Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (686)

Transcription

1 First and Last Name # Religion Music Comparison Paper Due Date Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (686) Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. The main focus of this hymn is the grace that we received from God through Christ. The three stanzas focus on three different areas of grace, all of which are grace given undeservedly to us by God. I will discuss each stanza in regard to this message of God s grace, characterizing each into a doctrinal topic. The first stanza is clearly our response due to the blessings that God bestows on us. In my opinion, it seems as if this stanza serves as a metaphor comparing singing with the sanctified life of one receiving God s gifts. According to this song, in response to God s blessings we are moved to praise him, and give thanks for what he has done. This can be done through glorious singing, melodious sonnet, or songs of loudest praise, as this song depicts, but it doesn t have to be in this form. Often we give glory to God, not by our words, but through our acts of love for our neighbor.

2 The second stanza observes that we were strangers when Jesus sought us. Also, take note that the words are phrased in such a way, that it is obvious that we are the receivers of the action. Jesus is the one that sought us, even while we were strangers. He lavishes on us his grace even when we didn t want it. He did this by being a propitiator for our sins through the shedding of his precious blood. The last stanza is another one of thankfulness for this undeserved grace. We are eternally indebted to Christ, because we deserved nothing that Jesus has done for us, and actually deserve the complete opposite. This is because, we are sinful beings, enslaved to sin, and pare prone to wander away from God s will. The song ends with a petition to seal our hearts for heaven. This is the purpose for which Christ came, to save our souls from eternal damnation and enable us to enjoy eternal salvation with the Triune God in Heaven. This hymn focuses on the person of Jesus more so than the other two persons of the Trinity, and in all actuality does not mention the other two persons. This hymn is placed in the Sanctification section of the Lutheran Service Book, which the work of sanctification is usually credited to the Holy Spirit. When a person sings this song, they are petitioning God for a more sanctified life in response to what Christ has done. This song is used to glorify God for the grace that He bestows on us. There are many undertones and smaller themes within this hymn. First, it acknowledges that Jesus is the Fount from whom all blessings flow. This is a reference to John 4 and 7 in which Jesus declares himself to be the source of living water. Through whom we receive salvation for after drinking it, we will never thirst again. In chapter seven, verse 38, we see that whoever believes in Him according to Scripture will have living water flowing from them. This correlates with the line: streams of mercy, never ceasing. Throughout the Book of Psalms, we

3 see a lyrical and musical response to God s goodness, and this response serves as the basis of the first stanza. Next, we hear a reference to Ebenezer in stanza two. The Lutheran Service Book defines this as meaning: Thus far the Lord has helped us. This is a reference to 1 Samuel 7:12. This recollects back to the first stanza in which we recognize that to this point, everything we have is because of God s grace. We are called strangers of God, and while we were still strangers, he sought us, and he gave himself up for us. This hearkens me back to Romans 5:8, While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This stanza also includes the imagery often included throughout the Old and New Testaments, that being sheep and their shepherd. We often wander away from Him as sheep do with their shepherd, yet he rescues us from all danger. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for his sheep (John 10). In the third stanza, we see a great allusion to Romans 6. We are no longer slaves to sin, for Christ has set us free, rather we are now slaves of God (Romans 6:22). Finally, the hymn writer does not leave us without the hope that there is something more than this world, and Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, or in the words of the song Here s my heart seal it for thy courts above. Now that Christ has claimed us as his own, and he has our hearts in faith, he will prepare a place for us in His Father s house (John 14:2). This section of the song also seems to be referencing Philippians 3:7-14. We strive ahead for what Christ has already taken hold of us, and I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. We have a heavenward call because of what Jesus has done for us. This hymn is very much biblically based, the hymnal also cites 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Ephesians 1:13-14 as biblical context for this song. Although this is under the heading of

4 sanctification, it is also very rich in the Gospel by which we know that even though we didn t deserve Christ, he still came and lavished us with grace upon grace. By Grace I m Saved (566) By grace I m saved, grace free and boundless; My soul, believe and doubt it not. Why stagger at this word of promise? Has Scripture ever falsehood taught? No; then this word must true remain; By grace you too will life obtain. By grace! None dare lay claim to merit; Our works and conduct have no worth. God in His love sent our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth; His death did for our sins atone, And we are saved by grace alone. By grace God s Son, our only Savior, Came down to earth to bear our sin. Was it because of your own merit That Jesus died your soul to win? No, it was grace, and grace alone, That brought him from his heavenly throne. By grace! This ground of faith is certain; As long as God is true, it stands. What saints have penned by inspiration, What in his word our God commands, Our faith in what our God has done Depends on grace - grace through his Son. By grace to timid hearts that tremble, In tribulation s furnace tried, By grace, in spite of fear and trouble, The Father s heart is open wide. Where could I help and strength secure If grace were not my anchor sure? By grace! On this I ll rest when dying; In Jesus promise I rejoice; For though I know my heart s condition, I also know my Savior s voice. My heart is glad, all grief has flown Since I am saved by grace alone. The main focus of this hymn is God s justifying grace. The first verse brings to question the validity of Scripture and since they say that Scripture has not lied thus far that we know that the Gospel is also true, and by grace we will obtain eternal life. This hymn is very much built on the doctrine of justification and the lack of worth in our own works. We see this especially in verses two and three. This grace gives us hope and this is seen especially in verse six. When a person is singing this song, they are proclaiming the heart of the Gospel message. They are depicting and telling others about God s saving grace. This grace is wholly atoning and justifying, not reliant on our own works, but solely upon the person and works of Jesus Christ.

5 The biblical foundations for this hymn are mostly found in Paul s epistles. The Lutheran Service Book points us to the following verses as a basis of the text: Ephesians 2:4-9, Titus 3:4-7, Romans 3:23-24, and Isaiah 64:6. One thing is repeatedly made clear throughout this hymn: that saving grace is found in Jesus Christ, and not our own works. Looking at Ephesians 2, we see Paul s thorough exposition of what Christians label the doctrine of justification. This hymn drives home the point that it is not by our own works that we are saved, but by the grace of God. Lutherans will often quote Ephesians 2:8-9 when discussing the topic of justification, but this song includes some of the context of this passage in Ephesians. Drawing back to verse four, we see the reasoning why God grants us his grace. That is, his great love and mercy. Even when we were dead in our sin, God died for us. The reception of God s grace doesn t depend on us, for we receive God s grace through faith. And this faith is reliant on God, not ourselves. Stanza three claims that as long as God is true our faith is reliable and steadfast. This is a good thing, because as verse five states, our hearts tremble and we face many tribulations. We may not always live sanctified lives, but our salvation is not determined by our own works, but by God s grace. Ephesians is not the only place that we find this picture of justification, but we see very similar arguments for our salvation by grace and not works in Titus 3 and Romans 3. As I mentioned, this grace gives us hope, and stanza six ends the hymn with a message of hope that derives from God s grace. We can rejoice that even though we are sinners (our heart s condition), our eternal life is determined by Jesus promise. So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7). Here, we see that because of this undeserved grace, God has made us heirs to his kingdom, and we can rejoice, because we have the hope of eternal life. The last two lines of the fourth stanza parallel Romans

6 3:24, [all] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Our faith is in what God has done, and depends on the redemption that is found in the Son. This hymn is very Christocentric, because we often characterize Jesus as the one responsible for our redemption. However, this hymn also mentions the Father. In the fifth stanza, we are reminded that God s love for us is unconditional. He gave up his one and only Son for us, this act of grace we are saved. It is interesting to note that it doesn t mention the Holy Spirit by name, even though the Spirit is discussed in the passages from which this hymn s theology is drawn. In Christ Alone (Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, 2001) In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless Babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save Til on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live, I live There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin s curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From a life s first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Could ever pluck me from His hand Til He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I stand I will stand, I will stand All other ground is sinking sand All other ground, all other ground Is sinking sand, is sinking sand So I stand The main focus of this song is definitely Christ. The song describes His love for us, His incarnation, His suffering and death, His burial, His resurrection, and then our hope that we have

7 because of what Christ has done. This song is very Christocentric, and I would even go as far as saying that it parallels the second article of the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. When a person sings this song, they are proclaiming what Christ has done for them, and it serves as a statement of what they confess. When someone sings this song, they are telling others what Christ has done for them, and where their faith lies. The biblical foundations for this song are clear. In the first stanza, we are reminded of whom our faith rests. Christ is our cornerstone (Psalm 118, Matthew 21, Mark 12, Luke 20, Acts 4, Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter 2). We are also reminded of Psalm 118, Psalm 27, and Exodus 15 when the song writer uses the phrase He is my light, my strength, my song. On Christ, our faith is built and He is our hope. In the second stanza, we see the wonderful expanses of Christ s love for us. God s love surpasses all of human understanding (Ephesians 3:18-19). Calling God My Comforter is not a new idea either. This name for God can be found in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 8:18. The next few stanzas have several biblical references, and that makes sense, because of its content, for it discusses much of the Christian Church s doctrines through the Gospel news of Christ. I will draw your attention to the first line of the third stanza In Christ alone, who took on flesh this is not only a biblical foundation of this song but for all of Christianity. The humanity of Jesus is not something that can be overlooked. This phrase in particular mirrors that of St. John s in the first chapter of his gospel. The next stanza speaks of our atonement and justification that we obtained through Christ s crucifixion. Yet this is not where the song ends, but it continues with his resurrection. Jesus conquered the grave for us! Since we have been made sons into God s family, we can

8 attain to Christ s resurrection of the dead, and this salvation is only through Christ s precious blood. I would suggest looking at the correlations between this stanza and Philippians 3:7-11. This song is very much written under the influence of a Christus Victor perspective of viewing Christ, seeing Christ as our conqueror against, the world, and our sinful nature, and that is particularly evident in stanza six. In the next verse, I believe that the song writer is referencing Paul s battle that he had with himself in Philippians 1. No guilt in life, no fear in death seems to paralleling verse seven, to live is Christ and to die is gain and also 1 Corinthians 15:55, Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? One could argue that the seventh stanza includes some Calvinist inclinations, specifically predestination. The phrase, Jesus commands my destiny could be taken to mean that Jesus decides the eternal destiny prior to our faith in Him. But, a Lutheran understanding of this lyric would interpret in two ways. First, since Christ has died and rose again on our behalf, he has won for us salvation, thus opening the door for us to Heaven as our destiny. Without Jesus, our destiny would most certainly be hell. Second, Jesus will judge us on the Last Day. We proclaim this in our Creed every Sunday. The last stanza is clearly in reference to the parable of the wise man and the foolish man who built there houses on the rock and on the sand respectively. Christ as our rock is our firm foundation of our faith, and all other ground is sinking sand.

9 Beautiful Things (Gungor, 2011) All this pain I wonder if I ll ever find my way I wonder if my life could really change at all All this earth Could all that is lost ever be found Could a garden come up from this ground at all out of the dust out of us All around Hope is springing up from this old ground Out of chaos life is being found in You out of the dust out of us out of the dust out of us You make me new, You are making me new You make me new, You are making me new You are making me new out of the dust out of us out of the dust out of us You make me new, You are making me new You make me new, You are making me new This song is more repetitive than the other three at which I looked. The focus of this song which is repeated throughout the song is the new creation that is created in us. The focus of this song is much different than the previous songs, because this one is solely discussing sanctification. We are made beautiful things even though we are ugly because of the sin that is in us. I observed that God is not referenced by name; he is only referenced as You. This may make it appear at first glance that the focus of this song is on us, but then again, the You in reference to God is the one doing the action, and we are the ones that are receiving the action. Also I noticed that the other three songs used the singular personal pronouns when referring to self, and we often heard that Christ died for me, that I was made right before God by his grace. This song is more corporate in nature, note the use of the pronoun us. God does not simply make beautiful things out of the one singing or leading the song, but God makes new

10 creations out of all believers. He is active in the whole body of Christ. In that respect, this song promotes fellowship and togetherness, because this is not just a personal God, but God is a God to all people. When a person sings this song, they are reflecting on themselves. Look at the first stanza: I wonder if I ll ever find my way. I wonder if my life could really change at all. All this earth. Could all that is lost ever be found? Could a garden come up from this ground at all? These questions are self-reflective noticing the sin that is inherent in us. We are not perfect, and we do not deserve the gifts that God gives us. We are not beautiful, but then we see that God makes us beautiful nonetheless. Next, the person singing this song realizes that God does make us beautiful, and this beauty is not an outward beauty, but a cleansing beauty. God washes away our sin. They recognize that they are dust, yet God makes them new. Notice that the action in this song is passive on our part. We are becoming new, but we are not the ones that are making ourselves new or beautiful. God is doing the action to us. There are three sections of Scripture that come to mind when hearing this song which, in my opinion form the biblical foundation of this song. Those are the events in Genesis 2 and 3, 2 Corinthians 5, and Romans 10. In Genesis 2, God creates Adam out of the dust of the earth and gives life to him by breathing into him the breath of life. In Genesis 3, mankind is given the curse of death after their fall into sin. Dust you are, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19). This idea of dust and dying draws the listener/singer of the song to Ash Wednesday. These are the words that are spoken during the imposition of ashes, and remind the congregation, first of the creation, second that we are sinful and our sin separates us from God.

11 In 2 Corinthians 5, we are called a new creation because we are in Christ. This new creation is not because of anything that we do, but because we are claimed by Christ and our identity is in him. Once we have the good news of salvation we are inclined and urged to share it. In Romans 10, Paul references Isaiah 52:7, in declaring the feet of the bearers of good news are beautiful. So, in this song, beautiful things, we are made beautiful, because once we have Christ s love, we share it with others, bearing the good news of the Gospel to those around us. This song may be confusing to the listener for a couple reasons. First, it doesn t use the name of God, but rather refers to Him with the pronoun You. Second, for someone that doesn t know the connections to creation, the fall, and the new creation that we are in Christ, then this song may lead them to believe that the lyrics are talking about physical beauty, and then the Gospel is not found in the song. For one that can make these connections, it could be a great tool to relate the Law of the result of sin in our lives to the Gospel of being able to live a sanctified life as a new creation in Christ. If one focuses on the physical beauty instead of spiritual beauty, then they might be discouraged because they have not noticed a change in physical appearance in either them or Christians around them. Conclusion As a whole, all four selections of music are very biblically based. They include both Law and Gospel. The hymns, I noticed, actually included the singular form of pronouns instead of what we would think to be more corporate with plural pronouns. This surprised me a bit. Beautiful Things is more repetitive than the other three, but repetition is not necessarily a bad thing. It can make the tune and the words more memorable. The tunes of all four selections seem to be fairly simple and easy to learn, with a melody that is seemingly easy to sing along with.