Day: January 26, 2021

During our “snack break” in a preaching class last night, an Asian gentleman said, “You’re a worship leader.  Can you tell me, what is the difference between Christian music and secular music?”

Now that woke me up!

Seriously.  I really had to think about that one.  Throughout history, each generation has held a certain collection of songs to be “more holy” or “more spiritual” than others.  During the Middle Ages the Church condoned only the use of Latin Chant; during the Reformation church-goers would sing Lutheran Chorales;  a few decades ago Christian people would swear up and down that their Modern Hymnals were sacred writings; and today we have split congregations right down the middle –  half of the church firmly believes that hymns are still the “most holy” music, while the other half believes just as firmly that the hymns are “dead” and that more recent praise music is…

During our “snack break” in a preaching class last night, an Asian gentleman said, “You’re a worship leader.  Can you tell me, what is the difference between Christian music and secular music?”

Now that woke me up!

Seriously.  I really had to think about that one.  Throughout history, each generation has held a certain collection of songs to be “more holy” or “more spiritual” than others.  During the Middle Ages the Church condoned only the use of Latin Chant; during the Reformation church-goers would sing Lutheran Chorales;  a few decades ago Christian people would swear up and down that their Modern Hymnals were sacred writings; and today we have split congregations right down the middle –  half of the church firmly believes that hymns are still the “most holy” music, while the other half believes just as firmly that the hymns are “dead” and that more recent praise music is…

If you were to ask me which religious song inspired me the most this past year, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer, The Love of God.  This hymn, written in 1917 by F.M. Lehman, has inspired countless generations to reflect on the sheer magnitude of God’s love for us, and has always been a personal favorite of mine.  A few months ago, however, a co-worker asked if I knew the story behind this hymn.  The more research I did, the more amazed I became at the miraculous way that God has put this hymn together through the centuries.

Tracing the history of this timeless hymn is nothing short of inspiring:

A Medieval Prayer

Akdamut Millan is an 11^th century Hebrew poem that was written by Rabbi Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai – a cantor, or “synagogue singer,” from Worms, Germany.  The poem’s title can be literally translated as “Introductory Words,” and…