Amazing Grace

CNN reports today: Hundreds of people sang “Amazing Grace” and prayed Friday evening as they gathered at a City Hall in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, to mourn the victims of a shooting spree.

Great hymns, because of their beautiful verse, and apt and familiar tunes give people a sense of comfort, a sense of standing on something solid when everything else seems to totter and fall. This may be likened to the sense of comfort that one may experience in a cathedral with stained glass windows and pipe organ. The very wood of the ancient mahogany pews offers a sense of stability.

Americans are so fond of this hymn, Amazing Grace and invariably sing it in all solemn occasions. And yet the words would seem so out of place in most of these occasions, because they talk about the wretchedness of sinners without Christ and the grace that saves those who have been found. I cannot see how these words can offer any comfort in a public gathering where such sentiments are alien. I conclude that the main culprit in this anomaly is the beautiful tune.

The tune of this hymn is special to me too and brings with it many distracting memories that I could do without, struggling as I already do to worship God from my inner man in spirit and truth. Finding an alternate tune was not difficult as it follows the common meter. Singing to the tune of “The Lord’s my Shepherd” was a bit confusing because of the similarity of tunes. I thought the tune of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was perfect.

Another such hymn is ‘Just as I am without one plea,’ where playing the introduction is enough to set off some into bursts of copious tears.

Three lessons from 9-11

The following was written by Edward Fudge, a man of God, shortly after the terrible events of 11 September 2001.

First, we lament the mind-numbing and momentous loss of life. We mourn for those who perished and pray for their loved ones. Though thousands died, each was an individual, snatched without warning from family and friends. We cannot explain such tragedies, and humans cannot finally prevent their repetition. We can ponder certain larger implications, however, and be reminded of eternal verities. What appear, from earth’s viewpoint, to be apocalyptic bowls of wrath, may always serve constructively as trumpet calls of warning. We live in a fallen world. Nothing earthly is ultimately secure. God weeps, I believe, but he is not threatened. Evil does not take him by surprise. Isaiah chapter 40 says that God is still sovereign, just as he has always been.

Building Up When A Bridge Collapses

The bridge across the Mississippi on Interstate Highway 35W, connecting twin cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, collapsed yesterday during the afternoon rush hour. It is a tragedy of historic proportions.

At such times:

• People, who have not understood the gospel, question the existence of God, saying, “If there was a God, this would not have happened.”
• Some, though not questioning God’s existence, may question His actions saying, “Where is God when we need Him most?” or “How can a loving God allow a tragedy like this?”
• Some preachers use this opportunity to say that this is God’s punishment on a sinful generation.
• Sure enough, you have others reacting to these preachers, making them look heartless and flippant.

I found the reaction of one good pastor very refreshing and edifying.

Link to: Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed