Worship Songs shape our souls
Last summer the modern hymn " In Christ Alone " made headlines for its lyrical references to the wrath of God and atonement theology. A hymn committee with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) wanted to add the song to their new hymnal, Glory to God , released this fall. But in doing so, the committee requested permission from the song's writers, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty , to print an altered version of the hymn's lyrics, changing "Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied" to "Till on that cross as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified." The songwriters rejected the proposed change, and as a result the hymn committee voted to bar the hymn. "The song has been removed from our contents list, with deep regret over losing its otherwise poignant and powerful witness," committee chair Mary Louise Bringle told The Christian Century . The "view that the cross is primarily about God's need to assua...