Truth in Music 2: "How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours"

Seeing the general positive response to my last post, I wanted to continue looking at some of the spiritual truths found within the writings of various spiritual pieces of music.

This time I wanted to share one of my long-time favorite spiritual songs. Though many may not know this particular one, it has been with me all of my life. I have to admit that as a child, I liked this song because of the lilting tune that accompanies it. However, as I grew older, the words grew into a source of comfort in times of distress and randomly can still be heard on days of joy.

How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours

By John Newton

John Newton?

Yes, the same man that wrote "Amazing Grace" wrote this.

It might surprise some that Newton wrote over 250 hymns, since he is known so strongly for that most famous of English spiritual songs. Other compositions of his include: "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken," "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and "One There is Above All Others" (some of which might be on this blog at a later point).

Because the general story of Newton's early life, conversion, and then dedication to Christianity is fairly well known, I'm not going to put much more about him as a person in this post.

However, I have to point out the depth of feeling and content in the works of Newton as well. His works deal with a lot of Christian experience, and the emotion that can come along with that experience. This particular song expresses one side of those emotions.

A recording of the hymn to enjoy while you read

1. How tedious and tasteless the hours
When Jesus I no longer see;
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers,
Have all lost their sweetness to me;
The midsummer sun shines but dim,
The fields strive in vain to look gay.
But when I am happy in Him,
December’s as pleasant as May.

• What strange words to begin a song about Christian life with! "Tedious?" "Tasteless?"
  Yes, that's the attitude Newton had toward the life he led when Jesus wasn't the focus of his view.
• The sweet elements of the world: the sounds, sights, and ideas; he became unable to enjoy because of the absence of the true joy of his life.
• Look at the nature around you; God created some marvelous things. The power of the sun in midsummer is undeniable; the fields in their fruitfulness are glorious under the power of that light.
  Yet, those wonderful aspects of the creation are empty of their true power and enjoyment without that Creator in view.
• In contrast to the vanity of those naturally happy experiences, if we have the love of Jesus and the joy that He brings in our lives, the most lifeless and dreary natural environments can become full of pleasure.

2. His Name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice.
I should, were He always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal as happy as I,
My summer would last all the year.

•  Stop and think for a moment about the things we make sure are around us in our lives. Though it might sound silly for a moment, consider it. Yes, the words that begin this are symbolic, but consider the way in which we apply ourselves toward earthly things, and if we do the same for heavenly.
  We put all manor of effort in to making things smell good for ourselves and others. Are we afraid to speak the name of Jesus Christ, is it a shame to us? God compares our prayers to the sweet smell of incense (Rev 5:8).
  Some of us surround ourselves with music constantly (I like to do that). Do we take effort to surround ourselves with the words that He spoke to us in the scriptures?

3. Content with beholding His face,
My all to His pleasure resigned,
No changes of season or place
Would make any change in my mind:
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear;
All prisons would palaces prove,
If Jesus would dwell with me there.

• This verse has provided comfort in difficulty over and over in my life. When facing stress, anger, loneliness, and failure; these words would come to my mind and provide the peace that can and does pass understanding.
• Consider for a moment a scriptural parallel. A rich man could have a marvelous home and eat the best of food every day, but find himself in Hell and his riches profiting him nothing at all. Outside of his gate could be laid a man in abject poverty and with grave sickness; but that man is carried to Heaven by the angels (Luke 16:19-23).
  Whose place would you rather be in; of those two.
• So, what if the world around you were to shift in manners unexpected? Would a great rise or great misery modify how you felt?
  If you were brought high until you lived in a palace? What is a mansion in comparison to the presence of Christ in your life? It is merely a toy: a bauble with little meaning!
  And if you fell to the position of being in a miserable prison? If the LORD of Glory is there with me, no palace on Earth could be better!

4. Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine,
If Thou art my sun and my song,
Say, why do I languish and pine?
And why are my winters so long?
O drive these dark clouds from the sky,
Thy soul cheering presence restore;
Or take me to Thee up on high,
Where winter and clouds are no more.

• Here is the thing that I love about Newton's hymns. To this point he has painted the ideal for how Christians should be able to view the world. We should be able to be happy in any circumstance if we have fellowship with Christ. However, he was just a man, and he is willing to admit his own failings.
• He knew that he experienced times in which his life had less joy than it should have, and when all seemed cold and unfulfilling. Yes, the great writer of "Amazing Grace" felt the same periods of spiritual dullness that we all can and do.
• Yet, he also knew the response! He knew that asking God for help with that lack of a relationship is the key. He wasn't content with merely having an average and mediocre relationship with God. He wanted to be on fire entirely or to be freed from this world that drags us down so easily. That is dedication and love of God.

So, though only some of you will have known this hymn before, I hope that you can see some more important and practical truths contained within the words of songs that Christians have sung for years (in this case, well over 100 years).
This song is personal to me. When I lose sight of the important things and become embroiled in the problems of this world, it has pulled my eyes back on the true focus of Christian life, and that has brought my thoughts and attitude back into line.
The intent of this is simple: do we really think about and consider the words that escape our lips as we sing, or do we merely go through the motions? There is great value in what we sing, but do we ever even think of it or use it.