The eight stanzas of "At the Name of Jesus," my #13 in the 100 Hymns Project, has a chronological and poetic order I didn't understand from the "selected stanzas" version found in most hymnals—if the hymnals keep this song at all.
The first stanza sets the theme, drawn principally from Philippians 2:5-11 and John 1: "At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess Him King of glory now."
The second stanza echoes the Nicene Creed and is set in the relationship of the Trinity before Creation.
The third stanza tells of creation in a breathtaking echo from another ancient text, the Liturgy of St. James as set in "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."
The fourth stanza sums up the entire life of Jesus, Philippians 2-style, emphasizing again the Name of Jesus.
The fifth stanza is set after the resurrection, when Jesus takes His Name and human body up "through all ranks of creatures" to the "throne of Godhead."
The sixth stanza is our response, part one, as we fulfill the theme by naming Christ in worship.
The seventh stanza is our response, part two, as the Name is enthroned not only in heaven but in our hearts.
The eighth stanza foresees the return of that Name in glory, when not only our tongues but our hearts "confess Him King of glory now."
I would be VERY curious to know if these eight stanzas are the only original stanzas. The author seems intelligent and aware enough to have chosen eight stanzas deliberately—in which case we begin to enter overtones of the perfect-seven-plus-one—the eighth day of creation, the day of resurrection, the day of the world to come.
Order, order everywhere—and artistically satisfying references as well.
4 comments:
Yes, "Every Knee Shall Bow" was originally eight verses. Lutheran Worship [1982] supplies an awkward doxology, but their editing seems rather loosey-goosey, so I think that they just made it up.
You may not know that this hymn was written as an Ascension processional, so it needed some length anyhow.
You may also be interested in Erik Routley's comment if you have not read it:
"the only objective theological hymn to come from the hand of a nineteenth-century woman writer."
Quite an extraordinary claim if we consider how many and how prolific were English hymn authoresses in that century.
Original information from Bradley's The Book of Hymns.
Thank you for your comments!
Daniel, I'm delighted with your hymnic knowledge. Nineteenth-century women seem to have fared poorly in "objective" theology! I'll have to think more about Routley's comment, although it rings true. There was a very sentimental, relational trend in nineteenth-century hymnody that accompanied the revivalistic emphasis--your personal experience of Christ.
Perhaps that's why I like this hymn so well; I'm sick of the solely "personal experience of Christ" (though not of Christ!). The Jesus I know is bigger than that--and He gets quite boring if His sphere of influence is limited to me, me, me.
Yes, it does fit with the Ascension Day themes. So apt!
How did you find this site, Daniel?
How did you find this site, Daniel?
Mary Jane Ballou sent me here. But I was distracted by the first two postings that I saw -- I wanted to send in a fifty-year-old concert organized along the lines of the Creed but would have had to look it up first! -- and I never got to the 100 Hymns Project after all.
" I'll have to think more about Routley's comment, although it rings true. There was a very sentimental, relational trend in nineteenth-century hymnody that accompanied the revivalistic emphasis--your personal experience of Christ."
Ah, the 19th c. precursor to today's "Jesus is My Boyfriend" ballads...
The Leper
(ps, very interesting blog, I also found you by way of Sacred Miscellany")
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