Showing posts with label Above All. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Above All. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2007

A theological nuance, but it's the difference between our faith's being man-centered and God-centered.

Thanks to M.R.H. for his comment under my recent post One Church's Report Card
He quotes from Bob Kauflin at length about Above All. Although there are several things he likes about the song, Kauflin has two serious misgivings:

But two parts bother me, both near the end of the song.

The first is the line "you took the fall." It seems like an understated way of describing what Jesus did. Not wrong, but not the best.

The other problem is the line, "and thought of me above all."

I have no question that Jesus loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20). But he didn't think of me "above all." Jesus went to the cross to satisfy God's righteous judgment against a sinful humanity. He thought of his Father's holiness, justice, and glory above all. It may seem like a theological nuance, but it's the difference between our faith being man-centered and God-centered. I don't think that's what the writers intended, but I think it could cause some confusion in people's minds. Besides, I think we have other songs that better articulate Jesus died for because he loved us and for his Father's glory. [Paragraphing and formatting by Corner Creature].
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Sunday, April 8, 2007

One Church's Report Card

Thanks to Scott Klusendorf's comment (#31) to Dr. Veith's post on Bathos, we are referred to a "Report Card" of songs and hymns published by Trinity Evangelical Church of Ft. Wayne, IN.

Interestingly, one song which I absolutely loathe, they give an A- to Above All. The song makes a great start


Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

But right at the climax of the song, it goes from a Christ exalting anthem to a solipsistic mess:


Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Excuse me??? Jesus thought of ME above all???? I displaced God The Father from his mind??? What doggerel!