Are We Singing Heresy?

I sometimes wonder if I am the only one who is weary of church songs, masquerading as hymns. When they portray something other than Church teaching they can even approach heresy. It seems that musicians, fancying themselves composers, have been humored to the detriment of congregational participation. Often, we are left with what amounts to a roller coaster ride up and down the scale and haphazard changes of tempo – all in the name of creativity and variety. Note to budding composers: Music that is difficult to follow does not encourage the people in the pew to sing.

I may be only adequately musical –  my husband describes my voice as ‘a good voice for blending with those of others’  – but I do have a capable ear and a passable knowledge of scripture. Tempo, imagery, and melody do matter but, what matters more is accurate adherence to scripture, dogma, and faith.  Adding synthesized beats, twirling and whirling through the octaves, and being ‘unique’ does not a hymn make. What it does is create a song, albeit not a very good one, which also fails the faith test. Note to composers: The people in the pew want to believe what they sing and therefore be inspired in their love of God.

There are many such inadequate songs in our present day hymnals. No matter how cheerfully they impersonate hymns, they are only liturgically unsound songs. They are in our pews because of a tacit sin of omission, which goes something like this: Church law requires potential hymns to be “a suitable liturgical song…approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop”. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), Nos. 48 (4)) Only then should they appear in our hymnals.

Illegitimate Songs

What happens, instead, is that the cart is put before the horse. Creative juices flow within the breast of an aspiring music director and a song is born. This song (not hymn) is added to the ‘music issue’ and makes its grand entrance. The bishop fails to be told, nor does he notice, so there is no objection to this melodious piece of heresy. Viola! Inferred approval is invoked and a new pseudo-hymn is born. Consequently, the people, gnashing their teeth, are bound to sing or to stand by, silently praying for relief.

Below you will find one such song. In the past, we have been compelled to sing about being Christ for one another, a loosely applicable notion given that we are to lead Christ-like lives. But making the jump from that to actually being the Bread of Life, broken and shared, is just too much. The allusion to the Eucharistic Sacrifice just brings attentive voices to a screeching halt.

I Myself Am the Bread of Life

Refrain

I myself am the bread of life.

You and I are the bread of life.

Taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ

That the world might live.

Verse 1

This bread is spirit, gift of the Maker’s love,

and we who share it know that we can be one:

a living sign of God in Christ.

Refrain

Verse 2

Here is God’s kingdom given to us as food.

This is our body, this is our blood:

a living sign of God in Christ.

Refrain

Verse 3

Lives broken open, stories shared aloud,

Become a banquet, a shelter for the world:

a living sign of God in Christ.

Liturgical music must be based on scriptural faith. It is a higher degree of worship and expresses our love of God. To trivialize this reality is to trivialize our faith. Words have meaning and power. Within the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is vital that composers adhere to Church teaching. Some concepts are simply not true nor are they acceptable. It is one thing to dislike a song as a matter of taste; it is quite another when a hymn fails to follow Truth.