Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday May 17, 2006

I got a call from my friend Pastor Paul Beatty and as we talked I recalled a remark he made back in March, actually a quote from A.W. Tozer. It set me to thinking. Usually my mind suffers some form of paralysis and it takes atomic people to get it moving. Paul is a younger atomic Irishman.

His quote from Tozer:

"Christians do not tell lies, we just go to church and sing them."

As I understand it, the song services at church, whether they be so called 'Praise & Worship' or the more traditional biblical type, are to be entered into with thought and feeling. In my humble opinion, neither type consistently meet this criteria. I watched in wonder as a mob mouthed the same seven words eleven times and asserted that they were as thirsty as a panting deer, all the while holding one empty hand in the air, in the other hand clutching a bottle of Evian (Naïve spelled backwards). Why would you be thirsty with a bottle of water in your hand? And of course the more traditional thoughtless rendition of "Take my silver and my gold" well, go ahead and try it!! And in the same vein, as far as I know all attempts to get folks to mean it when they sing, "For Thee all the follies of sin I resign" are really exercises in futility.

"All to Jesus I surrender" you have to be kidding.

How about "Jesus loves the little children" accompanied by, 'Why don't you get that brat into the nursery?'

Well, you get the idea. Tozer had our number and it is a shame that he was so right on.

I hope you will pardon my cynicism, but I do have to fight back at least chuckle when I hear certain lyrics from 'The Old Rugged Cross' such as "To the old rugged cross 'I' will ever be true, its shame and reproach 'gladly' bear."

Sure.

I hope you do not think I am going to get mean with this piece. I just wrote the above in the hope that you, my dear reader, of all the people of the earth would be the one who can mouth the above from a heart that is truly in line with the lyrics. I know I want to sing with my mind and my heart while refusing to practice the Roman concept of 'mental reservation.'

The correct songs of whatever type do serve to act as a mirror of our true heart condition and therefore require thought and honesty. We should sincerely pray that our mind and heart are in agreement with the words.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit

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