Posted on 11/06/2005 11:20:52 AM PST by Daralundy
PC HYMNS?
I personally love all the great old Protestant hymns that I grew up with -- despite my now being an unbeliever. So I felt that the cartoon below (backup here) really hit home:
Maybe I am a sentimental old fool but, as a tribute to the wonderful original, I am going to reprint the whole of it below. You can hear one rendition of the music here. If certain unhappy souls in Paris at the moment had grown up with this hymn, the world would be a better place:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, Who called me here below, Shall be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.
(Excerpt) Read more at pcwatch.blogspot.com ...
In my church in Atlanta they tried to "update" A Mighty Fortress Is Our God to replace "let goods and kindred go" with "And should we lose our house, our fortune and our spouse."
As I had no spouse and saw nothing wrong with "let goods and kindred go", I just sang it loudly in the words I already knew.
Ditto "Holy Holy Holy" which was "updated" to eliminate "though the eye of sinful MAN thy glory may not see" -- I sing that hymn from memory anyway and so did a lot of other people, so there was a jangling cacaphony when that line was reached as the PC version ran head on into the good old words.
"Hymns" is sexist! We may want to opt for "Hers" or "Persons."
My Mother's favorite was "Sweet Hour Of Prayer." I love it too.
Another favorite - "The Old Rugged Cross"
ping
The LukeWarm Church announces publication of "Church Songs," whose title, according to the editor, was chosen because "We didn't want to turn anybody off with threatening words that no one understands anymore like 'worship' or 'hymn.' People in today's society get kind of uncomfortable with too much talk about things like commitment and dedication. They'd much rather have a religion that they can turn on or off at will. Our book seeks to meet that need."
Sample Contents:
A Comfy Mattress Is Our God
Joyful, Joyful, We Kinda Like Thee
Above Average is Thy Faithfulness
Lord, Keep Us Loosely Connected to Your Word
All Hail the Influence of Jesus' Name
My Hope is Built on Nothing Much
Amazing Grace, How Interesting the Sound
My Faith Looks Around for Thee
Be Thou My Hobby
O God, Our Enabler in Ages Past
Blest Be the Tie That Doesn't Cramp My Style
Oh, for a Couple of Tongues to Sing
He's Quite a Bit to Me
Oh, How I Like Jesus
I Lay My Inappropriate Behaviors on Jesus
Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
I Surrender Some
Praise God from Whom All Affirmations Flow
I'm Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
Self-Esteem to the World! The Lord is Come
Sit Up, Sit Up for Jesus
Special, Special, Special
Spirit of the Living God, Fall Somewhere Near Me
Stick Nearby, It's Getting Dark Outside
Take My Life and Let Me Be
There is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today
There Shall be Sprinkles of Blessings
What an Acquaintance We Have in Jesus
When Peace, Like a Trickle. . .
When the Saints Go Sneaking In
Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
God of Taste, and God of Stories
Lift Every Voice and Intellectualize
A little bone toss to the environmentalists... It's in the Evangelical Covenant Hymnal, which royally sucks because it gender neuters just about everything, and has removed so many thees and thous that it stilts the beautiful poetic phrasing of many hymns.
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