One of the blogs I tend to check in with quite often is written by Father Dwight Longnecker. His is an unusual story in that he was an American Episcopalian who, after studying in England and marrying his English wife, was ordained in the Church of England and served a number of years as a vicar of a rural parish before converting to Catholicism. He tried for a few years to be ordained to an English diocese but was rejected a couple of times, arguably for being “too orthodox”. He eventually returned home to the US with his family and was accepted for ordination over there. He’s now a Catholic priest, and is one of the small number of married former Anglicans in the Roman Rite. He has a sensible perspective that isn’t tainted by the bitterness or seperative mentality I find with many traditionalists.
He wrote a series of posts on music, and specifically hymns and the failings in many parishes when it comes to hymn selection. He makes a lucid point that with bad catechesis and poor sermonising that hymns are quite often the only exposure some catholics get to apologetics, and many hymns fail in that regard. I would really recommend reading the posts in detail, but I want to pull out some of his points.
His criticisms of modern hymns are that quite often they fail to be hymns. Hymns are songs of praise and worship and recognise the relationship we have with God, namely creator and created. All to often in modern hymnody that relationship is turned over and God, and Our Lord are nothing more than our “mates”. Your mates take you down to the pub for a drink, are your equal, give you things, and tell you you’re wonderful. And in these hymns, so it is with God. I’ll quote him directly because he makes the point well enough that I wouldn’t want to change his wording:
A second category of non-hymns are the ‘comfort hymns’. Again, these are hymns that do not reference God at all except as a kind of comfort blanket. Usually very sentimental and subjective, they often have syrupy tunes and are all about how “I walked on the beach one day and felt alone, and when I only saw one set of footprints I knew that was when he carried me.” You can spot these hymns because they are all about me and us and how sweet it is to be loved by Jesus. They are Coca Cola hymns–sweet and fizzy but likely to rot your teeth/soul. There is nothing wrong, of course, with devotional hymns that turn our attention to God in time of need and praise him for his loving mercy. Psalm 23 and all its different versions do just that. However, if the focus is not on God, but on me, and this is the only sort of hymn that is ever chosen it becomes ridiculous.
A few weeks ago in my own parish we had one such “hymn”. You might recognise it, but it’s worth looking at in some detail to explore it in all of its “glory”.
O Lord All The World
Words and Music: Patrick Appleford.O Lord all the world belongs to you
And you are always making all things new.
What is wrong you forgive and the new life you give
Is what’s turning the world upside down.The world’s only loving to its friends
But you have brought us love that never ends.
Loving enemies too and this loving with you
Is what’s turning the world upside down.This world lives divided and apart.
You draw us all together and we
start
In your body to see that in
fellowship we
Can be turning the world upside down.O Lord all the world belongs to you
And you are always making all things new.
Send your Spirit on all in your Church whom you call
To be turning the world upside down.
Let’s just take the first verse:
O Lord all the world belongs to you
Well I suppose I can’t argue with that, but it’s a painfully obvious statement. Neither could I argue with the statement that the sun comes up in the morning as it’s true, but it doesn’t really tell me anything I can’t directly observe myself. As an opening line you have to start somewhere, but it says nothing. I’m all in favour of brevity, but compare it to the opening line of any of the old hymns which make a statement about what we believe. It neither expresses anything (compared to say “faith of our fathers Holy Faith!”) or sets a tone of thanksgiving (Immaculate Mary our hearts are on fire”).
And you are always making all things new.
What exactly does this mean? It’s a highly ambiguous statement. The clostest biblical reference to this I can find is Psalm 104: “Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.” but it kind of just hangs there. There is no preceding reference to the Holy Spirit or the context in which the psalmist writes, so it gives the impression that God is permenently busy re-doing everything he creates, which would naturally follow from the opening statement. Is this born out by any theological reasoning? I doubt it. If God is perfect, as we believe, and his creation is perfect (but which man has corrupted with sin) then why would he be set about permanently and continually re-creating what he has created? It just doesn’t make any sense.
What is wrong you forgive and the new life you give
God does forgive. The Messianic mission was ultimately one of mercy, HOWEVER, this statement would seem to suggest that mercy is something that is just handed over whether we ask for it or not. That is simply not the case and is dangerously misleading. If you have never been properly taught about the gifts of mercy and the need for redemption then the first natural presumption that you would make about Catholic teaching on mercy and forgiveness is that it is automatic. Imagine this is the last hymn you hear before leaving the church knowing no better. Imagine considering going to confession before you leave but having heard this hymn decide it’s not worth it because God’s forgiveness is automatic and you leave the church and get wiped out by a bus. It might be a far-fetched analogy, but what service is this hymn doing to Catholics when it confuses the faithful?
Is what’s turning the world upside down.
Turning the world upside down? Say what? Is that the nature of Catholicism? to turn the worlkd upside down? Did Christ ever say “Guess what? I’ve come to turn the world upside down!”? Is this the ecclesiology of revolution? What this suggests is a mentality of turmoil and disorder. That isn’t God’s way. If it weren’t for its triteness and banality this statement would trouble me.
A better exegete and theologian than me would tear this hymn apart. It is fairly typical of any number of hymns being sung as part of the 4-hymn sandwich in church each Sunday. The usual arguments in favour are that they are “nice” or “pastoral” or “people like them”. What I generally tend to find is that they fit the mindset of parishes where the clergy are lukewarm about the supernatural aspects of the faith in their own beliefs and where the emphasis is on a revisionist theology or a social justice ecclesiology of activism rather than devotion.
One could easily spend eight hours a day for at least a year blogging about bad "hymnody" (can we just call them "songs"… they're "songs", not hymns). The list is as endles as… well….as endless as the table of contents of most mainstream music publications. It's difficult to find a song that doesn't have a problem of some kind, even if it's just the wretched melody or uninspired text.
Yes, these are "songs" and not hymns which praise and glorify God. During my last tenure as music director, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the hymn (song) selection in our paperbound pew hymnals. The lyrics were trite, self-congratulatory and lacking in depth. I was not able to change the delight of many of the parishioners in these songs. As I began to select more of the traditional hymns for the Sunday Sandwich, e-mails and comments grew frequent as to where the entertainment went. One parishioner went so far as to say that one of the reasons he returned to the Church was because of these "modern" hymns (songs) that liked to hear at Mass. Not hearing them at our parish bugged him enough to e-mail me his complaint. I agree that bad catechesis and lax pastors encourage this kind of reaction. Fr. Longnecker is entirely correct. Many of us Directors are dissatisfied but hemmed in by our pastors or parish traditions.
Oh, Keith….
Dittos to JH's comment, but the malady has metastisized to strophic hymnody pervasively as well. (Don't get Kathy started!) As in all things, there have been some hits, but many more misses that extend simply beyond "Sing a new church into being." Owen Alstott's didactic and propagandist "Gather and Remember" dishonors FINLANDIA big time and represents, IMO, a sort of second rate culmination of such texts that floated around in the second half of the 20c. by various writers, Oosterhuis, Pratt Green, Dufner and Glen, Coglin and notably B. Wren. All of these are fine poets, but there was push to superimpose most of their catalogues into many hymnals via known tunes such as PASSION HYMN for "Here hangs a man discarded." I bought into them cautiously because of their immediacy and natural resonance within the heart. But, that was then. In the meantime we've filled the void with various approbations of tunes such as BEACH SPRING or Celtic folk songs that extol the virtues of social justice within the context of liturgy. And eventually something like Landry's "Women of the church…" takes up valuable space in a yearly hymnal.
As Keith points out, it is a discipline not to choose the very attractive meal of "The summons" or "All are welcome" when the atmosphere of worship is crowded with invention and artificiality, and whatever's relavent. There are many times it seems providence afforded a powerful Matthew 25 homily inwhich a retooled "Whatsoever you do" was a one-two gospel punch to the solar plexus of the congregation that is palpable.
Before I wrap this up, I'd also offer that the reverse effect of the sweet, bad hymnody can be found when, for reasons only known to themselves and God, capable composers such as Rutter churn out new settings of "For the beauty of the earth" and such that obliterate any depth of poetic understanding of the text in a deluge of syrup. I suppose there is the raison d'etre of royalties….
So, like Diogenes, we're looking for a truth here. There is the obvious truth which is finally dawning upon many musicians and clerics-the wisdom of using the prescribed propers. There remains a need for great hymnody and tunes within and without the liturgy, I believe. But if any of that keeps the liturgy earth-bound, either through its textual or musical affects, we're not called to "go there" in worship. We "go there" after the dismissal hopefully.
Four things:
First, when a text is quoted like this it is polite, customary, and just to cite copyright as well as author. On the net, a link would be helpful.
Second, I don't think much of this text either, and I've never heard of Mr Appleford. But I don't dismiss the whole of contemporary music based on one weak example. It would be like people giving up on chant because their experience was limited to one warbly and very slow soprano.
Third, I'd prefer examining hymn texts that are good, like some of the work of Genevieve Glen. Or if we must look at the words-n-music people, Bob Hurd's revised "In The Breaking of the Bread." Stuff like that.
Last, I'd be cautious about attributing too much "rot" to seemingly self-absorbed texts. Fr L is correct that Psalm 23 keeps the focus on God, but it also refers to God in the third person, as if God were someone to be talked about, not prayed to. But so does Mr Appleford's text. The whole piece addresses God directly.
Gotta agree with Charles here… the temptation is often great to make use of these convenience songs. I have been known to do so from time to time and pray for the day when I will no longer face that temptation.
It would be like people giving up on chant because their experience was limited to one warbly and very slow soprano
Not exactly… that's a matter of the performance. Unfortunately, many of the songs being discussed here are even worse when sung well as it gives them the added dimension of a false sincerity. Not all contemporary songs are equal to one another… I will go that far. But what are they equal to?
the all knowing Todd has weighed in, this time with a poor analogy, as Chironomo points out.
Anonymous
It's nice to know someone has appointed him/herself as Todd's shadow. Great work for the Gospel.
I find that critics who tell you what not to do are a dime a dozen. The rarity is the teacher who shows a person what to do. Reread Philippians 4:8 to see how our critical faculties are to be applied. The Zeitgeist in the present age is one of snarkiness to which Mr. Fraser has whole heartedly succumbed. Please give examples of good hymn writing as well in future postings.
Aside from the theological issues, the example is just bad poetry. For this reason alone it should should be kept far away from the worship of God.
Faultless theology is not the only criteria for use in the liturgy, though it is a sine qua non.
Anons All,
Let's not, shall we say, digress into the inevitable and ridiculous "Hatfield v. McCoy" melodrama where after a short time, no one knows what why the fight began!
Since OCP is everyone's favorite whipping horse, howabout I offer up my short list of worthy hymntexts of recent vintage. I will cite the hymn author, but I can't take the time to acknowledge copyrights (Sorry, TF.) But I cannot list the texts for obvious reasons. Then you all can commence to purring, howling, screeching or hollering. (I've cited many of these in previous posts, BTW.0
AMEN: EL CUERPO DE CRISTO- Schiavone
CANTICLE OF ZACHARY-Joncas
COME TO ME AND DRINK- Hurd
GOD WE PRAISE YOU- Nettleton/C. Idle
HOLY WISDOM, LAMP OF LEARNING/Beach Spring, R. Duck
IN EVERY AGE-Sullivan-Whitaker
IN PERFECT CHARITY-DeBruyn
IN THESE DAYS OF LENTEN JOURNEY-Manalo
LED BY THE SPIRIT-Kingsfold/B.Hurd
OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS-B. Hurd
THREE DAYS-M.D.Ridge
TWO WERE BOUND FOR EMMAUS-B.Hurd
WE WALK BY FAITH/IN TIMES OF TROUBLE-B.Bridge
I positively endorse the above as valuable within the context of use at Mass.
Let's see if we can continue with positively arguing their merit, not my merit as an editor.
Charles,
You're not quoting a text in its entirety, so no need to list a copyright, no apology necessary.
I've always liked the Hurd text with Kingsfold. Familiar tune and more useful as a Lenten piece than the original.
Chiro, not exactly. People make snap choices based on experience. I might make judgments on Mr Appleford based on this one text. Or maybe the tune is redemptive. Or maybe this was an early work from about 30 years ago, and the guy's gotten better.
No telling.
"The world turned upside down" is an old military march played appropriately enough by British regimental bands to accompany Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown.
John Nolan: Thank you, yes. It was written to protest Parliament's abrogation of Christmas customs of Catholic origin. And as for a "revolutionary ecclesiology" — is Mr. Fraser claiming that Jesus *didn't* institute one? Yeah, I guess that's how he managed to fly under the Sanhedrin's radar so well. Nothing very new here, apparently.
"The world turned upside down" is an old military march played appropriately enough by British regimental bands to accompany Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown. "
Can average pew people who sing this hymn necessarily understand this particular message?
Probably not, but few people in England have heard of Cornwallis or Yorktown. But it might resonate on your side of the pond.
Charles:
I positively endorse zero hymns to be used DURING Mass, as hymns have no place in the Mass. We wouldn't have these issues if we just stuck with the TLM!
Matt, I like your attitude! 😉
'Cept you forgot that we are privileged with singin the Gloria in excelsis most of the year!
My attitude is stoked on this right now-
After teaching my 2-8th graders the MR3 ICEL "Glory to God" (Mass XV) and having them pray it on the Feast of St. Agnes a couple of Fridays ago, I pulled out the Parish Book of Chant for grades 6/7 this morning, and they virtually sight read the neumes and Latin for the first third of the XV Gloria handily!
Hope springs….
Sorry Keith, but I think as literary and theological criticism goes this is pretty ineffectual. The biblical citation you were looking for is Revelation 21:5 – "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." As for turning the world upside down, what do you think the Beatitudes are about?
The song itself is of its time, which is some time ago now. I've not heard it in 25 or 30 years, and it's one for children more than adults. The text and tune may be glib, but I think you're looking in vain for theological defects.
1. Hymns with the Church's texts in Mass, such as Gloria Sanctus …
2. Traditional Hymns of office
3. Modern hymnody with the texts by individuals
I think we are discussing here 'hymns' NO. 3.
These days we find that many medicines are given to people without sufficient testings, causing serious serious problems. Also antibiotics are given almost indiscriminately as a magical cure for various illnesses, inspite of warnings.
There are some similarities here when we think about those modern hymns (no.3). The new hymns need some period to be consecrated in order to be used in liturgies. Many of those hymns have been thrown to the Liturgy, especially to Holy Sacrifice, as a magical cure for the congregational singing.
Traditional office hymns are the ones that pass the test of the time in the life of the Church. I'm not a theologian or historian like other average fellow pew Catholics. I just sang whatever was scheduled to sing for the Mass.
I wonder people who write new hymns are willing to wait for their hymns to stand the test of the time and accepted by the Church and the tradition to be used in the liturgy, because mostly likely it won't happen in their life time.
What utter tosh
I personally love this hymn and I'm a theologian
Glad I don't go to his church!
Is not Keith Fraser missing the point? Is the point not that God needs us as it is through our allowance to letting him act through us that the world will be turned upside down? Is it not a call to action by us?
What a grace-less and utterly infantile critique.
Well, I'm sure you're trying to contribute to dialogue in your own way, but posting some mere name-calling as a comment, four years after the above blog post was written, does not accomplish much.
'Turning the world upside down' – This was how some people viewed the church in the first century; see Acts 17:6 KJV.
However I have to agree that the implication of God's forgiveness dispensed with or without the need and desire for it being recognised, is neither biblical nor logical
The idea of re-creation and a new creation is entirely biblical and is part of the broader work of God's redemption offered in Christ that starts with each of us if we allow it to.
Most schoolchildren today are unfamiliar with Christian theology and biblical texts. In his hymn 'O Lord all the world belongs to you', Patrick Appleford does a grand job of introducing key elements of Christ's teaching in the Gospels, tied in to scripture, much as Charles Wesley did in his hymnody. All set to a jaunty and singable tune.
He “turned my world upside down” means “he created a revolution in my inner being”; “he caused me to see everything differently”; “I was never the same after that encounter”. Resonant biblical refs.: where the devil says to Christ, "All the kingdoms of the world have been given to me" Luke 4.6; and Christ's words to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18.36).
Verse 1 references Psalm 24.1 ("The earth is the Lord's and everything in it") and Revelation 21.5 (where Christ says "Behold, I am making all things new"), and 2 Corinthians 5.17, that when anyone is in Christ there is a new creation. It takes up the themes of Jesus' teaching on forgiveness in the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matt 18.21-35, and Luke's record (23.34) that at his crucifixion Jesus said "Father forgive them, they know not what they do." God's forgiveness is offered unconditionally: that's what grace is.
Verse 2 references Matthew 5.33-34 – where Christ says "You've heard it said love your neighbour and hate your enemy – but I say to you, love your enemy"; and also his teaching in Luke 14.12 about inviting not only your friends to a party.
Verse 3 references 2.Corinthians 5.19, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us; and Ephesians 2.13,14, "now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us" (NRSV).
Verse 4 references Luke 22.24-27, about the disciples' dispute over who is the greatest, and Christ's correction that though the way of the world ("among the Gentiles") is to Lord it over others, "among you" things must be different – the greatest must be servant of all – "I am among you as one who serves."
Verse 5 reprises Verse 1, re-asserting the central theme of new creation and the revolution Christ's Gospel brings to our way of seeing the world.
A bad hymn – no way! 'O Lord, all the world belongs to YOU' – What a wonderful worship song about relationship with God, interaction with him and openness to what he can do and does. What Would Jesus Do? Sing this hymn and ask that question as you follow each verse. To do this will help the world and churches to become more in tune with what the Lord has revealed about his will and purpose. These are words that inspire response and action – just what practical people need to hear! No way a bad hymn!
'God is not turning the world upside down'?????????? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Sounds pretty upside down to me. Just as upside down as the tables in the temple in the hands of Jesus and the life of the 'rich young man' Jesus told to sell all his wealth to the poor. I could go on……