Reformation Hymnody

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevaling. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Martin Luther (1529)

October 31 is Reformation Day. As we take time to thank the Lord for the recovery of the Gospel, let us not forget the other fruits of the Reformation, such as hymnody. Informed by the recovery of the great truths of Scripture, hymns of the Reformation were Christocentric and theologically astute. They not only aided in worship, but they also acted as a teaching tool. (I used to joke with my former pastor that the hymns protected me from him.)

Salem-Ebenezer Reformed Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has a fine tradition of singing Reformation-period hymns during the month of October (see list below). This is not only a fitting means of giving thanks to the Lord for the Reformation, but it's also a reminder of the often overlooked treasures found in our Reformed and Presbyterian hymns.

Jesus is My Boyfriend Music

Hymnody has fallen on hard times. The Second Great Awakening, Pentecostalism, and the Jesus Movement have taken a toll. No longer are hymns theologically informed and centered upon the Glory and majesty of God; instead, the great truths of Scripture that moved the pens of hymnists have been replaced by the man-centered, lavender quills of romantics.

Dr. Michael Horton, professor of theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, reflects upon this transition in an article titled, Are Your Hymns Too Spiritual? Here's how the article begins:

The average Christian will learn more from hymns than from any systematic theology. Hymns chart progression from classic hymns of the 17th and 18th centuries (especially those of Charles Wesley, Augustus Toplady, John Newton and William Cowper) to the Romantic "songs and choruses" of the 19th and 20th centuries. They reflect the shift from Reformation categories (God, sin and grace, Christ's saving work, the Word, church, sacraments, etc.) to Romantic individualism. We sing, "I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear, singing in my ear, the voice of God is calling. And he walks with me and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own." Or, "He touched me." The number of 19th century hymns that talk about the objective truth of Scripture, and that which God has done outside of my personal experience, is overwhelmed by the number of hymns that focus on my personal experience. It is my heart, not God and his saving work, that receives top billing.

If that was true of the 19th century, the 20th century only exacerbated this emphasis, and the style of the commercial Broadway musical was imitated in songs that elevated personal experience and happiness above God and his glory. Today, the vast majority of entries in the Maranatha, Vineyard, and related praise songbooks are not only burdened with this self-centered and Gnostic tendency, but often contain outright heresy--probably not intentionally, but as a result of sloppy theology. In our day, sloppy theology usually means some form of Gnosticism.

You can read the rest here.

Reformation Hymns

The words for the following hymns were authored in the 16th or 17th centuries.

Hymn and Author

All People That On Earth Do Dwell	Louis Bourgeois, William Kethe
All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above	Johann Schutz
Now Blessed Be The Lord Our God	Scottish Psalter
Ye Holy Angels Bright	Richard Baxter
O Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord	Scottish Psalter
Let us, With a Gladsome Mind	John Milton
Praise to the Lord, Almighty, the King of Creation	Joachim Neander
With Glory Clad, With Strength Arrayed	Tate and Brady's
The Lord's My Shepherd	Scottish Psalter
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God	Martin Luther
Now Thank We All Our God	Martin Rinkart, Johann Cruger
O God, We Praise Thee; and Confess	Tate and Brady's
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Thy Word	Martin Luther
Whate'er My God Ordains is Right	Samuel Rodigast
O Thou My Soul, Bless God the Lord	Scottish Psalter
O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee?	Paul Gerhardt, Melchior Teschner
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of All Nature	Munster Gesangbuch
Wondrous King, All-Glorious, Sov'reign Lord Victorious	Joachim Neander
Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art	Strasbourg Psalter
Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates!	Georg Weissel
Comfort, Comfort Ye My People	Johannes Olearius, Louis Bourgeois
All My Heart This Night Rejoices	Paul Gerhardt, Johann Ebeling

--The Catechizer