The hymn “God moves in mysterious way” contains the line “behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face “. There’s something that jars a little about that line. It seems to give the impression that the goodness and kindness of God is something hidden behind a more austere exterior. Do we risk a similar thing with this aspect of God’s character that we do with Modalism? We have the God we encounter and the real God hidden and not truly knowable. Would that kind of way of interacting be good and healthy between a human father and child?
Things begin to fit into place when you realise that the author, William Cowper suffered many deep bouts of depression.. Similarly the hymn “Oh for a closer walk with God” contains a verse with the words “where was the blessedness I knew when first I knew the Lord”. I know a number of people who won’t sing those lines because although there can be times when experientially we want to get closer to Jesus, the distance expressed in that verse may well be expressing Cowper ‘s depression.
It is good that Cowper was able to find voice and put words to his emotions and properly understood I think that does those of us who suffer depression today a service. However, I think there are a couple of problems here. First private poetry that becomes public corporate worship risks universalising a feeling either by making it doctrine as in God’s frowning providence or by making it the experience of all there.
The thing is not everyone will feel cold or distant from God and indeed not all depressives. Yes at some times and for some people there will a sense of distance in depression and depression might become confused with doubt. However for some, I can speak personally, God has met us most closely and tangibly in the very place of our depression.
So, the second risk is that such lyrics end up giving too much power to depression. Depression should not have the authority to determine our doctrine and depression is not the control on our relationship with God. There is one mediator between God and man and that’s Jesus, not our emotions. I think sometimes both charismatic and conservative evangelicals risk forgetting that.
And if you think I’m having a go at old hymns I wonder if our contemporary worship can make too little of depression. Consider the song “I speak Jesus.” It contains the line “to every soul held captive by depression, I speak Jesus.”. Shouting Jesus at me is not going to make my depression go away. It’s odd that just depression is singled out here,why not gout, asthma and diabetes? What about cancer and heart failure? It’s almost like there is a prosperity Gospel around depression, we can’t fix other illnesses but we can sort out your emotions with a quick prayer.
At the same time though it is still giving far far too much power to depression. My thoughts might get caught captive by depressive or anxious moods at times so that I’m tempted to catastrphise and spiral or simply struggle to work through a brain fog. My appetite might be captured by it as I want to eat more or less. My body if I’m simply exhausted and drained in the day, can’t control when the tears come and wide awake at night. But my soul? That again seems to be putting us back into the territory where depression is king and mediator where it indicates lack of faith and a poor relationship with God, that it is sin even.
I note that as with Cowper, knowing the author’s context matters. I don’t know her heart. Is she someone wrestling with depression herself. Has she found it helpful to just go back to the simplicity of the power in Jesus’ name at times? Or is this a song writer just being simplistic with done iffy but catchy song theology. And here is the catch. How the congregation hear the words and perceive the author’s heart may reflect their own emotional state at the time. I’ve sung “speak Jesus” not quite happily but with a bit of thought about it and some other worship songs at points at other times it has really just grated on me.
I would encourage us to think carefully about what we are singing. That may mean either that we need to choose not to sing some hymns and songs in public worship no matter how much we like them or at least some verses and lines. Alternatively we may need to put pastoral nuance around what we sing.
We need to be careful that we don’t take our doctrine from our songs nor our pastoral counselling. We need to remember not to make too much or too little of depression.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, especially if you are involved in leading worship or if you have struggled with depression.
P.S. Sorry if ‘ve chosen your favourite song here. I’ve gone with ones I personally would not mind singing with appropriate nuance but they are representative of others.
Faithroots 