Sing, Sing a Song. Make it Simple Sing out Strong. Oh and Pay Attention to What it Means

When we were in Huntsville several weeks ago we stopped at an antique store that had a bunch of recent, by that I mean from the 1950's and up, hymnals. I have been reading about and have become interested in artful journaling. Of course my lack of any artistic talents hasn't stopped me. I'm finding what is lacking in artistic work on a personal level is being marketed on a corporate level. Thus the aforementioned trip to Michael's yesterday. I can be creative in the way I layout the designs and use stamps and stickers, oh and stanzas from hymnals. I've enjoyed the process of this so far and in fact I'm inspired to take over Roy's beverage barn room, former guest room, and begin to use the 6 foot table for my journal creations instead of Power Aid, Gatorade and Diet Coke storage. But back to the hymnals. I bought two Baptist Hymnals circa 1952 and 1970's. The 1970's edition has the much beloved hymn, God of Earth and Outer Space and Pentecostal Power. Since the 70's introduced the theological tugging of speaking in tongues, we always thought on those rare occasions where the congregation got to pick the songs to sing and usually this happened on Sunday nights, that we teenagers were so funny always requesting those two songs. Especially the Pentecostal Power song since the chorus had the phrase "and baptize everyone" in it. After awhile the music minister didn't even look our way. He wanted to go with the tried and true favorites Break Thou the Bread of Life and Blessed Day of Motherhood. He should have been thankful that teenagers had chosen to be in church instead of the other various locations where temptations were available and just get the thing over with and at least let the congregation sing one of those songs. While looking through the hymnals I'm remembering good times from Sunday night church as a junior high schooler bored out of our minds but we were industrious bored ones. You probably did this too; where you add underneath the sheets to titles from the hymn book. Example, I Will Sing the Wondrous Story...underneath the sheets or Just As I Am...between the sheets. Either version was proper for junior highers. It kept us amused and continually in trouble with our parents after church. They could hear our muted giggles coming from the back row of the sanctuary. Ahem... So, I bought the hymnals to use in my artful journaling. There were a lot of words and change of direction between the first and last sentence of this paragraph. Hope you enjoyed the diversion and the journey.


Since I have been off task in telling this story, a new paragraph just might keep me on task. Anyway, I bought a Methodist hymnal too since many of the old favorites are really from a Methodist ilk. The preface of the hymnal pulled my to attention because included in it, John Wesley's admonition of 1761 titled, DIRECTIONS FOR SINGING in the hymnal Select Hymns. John Wesley had seven admonitions for congregational singing. I'm not going to list them all but just the ones that seem most interesting.

• Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
• Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep, but lift your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard than when you sung the songs of Satan.
• Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when He cometh in the clouds of heaven.

Even if I never used this hymnal for my journal, and I already have since It is Well in the Baptist Hymnal has a song on the back of it that I might use too, these directions from 1761 so spoke to my heart in 2010. The sing spiritually point is so profound and timeless just as we are to worship the God who is profound and timeless and all knowing and all present. John Wesley wrote in other points to sing hymns exactly as they are printed, sing all, join with the congregation, sing modestly, do not bawl, and sing in time, don't run ahead or stay behind the leading voices.

Let me leave you with the words from the hymn voted worst hymn ever on Google. In retrospect some of the wording is so innocent and sweet but other phrases are just out there...well in Outer Space. I don't know if I could seriously sing this with John Wesley's direction of sing spiritually. The song brings back fun memories of immaturity and being a lover of fun. Yes, I know the memories I made yesterday at the age of 56 still falls into the category of immaturity and fun.

God of Earth and Outer Space

Words: Thad Roberts, Jr.

God of earth and outer space, God of love and God of grace,
Bless the astronauts who fly, As they soar beyond the sky.
God who flung the stars in space, God who set the sun ablaze,
Fling the spacecraft thro’ the air, Let man know your presence there.

God of atmosphere and air, God of life and planets bare,
Use man’s courage and his skill, As he seeks your holy will.
God of depth and God of height, God of darkness, God of light,
As man walks in outer space, Teach him how to walk in grace.

God of man’s exploring mind, God of wisdom, God of time,
Launch us from complacency, To a world in need of thee.
God of power, God of might, God of rockets firing bright.
Hearts ignite and thrust within, Love for Christ to share with men.

God of earth and outer space, God who guides the human race,
Guide the lives of seeking youth, In their search for heav’nly truth.
God who reigns below, above, God of universal love,
Love that gave Nativity, Love that gave us Calvary.