I have a love-dislike relationship with contemporary praise and worship music...No need to get into it now except to say that the new stuff has really deepened my appreciation for hymns.
Today in church we sang "Thy Strong Word." This hymn is written in a minor key, has six long verses filled with King James language, and is basically a good example of what some people hate about hymns. But the words are poetic and rich. Read them a couple times. The fifth verse especially never fails to convict me, and notice the description of the Trinity at the end.
Thy strong Word did cleave the darkness;
At thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank Thee
While thine ordered seasons run
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!
Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,
Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of thy salvation,
Breathed thine own life-giving breath.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!
Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous;
Bright with thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory,
And our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!
From the cross thy wisdom shining
Breaketh forth in conqu'ring might;
From the cross forever beameth
All thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise to Thee who light dost send!
Alleluia without end!
Give us lips to sing thy glory,
Tongues thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats to shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak thy holy name.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
May the light which thou dost send,
Fill our songs with alleluias,
Alleluias without end!
God the Father, light-creator,
To Thee laud and honor be.
To Thee, Light from Light begotten,
Praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, light-revealer,
Glory, glory be to Thee.
Mortals, angels, now and ever
Praise the Holy Trinity!
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9 comments:
That's one of my favorite hymns.
My favorite hymn also
We sang this in church Sunday. Very powerful hymn. If we start using it more often, Thy Strong Word will definitely become one of my favorites!
This is a beautiful and very powerful hymn. It has been one of my favorites for years.
This hymn is awesome. I too have trouble with praise/contemporary,wish we sang this more often
Many don't like the minor key...but I love this song! If contemporary songs were written lyrically as well as this, but with either a faster tempo, extra instruments for accompaniment, etc - I'd like it more possibly.
You know that the lyrics for this hymn were written by a professor of New Testament and Greek from the St. Louis seminary of the LCMS in the 60s. It was a time at the seminary when it was ranked in the top 10 academically among Christian seminaries in the US and when some of the brightest minds were in the student body there.
This is probably my favorite hymn of all time. The King James language, as you call it, works beautifully with the minor melody to evoke a sense of the past.
And if you want an excellent arrangement, check out the Milwaukee-based group Koine. Their album "The Vine" has the best arrangement I've ever heard, not shying away from the darker feel of this hymn.
I know you don't know me, but this is my favorite hymn. The opening sounds like when God was creating the entire world. This is by far better than any contemporary hymn.
I'm an LCMS member and have come to appreciate our rich history of singing great hymns - hymns that deal with how much God loves and now how much we love Him.
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