PRAISE
The crying need for some No-Nonsense Words
Ephesians 5:18-19
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. NKJV
Thomas Dekker wrote the poem entitled ‘Sweet Content,’ with the two stanzas ending with that Elizabethan filler phrase: “Hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny!” The lines of this poem are in fact the lyrics to ‘The Bakers’ Song’ from his play, ‘Patient Grissel’, and all the ‘Hey Nonnys’ therein might simply be compared to the ‘Fal la la lalas of ‘Deck the halls with boughs of Hollies,’ or even the ‘Doowap Dowaddy’ songs of the 1950’s and so forth. In other words: Nonny Nonny are filler words, indeed, they are nonsense words. Much like Nanoo Nanoo. Not brilliant at all really. Just nonsense.
I recently completed reading the latest biography of great American evangelist DL Moody and noted again his association with his musical sidekick Sankey. There is no doubt that this great hymn writer, this song and lyric Master did much with words and music to unite not just Britain and America in the worship of the one true God but all English-speaking peoples of the world. Make no mistake about it, congregation and communal singing unite people in praise and prayer and pathos.
It is imperative then that the content of our Christian sung songs are thoroughly biblical words and themes, not unlike the Psalms which will reach into every part of our lives and pull forth the prayer and praise and pathos that life has laid up therein. Unfortunately this is not the case and the fact is that the devil has divided us with music! The devil has belittled us with impoverished lyrics. The devil has separated us communal ignorance regarding knowledge of the words of some great spiritual songs. The answer to these discordant and disconnected singing is threefold:
First of all we need to have a new and public common book of hymns and spiritual songs. Multimedia full screen presentations will not do. We need to have books in our hands, books that can slip into our pockets or our handbags. The power grid might not always be with us. Secondly, old and new spiritual biblically bursting songs need to be taught to our children when we come together in Sunday services and the books that contain them need holding in our hands at house groups and put on tables at all our old people’s homes. The removal of the common hymnology from these islands of Britain have been part of its downfall and the substitution of nonsense words have filled the vacuum that was left with nothing but nonsense and mockery. They are mostly rye crisp breads, low in calories, low in carbohydrates, low in fat, low in energy, low in substance, low in sustenance, and very low in vitality!
Thirdly, note that the multimedia industry and those that want fame and fortune on the back of hey nonny knows will not go away. However, as long as they do not become the main Sunday meal, then I suppose a little bit of sugar might not do is to much harm after all? The time is coming when hymns will need to be sung at midnight. I wonder though, if we will have any hymns to sing? In light of this, I counsel you now to learn some great spiritual songs. Both for yourselves and for other in the time of captivity.
Listen:- It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your loving-kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, Psalms 92:1-2 NKJV
Pray: - Alone, O Lord I praise Your holy name. Yes, even if it is from the depths I cry to you, I still say: Lord you are very great: come and save me. Yes, even if it is from the heights with the shining ones clearly seen on the ramparts of the celestial city, even if it is from the delectable Mountains or the Jasmine fragrance of all the honeysuckled golden yellow bows of Beulah land, I say: O God, You are very great: come and save me. Yet, how I yearn to be with the multitude on the holy day, where together we can sing Your praise together, becoming but one voice in declaring: O Lord, You are very great: come and save us!
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