(pic credit: AncientFuture ©2017 by crisbaj. Used with permission
I’ve been studying ‘Adoration and Worship’ across the spectrum of the Christian Church. Lately, I’ve been watching YouTube teachings by Christian Reformed worship-theologians (the very conservative end of the Evangelical <—> Pentecostal continuum), and there was a great deal of discussion of the ‘oldest known Christian worship music’. Besides the famous lyrics found in Philippians 2, these leaders kept citing the ancient Hymn, Te Deum Laudamus (Thee, O God, We Praise).
Traditionally ascribed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine, current scholarship and archeology accredit authorship of Te Deum Laudamus to Nicetas, bishop of Remesiana (4th century)… a Church leader who led his Church under the boot and persecution of Roman brutality.
Here is the English translation from the Book of Common Prayers:
We praise thee, O God : we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee : the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud : the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim : continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God of Hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty : of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world : doth acknowledge thee;
The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man : thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death :
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants :
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.
[added later, mainly from Psalm verses:]
O Lord, save thy people : and bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us : as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted : let me never be confounded.
[To hear the Gregorian Chant (Latin) version of this Hymn, click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds ]
Discussion: These learned Reformed leaders engaged in a great deal of compare – contrast of Te Deum Laudamus with the ‘modern worship industry’ format and highest-regarded songs.
Their major assertion? The ancient and historic hymns always dug deep in the rich soil of Biblical truths and the Nature of Christ, where most ‘mod worship’ songs lack this quality or profoundity.
The Te Deum Laudamus, modeled after the Nicene Creed, drives the Congregation into the sound theology that results in disciples willing to burn and die in Cesar’s arenas for being a Christian.
Would the songs being sung in churches today yield the same testimony?
TAKE-AWAY:
Hey, Let’s Sing Thee, O God, We Praise Next Sunday
written by crisbaj
© 2017 by crisbaj/AdoreTheLord.blog All rights reserved.
All Scripture references from New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
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