The top five hymns
1 “How shall I sing that Majesty?”
John Mason to the tune Coe Fen by Ken Naylor
2 “Love Divine, all loves excelling”
Charles Wesley to Blaenwern by William Penfro Rowlands, or Hyfrydol by Rowland Prichard
3 “All my hope on God is founded”
Robert Bridges to Michael by Herbert Howells
4 “In Christ alone”
Words and music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
5 “When in our music God is glorified”
Fred Pratt Green to Engelberg by Charles V. StanfordClose behind were: “Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven”, “The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended”, and “My song is Love unknown”. Classic hymns dominated the top ten; the only worship song that appeared in the chart was “In Christ alone”, although “Be still, for the presence of the Lord”, by David Evans, was number 11.
The favourites of particular individuals are also listed at the bottom of the article.
Interesting that in the British context ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘When I Survey The Wondrous Cross’ are not mentioned, despite their English origins.
I don’t know ‘How Shall I Sing That Majesty’ or ‘When In Our Music God Is Glorified’
The article goes on to provide comments on each of the top five listed hymns.
Among the many helpful, insightful and appreciative comments, there is one negative comment about one aspect of one song: In Christ Alone.
The problem:
My one cavil with this hymn — and it is a significant one — is about its theology. The penal-substitution theory of the atonement is central to Evangelical doctrine, but I find it very difficult to sing: “Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied.”
Are we really to believe that the angry God, propitiated by a blameless victim, is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Yes.
Yes we are.
And we sing thankful that God’s eternal judgment will never fall on us, because it has fallen on Jesus.
Sing on!
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