Thanks to everyone who left a comment on my last post, making you eligible to receive one of the five copies of Love Divine: The Songs of Charles Wesley for Today’s Generation..
The random number generator (guided by God’s hand, of course) picked the following names. I also included who they listed as one of their favorite hymnwriters:
Jeff Uriarte (Isaac Watts)
Mike (Fanny Crosby)
Brian (Martin Luther)
Michael G. (Fanny Crosby & Isaac Watts)
Jeff Scott (Horatio Spafford)
You’ll be contacted by email to get your mailing address.
And here’s one of my favorite lyrics from this album, written of course, by Charles Wesley:
Jesus, the name high over all,
In hell, or earth, or sky:
Angels and men before it fall,
And devils fear and fly.
Jesus, the name to sinners dear,
The name to sinners giv’n;
It scatters all their guilty fear,
It brings them peace of heav’n.
Jesus the prisoner’s fetters breaks,
And bruises Satan’s head;
Pow’r into strengthless souls He speaks,
And life into the dead.
Oh, that the world might taste and see,
The riches of His grace!
The arms of love that compass me,
Would all mankind embrace.
Him as my righteousness I show,
His saving truth proclaim:
‘Tis all my business here below,
To cry, Behold the Lamb!
Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His name:
Preach Him to all, and cry in death,
“Behold, behold the Lamb!”
By the way, if you’re wondering how a guy like me who’s essentially Reformed in his theology can so appreciate Arminians like John and Charles Wesley, read this post.
I think we can do a lot better with our worship music than using song tunes that are so tainted in the pop culture. We have so much else from which to choose. Better yet, let’s write a new tune and a sing a new song to the Lord.
I agree with Plumbing!
I had hopes for this release but after previewing it on iTunes it sounds like everything else. I’m ssssooo bored with worship music today. It all sounds the same.
Dave, I find the strength of this album to be the melodies. They can be sung in multiple styles – a cappella, folk, alternative, rock, traditional, etc. Don’t let the skin keep you from appreciating the core.
Bob, have you ever read “The Hymns Of Wesley & Watts” by Bernard Manning? Essentially, it’s five of Manning’s papers on these two hymnists, published as a book. I think you’d enjoy it.
Bobby, it’s sitting on my shelf. I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Hey Bob,
Haven’t checked out this album yet but I have an ethical question given a quote from John Wesley.
Here is the quote which I found on NetHymnal.
In the preface to the 1779 Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists, his brother John wrote:
“I beg leave to mention a thought which has been long upon my mind, and which I should long ago have inserted in the public papers, had I not been unwilling to stir up a nest of hornets. Many gentlemen have done my brother and me (though without naming us) the honour to reprint many of our hymns. Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they print them just as they are. But I desire they would not attempt to mend them, for they are really not able. None of them is able to mend either the sense or the verse. Therefore, I must beg of them these two favours: either to let them stand just as they are, to take things for better or worse, or to add the true reading in the margin, or at the bottom of the page, that we may no longer be accountable either for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men.”
Does “mending” the hymn include rewriting the melody and harmony…basically writing new music? If it does, should we rewrite a Wesley Hymn given his request? Just some questions that I have been thinking about…
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
gerry
Gerry, thanks for asking. John was referring to the lyrics of the hymns he and Charles wrote. At that time it was common to change the lyrics of a hymn without telling or asking the original composer. Copyright laws today have somewhat put a damper on that practice, although it still goes on.
Musically, a number of the tunes we use for Wesley hymns aren’t the original ones. So if it’s an issue then it’s one that history has to answer for. But I see no problem in attaching new melodies to hymns as that’s the way many, if not most of them, came to be associated with one tune.
Hi Bob,
the CD i won has arrived here in the Philippines. Prior to the sending, I asked Chelsea if you could include some books, especially ESV Study Bible. Unfortunately, Chelsea could not do it. If you can connect me to some people you know who finds joy in sharing gospel-centered resources for pastors here in the Philippines. Thank you.
I like the music.
Plumbing said, “[…] than using song tunes that are so tainted in the pop culture.”
This is not the place for a huge discussion, but I wanted to mention two things. I’ll keep it concise, but anyone reading, please don’t interpret the conciseness as being short or cross. :)
The first thing: calling a tune, song, or style “tainted by the world” is difficult to define and defend. All music pretty much has come “out of the world” and has been or still is used for many purposes… good and bad.
The second thing: in my opinion, observation, and thinking, congregational/”worship” music is going to always be styled after popular music… or, the more traditional term we might use would be “folk music.” There’s good reason for this; if it was not what the culture (read: church membership) is used to hearing and even singing with, then it is rather difficult for them to participate on Sunday.
I would say these songs *are* new songs, and are, in fact, new songs unto the Lord. I doubt the Psalmist was saying, when he said to “sing a new song,” that these “new songs” had to sound remarkably different from whatever the cultural norm for songs were back a couple thousand years ago. :)
Just picked this up because of your recommendation. Love it! Thanks for the pick. Enjoyed learning much as the last worshipGod conference, too. Also, kudos for going with a “Wesley” recommendation (I know you are a Reformed minister). The body of Christ is broad and we can glean much from across the spectrum.
There has always been the difficult line from the verse in “And Can it Be” though – “emptied himself of all but love.” It seems to be an inaccurate understanding of the kenosis of Phil. 2:5-8 passage of what Christ “emptied himself” of. Anyway, a minor point, perhaps, but worth keeping our theological filters on, even with some of the great hymns.
Love some of the new settings on this album, and rediscovery of some greats like “Jesus, Lover Of My Soul” and “Rejoice the Lord is King.” Will definitely use some in our church’s worship response.
That link on Calvinists & Wesley was one of the more encouraging things I’ve read online. Thanks for posting it.