who imparts divine favor, power, & protection. 

·      The English word christen (“to anoint”) comes from the Greek verb chrio (“to anoint”).

·      The New Testament identifies Jesus as Christ, “The Anointed One”, 530 times. 

·      Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism. 

·      Jesus was the Messiah – called to heal the rift between God and his people. 

·      He avoided this title through much of His life. Right before His death, Jesus answered the high priest’s question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One” with the startling confession, “I Am.”  

 

Questions 

·      What does it mean to say that Jesus was anointed or set apart for God’s service? 

·      Why does Acts 2 speak for the need of repentance and being baptized in the name of Christ?

·      What do you think it means for believers to be anointed or set apart for Christ’s service?

·      What do you think it means to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

 

 

Take Aways

·      Christ was willing to suffer…for us. Because of Him, we can endure difficulty. 

·      Christ promises us eternal life…if we believe. 

Let us turn over our tendency to rely on our own strength, and depend on His power.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: NAMES OF JESUS - CORNERSTONE

 

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS (NAMES OF JESUS)

March 2

Cornerstone/Capstone (Psalm 118:22)

Based on Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of Jesus

 

 

The Name

·      Stones were used for building altars, homes, palaces, and temples

·      The cornerstones held two rows of stones together in a corner: one that stabilized the structure at the foundation; one that formed the keystone over an arch or at the top of a roof. 

·      The cornerstone had to be perfectly fitted for the task, both strong & well-shaped

·      A flawed stone would compromise the structure’s integrity. 

·      Jesus is the Cornerstone to which we are joined as living stones. 

o   Together we form a spiritual house in which God dwells. 

·      Jesus is the foundation stone on which God is building His kingdom; Jesus is strong enough to hold everything together. 

·      When we pray to Jesus as the Cornerstone, we are praying to the One on whom we can base our lives. 

 

 

Understanding the Name

·      Psalm 118:22 says, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

·      Jesus quoted this scripture in Luke 20:17: 

 

The Key Scripture – Luke 20:17

Jesus looked directly at them & asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.’?”

 

·      When Jesus said this, He was pointing to His rejection by the Jewish nation and its leaders. Despite their rejection, God’s purposes could not be thwarted. 

·      The Master Builder (God) would make Jesus, through His death and resurrection, the cornerstone on which He would build. 

·      The NT portrays the whole community of believers as a holy temple in which God dwells. 

·      To those who reject Jesus and his saving message, He will not be a cornerstone, but a stone of stumbling, because rejection of God’s chosen one inevitably brings judgment. 

 

Questions 

·       Read Luke 20:9-19. Why do you think Jesus’ comments about “the stone the builders rejected” immediately follows the parable of the vineyard?

·       What do you think it means to build your life on Jesus as the Cornerstone?

·       What does it mean that Jesus is a stone that people will fall on?

 

Take Aways

·      Read Romans 9:30-32. God did not give up on us. Jesus’ plans and purposes endure forever. 

·      Jesus dwells within us; He is a refuge for us. We must throw away our patterns for self-reliance, and rely fully on God. 

·      Sing the old hymn, “How Firm a Foundation”.