As I have shared in previous reflections, singing hymns has moved me closer to God. I am reminded of John Wesley’s words found in the hymnal, “Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing.” (UMH, p.iii) I was reminded of doing that as I reflected on the hymn, “Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”
Charles Wesley wrote this hymn on the anniversary of his religious conversion. He wrote it when experiencing “a full and thankful heart as testimony of what Christ has done for me.” I always assumed the phrase “thousand tongues” meant all of us singing. However, Charles took this idea from his mentor Peter Bohler, who said, “Had I a 1000 tongues, I would praise him with them all.”(1) The emphasis is on praising God in many ways.
The words from the second verse formed a prayer for me:
“My gracious Master and my God
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.”
This is a strong statement about witnessing to others. In my prayer, I added, “God, give me a job description for being a disciple.”
I've always been a believer, but not a proclaimer. Only in recent years have I learned to share my faith journey with others. Christie Latona shares, “the journey of discipleship involves committing to move oneself and others deeper in our/their discipleship: from wondering to beginning to growing to maturing.”(2)
Has your journey been a straight line? My journey looks like many zigzag lines that intersect and then zigzag some more. Just when I think I am maturing, new questions surface, and I am back to wondering. God keeps asking me to dig deeper. My understanding is that graduation happens when we enter eternal life. In the meantime, God makes it clear that my job is to share His words with others through my actions…to go and be a disciple.
Generous God,
Thank you for your patience as we grow in our faith. Help us proclaim our faith beyond the walls of St. John, so that others may experience your unending love. Amen.
Resources:
(1) History of Hymns: “Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” UMCDiscipleship.org. June 7, 2023.
(2) “Leader Development, Discipleship Formation” by Christie Latona, Baltimore-Washington Conference, March 3, 2023.