CHANGE is the only constant - on this we have to agree; however, only for those who have lived through seven decades is it easier to review where we have been or what we are leaving behind. Admittedly all changes or adaptations to the times and culture swings are not all bad nor can we honestly slough off things brought on by the younger generations; times do change and we must change or we might even miss some good while pondering the past.

"Where is he going with this?" you might be asking. Well, I will explain. In an attempt to keep my spiritual bearings in line with the magnetic forces that surge through my two-fold body (the body and the soul concepts) I often pick up a hymnal and find an old hymn that is no longer in the Top Twenty, or even Top Hundred Favorites and read what words challenged Christians a few short decades ago. The hymn below is one that used a Welsh hymn melody putting music to words written by James Russell Lowell, a poet who lived slightly more than seven decades in the 19th Century (1819-1891).

If you can, cease the busy-ness of your day's schedule and read the following hymn. Some of it will undoubtedly be strange because the vocabulary is much different than the short repetitious choruses common in most "worship assemblies" today. It needs to be said that in years past, theology was taught through hymnody and after studying the Bible in Bible classes worshippers "sang about their faith" through the years and wove a complete garment of faith from what they were taught and what they caught through hymns.

ONCE TO EVERY MAN AND NATION
Written by James Russell Lowell

Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause,
God's new Messiah,
Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
'Twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble,
When we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit,
And 'tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
While the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue
Of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, They bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calvaries ever
With the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward,
Who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet 'tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above His own..
AMEN

Yes, some of you may remember those old hymns and perhaps were even bored when the song leader said, "We will be singing all verses," but after years of singing those wordy hymns we finally might have gotten the drift - those hymns taught our fathers faith. And "new" wasn't bad then either - did you catch the words in the third verse, "New occasions teach new duties - Time makes ancient good uncouth"?

As for me, I still appreciate those hymns of decades past compared to the hip or rhythmical repetitious songs and will prefer to sing "Tell me the old, old story..."

#####