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 very modern hymns.
Today’s song is The Time Has Come from 2006.
Two things that stand out about this one is the title and the rock style. The time has come for what? It’s for personal commitment to Jesus. And as for the rock style, I wonder how many disapprove of using worldly music for hymns? I’ve often moved in circles where people associated rock music with sin, so they wouldn’t listen to it, or if they did, they’d keep very quiet about it. And I myself have often been annoyed by evangelicals wanting to be “trendy”.
But then again, I didn’t like how people who showed so much obvious enthusiasm for music and sport would at best “put up” with going to church and singing hymns. I’m watching the World Cup this summer. I’d love it if a time would come when you’d see stadiums filled with people praising Jesus. It’s strange how we tend to sneer at people showing enthusiasm for Jesus.
Throughout church history there’s always been a tendency for “holy” people to gather into their own little sects or communities and steer clear of “worldly” Christians. But it’s often said that Jesus encouraged people to mix with the wider world. He was criticized by the Scribes and Pharisees for mixing with sinners.
So, there are a wide range of perspectives on music styles even within evangelicalism. And I can benefit from different movements without closely identifying with them. My theological outlook would be reformed and conservative, but some of the more trendy churches are much better at getting the message out to the world, and I rejoice in that. Nowadays, I’m making an effort to see the best of rival outlooks rather than the worst. And I’ve always liked rock music through it does seem odd to hear it in church circles. But it’s also odd to see a woman driving a bus, though they’ve been driving them in Ireland for 50 years 😀. Yet, it’s still something that surprises me. Maybe it’s because most bus drivers used to be men. I remember too back in the 1970s, all the best rock groups were British or American, so when you saw Irish bands, you’d tend to laugh at them. When I first saw U2 back in 1979. or even in 1985 at Live Aid, I thought they were a little silly for acting as if they were a “proper” rock group, like the British ones 😀.
And most hymns that I grew up with were old ones. Old habits die hard. And I think so much of our outlook is dictated by habitual ways of thinking. I might like the older stuff more, but I like to hear Jesus praised using all genres.
Anyway, here are some other versions of todays hymn:
Hibernia Gospel 