I will praise the Lord God
with a song
and a thankful heart.
This will please the Lord
better than offering an ox
or a full-grown bull. – Psalm 69:30-31
Have you been following the Lenten devotion book “How Sweet the Sound?” It is a series of reflections on the hymn “Amazing Grace.” In part it is a recognition of the 250th anniversary of the text of the hymn. As people have picked up the devotion booklets from the foyer, it has been interesting to hear the different reactions to the hymn. Some have talked about their love of the hymn and how meaningful it has been to them. Others have shared why they don’t like it. Several have referenced funerals they have attended where it was sung, with both positive and negative memories attached. All of this points to the power that music in general has in our lives, and particularly “Amazing Grace.” One need not love it – after all, it’s not scripture! – but it does provoke a strong response.
Lutherans have always held that hymns are one of the key ways that Christian faith is taught. In fact, hymns have a much longer history of being the primary mode of teaching the Christian faith than Sunday School does. For the Lutheran tradition, hymns shape our understanding of God’s grace more powerfully than any other tool used by the church. Sermons are for showing us our need for God; hymns teach us who God is and how God relates to us. This is different from some other denominations, where the role of music is purely to praise God and so the lyrics need not contain insight. Martin Luther, though, insisted that music is second only to the Word of God in importance to our lives.
What are some of the hymns that have most shaped your understanding of God? What are some hymns that you love, and what are some that bother you? One of the things that I like about this devotional booklet is that it gives an opportunity to write out your responses to the lyrics. Perhaps it is a worthwhile activity to try that with some other hymns as well.