Book REVIEWS

Songs of Faith

Singing the Story: Sightings in around a specific hymn or hymns with stories of Christian Music profound theological insight and application in daily living. Glen V. Wiberg Most of the hymns may be found in The len Wiberg has written a book, several Covenant Hymnal: A Worshipbook, and of the years in the making, about lovely hymns thirty-seven, twenty-two represent the Cov- Gand stories. One of its author’s favorite enant’s heritage, from older Scandinavian to adjectives in describing that which grasps and contemporary writers. Of the broader genre, holds a person’s imagination and affection, one’s hymns range from the early church with a mind and heart, may be said as well of Singing plainsong tune from the sixth century (“Sing My the Story—it is a “lovely” book. Now in his mid- Tongue, the Glorious Battle”) and Easter texts eighties, Wiberg has left his pastoral and per- by eighth-century John of Damascus (“Come sonal imprint on thousands of lives, especially in You Faithful, Raise the Strain” and “The Day of the Evangelical Covenant Church where he has Resurrection”); to George Herbert’s “Let All the served as a pastor-scholar in so many facets of World in Ev’ry Corner Sing” and the liturgical its life, notably in areas of preaching, worship, “At the Lamb’s High Feast” (both seventeenth and church music—leading both by example century); to Charles Wesley’s eighteenth-century and writing. A key member of the commissions “And Can It Be That I Should Gain” (which that produced new hymnals for the church in arguably came closest in the past to being the 1973 and 1996, along with a hymn supplement theme song at gatherings of Covenant minis- in 1990 (The Song Goes On), he has been close ters); to such standards as “Amazing Grace,” to the pulse of denominational life and public “How Great Thou Art,” and “Shall We Gather expressions of its praise and proclamation for at the River”; and to the creative contemporary more than three generations—from an immi- twentieth-century hymn writing of people like grant past to a multicultural present. The book the German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer (in- recounts stories with personal remembrances cluding “Surrounded by God’s Silent, Faithful and insights of thirty-seven hymns and spiritual Angels,” translated by Covenant pastor Steven songs, with words and music of each printed, to Swanson) and Fred Pratt Green (“Rejoice in proclaim “The Story” of the gospel and grace of God’s Saints”). God in Christ. As one who has reviewed dozens The hymns more specific to the experiences of books, this is the first that I have alternately of Covenant people through the years fall into read (words) and sung (music) out loud. What a four general areas. First, are those shared more delightful and edifying experience! generally in the Swedish Lutheran chorale Since 1992 and the passing of his dear friend tradition, as well as the pietistic renewal move- J. Irving Erickson, consummate Covenant ment that began in the eighteenth century: for hymnologist who had been writing a regular example, “Prepare the Way, O Zion,” “Behold a feature, “How We Got Our Hymns,” for the Host, Arrayed in White” (Norwegian), “If Asked journal Pietisten, Wiberg has continued the Whereon I Rest My Claim,” “O Let Your Soul column with the byline “Sightings in Christian Now Be Filled with Gladness,” and “Chosen Music.” It forms the subtitle of this first book to Seed and Zion’s Children.” Next are some of be issued by its publisher and youthful editors, the beloved songs of Carl Olof Rosenius, Lina now based in Seattle, building upon the legacy Sandell, and Oscar Ahnfelt that embodied the of the founders in a quarter-century powerful, widespread revival beginning in the ago. It is hoped to be the first of many books to 1840s and ’50s, giving birth to the Covenant follow, serving readers, lay and clergy alike in churches in , North America, and around the Pietist traditions. The book then is a com- the world. These include Rosenius’s “With God pilation of pieces penned and published over as Our Friend” and “Wheresoe’er I Roam,” and the past two decades, each with a theme woven Sandell’s “Children of the Heavenly Father”

22 | The Covenant Companion (in three versions), “Thy Holy Mark Safstrom, managing editor Wings,” “Day by Day,” and Gra- of Pietisten and an instructor at the cia Grindal’s recent lovely transla- University of . tion of “The Numberless Gifts of This is a book of “citings” as well God’s Mercies.” Oscar Ahnfelt, as “sightings.” There is the scholarly the “spiritual troubadour,” wrote expertise of the hymnologist choos- tunes for many of these popular ing to cite only certain hymns out of songs of the people and then pub- the hundreds available. Capturing lished them. the surprising awe and wonder of The final two groupings are words wedded to music, Wiberg in- specific to Covenant hymn writ- forms and educates his readers while ing during more than 125 years drawing them into a vivid portrayal of history. Wiberg understandably Singing the Story: Sightings of the gospel story accessible to all. in Christian Music has a special fondness for the Glen V. Wiberg The stories he tells along the way re- texts and tunes of Nils Frykman, Pietisten, 2011 veal the intrinsic experiences of writ- whose prolific pen captured the 143 pages, $15 ers and composers, and above all his heart and soul of a personal encounter with own, inviting the adding and sharing of stories Jesus as friend and brother, including here old and new from each other’s experience. Per- “How Great the Joy” (Wiberg as one of the haps the selection process is best revealed by the translators), “Our Mighty God Works Mighty author’s use of “sightings,” invoking an image of Wonders,” and “I Sing with Joy and Gladness.” unexpected surprise in the moment, that which Joel Blomqvist’s “O How Blest to Be a Pilgrim” fixes the gaze creating an occasion of recollec- (also one of the translations of the author), set tion for the purpose of new insight. These are to Lowry’s tune “Shall We Gather at the River,” sightings of the old and familiar with the new along with Swedish Covenant pastor Carl and innovative. They invoke both remembrance Boberg’s “O Mighty God”—known in its later, and discovery in a conversational way. One shorter paraphrased form in English as “How must read and sing the book to hear Wiberg’s Great Thou Art”— demonstrate the transatlan- stories and get caught up in the story. They give tic power and popularity of this music. And then flesh to the dozens of names cited and sighted there are the recent writings of Covenanters, in his memory, and many readers will meet in such as Richard Carlson’s “Come Celebrate the the telling both old and new friends, many now Presence of the Lord” and Jorge Maldonado’s departed. The comprehensive index to the book “Seguirte Solo a Tí” (We Worship Only You), points to this host of witnesses, and surely its with music arranged by Roland Tabell. Wiberg author inherently pleads for the telling of new also includes Jeanette Lindholm’s poignant “Un- stories and songs to sing, enlarging the circle. expected and Mysterious,” whose author grew In the chapter entitled “Thinking Globally, up in Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, Singing Locally,” Wiberg reminds us that “by , where Wiberg served as pastor. He music we build bridges that enable us to meet— speaks of the challenging role of the transla- not as strangers or outsiders, but more than tor (quoting Martin Marty’s comment that “all neighbors—as sisters and brothers in Christ.” translators are liars”) and our indebtedness What better way to do this than in the songs of to those who undertake this kind of steward- faith, a collective testimony to the maxim that ship of language, having for decades “carried in order to tell the unfathomable depths and translations around in his heart.” The book also riches of the gospel story, one must first know it, includes beautiful, fresh, and faithful-to-the-text personally having found one’s place in it. Others translations of Sandell’s “Tryggare Kan Ingen help us to sing words that are impossible on Vara” (Children of the Heavenly Father) and our own to say, and that is a great gift of grace. Boberg’s “O Store Gud” (O Mighty God) by The title Singing the Story is especially compel-

December 2011 | 23 ling in this regard since, as Russian poet Joseph Brodsky reminds us, “The song was there before the story.” Reviewed by Philip J. Anderson

THIS MONTH’S REVIEWER: Philip J. Anderson is professor of church history at North Park Theological Seminary in .

24 | The Covenant Companion