A New Hymnal

Attention spans are a funny thing. So is time. 12 years ago, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denmark commissioned a group with task of producing a new hymnal. 12 years is, give or take, usually the duration of such an undertaking. But admittedly a long time in a fast-paced world such as the one we live in.

This week, the hymnal is finally complete, finished in printing, and being sent out to those who have pre-ordered. I have had the pleasure and privilege of sitting on the Hymnal Committee since 2000, being its secretary and responsible for the layout, among other things. It is not without a certain degree of professional satisfaction that I now hold the finished product in my hands. I am in no way neutral, but I do think this is one of the best hymnals out there.

Many things have happened since 1995. Pop and rock music have replaced hymn-singing in some churches (including my own). New technology (PowerPoint) has, to some extent, diminished the need for printed hymnals in churches. And a new generation have grown up. Some—especially among these—may question the need for a new hymnal. And they may have a point. But I still believe that publishing the new hymnal is a milestone and that it will become an asset for the church.

Although other genres have made their way into the church (which is a good thing), I don’t believe hymns will—or should—vanish altogether. The collective memory and rich tradition entrenched in the heritage of hymn-singing has a lot to teach even our generation. Hymnals are always updated at certain intervals, and this new publication will help keep the tradition alive. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

As for technology, PowerPoint is good, and there are plans to release an official CD-rom with .ppt files. But there is still a need for the selection and quality control that a thoroughly researched publication offers. Furthermore, a hymnal is not only for use in church, but also in the home—for family vespers, or for personal inspiration. For this, it still needs to be in print.

There are many good things to say about the hymnal, and a lot of hard work that now, finally, bears fruit. I hope that the release can help revive worship and singing in Seventh-day Adventist Churches and homes across Denmark. I will do my best to promote it, and look forward to opportunities to use it and promote it in my own church and others.

A Political Message by Casting Crowns

After last week’s concert, I’ve been listening a lot to the music of Casting Crowns, which gets even better by familiarity. I have especially warmed to the song “While You Were Sleeping”- which is about how humanity too often ignores God, even when He’s right there in front of us. It’s still a very good song, but my impression was somewhat tainted when I discovered a political agenda hidden in this song.

Observe the fourth verse: “United States of America //Looks like another silent night// Every son deceived by philosophies // That save the trees and kill the children” It seems to me that CC are expressing a stance against the environment and against choice (in abortion).

I know this is a touchy subject, and perhaps not as controversial in the U.S. But I strongly believe that politics and religion should be kept separate. I am happy that the Seventh-day Adventist Church promotes religious liberty and separation of church and state. I believe that, as a Christian living in a democracy, you ought to take part in that democracy, but nobody should expect you to have this or that political view because of your religion.

Setting the Agenda

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

How easy it is to forget this! As Christians, we are taught to put our faith in God, and always seek His blessings on our lives. But do we really appreciate the fullness of the command Jesus gives us here?

The key word is ‘first’. Saying “Lord, I plan to do this—please bless my plans” is not putting Him first. Saying “Lord, I want to seek your will, and I want your will to be like this” is not putting Him first. It’s hard to let go—because doing so would be a leap of faith. What guarantee do we get that trusting God is the best thing to do? The only guarantee is the words and actions of Jesus. And that ought to be enough. By looking at the cross, any doubt about His intentions should fade. There can be no greater love than that which we witness at Calvary.

This is the man I wish to follow. Do I always do it? No—for I am human, and I fail, and my faith is also only human. I long for living in a relationship with Jesus where I trust him completely and put Him first in my life.

Lord, help me to seek first your kingdom. Help me to have faith in you and trust your guidance. I want to live my life according to your will, not mine. I want to follow your agenda, not mine. Hold on to me, as I try to hold on to you. Let your promises come to life in me by your Spirit. Amen.

Casting Crowns

One of the hottest names in praise music these days is Casting Crowns, from Atlanta, GA. Tonight, they visited Århus, and I had the privilege of bringing one of my best friends to a wonderful “concert”.

And I put concert in quotation marks, for seldom do you experience prayer and preaching from the big stage at Århus Music Hall. Seldom do people give their lives to Jesus in that spot, which is the city’s main venue for classical music and entertainment (which means that I have now performed in the same venue as CC . But this happened tonight, and I’m guessing also the night before – the concert was an extra, since the first one sold out in almost no time.

Not to say that the music wasn’t great. Casting Crowns are known for hits such as Lifesong and Who Am I, the latter played in an acoustic version that gave the audience ample opportunity to hear each other. Their music is mostly hard rock, with resemblances to Third Day and Nickelback (both personal favorites). Tonight’s set was wonderfully played; I love the feeling of being surrounded by music (this requires a volume that my neighbors usually wouldn’t appreciate). The heavy-rock, up-tempo rendering of Hillsong classic My Redeemer Lives was interesting in a good way, but for me especially “Praise You In This Storm” from Casting Crown’s self-titled first album was chilling.

What really tied the night together, though, were the heart-felt comments by band leader (and youth pastor) Mark Hall. There are no rock stars, he said, we’re here to praise Jesus. And amazingly, I believe the humility is honest. Casting Crowns are an awesome band, but they also came to Århus with a purpose – and delivered.

Back to Reality?

More than two weeks have now passed since the Adventist Church session in Denmark. The unprecedented hike in visitors to this blog is over. Has interest waned also in the future of the church? I certainly hope not.

But we have a tendency to focus on the grand event, the important thing, the parties, and forget the mundane. Take sports. I love watching the World and Euro Cups in football (soccer), but can’t really be bothered to follow regular matches. The super-bowl is fun, but I’d never watch NFL every week. (Others will, of course, disagree on this.) Same goes for politics. It may be interesting to follow in an election year, but how many of us actually care in between?

Sometimes religion suffers from the same tendency. We care about the future of the church because it’s right there, screaming us in the face. But then we go home and go back to work, and life goes on. It is good, then, to know that we have a Union board set aside for seeking God’s guidance for the church. And whatever your opinion on clergy, it is good to know that at least some people spend their time building God’s kingdom. But what about the rest of us?

And one thing is church politics, but what about spirituality? It can be tempting to build your life as a disciple on events, too. Longing for that spiritual retreat, the camp meeting, the summer camp, or whatever, that “fills us up” in order to go on. Or living from Sabbath to Sabbath, waiting to be “filled up” in church.

Don’t get me wrong, these things can be good, and even necessary. But I believe Jesus wants to be lord also of the mundane. Being a committed Christian is a full-time thing. Not sitting piously in the corner all day, for we need to work to keep the world spinning. But it would be a danger if we built our faith on the expectation of the next big thing. In stead, we ought to build on the rock that is the Word of God – everyday.

A Day in the Life

I read the news today, oh boy. Turns out, it was 40 years ago Sgt. Pepper told the band to play. Perhaps the most influential album of all time, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on June 1 (UK) and June 2 (USA), 1967.

Their production was second to none, and it’s getting better all the time. Could you believe in love at first sight? Well, with a little help from my friends at Wikipedia, I found out that the album was indeed a sensation from the day it was released.

I can’t really keep my mind from wondering if they had any idea back then what phenomenon it would become. I just heard the album through again, and it’s still perfectly brilliant. Some things just stand the test of time.