Over the last year or so I have enjoyed rediscovering many of the hymns of my childhood. I've often been amazed at how whole verses have laid dormant in my memory, and are now having a chance to see the light of day again.
But first a confession. As one who played the piano in church for many years, I wasn't sad to see hymns give way to more and more choruses. I didn't find the hymns easy to play (and that was when I had good eyesight and could actually see the notes on the page) - even harder to sing - and the choruses were easier for someone with my skill level. And then being in a church where the congregation were free to ask for a song - any song - to be sung during the service - well, I, and many other musicians at the time, were glad to see the old hymns go.
I guess every generation thinks they make progress, but it's only looking back later you realise what you've lost. And in discarding the old hymns, we also discarded a whole lot of the doctrine they contained. We replaced solid truth with feel-good lyrics and, at times, questionable theology.
Which is why I've delighted in discovering so many of those old hymns again. As I reflect on the words of these loved hymns, I am often amazed at the depth of understanding that the songwriters had, and how, in just a few short sentences, they were able to capture the truth of Scripture.
One of my favourite hymns - even when I was going through my no-hymn phase - is The Church's One Foundation. Until this past week, I always believed that Samuel Wesley was the songwriter (and he is even listed as such in some hymnbooks I have discovered). But it turns out that Wesley only wrote the well-known melody (and, as I also learnt, was the illegitimate grandson of Charles Wesley - so not even the Samuel Wesley I had assumed was the writer).
The actual songwriter was a Rev Samuel Stone and he wrote the hymn in response to what he saw as heresy in the church at the time. Although I can't find my source now, I believe I read that the hymn was originally written with seven stanzas, and then another three were added. Nowadays, the stanzas below are the ones usually sung ... such powerful words, and such truth ... a reminder to be on our guard against heresy ... and an outline of the purpose of the Church through all generations.
1 The
Church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word.
From heav'n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
2 Elect
from ev'ry nation,
yet one o'er all the earth;
her charter of salvation:
one Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with ev'ry grace endued.
3 The Church
shall never perish.
Her dear Lord to defend,
to guide, sustain, and cherish,
is with her to the end.
Tho' there be those that hate her
and strive to see her fail,
against both foe and traitor
she ever shall prevail.
4 Tho' with
a scornful wonder
the world sees her oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping;
their cry goes up, "How long?"
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.
5 'Mid toil
and tribulation
and tumult of her war
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great Church victorious
shall be the Church at rest.
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