March 29

Today marks the death, in 1788, of Charles Wesley, hymnodist of the Methodist movement. He has been described as the heart of the Methodist movement, while John was the head. Some of Charles’s most famous hymns are “O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Many of his hymns were set to popular folk tunes that people already knew. 

Today is a feast day in the Episcopal church for John Keble, who died in 1866. Like Charles, he was an Anglican priest and poet. He wrote a series of devotional poems called The Christian Year and was part of a small group of leaders in the Church of England who advocated traditional forms of worship and devotion.

Today also marks the death of Emanuel Swedenborg, in 1772, a scientist who became a mystic, wrote prolifically on his theological visions and conversations with angels, and falls into the category of saint I like to call “cousin heretics.” Though I’m skeptical of some of his claims and would argue some of his theology, I believe Christianity could do with more loving heretics than “hateful faithful.” He inspired, among other people, Johnny Appleseed and Helen Keller with his teaching about religion, service, and moral life. 

Today is also the birthday of Kathryn Tanner, an influential contemporary theologian who has written on Christianity and culture. 

Reflection: 

Kathryn Tanner wrote: 

Emanuel Swedenborg wrote: 

and

Charles Wesley wrote: 

This is still the first hymn in the United Methodist Hymnal, one that Charles wrote on the anniversary of his conversion. It has remained the first song in the hymnal for hundreds of years. I have never been sure if Charles meant physical tongues here, or languages. If he is calling to mind the words of his Moravian mentor, he may mean just that the desire to praise God is so overwhelming, one little mouth just isn’t sufficient. 

But the second stanza reveals another possible meaning: 

I’m reminded that both John and Charles had spent time in Georgia as priests and missionaries, and “tongue” could reflect a desire to see all human languages sing God’s praises. In other words, Charles has an implicit missional theology that recognizes diversity is part of God’s agenda. 

In a country that has just declared English as its official language, a declaration that is part of a colonizing, white supremacist agenda, I will keep singing that I want to hear A THOUSAND languages raised in joyful praise. 

Prayer: God, we see that your image is only fully realized in humanity when all languages, cultures, races and ethnicities are welcome in all their diversity. Let us hear all creation raise its voice, and banish the perverse desire from people’s hearts to hear only their own. Amen.