The Worship Review

We've said that our best episodes are ones in which we disagree. This is one of those. Today we're looking at the ancient hymn "Be Thou My Vision," which asks God to be many things to the Christian. We make sure to include the oft-dropped "battle shield" verse. Colin emphasizes the necessity to include explicit reference to soteriological themes in music while Tyler investigates the variety offered by grammatical mood.

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one/

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul's Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:

Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav’n's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Songs sampled in this episode:

Verse 1: Be Thou My Vision by Audrey Assad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Optrm7lF16s

Verse 2: Be Thou My Vision by Nathan Pacheco Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihJAJA4ibEs

Verse 3: Be Thou My Vision (feat. Stuart Townend & Robin Mark) (Live) by The Mandate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lgeOLmoNIY

Verse 4 [and a bit at the end]: Be Thou My Vision by Keith & Kristyn Getty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZBOSfiH8Rk

Verse 5: Be Thou My Vision (Live) by The Petersens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwwWMWTpp-U

In addition to reviewing the song 'To the Cross I Cling' by Matt Boswell, Colin and Tyler discuss how Christian music should handle the idea of guilt and the gospels forensic aspects.

In 1876, Horatio Spafford published the first version of this hymn. In this episode, we dig deep into the story behind the lyrics. We then contemplate the rich theology of the song.

Songs sampled in this episode:

It is Well with my Soul by Grace Community Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h32qcka7DW0

It is Well by Redeemer Presbyterian Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tQiLIFPFI0

Colin and Tyler discuss the ideas of adoption and belonging in 'You Made Us Your Own'--a song released by Sovereign Grace Music and authored by Bob Kauflin, Steve Cook and Vikki Cook. There is also some discussion of recent tweets by Kevin DeYoung.

This week, a hymn of unity and communion is our topic of conversation. Samuel J. Stone published this hymn in response to some doctrinal controversy as part of a compendium of songs on the Apostles' Creed called Lyra Fidelium (the lyre of the faithful), linked below. The Church's One Foundation is a meditation on the ninth article of the Apostles' Creed: "...[I believe] in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints..." The lyrics describe a Church battered by schisms, heresies, and spiritual warfare, yet held securely by Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus Christ is worshiped abundantly in this song: He is referred to as the Foundation, the Husband, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Defender, the Guide, the Sustainer, and The Lord of the Church. 

Manley's version (with his permission) is appended to the end of this episode as it is not available online.

Stone's original lyrics in Lyra Fidelium (with cross-references): http://lyra-fidelium.faithweb.com/9lyra-thechurch.html

Songs sampled in this episode: 

(1) The Church's One Foundation by Christ Church Bellingham https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKRmncbUMps

(2) The Church's One Foundation by Indelible Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j44-l71jTFI

(3) The Church's One Foundation by Chris Manley and Nathan Partain

(4) The Church's One Foundation by Reawaken Hymns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ScAzkpqbs

Lyrics:

The Church’s one foundation

Is Jesus Christ her Lord,

She is His new creation

By water and the Word:

From heaven He came and sought her

To be His holy bride,

With His own blood He bought her

And for her life He died.

She is from every nation

Yet one o'er all the earth,

Her charter of salvation

One Lord, one faith, one birth,

One Holy Name she blesses,

Partakes one Holy Food,

And to one Hope she presses

With every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish!

Her dear Lord to defend,

To guide, sustain, and cherish,

Is with her to the end:

Though there be those who hate her,

And false sons in her pale,

Against a foe or traitor

She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder

Men see her sore oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder

By heresies distressed:

Yet saints their watch are keeping,

Their cry goes up “How long?”

And soon the night of weeping

shall be the morn of song!

'Mid toil and tribulation

And tumult of her war,

She waits the consummation

Of peace forevermore;

Till, with the vision glorious,

Her longing eyes are blest,

And the great Church victorious

Shall be the Church at rest!

Yet she on earth hath union

With God the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion

With those whose rest is won,

With all her sons and daughters

Who, by the Master's Hand

Led through the deathly waters,

Repose in Eden-land.

O happy ones and holy!

Lord, give us grace that we

Like them, the meek and lowly,

On high may dwell with Thee:

There, past the border mountains,

Where in sweet vales the Bride

With Thee by living fountains

For ever shall abide!

We often say that it would be best if churches found ways to sing scripture. This week's song--'Preserve Me O God'--is exactly that. Here Matthew David Montgomery digs directly into the well-used 'blue' psalter (The Book of Psalms for Worship) for an adaptation of Psalm 16.

This week, you're guaranteed to recognize the tune! TwoForChrist, a ministry of married couple Nick and Haley Gaglione, recently uploaded a live rendition of their cover of Survivor's Eye of the Tiger. The lyrics have been mostly swapped out for novel, motivational Christian lyrics. While the performance has found a lot of attention online, we have yet to see anyone address the song's message. We set out to investigate the lyrics.

"Eye of the Tiger" by Two for Christ presents us with the opportunity to discuss how sincerity is demonstrated among Christians, and how this demonstration has changed over time. We also look at the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), how Christians can cause the devil to flee (James 4:7), and what benefits await those who overcome (Revelation 3).

Eye of the Tiger (Christian Cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfO9UoHi-vI

Full performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GadkeBxcyd4&t=0s

Lift with Christ: https://liftwithchrist.org/

Lyrics: 

LYRICS  

Rising up, back on my feet 

Got knocked down, rose above it 

Went the distance, I don’t take no defeat 

I will thrive, I will not just survive  

Listen—Before I was a Christian something was missing 

Felt a little distant, dark, resistant 

Made a decision—got a new vision 

Wrote my goals, yeah wrote my mission  

B.C. I was aimlessly walking 

Then one day I heard the voice of God talking: 

“Rise up, child, to the enemy mocking 

Prayer is your weapon, pray without stopping!”  

It's the eye of the tiger—It's the thrill of the fight 

Rising up to the challenge of our rival 

With the heart of a lion & the armor of God 

You will conquer it all with the eye of the tiger 

 Face to face with Satan himself 

Don’t budge an inch, he’ll take miles 

He’ll find your weakness, he will hit where it hurts 

Stand your ground—make him run for the hills 

 It's the eye of the tiger—It's the thrill of the fight 

Rising up to the challenge of our rival 

If you cast all your cares on Him & pray through the night

You will conquer it all with the eye of the tiger  

Rising up straight to the top 

Fight for Christ, give Him glory 

Go the distance, don’t retreat, never stop 

For the Lord always wins in the end  

It's the eye of the tiger—It's the thrill of the fight 

Rising up to the challenge of our rival 

With the heart of a lion & the armor of God 

You will conquer it all with the eye… of the tiger  

Keep your eyes on God 

And your heart in the word 

Be a leader in Christ 

Don’t follow with the herd  

The eye of the tiger  

Always walk by faith 

Never walk by sight 

With the armor of God 

You’ll never lose the fight  

The eye of the tiger

Was Mary 'blameless'? How does the High Street Hymns' version of 'Creator of the Stars of Night' compare to the 19th century translation, or that Latin original for that matter?

Who would have thought that a poem set to the tune "Greensleeves" (A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves) would become one of the most popular Christmas hymns? What is with all of the rhetorical questions anyway? In this episode, we revisit the question of singing angels (with more prooftexts). We also dig into the gifts brought the infant Christ (frankincense, gold, myrrh) to find Old Testament symbols.

Lyrics:

What Child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping,

Further reading:

Hymnary.org notes and versions: https://hymnary.org/text/what_child_is_this_who_laid_to_rest

Audio Sampled in this Episode:

1 - What Child is This? Chris Tomlin ft. All Sons & Daughters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDxDv2WLMc

2 - Linus' Christmas Monologue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eff0cqYefYY

3 - Royal Choral Society sings Hallelujah Chorus (from Handel's Messiah) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c

4 - Bishop T.D. Jakes preaches at First Baptist Church of Glenarden  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP-pEViFUQQ

Other noteworthy versions:

1 - Vocal Spectrum performs What Child is This? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U70xshi06Ls

This week, Colin and Tyler engage the most pressing question in all of Christian history: did the angels that announced Jesus birth sing? Yes, we went there. Listen to the review of Zach William's version of the classic "Go Tell It On the Mountain".