Hymn: “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” – Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863)
Various Tunes
This hymn text doesn’t get enough ‘air time’ in worship
because it has yet to land on just the perfect tune. The ones assigned to it
over the years have never matched the words in such a way to truly display the
depth of the text. That’s too bad, because it is a rich discourse on the mercy
of the heavenly Father penned by the English hymn-writer who gave us “Faith of
Our Fathers.”
Because it is chock full of my personal theology, this
hymn-line is one of three from “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” that I have covered in this blog.
I’m forever telling my students that art doesn’t have to be
complicated to be effective… or perhaps even beautiful. Some visual artists
have so much happening on the canvas that we just move on to the next one
because we are confused. Music may be the worst offender here, especially in
the past hundred years, producing harmonies and melodies that are so intricate
and convoluted that normal listeners cannot comprehend them – and in
congregational music, people can’t sing them with any ease, negating the
sometimes engaging message.
For our spiritual development, simplicity is preferred
according to Christ’s admonition in Mark 10:15: “You must accept the kingdom of
God as if you were a little child." (New Century Version) We know how the
Jewish leaders of Old Testament times had added rule upon rule until it was
almost impossible to be a worthy God-follower; historically, that trend has
continued into the Christian church… and still does.
If our love and our faith-processing were simplified, we
would readily accept what God tells us in his Word as truth. In my experience,
this is not a limiting exercise; rather, it is freeing!
Why have we developed into questioning, suspicious people
when it comes to God and matters of faith? Why can we not simplify our belief system
and take him at his word? After all, another hymn tells us ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word; just to
rest upon his promise, just to know thus saith the Lord.
It’s a gift to be
simple.
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