The thing that I find most striking about this video is not the heckling (as awkward as that was) but what the congregation did in response. They started singing. But they didn't just starting singing any song, they started singing, Thine Is The Glory. Here is the text:
Thine is the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the victory, Thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.Thine is the glory, risen conqu’ring Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, Thou o’er death hast won.Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
I find it strangely ironic that the weapon that a church would use to fight off a heckler who is protesting a gay pastor would be a song that openly champions the glorious victory and profound uniqueness of the Son of God. I'm sure the theology of this song has long ago been rejected but still they sing it. I find that very interesting. Thoughts?
(HT: Challies)
5 comments:
Pretty wild, eh? Quite surreal. It's similar to video I've seen of a pedestrian getting hit by a car, and everybody on the sidewalk looking, and then keep walking.
What also struck me was the fact that there seemed to be a large number of people who were in support of the "heckler" (not sure I can call him that, since I think he was the only one speaking the Truth in there), yet the other half looked like they wanted to ignore him and make him go away. Just let us sit here, sing our song, feel good about being here on Sunday, and go home to our flats. Is that too much to ask?
Things haven't changed much in 2000 years. People are still trying to make noise to cover up the gospel.
I SIMPLY LOVE NEAR THE END OF THE POSTED CLIP WHERE THE MAN WAS BEING USHERED OUT HE SAYS "I STICK TO THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL".
RECALL ALL THE TIMES JESUS HAD TO LEAVE THE TEMPLE BEFORE BEING STUCK DOWN OR REMOVED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
JESUS WAS A REBEL AGAINST "OUR RELIGIONS" AND THIS MAN JUST STEPPED IN JESUS FOOTSTEPS. BLESS THIS MAN!
ANDREW
First of all, I'm curious what you meant Zach, by your comment " I'm sure the theology of this song has long ago been rejected but still they sing it"
And secondly, I'm torn on my opinion of this guys actions. In our day, is this really the best way to speak truth to Gene Robinson?
I see a lot of different religious groups today feeling justified in the face of any sort of oposition. As if that is a sign that they are doing something right since God said we would be persecuted.
But BOTH groups in this clip, the "heckler" and the church group probably walked away feeling like this and I'm not sure anything was accomplished.
Just my thoughts...
Alli,
good question. i probably should have made that clearer. You are the 2nd person to ask me that. What I mean is that is one forsakes the Biblical teaching on homosexuality, would they not probably also lean much more liberally on things like the exclusivity of Jesus for salvation, the physical resurrection of Jesus, or the Bible as the inerrant word of God. That is what I meant by this. Just wild to see a church that allows an openly gay pastor (they are so "tolerant") sing a song that is so "intolerant" because of what is claims about Jesus. Make sense? Let me know if I need to clarify further.
z
It was piling heresy on heresy.
To sing a song of "worship" to surpress the words of someone following the bible. Doesn't sound like worship to me.
Post a Comment