Dr Paul Allen

Young Isaac Watts found the music in his church sadly lacking, and his father challenged him to create something better. Isaac did. His hymn “ When I Survey the Wondrous Cross ” has been called the greatest in the English language and has been translated into many other languages. Watts’s worshipful third verse ushers us into the presence of Christ at the crucifixion . See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’er such love and sorrow meet Or thorns compose so rich a crown? The crucifixion Watts describes so elegantly stands as history’s most awful moment. We do well to pause and stand with those around the cross. The Son of God strains for breath, held by crude spikes driven through His flesh. After tortured hours, a supernatural darkness descends. Finally, mercifully, the Lord of the universe dismisses His anguished spirit. An earthquake rattles the landscape. Back in the city the thick temple curtain rips in half. Graves open, and dead bo...

Cover of Hymns and Spiritual Songs It was a daring move when, in 1707, Isaac Watts published his first book of hymns . At that time it was the practice of almost every congregation of the Church of England to sing only Old Testament psalms in their public worship. However, Watts had grown to dislike this because it restricted the Christian from being able to explicitly celebrate in song all those aspects of the gospel that are fulfilled and illuminated in the New Testament . In the preface to Hymns and Spiritual Songs , Watts addresses the worship situation of his time and offers a defense for writing and publishing new music. Many Ministers and many private Christians have long groaned under this Inconvenience, and have wished rather than attempted a Reformation: At their importunate and repeated Requests I have for some Years past devoted many Hours of leisure to this Service. Far be it from my Thoughts to lay aside the Psalms of David in public Worship; few can pretend so gr...

Image via Wikipedia Most Churches avoid singing songs about God ’s judgments, but that judgment is a theme found in many Psalms and Scriptural songs. First, God is the Judge , not us. We’re concerned about his fame and vindication, not ours. That means we don’t sing about God’s judgments with self-righteousness or callousness.  God judging evil is part of the Bible’s story line to redeem a people for his glory and the predominant theme of church gatherings is not simply that God judges wickedness, but that he rejoices in righteousness. And that his righteousness has been most clearly demonstrated in the Jesus Christ , the Son of God, dying for our sins and rising from the dead.  Because Christ was made to be sin for us, we are now clothed in the righteousness of God and are no longer under his wrath. Definitely cause for great rejoicing! With that being said, here are some suggestions, modern and hymns. Day of Judgment, Day of Wonder s (John Newton) (Probably o...