I really don’t know what to do with Lingamish’s meme on weird worship songs, despite being tagged. His meme has also resulted in a mix of responses. I shall widen the mix simply by rambling.
I have been scathing about songs on plenty of occasions before, but I should note that weirdness has been with us [...]
Although in yesterday’s post I deliberately (for the sake of concentrating on one point at a time) bracketed out the gendered language of the song “Father God…”. I was not at all surprised that the women commenting on it nonetheless zeroed straight in on the phrase “I am your son, I am adopted in your [...]
From the Jordan to the desert,from the crowd to barren place,Spirit-driven, devil-tempted,Lord, you sought the Father’s grace:show us now your pow’r, in weakness,presence in the empty space.
Out of Egypt with God’s people,freedom brings its testing stress:what is right and what is truthful,how the name of God confess?Jesus, be our journey’s leader,guide us through the [...]
The popularity of a limited range of carols has, even in churches where traditional hymns are appreciated, pushed out some of the older hymnody. Some such forgotten hymns are often rather richer in theology than those that have displaced them. Here’s one I have always rather liked, and often use in personal prayer.
A great and [...]
Michael Halcomb launches a puritanical attack on several Christmas carols. (A little premature in my view – it’s only the second day of Advent!) He promises more to come. I quote with several large omissions indicated by ellipses:
One thing that really irks me is when Christmas tradition replaces Scriptural truth and teachings … as believers, [...]
Nearly a month ago I posted a draft of a hymn based on the famous “Late have I loved you … ” prayer passage from St Augustine’s confessions. In the light of feedback and helpful criticism, I’ve now moved to a second draft, and in particular tried to strengthen the last verse. I’ve also more-or-less [...]
“Mummy, mummy, do all fairy stories begin “Once upon a time”?
“No, dear, some of them begin “When I became a Christian all my problems were over.”
I sometimes wonder whether the mark of the many “biblical” churches is a deep-rooted conviction that God gave us the wrong kind of Bible. It’s true of those churches that [...]
One of the better known prayer passages from Augustine’s confessions is this one.
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which [...]
