In this series, I explore some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀.
Select the arrow for my “general intro” (which I’m reusing for all the modern hymns that I explore)
I grew up with rock music, so it’s not such a shocking thing for me to explore these. Back in my earlier years as a Christian, we had the old hymns and some modern choruses that originated in the 1970s charismatic movement. As time went on, I started to prefer the older hymns.
Nowadays, I try to maintain an interest in all Christian music. It’s easy to find “trendy” Christian music annoying, even as a Christian 😀. I don’t know why. But I’m trying to overcome that prejudice. Perhaps the older hymns give us a sense of history, but many of these would have been similar to popular music of their day. So maybe people cringed when they first heard some of these too 😀.
Anyway, today’s hymn is O Come to the Altar. It’s from 2016.
It’s interesting to see an evangelical song with “Altar” in the title. Generally speaking, we see “altars” as associated with sacrifices. So, while Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have altars associated with the sacrifice of the Mass, evangelical churches believe that we don’t need to repeat what Jesus did on Calvary. It was a once for all sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:27
Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 10:10
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
A good many hymns and modern songs emphasize this.
But the New Testament does use terms such as “sacrifice” in a metaphorical sense.
Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
In the Old Testament, the altar represented the meeting place between God and humanity — a sacred space of sacrifice, worship, covenant, and divine presence. But in the New Testament, meeting with God isn’t about going to a specific place. The old sacrificial altar disappeared because Christians believed the true sacrifice had already been offered, once and forever, by Christ. But wherever we are, we can immediately come into his presence.
This brings to mind an older “modern song” that I heard back in 1980 – Only a Prayer Away. In fact, while searching YouTube, I found a whole load of songs with that expression in the title. Here’s a couple of examples
Anyway, back to today’s song 😁.
My favourite part is the chorus. It reminds me of the father of the prodigal son rushing out to meet him when he repents and comes home. So we don’t need to come to any altar. We can come directly to the Father.
O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
I always find encouragement in this verse, which Jesus spoke on the night before he died. He spoke about the near future. He spent several weeks with the disciples after the resurrection, but even after that, he sent the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit awakens us to the presence of God. I think of it like my connection to the web which goes to my service provider. It’s as if my prayer begins with the Holy Spirit at work in my heart. Then it goes to the Father through Jesus, who is the mediator between God and man. But Jesus doesn’t need to twist the Father’s arm to listen to us. The Father himself loves us, as does Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
John 16:22-28
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Here are a few interesting versions of O Come to the Altar:
Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hibernia Gospel 