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In preparation for a congregational hymn-sing, Park Congregational Church spent a month collecting ballots for members’ favorite hymns. The top vote-getter was then chosen as the subject of that morning’s theological reflection. What follows is the text of that reflection.
In the church, we talk a lot about the gap that supposedly exists between generations when it comes to musical taste. Some of the older, more beloved hymns that we sing are completely unfamiliar to younger generations, and some of the music that younger generations listen to today sounds utterly foreign to their parents and grandparents. And so we often wonder if it will ever be possible to bridge that gap. And yet, interestingly enough, when it came to the hymn that was most requested by all of you for this morning’s service, turns out it was the exact same hymn that was most requested by our youth when we were planning our youth service earlier this summer. Which I think goes to show that when it comes to the most powerful music, that gap between the generations gets a whole lot smaller.
Now some of you may already have guessed which hymn was the top vote getter this morning, but rather than simply tell you the name of the hymn and then have us sing it, I thought I would first tell you a little bit of it’s story.
In 1736, at the young age of eleven, John Newton left school for a life at sea with his father. After his father died, Newton continued to serve on a number of ships, until he eventually became the captain of his own, becoming deeply involved in one of the most lucrative industries of the time-- the British slave trade. Newton captained his ship for many years, until gradually, he found himself more and more uncomfortable with the conditions that the slaves faced during the long voyage from Africa to England. At first he tried to justify his work by seeking to improve the conditions on his boat as much as possible. But eventually he realized there was no amount of improvements or adjustments he could make that would justify the cruelty of the slave trade itself. And so he found himself unable to continue in the work that was essentially the only thing he had ever known in his entire adult life. And he walked away. He eventually became an Anglican priest, as well as a strong advocate in the abolition movement in England. He became good friends with William Wilberforce, who many of you know was the British politician that is largely credited as one of the most powerful figures in the English abolition movement.
As a priest, Newton was not a terribly prolific or even gifted hymn writer. Only a handful of his hymns actually survive, and of those, there is really only one that is sung with any degree of regularity. However it’s one of the most popular and beloved hymns of all time. Perhaps that’s because the words so powerfully describe Newton’s own journey of personal transformation— “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”
Maybe some of you know this story already—the story of Amazing Grace. But it’s worth remembering from time to time-- especially as we prepare to sing it in just a few moments. Because while Amazing Grace is a beloved hymn that we sing often, it’s more than just good poetry set to a nice, sing-able tune. We may not think about it much, but perhaps the reason that we love this hymn so much, and perhaps the reason it bridges the gap between generations so well, is because it has its origins in the deepest longings that all of us feel— the longing for true and lasting transformation. It speaks to the truth that we all so desperately want to believe in-- that change—real change-- is possible. That even the worst evils and injustices in our world can be defeated by goodness and grace. That no person, and no situation, is ever beyond redemption.
And so as we join our voices in this old and familiar song, let us sing with the knowledge that wherever it is we seek transformation-- in our lives or in the world in which we live—amazing grace can always be found.
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