Sound Theology
In days long ago, most families owned at least two books - a Bible and a hymnal. Hymnals placed the theological truth taught in the ivory tower into the mouths of babes and infants, and hymnals shaped their hopes and expectations as adults. When we flip through the Table of Contents of any hymnal, the weight given to any given topic speaks to the fears and desires shaping a particular generation. Hymnals are a snapshot of our faith, but hymnals are passing away. Where we once sang soaring doxological songs such as “Amazing Grace,” today, what have we produced? What does that say of our theology?
We must not underestimate the power of music. When God wanted to impress truths upon Israel, He commissioned Moses to write a song (Deut. 31:19). When David wanted to express his deepest joys and gravest laments, he penned songs. When Paul wants the Word to abide in us richly, he doesn’t lay out a Bible memorization program; instead, he says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16) He says to sing! Church history replicates this same pattern. Be it the Reformation and Luther, the Great Awakening and Charles Wesley, the Scottish Revivals and Horatius Bonar, or our own current theological resurgence and the Gettys, our theological peaks have led to doxological peaks. What we believe most deeply, we sing most heartily.
Over the next several weeks, we will seek to understand first the history of hymns then what theology lies behind these hymns. You will be surprised at what you sing. Few of us have read Calvin’s Institutes, but we all sing his theology. None of us have immersed themselves in the Roman Catholic Bernard Clairveux or St. Francis, but their hymns continue in our Presbyterian worship. I may personally jest over our Methodist neighbors (whom I love), but I sing their hymns almost every week. Let’s take what is sound from our theology and make a joyous sound together.
