Hymns/Songs that don't name God

[Lamb]

If you're in church and you come across a song or hymn that doesn't name God (either by saying Lord, Jesus, God, Father, Son, Yahweh, etc), do you find it odd?

To me, it's like anyone can sing it to any false god if we aren't clear to whom we're singing the song of praise.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving.

I was looking through my hymnal today and the majority name God or the Son or the Holy Spirit in some way. I am still looking to see if there are any that don't. How about where you worship?

 

[Albion]

I just spent some time checking about 45 hymns from the Hymnal and couldn't find any that omitted a reference to either "God" or "Lord" or, less often, "Jesus" or "Christ" or "Savior" or "Redeemer."

Then I decided to check the dozen or so patriotic ones that are used on "National Days." America (My country 'tis of thee) is an example. All of them made a reference to God as well.

 

[Lamb]

I just spent some time checking about 45 hymns from the Hymnal and couldn't find any that omitted a reference to either "God" or "Lord" or, less often, "Jesus" or "Christ" or "Savior" or "Redeemer."

Then I decided to check the dozen or so patriotic ones that are used on "National Days." America (My country 'tis of thee) is an example. All of them made a reference to God as well.

That's amazing! I was looking through my hymnal and I couldn't find any while flipping through, although I'm sure there are probably a few. A Google search didn't help me either.

 

[tango]

Try looking at songs from Bethel Music. They could be singing about the return of the King of Gondor as easily as anything to do with Jesus. A recurring theme is that everything is about me.

Incidentally, mention of Lord doesn't really cut it. Take a look at "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison.

 

[Albion]

Try looking at songs from Bethel Music. They could be singing about the return of the King of Gondor as easily as anything to do with Jesus. A recurring theme is that everything is about me.

Incidentally, mention of Lord doesn't really cut it. Take a look at "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison.

Well, "My Sweet Lord" was expressly meant to be about a non-Christian figure.

There's no reason to suppose that a hymn sung in a Christian church which includes typically Christian concepts about salvation or the like might be equally applicable to some other deity just because the word used is "Lord" or "God."

 

[tango]

Well, "My Sweet Lord" was expressly meant to be about a non-Christian figure.

There's no reason to suppose that a hymn sung in a Christian church which includes typically Christian concepts about salvation or the like might be equally applicable to some other deity just because the word used is "Lord" or "God."

Perhaps, but enough people seemed to see the first few sections of it and consider it a Christian song.

If you look at some of the more modern drivel that's passed off as worship music it's all about me. I'm doing this, I'm singing that, I won't be shaken, I'm on the way to heaven, blah blah blah. If God gets a mention at all it's in passing and often vague enough that it could refer to just about anything.

 

[Lamb]

Perhaps, but enough people seemed to see the first few sections of it and consider it a Christian song.

If you look at some of the more modern drivel that's passed off as worship music it's all about me. I'm doing this, I'm singing that, I won't be shaken, I'm on the way to heaven, blah blah blah. If God gets a mention at all it's in passing and often vague enough that it could refer to just about anything.

That's my concern about some of the contemporary music, that it can be applied to any false god. I need good clear doctrine that actually mentions our triune God in some way, as well as what He has done for us...not about what we think we're doing for Him.

 

[tango]

That's my concern about some of the contemporary music, that it can be applied to any false god. I need good clear doctrine that actually mentions our triune God in some way, as well as what He has done for us...not about what we think we're doing for Him.

A lot of the modern drivel isn't even about what we might be doing for God, it's about what we are doing that could be about anything. Some of it doesn't even mean anything at all. I often wondered what, if anything, "you unravel me with a melody" is supposed to mean.

Sometimes with the really useless modern songs it feels like we might as well be singing Gina G's "Ooh, aah, just a little bit" for all the content that the songs contain. But hey, at least they have catchy tunes. God obviously needs that.

 

[Albion]

Perhaps, but enough people seemed to see the first few sections of it and consider it a Christian song.

If you look at some of the more modern drivel that's passed off as worship music it's all about me. I'm doing this, I'm singing that, I won't be shaken, I'm on the way to heaven, blah blah blah. If God gets a mention at all it's in passing and often vague enough that it could refer to just about anything.

That's probably correct to say, l but it wasn't what the Original Post asked us about.

It was this: "If you're in church and you come across a song or hymn that doesn't name God (either by saying Lord, Jesus, God, Father, Son, Yahweh, etc), do you find it odd?"

and

"I was looking through my hymnal today and the majority name God or the Son or the Holy Spirit in some way. I am still looking to see if there are any that don't. How about where you worship?"

I'd be surprised to find any Christian denomination that includes George Harrison's song, My Sweet Lord among its hymns.

 

[tango]

That's probably correct to say, l but it wasn't what the Original Post asked us about.

I know, but the original post mentioned songs that refer to "Lord", and I was simply noting that referring to "Lord" doesn't necessarily mean that the lord in question is a deity we would honor.

 

[Albion]

I know, but the original post mentioned songs that refer to "Lord",...

Hymns or songs "if you're in church" was the way it was stated.

 

[tango]

Hymns or songs "if you're in church" was the way it was stated.

Are you really making such a big deal over a small side point? Do forgive me for posting something that is less than 100.000% relevant to every aspect of the original question.

 

[Albion]

Are you really making such a big deal over a small side point?

It's certainly not a "big deal," but I guess that "sticking to the point" in these discussions seems to me the right thing to do.

That doesn't mean no additional or related ideas can ever be brought into someone's reply, but not if it means misrepresenting the question that launched the thread or ignoring it entirely.

What George Harrison wrote, which is NEVER heard sung by a choir or congregation in any Christian church, really isn't what the OP was asking us about.

 

[tango]

It's certainly not a "big deal," but I guess that "sticking to the point" in these discussions seems to me the right thing to do.

That doesn't mean no additional or related ideas can ever be brought into someone's reply, but not if it means misrepresenting the question that launched the thread or ignoring it entirely.

What George Harrison wrote, which is NEVER heard sung by a choir or congregation in any Christian church, really isn't what the OP was asking us about.

I think taking things in context might also be the right thing to do.

My comment about George Harrison was, as I've already stated, to indicate that song referring to "Lord" (which was explicitly referenced in the OP) doesn't necessarily mean it's talking about the same lord.

 

[Albion]

I think taking things in context might also be the right thing to do.

Go for it.