Translated by John Mason Neale and Henry W. Baker
Music: DIVINUM MYSTERIUM
“Oh boy,” I hear you saying. “It’s time for an ancient plainsong! This hymn has no meter – no beat – no possibility for underscoring by a set-drummer! How can it still be relevant?”
I’ll remove my tongue from my cheek and deal with today’s hymn-line the same way I try to do with all the ones from your favorite hymns and gospel songs.
I managed to survive most of the worship wars during my music ministry. The congregations I served after the war broke out were pretty much committed to staying in the middle of the road; all were traditional in their worship style with some leanings toward the blended – which is so undefinable, I wish it had never been applied to worship! I had to fight a few battles along the way… minor skirmishes, you might say… but I escaped the ravages of war by which so many of my peers have been wounded and/or have had their ministries killed off.
I think this text penned within five hundred years of the birth of the Christian church speaks to this in a round-about way, saying that wherever our musical preferences may take us, our praises should be unwearied…fresh, not tired, energized, with sustained enthusiasm, done with vitality.
Some worshipers are ‘worn out’ by the singing of those old songs their grandmother enjoyed, with too many words and too much deep theology. Some of the rest of us are ‘worn down’ by trying to keep up with complicated rhythmic songs set to shallow texts projected on screens. Worn out and worn down are the opposite of energized unwearied. Lord, deliver us all!
I am quite sure that God never meant for us to create schisms over musical styles… quite definitely sure. And none of us truly knows what kind of music God prefers in our worship of his Son. What if Gregorian chant is the only one he will accept… or some very ancient Hebrew musical form of which we have no record? Or does he rock out with a driving beat and the screaming of somewhat sacred lyrics? Or is it only when the congregation holds a hymnal and follows the lead of the organ? Does that sound absurd to you? It certainly does to me!
God is listening to our heart-song – There’s within my heart a melody from a few days ago! And all of us have to find a congregation whose musical style allows our heart-song to come through with genuine authenticity… not forced, but free… unwearied.
It’s obvious from the title of my blog where I would fall in most of this if I had to take sides in the worship wars. I’ve tried really hard to keep my mouth shut and be accepting of all the extremes, while landing somewhere in the middle-- hopefully not ‘on the fence’ or waffling. I’m pretty firm in where I stand, but I accept that the heart-song of others may require a different outward musical expression.
When you worship – whether it be with a stately hymn, un-metered chant, or high-powered amplified thanksgiving – don’t let the praise be overshadowed by the music.
Unwearied, vital, energized, fresh, un-encumbered praise of the Most High God. Let it be so!
Listen to an SATB a cappella setting
Listen to Houston’s The Sons of Orpheus – Fine men's a cappella group
Originally Posted 08/18/2013
The artwork is from the cover of a book on hymn singing; you can find more information and/or order the book at:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Unwearied_Praises.html?id=7D-xdhZ8SmEC
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