By Denny Burk
Timothy George explains why the Presbyterian Church USA has recently rejected the hymn “In Christ Alone” from its new hymnal:
Recently, the wrath of God became a point of controversy in the decision of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song to exclude from its new hymnal the much-loved song “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. The Committee wanted to include this song because it is being sung in many churches, Presbyterian and otherwise, but they could not abide this line from the third stanza: “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied.” For this they wanted to substitute: “…as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified.” The authors of the hymn insisted on the original wording, and the Committee voted nine to six that “In Christ Alone” would not be among the eight hundred or so items in their new hymnal.
Read more at http://www.dennyburk.com/presbyterian-church-u-s-a-rejects-popular-hymn-in-christ-alone-because-of-wrath/
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I went to the linked story and played the YouTube video of “In Christ Alone”. It’s a beautiful hymn and the committee rejected it on spurious grounds. Meanwhile, they included in the hymnal the heretically titled “Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth”. Is either decision surprising?
The new hymnal will be a further slide down the road to a nothing denomination with only left wing politics as its dogma.
Anything with verbiage like ‘Christ alone”, “accountability”, “judgment” and the like are the mortal enemies of the radical leftist ring; of which the PCUSA has become a most doting courtesan.
This is no surprise at all. Why spend energy getting upset? It’s like the tale of the scorpion and the fox. The fox offered to take the scorpion across the river, as long as it promised not to sting the fox. But, of course, half way across the scorpion stung the fox. Why? Because it was its nature to do so. Friends, it is the nature the PC(USA) to reject orthodoxy and adopt heresy. Don’t bother worrying about it. Just move on, and find something else to use. All the fretting in the world isn’t going to change anything! Good riddance, PC(USA). You are no longer a Christian denomination, so stop calling yourself one.
It shames me to see the complete lack of restraint and discipline within the local churches that has fed upstream to the leadership of the current administration of the PCUSA. We have over 40 years watched this damage other denominations, now we reap the whirlwind.
I am also ashamed that the conflict has focused on non-essentials — the trouble is what people say and do in the Name of Jesus our Lord regarding Scripture and not our regional culture or traditions of thought. Especially those strains of doubt sown in our own seminaries. Once the issue becomes about women pastors or un-Scriptural sexual congress, we lose our grip on the foundation of Christianity, let alone the substantive basis for Presbyterianism.
I am not sure whether I can stay within the denomination, and I’m not sure I trust those who left the PCUSA after allowing this development to occur over the past 60 years. It did not occur overnight. It is nice and fine to punch holes in the side of the boat and then complain about it sinking. We have not pursued the mind of the Lord, but whatever pleased ourselves and congratulations. After three Sundays I just discovered the pastor of a neighborhood church, which I was looking at whether to join, was active in Evolutionary Weekend and the Clergy Letter Project, as well as a board member of Covenant Network’s striving to end the “spiritual violence” against those who reject Scripture and embrace worldly mindsets regarding gender and sexual relations. For us, we will pray about whether God wishes us to be missionaries in the local PCUSA church. We’ve been there before, perhaps this is His will for us yet again. But we need Christian fellowship with those who really want to be disciples of Jesus and celebrate worship and service. Too bad we cannot find that in the PCUSA – neither did we in the church we left when we recently moved to another city.
Thanks be to God He knows who are His, and loses none of His own.
Not surprising. Remember what was eliminated or word changes in the last update to the hymnal? We wonder why we do not see the Presbyterian Hymnal in the pews of many of our Churchs!
I was annoyed enough about this to write to the new hymnal’s editor, David Eicher, and received from him this response, which I don’t think he would mind my quoting from. While I’m still not pleased at the reason this popular, wonderful hymn was not included, the situation from his standpoint was a little more complicated:
–RESPONSE FROM DAVID EICHER–
“Thank you for your interest in Glory to God, the new hymnal being released in September. Your summary of the action taken by the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song (PCOCS) while accurate, is really not the whole story. The posting by Denny Burk simply picks up on the fact that it was not included because we could not negotiate a satisfactory copyright agreement that included this change of text. But this posting, and others like it, omit the fact that Glory to God does indeed contain hymns about judgment and the wrath of God. The decision by the PCOCS on this particular hymn centered on whether we needed to add another text with this theme. The hymnal committee did not choose to omit themes of the atonement; the decision was not to include this hymn. The discussion was thorough, prolonged, passionate and deliberate. It was not a careless or thoughtless decision. In the end, there was not support from a 2/3 majority of the committee to include it. The 2/3 majority was a policy we followed on all content decisions for Glory to God. Removing this hymn from the content list is a disappointment to others, as well as to yourself. Everyone involved in this process had at least one of their “favorite” hymns not included. There is simply no way that any collection of congregational song can include everyone’s favorite hymn or song. Whenever I am presenting a workshop on this new collection I always say: “Just because the hymn or song is not included in Glory to God doesn’t mean we are saying you cannot sing it. And, likewise, just because a hymn or song IS included in Glory to God doesn’t mean we are saying you have to sing it.” Remember that we were attempting to put together a hymnal for a widely diverse denomination. This particular song is readily available, and with the proper permission or reprint license, it may easily be reproduced for use in your congregation, as are many other hymns and songs we could not include.”
–END OF RESPONSE–
The PCUSA will become another Detroit due to the liberal left destroying Biblical authority all in the name of compassion. Who will the left blame??? How can the left explain over 3 to 5 millions members leaving the PCUSA with more to come in the coming months and years? The leadership of the PCUSA are blind leader of the blind. Many will wake up too late.
We sing to Praise GOD,to lift CHRIST up,how many censors will we allow to suppress the truth.We do not prostrate ourselves or even lift our hands in praise in most PCUSA churches,for fear has caused us to shrink,
let us now stand up and SHOUT,MAY THE WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD FALL ON ALL THOSE THAT WOULD DISTORT AND IGNORE THE KING OF KINGS !!!
As a certified church musician, this hits me close to home. This hymn has become one of the most beloved in worship today, not just in a contemporary setting, but also in traditional worship, and in anthem repertoire as well. I can see one day, it will become another Here I Am, Lord or even How Great Thou Art. I am saddened to see it not included for whatever reason. While David Eicher tells churches that with proper licensing, they can still sing this song, that’s another whole can of worms. The majority of today’s churches don’t pay any attention to licensing. Luckily, this hymn is covered by CCLI which is the minimum that any church will have. I, however, know of large churches, upwards of 2,000 members, who do not abide by the law. Never encourage churches to sing outside the hymnal until you teach them what the copyright law entails. Hymns like Here I Am, Lord which is not in any older hymnals, is not covered by every license. Such a shame not to include this one, while Mothering God, hardly a favorite, if indeed anyone in your congregation knows it, gets a coveted spot.
Frankly, I’m grieved by the time and energy put into a new hymnal at all–especially receiving the letter from Louisville this week that there are SIX national celebrations planned to “educate about this new resource.”
I don’t doubt the good intentions of those involved, but is the publication of a new hymnal truly helping the church reach its God-given potential at ALL? With all the resources that it takes to research, plan, and print a hymnal, then host a series of nationwide celebrations about it…. What if the same amount of time and money and energy had been redirected into church planting or the 1001 new communities movement? Or healthy organizational leadership? Or how to effectively share God’s compassion with the “least of these” locally and around the world?
Most of my neighbors and people around me are unchurched or postchurched. And a new hymnal—however beautiful the songs and whether “In Christ Alone” is included or not–unfortunately will not bring them any closer to encountering Jesus. Telling my unchurched neighbors that my church is really committed to developing new hymnals as part of our mission–while they face a world of brokenness,addiction, dysfunctional relationships, depression, financial pressure, corporate ladder-climbing, homelessness, teenage suicide, hunger, not to mention the possibility of an eternity apart from Jesus–seems only to convey how insulated and irrelevant our priorities have become.
Or they may be like your example of Detroit, not having any real idea what just happened.
Over the years, I have frequently remarked (and scoffed) over the Presbyterians dropping Onward Christian Soldiers because it was deemed too militant!
Another ‘nail’ in the PC(USA) coffin! Add this to the endless denials of The Word and Will of God and the last days of this sad denomination will soon be just a footnote in the history books!
I have not yet seen the PC(USA)’s new translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. The objectional words from “In Christ Alone” would seem to be perfectly consistent with HC questions 12-17 in the current translation.
Q12: Since, then, by the righteous judgment of God we have deserved temporal and eternal punishment, how may we escape this punishment, come to grace, and be reconciled to God?
A: God wills that his righteousness be satisfied; therefore, payment in full must be made to his righteousness, either by ourselves or by another.
…
Q17: Why must he at the same time be true God?
A: So that by the power of his divinity he might bear as a man the burden of God’s wrath, and recover for us and restore to us righteousness and life.
I left the PCUSA 20 years ago for reasons such as this. At the time, I mourned. Now, when I hear about things like this I just shrug my shoulders and thank God that I got out when I did. It is dying on the vine and will, within another generation or so, be completely irrelevant. Churches that lift up the cross of Christ and EVERYTHING it stands for will continue to grow and be alive, while churches that seek the affirmation of man will continue to wither and die. No surprise here.
What’s a hymnal?