Read: Colossians 3:12-17
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” (Colossians 3:16, NRSV).
Sing (or don’t): “Here I Am to Worship” by Tim Hughes
Before you get your hackles up, I acknowledge that this popular worship song is neither a hymn nor heretical. So, why include it in a series called “Heretical Hymns”?
Let’s take the hymn question first. Colossians 3:16 encourages the believers to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Without getting too far into the weeds, “Here I Am to Worship” fits best in the “spiritual song” category. It’s not based on any of the 150 Old Testament psalms, nor is it as formal in structure as most traditional hymns. While some might argue that spiritual songs are more spontaneous or personal, I think we may be better off just thinking of this as a “catch-all” category. And since I’m not limiting this series to traditional hymns, I’d like to include this very popular category as fair game. I don’t mean this in a negative sense, necessarily—but in the sense that such songs are worth the same level of scrutiny as anything we use to worship the living God.
So, are the lyrics heretical?
In a word—no. But they are a bit worrying, especially because they are symptomatic of our culture’s obsession with the self.
Let’s take a look at the central refrain of the song:
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Let’s be fair. I don’t think this refrain is trying to be profound or poetic. It’s simply a sincere expression of a worshiper’s intent. So far, so orthodox.
One might object to the obvious irony of sending God a breathless news bulletin: “Here I am to worship!” That seems like a strange thing to say right out of the blocks—which is when this song is usually sung in a worship service. One imagines the angels leaning down to remind us, “It’s not about you….”
Still, there is some precedent for such a statement of intent. The traditional “votum” from Psalm 124:8 makes a similar declaration by affirming that, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” The Latin word votum means “vow” or “promise,” and such a declaration is a worthy way to begin a service that’s dedicated to declaring God’s “worth.” (That’s the literal meaning of the word “worship.”)
If we take a closer look at Psalm 124:8, however, we see some ways the refrain falls short. Note first the way the psalm puts the focus squarely on God. God is acknowledged as both creator (maker of heaven and earth) and redeemer (our help). Equally telling is the use of the first-person plural, “our.” This psalmist knows that it’s not just “about me.” While not discounting the importance of an individual relationship with our creator and redeemer, worshipping this God is a communal act with cosmic consequences.
So, no. “Here I Am to Worship” is not heretical. But it is woefully inadequate and worryingly individualistic. It is the byproduct of a culture that makes an idol of the self, and it perpetuates that idolatry by teaching worshipers that personal salvation is what Christianity is all about.
Should we stop singing it? Well, that’s something you might want to talk about with your congregation. At the very least, it will be important to make sure that your worship services include plenty of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” that acknowledge the communal component of the church and the cosmic nature of God.
Ponder:
- Do the songs and prayers in your congregation’s worship services use “I/me” language or “we/us” language more? What’s that about? How is it shaping your congregation?
- Many of the biblical psalms use the first-person singular. Psalm 23, for instance, begins with “The Lord is my shepherd.” How does this factor into the discussion? (Bear in mind that sheep come in flocks….)
Pray: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.