Well, once again, someone has allowed their fervor for copyright to overtake their desire for free advertising. The video I had posted here originally has been removed and is no longer allowed to be embedded. You can watch Il Divo sing Amazing Grace at the Roman Coliseum by clicking this link. Then come back and find out what I got out of it.
I have to admit the above video is extremely moving. However, that is not why I post it. Secondly, I must also admit I personally believe God has only authorized us under His new covenant to sing while worshipping Him and not to play orchestrations even though it is highly emotional for us.
With those caveats, let me explain why I post this video.
As you watch the video, notice the building in which this concert is held. It is the Roman Coliseum. 1900 years ago, Christians were killed in this theater for sport. Christians were mauled by lions, burned at the stake, drawn and quartered. The crowds laughed and jeered. The emperors took up the sword against the emperor of the universe, King Jesus, and they believed they were winning. The Christians themselves may have believed the Romans were winning. How many times did they wonder if God could win against such evil?
Nearly 2000 years later, however, 4 men stand on the grounds where the blood of our brothers and sisters was spilt. Do they listen to jeering crowds demand their death? Do they cower before ravenous lions and armored gladiators? No. They stand for all the world to see, singing an anthem of Christianity. The crowds look on and cheer their praises.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found; was blind but now I see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.”
As I listen, I can almost hear the blood of my brothers and sisters crying out in praise of God’s mercy and grace along with the four men on stage. They have been on the other side for nearly 2000 years of our earth’s time, but they still have just as much time to sing God’s praise as when they first begun.
Many of you who follow my mutterings are Christians. Some of you are not. No matter on which side you fall, please see this for what it is. Rome turned all its power against Christ. The emperors are dead. Rome defeated. Christ lives on. Christ’s empire still stands. We as Christians can stand on the battlegrounds of the past and sing praises to our King and God.
“Through many dangers, toils, and fears, I have already come. Twas grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home!”
Hallelujah! God always wins!
Edwin,
I was thinking of my brother Jerry on Saturday and that is what prompted me to choose the songs that I led us in on Sunday. I think that we as Christians would profit greatly if we would sing or at least read that song daily, it is so powerful. When you think of the words, Amazing Grace, that saved a wretch like me, it is very moving. The Hymn was played at Jerry's Service on the Bagpipe, which was very moving, but if you don't know the words to the song it dosen't do anything for you except sound good.
When you think about what went on in that place in the days of Rome, it really causes the words to touch your heart in a special way. It is amazing to me that God would sent his son to die for me even when I was separated from him by sin. What happened to those early brothers and sisters was the ultimate sacrifice for their belief.
Edwin, When I saw the video, I did think about the irony of the location, but I could not get past the song itself since it was a part of Jerry's service last Sunday. I guess this should give us hope for the future. No matter how bad the present is, there is hope for better in the future.
"I must also admit I personally believe God has only authorized us under His new covenant to sing while worshipping Him and not to play orchestrations even though it is highly emotional for us."
I'm curious…what do you base this on?
Jimmy and Gayle, I know the song was especially moving for you with the recent funeral. I know when we sang the song together on Sunday, Marita and I both were thinking about our loved ones who are singing praises with God right now. Too me it was especially moving because I could tell what what was on your heart, Jimmy, when you were leading.
Rick, great question, although I hope you don't miss the point I was making with this post just because I felt it necessary to provide a caveat.
I pursue Christianity from a perspective of Biblical primitivism. I want to take the historical record we have of the early Christians as a model for how I serve, honor, and glorify God. With that in mind, I examine those ancient texts to see what God has asked of me as a New Testament Christian and what God has authorized for me. II Timothy 3:16-17 says the Scriptures will equip me for every good work. In the New Testament, I see singing authorized and even commanded in passages such as Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (et al). I do not, however, see that God asked for or authorized instrumentation. Because I don't see that, I don't do it. I don't find authorization for it. I hope that provides some explanation.
Edwin, having been raised Mennonite I grew up taking the Scriptures literally – including my sisters never cutting their hair, wearing jewelry, etc. But I find your stance here difficult to extrapolate to many things we do today. I don't find the Scriptures instructing us to drive Toyotas to church rather than walk or to use a riding lawnmover to mow the church grass rather than the town donkey — but we do it nonetheless. And when I see my grandchildren naturally pick up pots and pans to add to their praise as we sing songs together, I can't imagine God wanting to surpress that added element of authentic worship.
Dan, thanks for your input on this discussion. I do think there is a difference between what you've described and what the Scripture indicates. However, I included my caveat because I don't want to be seen as supporting something I do not personally believe is warranted by Scripture. At the same time, I hope the main point of my post will not be lost simply because of my caveat.
I have no trouble discussing issues of Scriptural authorization and how I believe we are allowed to praise and glorify God. In another post, we may well do that. However, on this one I simply want us to see what an amazing victory it is for God that on the very soil where Christian blood was spilt, Christ's amazing grace is now praised while those Romans emperors are no more and their empire is vanished.
Looks like something maybe isn't working with the video. I get a big error text block where the video should be
Ben, I'm not sure what has happened. I'm working on it.