I recently came across a poem entitled, “The Power of a Christian Song” penned by an unknown poet. I couldn’t resist the temptation to add a few stanzas to reinforce the theme and message of the original:
The Power of a Christian Song
There’s something about a fine old hymn
That can stir the heart of a man;
That can reach to the goal of his inmost soul
Such as no mere preaching can.
It’s more than the tune of the song he sings
And it’s more than the poet’s rhyme–
It’s the Spirit of God working through these things
That gives them their power sublime
So we thank Thee, Lord, for the fine old hymns;
May we use them again and again
As we seek to save from a hopeless grave
The souls of our fellow men!
Now, here’s my addition to the poem…
There’s something about a fine old hymn
That awakens the soul of a man;
That proclaims the truth of the gospel in song
Such as no Christian pop music can
It’s not just the words or the music we hear
And it’s not about your likes or mine—
It’s the purpose with which that hymn was writ
To glorify God upon High!
The song that’s composed with intent to praise God
Finds favor with heavenly hosts;
It makes no compromise with worldly styles
Such as Christian pop music can boast!
The Christian pop music most folks want to sing
Draws crowds who will pack in the pews
But the type of praise we should be offering
Must reflect a strong Christian worldview
Those lyrics proclaim too much about “me”,
The theology in them is so slim;
But the purpose of praise in these post-modern days,
is not about you, it’s about HYMN.
