Sometimes Hymns Are Unbiblical
Traditions are wonderful. To be honest, I appreciate and love most any tradition. And the older they are, the better. It boggles my mind to think that some traditions can be passed on unchanged generation after generation. While traditions can be wonderful, and meaningful, some traditions bring more harm than good to their participants. This is definitely true of various popular hymns. Some songs and hymns are unbiblical as traditionally used in Christian worship.
Nostalgic Hymns Are Unbiblical
Rather than the typical scrutiny given to most worship music, some hymns seemingly get a free pass, while professing no theology at all. This is especially worrisome for Christian song, as ALL our worship should be based on Scripture.
The Church in the Wildwood, also known as The Little Brown Church was originally written by William Pitts in 1857 on a rest stop during a stage coach ride. As Pitts and other travelers stretched their legs in a wooded valley, he found a picturesque spot, an ideal location for a quaint brown church. Upon returning home to Wisconsin, he wrote down the following words:
There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood,
The Church in The WildWood – William Pitts 1857
No lovelier spot in the dale;
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale.
Refrain:
Come to the church in the wildwood,
Oh, come to the church in the vale;
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale.
An Unreal World
It’s an imaginative lyric that brings to mind images of peace and harmony. It invites us to recall happy images of our own childhood, or perhaps tranquil scenes from books or movies. But in doing so, the text builds a world that never really existed, around a church that never existed!
It makes us long for an ideal Utopian world not unlike a Thomas Kincaid painting or an episode of the Andy Griffith show. And though when sung as a folk song, there is nothing wrong with enjoying it for what it is, when used in worship it requires its singer to bow to the idols of nostalgia and idealism. There’s nothing about Christ here!
Before using songs like the Church in the Wildwood in worship, we should stop and ask “Where is Christ”? Where is mention of his death, burial and resurrection? Where is the adoration of the Father, and the glorification of the Holy Spirit?” The “Little Brown Church” is not even about the body of Christ, the true Church. This is a song purely about a building. But this is only one type of hymn that is unbiblical.
Patriotic Hymns Unbiblical?
After reading the above, you may angrily ask, “What could possible be unbiblical about singing patriotic songs? Well, nothing.
There is nothing wrong with singing secular music in and of itself. And just as the Little Brown Church has made a fine folk song covered by Dolly Parton and dozens of others folk singers, patriotic hymns like “America the Beautiful” have a important part to play in civic engagement.
…before using a patriotic song in worship it’s best to ask, “Is this something an African brother or sister could sing? Would this song choice make a Chinese Christian feel a part of our worship?”
But before using a patriotic song in worship it’s best to ask, “Is this something an African brother or sister could sing? Would this song choice make a Chinese Christian feel a part of our worship?” If the answer is no, then we should ask who it is we are really glorifying in our worship.
God of Our Fathers
Some songs classified as patriotic fit very well into the mission of the church. God of Our Fathers recognizes the historicity of Christian heritage in the United States. It goes on to claim faith in God’s providence and declares God’s Word to be the ultimate law of the land. Rather than a song celebrating nationalism, the text is more a call for national submission to God.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
God Of Our Fathers – Daniel C. Roberts 1876
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
Likewise, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory is appropriate for congregational singing. Originally written by Julia Howe and published in 1862 the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” was a hit with union soldiers during the civil war, as they attempted to bestow on the task of preserving the union a divine mandate. Regardless of the obvious politics surrounding the writing of the text, the hymn anticipates Christ’ imminent return and calls on the hearer to “make men free” as Christ died to “make men holy”. As the Church now grapples with human trafficking, addiction, abortion and other blights on humanity, surely the church is called to no less today.
In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory – Julia Ward Howe 1861
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Is God Jealous of Our Song?
Notwithstanding, some favorite patriotic hymns have no place in the worship of the church. Hymns such as “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” are odes, (or Prayers) addressed directly to the country (“Of thee I sing”). “America the Beautiful” does the same in the chorus, also using the language of direct address. Which begs the question, is it acceptable to sing songs of honor and glory to anyone or anything other than Christ, in services that are supposed to give attention to him and him alone? The answer should be a resounding no!
We are reminded throughout scripture that God is a jealous God who refuses to share his glory. Do we ever see in the pages of scripture the early church glorifying and praising the Roman state, even in the years before the persecution of Christians? Not at all. And never do we find a precedent for the glorification of the state of Israel in the early church. Like the early church, Christ and Christ alone is to be the object of our affection.
Patriotic Hymns Are Unbiblical for Worship
Similarly concerning is the use of the language of the cross in some patriotic hymns. The first chorus in “America the Beautiful” declares of the United States, “God shed His grace on thee”. This line opens a Pandora’s box of questionable theology. Most problematic is the word “shed” as it is so often used in scripture and hymns in reference to Christ’ shed blood. Did Christ really shed his blood for America as the hymn so clearly states? Not at all.
Scripture is very clear that Christ shed his blood for his Church, which is a kingdom made up of people from many nations. The church is in fact the anti-nation, a kingdom that supersedes all kingdoms, countries and governments. Even saying his blood was shed for the world in reference to John 3:16 doesn’t provide a reason to single America out as a recipient of Christ’ blood. Christ didn’t atone for America or any other nation. People are atoned for, regenerated, and sanctified, not nation-states. Our hymns should clearly reflect Christ and His work. Anything less is not good news but a false gospel.
Although not all bad hymns are heretical, some are still unbiblical. After all, worship music is not authoritatively inspired. Unlike Scripture, worship music of all genres is not without error. Hymns and songs are fallible poetic creations designed to assist the church in worshiping the infallible creator. We should therefore, do this to the best of our ability, by avoiding hymns that are unbiblical.