Worst Hymn Texts

[idonthavetimeforthis]

"Farther Along" depresses me.

"I'll Fly Away" is shallow.

"I Want To Know More" has the line in the chorus, "I mean to go there someday somehow" that I don't really care for. I'm somehow going to go there...not exactly sure how, but somehow - that's how I take it. Maybe I'm wrong.


BUT for every hymn that falls a little short, praise God for all of the many others that lift up our Saviour in majestic praise!

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

Not to mention the fact that I used to know folks that would not sing it because they were SOUTHERN Baptists and not gonna sing any Yankee song.

Dixie is a hymn right? :thumbsup: I know my location says Ohio, but I'm Southern, by the grace of God! :smilewinkgrin:

 

[John of Wood Green]

I think John Keble did deny himself the road that daily leads us nearer God! As far as I'm concerned, you can keep virtually all the Oxford Movement stuff.

 

[Alcott]

"Farther Along" depresses me.

Romans and Galatians, among other NT books, must depress you too, then.

 

[David Lamb]

I think John Keble did deny himself the road that daily leads us nearer God! As far as I'm concerned, you can keep virtually all the Oxford Movement stuff.

Yes, John, that line from "New Every Morning is the Love" always puzzled me as a child. It was only when I saw the hymn in Grace Hymns that I realised what was really meant. There, the verse is punctuated like this:

The trivial round, the common task,
Will furnish all we ought to ask;
Room to deny ourselves - a road
To bring us daily nearer God.
​

Some other hymn words that I misunderstood as a child are from the hymn, "It is a thing most wonderful," where one line says that Jesus "chose a poor and humble lot." I thought that meant His first disciples; well, they were poor and humble, and at that young age, I hadn't come across the word "lot" to mean status or position in life.

Regarding hymns by people associated with the Oxford Movement, I find that some are sound in spite of the fact that the author was part of that movement. John Henry Newman's "Praise to the holiest in the height", and Christina Rosseti's "None other Lamb, none other Name", for instance.

 

[jaigner]

Romans and Galatians, among other NT books, must depress you too, then.

Yeah, but "Farther Along" is a sentimental text devoid of any real theology or indication of God's transcendence.

"Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine....."

Boo.

"I'll Fly Away" is even worse.

 

[Alcott]

Yeah, but "Farther Along" is a sentimental text devoid of any real theology or indication of God's transcendence.
"Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine....."
Boo.

It ain't too bad all the time .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_lCNG6gy4

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I propose the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" as having the worst text. It might be a good Jewish text but not Christian.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

Romans and Galatians, among other NT books, must depress you too, then.

No not at all.


Farther Along

"Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.

Refrain:
Farther along we’ll know more about it,
Farther along we’ll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.

Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
When there are many living in comfort,
Giving no heed to all I can do.

Tempted and tried, how often we question
Why we must suffer year after year,
Being accused by those of our loved ones,
E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear.

Often when death has taken our loved ones,
Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living so wicked year after year.

“Faithful till death,” saith our loving Master;
Short is our time to labor and wait;
Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
When we shall pass the heavenly gate.

Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior,
Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
Then we will meet those gone on before us,
Then we shall know and understand why."

 

[nodak]

Farther Along was one my dad's favorites, if not his all time favorite.

It is one of mine also.

He lived through horrendous poverty during the depression, through the Pacific Theater fighting in WW2, relocated his family hundreds of miles from "home" to make a living at a time when travel was much tougher and communications nearly nil, overcame ptsd before we had a name or treatment for it, and managed to do a wonderful job as husband, dad, employee, and later on church member.

And he always told us that when we get to glory we will see the tough times were when we were making deposits in our heavenly rewards. We will see them as the best times.

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

Farther Along was one my dad's favorites, if not his all time favorite.

It is one of mine also.

He lived through horrendous poverty during the depression, through the Pacific Theater fighting in WW2, relocated his family hundreds of miles from "home" to make a living at a time when travel was much tougher and communications nearly nil, overcame ptsd before we had a name or treatment for it, and managed to do a wonderful job as husband, dad, employee, and later on church member.

And he always told us that when we get to glory we will see the tough times were when we were making deposits in our heavenly rewards. We will see them as the best times.

Glad the song meant so much to you & your dad.

 

[John of Wood Green]

Yes, John, that line from "New Every Morning is the Love" always puzzled me as a child. It was only when I saw the hymn in Grace Hymns that I realised what was really meant. There, the verse is punctuated like this:

The trivial round, the common task,
Will furnish all we ought to ask;
Room to deny ourselves - a road
To bring us daily nearer God.
​

Some other hymn words that I misunderstood as a child are from the hymn, "It is a thing most wonderful," where one line says that Jesus "chose a poor and humble lot." I thought that meant His first disciples; well, they were poor and humble, and at that young age, I hadn't come across the word "lot" to mean status or position in life.

Regarding hymns by people associated with the Oxford Movement, I find that some are sound in spite of the fact that the author was part of that movement. John Henry Newman's "Praise to the holiest in the height", and Christina Rosseti's "None other Lamb, none other Name", for instance.

David, do you really think that room to deny ourselves is something that we ought to ask (let alone all we ought to ask), rather than "Lead us not into temptation"? This Oxford Movement stuff is all about self-improvement and with his forgiveness we can do better, rather than reckoning ourselves to have died with Him, etc. I wasn't labouring under a misapprehension of what Keble wrote.

You mentioned "Praise to the holiest in the height". Doesn't it contain "Should teach his brethren and inspire to suffer and to die"? but those who are Christ's have died already, haven't they? But that's soundness itself compared with other things Newman wrote in that poem. Let me list a few:
"Above him now the angry sky, Around the tempest's din; Who once had Angels for his friends, Had but the brutes for kin" - What contact had Adam with holy angels?
About man, "A double debt he has to pay— The forfeit of his sins: The chill of death is past, and now The penance-fire begins" -Is that all unsaved man has to put up with?
"For, even in his best estate, With amplest gifts endued, A sorry sentinel was he, A being of flesh and blood. As though a thing, who for his help Must needs possess a wife, Could cope with those proud rebel hosts Who had angelic life." - The man was not deceived, but was with her in the transgression. And last, but not least, almost at the start of the poem:
"This chill at heart, this dampness on my brow,— (Jesu, have mercy! Mary, pray for me!)". Good hymn? I don't think so.

Christina Rossetti is something different. She was surrounded by bad influence, e.g, her immoral brother became a Roman Catholic. In contrast, she turned down an attractive opportunity to marry, when her fiancé became a Roman Catholic. Her worst faux-pas in that direction was probably to refer to the Virgin being present at the cross (a natural mistake for someone to make, who recites "born of the Virgin Mary", rather than "born of a virgin, Mary", which the Creed should have said). She probably didn't stray much into Oxford Movement Territory from her father's Old High Church position. I must admit, I hadn't considered her part of the Oxford Movement.

Probably the most painful abiguity in hymns comes from the phrase "He only".

Incidentally, you shouldn't have let Baptist Believer get away with there is no "may" to a Calvinist; "all may" together with "some shall" could be common ground for the Calvinist, Amyraldian, and Arminius himself. Only "all can" is exclusive to the "Arminian" (and Pelagian).

Those two tacked on as a last page in Grace Hymns: Are you going to give them a mention in "Songs and Hymns with Good Theology" or shall I?

 

[David Lamb]

David, do you really think that room to deny ourselves is something that we ought to ask (let alone all we ought to ask), rather than "Lead us not into temptation"? This Oxford Movement stuff is all about self-improvement and with his forgiveness we can do better, rather than reckoning ourselves to have died with Him, etc. I wasn't labouring under a misapprehension of what Keble wrote.

[snip]
Probably the most painful abiguity in hymns comes from the phrase "He only".

Incidentally, you shouldn't have let Baptist Believer get away with there is no "may" to a Calvinist; "all may" together with "some shall" could be common ground for the Calvinist, Amyraldian, and Arminius himself. Only "all can" is exclusive to the "Arminian" (and Pelagian).

Those two tacked on as a last page in Grace Hymns: Are you going to give them a mention in "Songs and Hymns with Good Theology" or shall I?

John, it is obvious that you are far morer knowledgable in this field than I, and I think I "jumped in" with my reply without giving sufficient thought to the matter.

I so agree with what you say about "He only". "He only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in" makes it sound as if the meaning was, "Jesus can't do anything else but unlock and let in." Perhaps it should say: "He, only He, could loose the gate...."?

I imagine that by "Those two tacked on as a last page in Grace Hymns" you mean "O how the Grace of God Amazes me" and "Great is the Gospel of our Glorious God". I quoted the first in full in another thread here and referred to the second here. I certainly think that both are very good theologically. (Incidentally, I think you must have one of the earlier editions of Grace Hymns, which had those two hymns tacked on as a supplement. Later editions have them as an integral part of the book, numbered 849 and 850.

 

[Gina B]

Farther Along was one my dad's favorites, if not his all time favorite.

It is one of mine also.

He lived through horrendous poverty during the depression, through the Pacific Theater fighting in WW2, relocated his family hundreds of miles from "home" to make a living at a time when travel was much tougher and communications nearly nil, overcame ptsd before we had a name or treatment for it, and managed to do a wonderful job as husband, dad, employee, and later on church member.

And he always told us that when we get to glory we will see the tough times were when we were making deposits in our heavenly rewards. We will see them as the best times.

Those are great memories and your words serve to remind me of how unique each of us can be in our relationship with Christ. What might deeply touch the soul of one person and be sung with fervent praise may sail right over the next person's head and they'll never notice.

The song "Further Along" is the first solo my choir director (where I lived at that time) asked me to do. It really meant nothing to me. In fact, it made me laugh and I was afraid I'd never be able to stand there facing people who lost loved ones, were dying of cancer, and sing something that, to me, sounded like a lame attempt to tell people not to worry because they'll never understand it anyhow until they're dead.

It's been about ten years and it's only been in the last year that I "get it." The ministering behind it, the assurance that what seems like random chance hit and misses is something we'll not have to wonder about forever...our vision is clouded but one day will be crystal clear and we'll understand.

I'd still change that one line from "cheer up" to "fear not" instead though. :saint:

 

[mandym]

Any three to seven words that get repeated more than twice for no apparent reason.

 

[John of Wood Green]

I so agree with what you say about "He only". "He only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in" makes it sound as if the meaning was, "Jesus can't do anything else but unlock and let in." Perhaps it should say: "He, only He, could loose the gate...."?

David, thanks for that - I think you've solved a problem that must have plagued every conscientious and judicious compiler of hymns since Mrs Alexander penned this hymn. I don't know when the next soound hymnbook is coming out - I think even the Neil Pfeiffer - John Thackway, etc. collection is now set in stone. Maybe Dr Peter Masters's group are still open to suggestions?
The other instance of "He only" I know of, I think we can live with, as it adds a gently humorous touch of irony to what is otherwise a very serious hymn: "He only is the maker Of all things near and far".
"God whose farm is all creation" is probably good poetry (I'm no judge - I only dimly appreciate why The Great McGonagal's poetry is deemed to be so bad, and am not that keen on "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day", because I can't make absolute sense out of it), but I think the biblical text that should be attached to it is Genesis4v3 - I think that hymn is the epitome.

 

[John of Wood Green]

Only a few hours, and it's already too late to alter "soound" to "sound". Or "McGonagal" to "McGonagall".

 

[Alcott]

Any three to seven words that get repeated more than twice for no apparent reason.

You mean like the one that has "No turning back" 6 times?

 

[Jkdbuck76]

This train wreck was in the train wreck collection: Baptist Hymnal (1975 ed.).

God of Earth and Outer Space
God of earth and outer space, God of love and God of grace, Bless the astronauts who fly. As they soar beyond the sky. God who flung the stars in space, God who set the sun ablaze, Fling the spacecraft thro the air, Let man know your presence there.

God of atmosphere and air, God of life and planets bare, Use man’s courage and his skill As he seeks your holy will. God of depth and God of height, God of darkness, God of light, As man walks in outer space, Teach him how to walk in grace.
God of man’s exploring mind, God of wisdom, God of time, Launch us from complacency To a world in need of thee. God of power, God of might, God of rockets firing bright. Hearts ignite and thrust within, Love for Christ to share with men.

God of earth and outer space, God who guides the human race, Guide the lives of seeking youth In their search for heavnly truth. God who reigns below, above, God of universal love, Love that gave Nativity, Love that gave us Calvary.

That noise you hear is me gagging...

I think if George Lucas created a Jar Jar Binks musical number and re-inserted it into the Phantom Menace, it couldn't be worse than this. Srry, kids.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Last week in chapel a hymn was sung. The last line jumped out at me ... I was really surprised.

The line reads:

Lord, have you way with me.

I wondered if the writer of the hymn or the leader of chapel that morning, a young woman, knew how sexually charged this phrase, "have your way with me", is in literature.