It happened again this week as I was looking through the hymnal choosing hymns for the service Sunday. If you are not a pastor, you may not realize that this is more complicated than it might at first appear. There are a number of things to consider. What does the congregation know and enjoy singing? One new hymn in a service is o.k., but picking three or more that are new or not well known? No. That doesn’t make people feel like they are at home where they belong in their church. And it doesn’t encourage robust singing. People who don’t read music may feel kind of left out. Then there is the spirit of the hymn. Is it rousing? Quiet? Pensive? Melodious? A certain part of the service may call for a certain mood so it helps to pick a hymn that contributes to creating that mood. Then there are the associations with the hymn. Some hymns seem to have quite a bit of “baggage” – sometimes good and sometimes not so good. There are some people in our church who grew up in very fundamentalist Christian churches. I have noticed that they do not sing the hymns from their youth with the same vigor that they have for newer hymns. Too many negative associations, I guess. If you pick 3 old timey hymns for a service, or even two, a first time visitor may get the impression that the church is very traditional/orthodox when it really are not. Yet there are those in the congregation who love to sing those old standards. So care must be taken with that. There are also the limitations of the hymnal that constrict things. We have the copyright license to use other music but we don’t like to have to do a lot of extra copying and using extra paper. As you can see, there is much to consider in hymn selection for Sunday mornings.
But the biggest challenge I find when choosing hymns is the words. Yes, the words. Three verses may be great. Then there is mention of something that is not at all compatible with the expression of Christianity that most of the people in our church share. On many of these things, I can be flexible, skip a verse, or just sing something that is “old fashioned” and recognize that that is how well meaning Christians used to look at things.
But there is one place I do balk. I really can’t accept choosing a hymn that says flat out that Jesus is the only way: The one way, the only way, to God, to right living, to salvation, to justice. That I cannot bring myself to have the congregation sing. That kind of language bespeaks the very imperial arrogance and exclusivism that Jesus was against. That is the sentiment that Christians have used as validation to take up arms against those of other religions. Again, a blatant violation of the pacifism of Jesus. That kind of exclusivism undermines the very mission of Jesus as an expression of divine love for ALL people and for the WHOLE world with no privilege or preference except for those who are made poor. Jesus did not check out someone’s background or beliefs before healing them, feeding them, teaching them, or forgiving them. He embodies divine love and grace to those at the top and those at the bottom, those of his religious tradition, those of other or perhaps no religious inclination.
In today’s world, language about Jesus that implies that he is the only way to God or good, creates many problems which Jesus himself was trying to overcome. Such wording separates people. Jesus was always trying to bring people together. That perspective devalues those who are different. Jesus was trying to get across that each and every person is sacred and created in the image of God. The “Jesus only” message is used to fuel conflict, contention, and even violence. It gets in the way of respect and cooperation. This is absolutely at odds with the intentions of Jesus. Religion is to be a force bringing people together to serve the common good, not a source of division and conflict.
As far as I am concerned, Jesus leads me to God. Jesus shows me the way to the highest good for society and for myself. Jesus brings out my best. And Christianity is the tradition in which I find the community and solidarity that I need to follow in the way of Jesus for the good of the world. But that is not the only way to be a good person or to work for the good of the world. If I had been born in Saudi Arabia I would probably be Muslim. And within that tradition I could also be led to God and to serving the greater good. If I had been born in Thailand, I might be Buddhist and within that tradition be led to experience the transcendent and to serve humanity. Most of the reason I am Christian is really the randomness of my birth. And I accept that. I embrace the goodness and the potential of our Christian tradition And because of our commitment to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, I also support and respect the religious paths of others. That is the way of Jesus. That is the way of peace. But it sure makes it hard to pick hymns for church on Sunday.
Prayer: In this Lenten season, as we grow in our faith, we celebrate our heritage as Christians and all the good that is inherent in the way of Jesus. We pray for the grace to truly love everyone as Jesus did. We are grateful for the many paths of faith that lead others to pursue the welfare of the world and goodwill for all people. May we devote ourselves to being the best Christians we can be which means not judging or condemning others. May we trust a God that is truly universal and not limited by our preferences or perceptions. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 