Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about our hymnology and the things we sing about. Primarily about the hymns we sang in church when I was a young person, not a UMC. I probably started thinking about this because a friend posted a comment that we need to throw out the screens and contemporary music and start using the old hymnals. This friend is older than I am, lives in a small rural community, attends a dying church and is sure those hymnals are the answer to make their church thrive. I began to go over the hymns and think about the words; my friend had mentioned how those old hymns taught us theology. As I reflected, I realized many of them did indeed teach us theology...both good and bad. I have realized two main areas in which they taught us bad theology. The first is they taught us escapism. The hymn that I think of most in this is “Stepping on the Clouds.” The hymn points out that we are leaving and that that is a good thing – so much better than being here. Christopher Benek states it this way in his blog, “Escapism theology is the concept that humanity needs to get away from this mess we call Earth and go ‘home’ to heaven.” Escapism theology leads us to see the world as void of goodness and not worthy of engagement. It calls us to separate ourselves and wait for Jesus to come get us and take us away. It leads us to ignore the needs around us and trash the earth because we ultimately do not need it. Escapism is killing the institutional church. Benek tells us, “Much of the global church has so embraced Escapism Theology instead of being God’s agent of change and redemption in the world. The institutional church in many instances has retreated from engaging culture only to become a failed coping mechanism for people. Veiled in poor theology, much of the church has simply become an isolationist way for people to flee the harsh realities of the world while waiting to cash in their Jesus-ticket to heaven.” If we fail to engage the culture, we give up the right to speak and share the Gospel we have heard and believe with the masses of people who have never heard it and have no idea, at least not a correct idea, of what it means to them and their lives.
Now, there is a place called heaven but we should not be dying to go there so quickly that we miss the greater gospel message of love for others, offering the gospel, being stewards of the earth, and caring about changing the world in which we live. Escapism is killing the institutional church due to a lack of desire to change a world that will no longer exist. This concept ignores John’s statement of a New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. (Revelation 21). It ignores the call of God to care for the earth and to share the message of Grace. It amazes me how “we can be so heavenly minded we are no earthly good.” (Johnny Cash) We have to learn to move beyond some of the ideas we have learned and developed in order to change the world not to be a “woe is me Christian” who thinks the secular culture will overcome the church; it has not and it will not.
The second bad theology is calling people to come to the church. This one is the cause of so much misunderstanding of church. We can invite people to be a part of the church, to come to an institutional church, or to be church, but we cannot invite people to come to church. As the hymn “We are the Church” tells us, “The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people.” We cannot go to church but we can be church. The church is the body of Christ alive, moving, and serving in the hearts and lives of believers. But we often confuse the sanctuary (a place of worship) with the church. This lets too many people off the hook. They say the church should do something about it. Well, yes, the church should, so get busy and do it because you are the church. Hymns such as “The Church in the Wildwood” ask us to come to the church in the wildwood, not to worship in the wild wood. It is teaching us that the church is one organized body – responsible as a group – that provides cover for what we do not want to do. It is sad there are people who feel this way and have not accepted the responsibility, the authority, or the blessing to and of being the church.
Now the old hymns aren’t the only music that has bad theology. As with all things, bad theology is scattered all over the place so there are contemporary praise songs that are just as bad. We just need to be aware of what we are singing and thankfully our UM hymnal is more balanced than some. It does not contain as many of the escapist songs, but many of us have sung them or heard then in other places we have worshipped and have been influenced by them.
The point is this: just because hymns are old does not make them better, they can still teach us bad theology. Likewise, just because praise songs are new, that does not make them better. John Wesley would tell us to use what draws people to come to worship and to go into the world and find out what that something is that draws them. We are going to be a part of heaven someday (whatever it looks like and wherever it is) if we have given our hearts to Christ, so we should not be in a hurry to get there. We also need to learn to be the church in the world until that time comes. We are called to be disciples, followers who learn and serve. It’s all about being who Christ calls us to be and offering our lives to Him each day in obedience to his call to be salt and light to the world.
I love serving here with you and look forward to the future as we venture out into the world with a message that changes hearts and lives and changes the world.
Blessings
Wayne Cook
Now, there is a place called heaven but we should not be dying to go there so quickly that we miss the greater gospel message of love for others, offering the gospel, being stewards of the earth, and caring about changing the world in which we live. Escapism is killing the institutional church due to a lack of desire to change a world that will no longer exist. This concept ignores John’s statement of a New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. (Revelation 21). It ignores the call of God to care for the earth and to share the message of Grace. It amazes me how “we can be so heavenly minded we are no earthly good.” (Johnny Cash) We have to learn to move beyond some of the ideas we have learned and developed in order to change the world not to be a “woe is me Christian” who thinks the secular culture will overcome the church; it has not and it will not.
The second bad theology is calling people to come to the church. This one is the cause of so much misunderstanding of church. We can invite people to be a part of the church, to come to an institutional church, or to be church, but we cannot invite people to come to church. As the hymn “We are the Church” tells us, “The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people.” We cannot go to church but we can be church. The church is the body of Christ alive, moving, and serving in the hearts and lives of believers. But we often confuse the sanctuary (a place of worship) with the church. This lets too many people off the hook. They say the church should do something about it. Well, yes, the church should, so get busy and do it because you are the church. Hymns such as “The Church in the Wildwood” ask us to come to the church in the wildwood, not to worship in the wild wood. It is teaching us that the church is one organized body – responsible as a group – that provides cover for what we do not want to do. It is sad there are people who feel this way and have not accepted the responsibility, the authority, or the blessing to and of being the church.
Now the old hymns aren’t the only music that has bad theology. As with all things, bad theology is scattered all over the place so there are contemporary praise songs that are just as bad. We just need to be aware of what we are singing and thankfully our UM hymnal is more balanced than some. It does not contain as many of the escapist songs, but many of us have sung them or heard then in other places we have worshipped and have been influenced by them.
The point is this: just because hymns are old does not make them better, they can still teach us bad theology. Likewise, just because praise songs are new, that does not make them better. John Wesley would tell us to use what draws people to come to worship and to go into the world and find out what that something is that draws them. We are going to be a part of heaven someday (whatever it looks like and wherever it is) if we have given our hearts to Christ, so we should not be in a hurry to get there. We also need to learn to be the church in the world until that time comes. We are called to be disciples, followers who learn and serve. It’s all about being who Christ calls us to be and offering our lives to Him each day in obedience to his call to be salt and light to the world.
I love serving here with you and look forward to the future as we venture out into the world with a message that changes hearts and lives and changes the world.
Blessings
Wayne Cook
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