I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the old hymns.
Today’s song is Christ the Lord is Risen Today from 1739.
It’s generally sung at Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but it’s often sung throughout the year too, particularly in evangelical churches, though it’s popular in wider circles.
1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
2 Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
3 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
5 Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
6 King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
It’s one of thousands of hymns written by Charles Wesley. Sometimes people think of skepticism about the Bible as a 21st Century phenomenon introduced by the likes of Richard Dawkins, Bart Ehrman, and so on. But such doubt and skepticism goes back a long way. In fact, it was there from the beginning. And back in the 18th Century, before the likes of the Wesleys and others were at the heart of a great revival, many churches in the UK were dead or dying. Christianity was more of a cultural phenomena with little in the way of true personal faith.
Many believed in God’s existence, but it was based on rationalism and philosophy rather than revelation. And what worship there was, was very restrained. But hymns such as this one played their part in changing all that, as did the preaching of the brother of Charles Wesley, John.
The term “evangelical”become widely used during the time of the Wesleys, though the word itself existed earlier. What changed in the 1730s–1790s was that it became a self‑conscious movement label, tied to the revivals led by the Wesleys, Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards.
I remember watching the Poldark TV series back in the 1970s. It’s based on a Winston Graham novel set in 18th-Century Cornwall. It featured some Methodists who were hated by the wealthy folk, who had their own church on their estate with a clergyman to do their bidding. Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice is an example of such a clergyman.
Much of Methodism later drifted into modernism and liberalism and became like the very thing that the Wesleys sought to change. But the early Methodists were a huge influence on later evangelical movements, such as Pentecostals, and also evangelical churches in general, where the focus is on Scripture, the cross of Christ, personal faith, and spreading the good news.
New movements can often include silly or even sinister elements, but one wonders what would happen if you never had fresh thinking, particularly when it’s coupled with a longing for spirit-filled New Testament Christianity. I’ve seen a lot of silly movements within evangelicalism in my lifetime, but somehow, great people, great music and great evangelistic initiatives emerged from them. So, while I still generally distance myself from what I deem “silly”, I don’t despise them. I don’t imagine that much would be accomplished if everyone were just like me 😀. I believe that the Holy Spirit is often active in new movements, but so are humans with all their flaws and idiosyncrasies. One wonders why the Holy Spirit doesn’t stick to sensible churches, but perhaps none of us are very sensible 😀.
The Wesleys made frequent visits to Ireland, and some influential early Methodists came from Ireland. Here’s a little article on Methodism and the History of Irish Palatines. That all happened close to where I currently live.
But anyway, the hymn isn’t about Methodists – it’s about Jesus and the joy of the resurrection. Where He goes, all those who belong to Him will follow. Here are some other versions of the hymn:
Hibernia Gospel 