Truth and Glory: Worship Music

TRUTH and GLORY are what matters with worship songs/music. Is it true? Is Christ being magnified? Style and seasons are always secondary. They always have been. A piano and organ were shockingly new at one point in history. Some people act like the disciples held a hymnal in their hand. Others imagine a full rock band in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Each generation is tempted to idolize the songs and the styles of their upbringing. This need not be.


In the United States (a fairly new country compared to the rest of the world) many of the songs that we call "old hymns" are actually very recent. For example, Bernard's "The Old Rugged Cross" was written in 1912. Many in America call this an "old hymn". IN truth, it's not. This is very new when one considers how old the Christian faith is. There is a library of worship music spanning 2000 years. Truthfully, when considering the Psalms it goes back much, much farther.

Want to see an example of an actual old hymn?

Phos Hilaron (235 AD)
Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός,
οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ,
ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν,
ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Θεόν.
Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις,
Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς· διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.

Translated:
O Light gladsome of the holy glory of the Immortal Father,
the Heavenly, the Holy, the Blessed, O Jesus Christ,
having come upon the setting of the sun, having seen the light of the evening, we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: God.
Worthy it is at all times to praise Thee in joyful voices,
O Son of God, Giver of Life, for which the world glorifies Thee.

This is why I refuse to even enter the debate about "new" or "old" worship songs. All that matters to me is the following: IS IT TRUE? IS CHRIST MAGNIFIED? IS THE CHURCH EDIFIED? Is what is being sung true or false. I can comfortably worship in nearly any setting and style - as long as what is being sung is true.

May God move our hearts to embrace the entire library of truthful, Christ magnifying worship music.

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