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| Horatius Bonar (1808 – 1889) |
When I found my heart growing cold – or even drifting a bit – I had a couple of default spiritual practices which coaxed confession from me. One was to read the book of Hebrews aloud, all in one go. The other was to head for my hymnbook and sing #434 and #450, one after the other, to myself. Same author (Horatius Bonar). Same meter, with a simple tune, and so even a non-musician like me could manage it. Then, every now and then I’d slip one of these hymns into public worship. The two of them became like precious friends.
I have sung neither of these hymns publically in the intervening twenty-seven years. Baptists in New Zealand aren’t great at public confession and so it is not that surprising. Nor are we that flash at singing anything before our own time (NB: CS Lewis called this chronological snobbery, by the way – it sounds bad and it is bad) and so the chances of either of them appearing in public worship were somewhere between nil and zero.
So imagine my surprise and joy when I walked into St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Hollywood (Florida) last Sunday – and saw the first hymn?! Yes, for sookie me the eyes moistened as I lapped up every phrase (sung to a newer Aaron Keyes 2009 arrangement). It was like embracing an ol’ friend after a long absence.
Barby and I found a simple version on youtube this morning, with only 12 views (!) when we watched and listened. Here it is:
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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Can you help me understand the antipathy towards hymns that I regularly find in the NZ church? Is it simply chronological snoberry, anti-colonial, desiring just a 'shallow-end' experience or something more? I love hymns, ancient & modern, as much as I do new songs, but find the diet here to be unbalanced. I find it sad & troubling.
It is 'sad and troubling' – and unwise. I am not sure I have too much to add to your inferences here, Ben. Over the years, at assemblies and pastors' gatherings etc, I have noticed this fear of being discovered to be out-of-step with the latest trends and missing out on the latest wave sweeping the country. It is a kind of insecurity that may be fed partly by the pragmatism in church life. The 'new thing' becomes SO important … and I think music/worship gets caught up a bit in this reality. Plus a lot of the active churches in NZ are not at ease with Confessions and Creeds which can anchor the soul in the past in a helpful way.
One other reflection would be whether the under-30s show the same hesitancy (as our generations) with what can be valued and utilised from the past. They seem much more open.
But it is three years since I lived in NZ – and so what do I know, really?!
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3 years? Wow, time flies. But I'm not sure you're THAT disconnected so soon! I think, unfortunately, I have seen much of the same hesitancy about the past from the under 30s – however, the (delightful) exception to this is when they learn to love God's Word & want to savour it & see it 'front & centre' (to quote you).
I think the desire to be up with the latest trends misses out something significant about those who have gone before & all we can learn, feed on & benefit from their experience. Confessional/credal angst is definitely something at play too.
Still, we can be champions of the cause! Keep up the good work!
Hymns and choruses, confessions and creeds … well said, gentlemen. I know I sound like a broken record in the environment I'm in.
Anyway, thank you both for verbalising the frustrations of more than a few of us. Indeed, an unbalanced diet is putting it nicely.