I have been slowly reading a book on the development of hymnody in the Church over this past year. The next few posts are my thought gleanings gathered during that time ….. in no particular order.
I continue to be newly delighted by this random book I picked up at a used book store simply because the title sounded lovely. "The Hymnody of the Christian Church". It is a series of lectures given on the origin and the importance of hymns to teach, inspire, and move the people of God to adoration and praise. It is fascinating and has proved great food for prayer. And many a "aha" moment has passed as I turn the pages.
Yesterday, it gave me new eyes in reading the letters of St. Paul. To put myself there as he dictated them. Rev. Benson says this:
The Pauline letters "leave an impression of one whose high-strung temperament and exalted mood dwelt habitually in that atmosphere of light and color with which a spiritual imagination clothes experience. And of one also whose turn for rhetorical expression, half unconsciously even, transmuted his thoughts and feelings into rhythmical phrases and nicely balanced formularies; staying with him, as such things will, the familiar possession of his mind, pulses of melody in his heart."
This is to say that Paul was a natural poet. His writing often reveals it. Rev. Benson goes on to say that there are passages in each letter that suddenly sound like the words to a hymn. The very words sound as if they should be sung. He further posits that perhaps these were hymns that the early Christians sang together, among other hymns that rose from the Spirits power within the minds and hearts of the individuals in the Church and were inserted in letters to give encouragement and remembrance by those who received the power and gift of hymnody and were to share it with the whole for edification and strength. St Paul himself says that hymnody is a gift from the Holy Spirit.
The famous quote from Corinthians - the Hymn of Love - is this kind of thing. It is this lyrical flight of poetic praise that suddenly takes over the letter he is writing. Rev. Benson then wonders what the Amanuensis (or scribe to whom Paul dictated) wondered as the words tumbled out perhaps "pausing to look up at the apostle's face for an explanation of his sudden change of style as he begins to dictate his vision of perfection. The lyric personalities with which the passage opens and closes make it quite as easy to picture the Apostle as having risen in some assembly with a seer's vision and utterance to speak the words, here made a part of record, as an inspirational psalm, in the Spirit and with the understanding also of heavenly love. In any case it is evidence enough of St. Paul's gift of psalmody".
So, in the early Church hymns sprang from prayer and personal contact with the Holy Spirit groaning within. There was no songbook. There were only the early Christians listening to the sudden poetry of praise rising within them. Not all had the gift. Hymns were a spiritual gift. And if some hymns resonated with the company of believers as they prayed, they would repeat them the next time and sing them from then on as they met. Thus slowly a large number of hymns came into being.
When you read St. Paul's letters in this way, you see that it is so! And you wonder if he is quoting something in his letters that his flock all might have heard him sing before. And it filled them with consolation as they remembered singing it once when he was among them. Even in the Book of Revelation there are places where St. John seems to exalt in the poetic and you wonder also there if he, too, might have heard these words sung within his breast and shared them musically with the others.
It is all so beautiful to think upon. That hymns are vitally important to worship. That they must spring from a life of prayer and not from a committee. If we are honest, we will know which ones lift us to praise and adoration. They will have that feel. There will be no 'humanism' about them - nor anything insipid. Sanctifying grace swims through us as well as it did through the early Christians. There are those who have been given this gift of hymnody even now. It is exciting to think that perhaps we will one day get beyond "On Eagle's Wings" and "Table of Plenty" and once again, hear the music of Heaven, and sing it loudly.
This book is so beautiful and hopeful. The best five dollars I have ever spent on a book.
I do not feel inclined at this time to have a paid substack. But if we were together in a cafe discussing all these thoughts, I would not be opposed to you buying me a cup of coffee - with cream, of course. In that spirit, if any of my posts resonate with you and you feel so inclined, you can donate here: buymeacoffee.com/denise_trull