Marc Jolicoeur, director of worship studies at Kingswood University in New Brunswick who is part of a worship leader worship project, said other adaptions of old, traditional hymns and texts — such as the Doxology, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed and a blessing from the Book of Numbers — have been adapted into popular modern worship songs that “meet a Venn diagram of needs.”
He hopes to use this new version of the first hymn in worship.
“It’s quite appealing to me as a worship leader — beautiful song, laid out in a familiar and engaging arrangement, deeply connected to the ancient pillars of the faith,” he said.
Jolicoeur also said the new version from Tomlin and Fielding is a bit of a “Ship of Theseus” puzzle — in that the song has some new lyrics, in a new language and melody. Is it really the old hymn resurrected or a hymn inspired by an ancient song? (The Ship of Theseus is a reference to a philosophical puzzle — if all the parts of a ship are replaced over time, is it still the same ship or something new?)
Shannan Baker, a postdoctoral fellow at the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies at Baylor University, said the new hymn is different from some of the other work Tomlin and Fielding have done. Tomlin is best known for songs such as “How Great Is Our God” and “Good, Good Father,” while Fielding co-wrote “Mighty to Save” and “What a Beautiful Name” for Hillsong, the Australian megachurch.
“There is a draw toward things that feel more authentic because they are from the ‘early church,’” said Baker.
Dickson said the song comes from a time when Christians were under persecution in the Roman Empire. Yet they sang with joy about their faith, something he hopes will inspire modern listeners.
“I look at this hymn and think it’s joyful confidence in the midst of persecution, instead of Christians punching back,” he said.
He also hopes Christians of all kinds of backgrounds will embrace the song.
“Here is a version of Christianity before all our squabbles, before all our denominations,” he said. “I like to think of the song as a token of unity.”
This article originally appeared here.
