On the way to Church yesterday morning, I was listening to XM-14 (Track 14) for their Sunday Morning 3 hours of Bluegrass Gospel. The Flatt and Scruggs version of ‘Let the Church Roll on’ came on and make the trip that much more delightful. (If you have a problem getting up for Church on Sunday morning, and for reason you are not happy when you enter into the house of God, well you have problems.)
Below are the lyrics and two versions (there are multiple, from the funny to the serious, with difference choruses which I am sure can be updated and changed as needed. What struck, first, was the insistence of the Church doing what it had to in order to move on. Now, from Church history we can see the regression of the Church from the true Faith as it started to compromise a bit here or a bit there. Besides the doctrinal deviations, it started to accept traditors back into the ranks which led to the ‘Donatist’ heresy. Forgetting, or perhaps not having developed the ‘Tradition’ yet of Matthew 10.33 which reads,
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Instead of doing what Paul did, and make those out that cause division, or remove those that are heretics or bring in confusion or openly sin, the ancient ‘leaders’ sought only compromise and reconciliation. Instead of being rigorous in defending the Faith, they softened the ‘Thou shall nots’ (OT and NT) into mere suggestions.
The song, clearly a Negro spiritual, is a poignant reminder that the Church will roll on, march forward, with or without people who who would use her as a cloak of sin.
LET THE CHURCH ROLL ON Let the church roll on, my Lawd, If tha’s preachers in the church, my Lawd, If tha’s members in the church, my Lawd, If tha’s liars in the church, my lawd, If tha’s sinnuhs in the church, my Lawd, @religion @Negro spiritual. | Let The Church Roll On
There’s a deacon in the church (oh my lord) There a drunkards in the church (oh my lord) There’s women in the church (oh my lord) |
If you notice the last verse of the Bluegrass version. We are holiness of course, unless you had any doubt, and it is interesting to hear verses like this every once in a while.
Mahalia Jackson
Cleophus Robinson
The Church, no matter the people that come and go, no matter the war waged against her, will roll on. Individual congregations might not, individual people may not, but the Church of Jesus Christ, firmly rooted in the true Doctrine, will never loose ground. The Mormons, and others, would have us understand for some centuries, the Church was buried in history, or had completely left the earth altogether only to be restored by some mystical (and usually criminal) prophet. Yet, we know that death or hell will never previal against her, and that sin will never destroy her. She will roll on. Even when it looks like she is on her last leg and cannot stand anymore, she is as strong as ever.
But, we do have to do cleaning every now and then, and some standing as well, especially against those that would seek to lead so many astray.
Did you miss the weekly news?
Reading this made me think of many of the standards that never grow old. Some of them were decided to be spiritually incorrect and were dropped from the books used as hymnals.
I am somewhat disappointed in most of the new stuff, they lack spiritual quality and a fail to generate a moving of the Spirit; or is that just me?
Lanis,I agree with you. We are trying to raise our children right, biblical, but the fashions of this young generation is atrocious. The music, even the ‘Christian’, ungodly. The literature and education is hideous.
No, I agree with you concerning the ‘new stuff’, for the most part,it seems a little like non-denominational preaching set to music, instead of hymns and psalms praising God.
I agree doesn’t sound bibical at all alot of nonsense to get people’s emotions all up and prepared for some kind of entertainment