Updating Hymns

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Absolutely disgraceful, why would you want to change a hymn anyway? And even if they were changed, I'm sure most people, myself definitely included, would continue to sing the original lyrics.

The OP explained why. Some of its for the same reason as replacing the KJV with the NKJV or similar translations, updating dated language to make it more accessible to modern ears, even if you want no change in the theology.  For instance, I dare say if it weren't for being in the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" I doubt 'wretch' would even be in common use anymore, and even with it, it's not all that common a word. Others do so to make the language more gender inclusive, and if you go to a church that would consider making a change for those reasons, I doubt you'd stay a member long if you'd insist upon the original hymn instead of singing the new herm.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Melodic considerations aside, I don't have a problem with that. I'm not a big fan of updating old texts to reflect modern sensitivities, but the issue with religion is that it is didactic, and "a wretch like me" is just an awful concept plus a worse teaching. I would never teach or imply that humans by their "fallen nature" are "wretches" or "depraved" or whatever. And it's a really terrible thing to teach a child, so since it in a didactic context I applaud these updates.

The hymn is more the personal story of John Newton as a sinner redeemed than a theological commentary on original sin.  Of course, it is no longer fashionable to think of ourselves as sinners in need of redemption.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

One of things that annoys me the most, though, is when they set the hymns to music that isn't used for them in any other church.  "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" is set to a tune that I've never heard in any other denomination, as is "I Gave My Life for Thee," "My Lord and I," and "Hark the Voice of Jesus Crying," among others.  (In fact, the latter got its title changed as well, to "Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling.")  I'm assuming that most of these "new" tunes were written by Adventist composers (There are a few that I know were.) Honestly, I think the mortalist updates are unnecessary too, because even if people don't go to heaven or hell immediately after death, they do at some point after death.

Keep in mind that many older hymns were not originally associated with any particular tune.  So it's probably just that the first Adventist hymnal to use it picked "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" at a time when it had not yet become associated with any tune.  Indeed, according to hymnary.org, there are two different tunes most commonly associated with "I Sing the Mighty Power of God".  The arranger of the tune Adventists use "Varina" doesn't appear to have been an Adventist, and certainly not the composer or lyricist since  they both lived in the 18th century. According to hymnary.org the tune "Varina" is most commonly associated with the hymn "There is a Land of Pure Delight".  It was not uncommon in older hymnals to print the lyrics and score separately and use one score with several lyrics that have the same metrical scheme.  This allowed the hymnal to either be smaller or include more hymns.  It also saved money as typesetting music back then was considerably more expensive that typesetting lyrics, especially if you embed the lyrics in the music as is now customary.

The most probable course of events here is that an early Adventist hymnal included both "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" and "There is a Land of Pure Delight" at a time when the former did not yet have a customary tune associated with it. The website I keep citing in this post  has both being used in the 1941 Adventist hymnal, altho "There is a Land of Pure Delight" is not in the 1985 Adventist hymnal.  So I doubt there was any intent at separatism, at least at first.  Choosing to retain "Varina" as the tune instead of switching to either "Ellacombe" or "Forest Green" may have something to do with trying to maintain Adventist particularism, but more likely it's just that by now using "Varina" as the tune for that hymn is traditional to Adventists and with "There is a Land of Pure Delight" no longer competing for the tune, there is even less need to consider switching.  Besides, Adventists use "Forest Green" as the tune for "Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds". which is one of several common choices for that hymn.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I get it Andrew.  And I do feel sorry for you.  I hope that someday you will rise above the hatred some have misguidedly shown you in the name of religion so that you will no longer return hatred with hatred.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I get it Andrew.  And I do feel sorry for you.  I hope that someday you will rise above the hatred some have misguidedly shown you in the name of religion so that you will no longer return hatred with hatred.

This is the second time in the past week or so that you have taken what is a blatant attempt at a pastiche as being both serious and an indication of some ‘hatred’ that I have. I even gave this post a small print! The first ‘hymn’ was a pastiche of high church religion whose members have a variety of different views of a personal god. The second related to money making vapid pop-Christianity that attempts to connect with a western audience by stripping down and being modern but actually being funded by groups that have a disruptive agenda and the third (if you translated it) was actually based on a conversation I had with a parishioner. I will remember not to bother next time. I must always be serious less I be accused of some other agenda.

No, I got the intended humor, even in the Catholic one, which I did translate, but except for the Catholic one, your jokes were laughing at religion, not laughing with religion, so for me they fell quite flat.  Much as you perceive those who say they "hate the sin, but love the sinner" when referring to homosexuality as expressing a hatred towards homosexuals, your recent attempts at religious humor show what I perceive as at least a strong distaste for religion, even if it is not strong enough that you would consider it hate.  Given that many who are anti-homosexual use religion as their justification for that position, that you would reflect that hatred back is not surprising.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

But you're basing your assumptions on the fact I make a joke at the expense of religious worship therefore I must have an underlying hatred. You don't know me, you don't know my involvement with religious and faith based groups in the work that I do here in Scotland, so I'd be grateful if you didn't jump to conclusions.

I may have walked to my conclusions, but not jumped.  To me it's noteworthy that the most blatant and longest example of hypocrisy in your first hymn centered around homophobia.

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Not only that, but you specifically chose to associate your second example, that of Christian <BRTD can fill in the sub-genre you were emulating> rock with homophobia as well, when as far as I can tell, those sorts of groups aren't all that involved with that and those that are certainly wouldn't hide it as you did in your parody. (At least not around here they wouldn't; things may be different on your side of the pond.) Not only that, but it's inclusion was totally unnecessary to your main point of how vapid a good deal of Christian rock is, with much of it no more than a standard rock song with a few mentions of Jesus inserted.

Whatever your true self or intent may be, you've expressed yourself in a manner indicating that you reflect back upon religion the hatred some express towards you and your sexual preference in the name of religion.  Perhaps not to the same degree it has been inflicted upon you; but it is how I took your attempted joke.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

As I said, I can only judge based on what I know at the time.  I stand by how I interpreted your words at the time, tho I am gladdened to hear that your actions do not match what I read in your words.  Still, what matters most is what is in your heart, and that cannot be truly judged by either word or deed.

I do apologize for inferring that what I read in your words represents your heart, as I cannot know it.  Humor and religion can be tricky. Indeed, humor and any subject is generally tricky. Doing it by the written word is trickier still.  Still, I hope you do not give up on humor.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I just thought of another:

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (The Solid Rock) (Second verse)

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I don't understand why the SDA Hymnal would change this one at all.

I can't say for certain since I'm not fully versed (no pun intended) in SDA doctrine.  But the SDA version is not Adventist exclusive.  Indeed, judging by what I found on hymnary.org, both versions are fairly common, and I'm not sure which was the original.  The most likely doctrinal reason I can think of is an objection to the idea that anything, even darkness, can truly veil Jesus from us save our own sinful refusal to look towards him for deliverance.