The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1954-09-18
by
Rev. Vernon E. Carter
Minister Of the First
Congregational Methodist

NuAAAA VA V0H1A~f
In discussing this subjec
your writer Is forced to ap
proach it from congregation
which are primarily colored
We realize that the presen
approach is towards integratet
churches which are in tn
making. However, the pri
marily colored congregation
are still with us and vii
without doubt be with us fol
quite some time. Growth II
these lines is gradual but
positive. We are thankful fol
those churches which are en-
deavoring to promote such z
program and keeping step with
the signs of progress. These
preliminary statements are
only TO clarity that our ap-
proach is not to encourage all
colored congregations but to
try to show soml high points
Of study necessary for those
existing in our world.
The Christian hymn in the
last 25 years has been abused
nliserably by the new surge
to- the Dorsey style of music.
Old standard hymns written
IN church dignity and out of
the heartaches Of great
Christian experience have
either been profaned to a
Jazz rythnn of forgotten in
the service ritual of the
church. Many quartets come
into the church with zoot suits
and bang ON their legs with
pounding of the feet that al
most shakes the whole church
building. This has doped the
minds of many good people
to the appreciation for a bet
ter hymn singing. This has
given the colored people a
cultural decline in the last Is
years as far as churchman-
snip is concerned. We are not
overlooking the fact that some
of the Gospel hymns recently
written are of some evangeli-
cal worth, but often they are
not sung as they are written
especially by many quartets.
New hymns are certainly in
order but profaning them by
incoherent harmony and ex-
aggerated emphasis will des-
troy their life spand. AS we
have already observed many
Of these hymns have died,
While in the Christian church
as a whole the standard
hymns still live and will ne
yer die.
Many of our colored con-
gregatlons have little know
ledge Of the hymn "All Crea-
lures of our God and King"
written by st. Francis de AS
sisi in the hot summer Of the
year 1925, Here is a hymn
729 years old and is written
in most of our standard Pro-
testant hymnals. yet we neg
lect to sing it or learn it. st.
Francis wrote the hymn in
Italian, and the Rev. William
H. Draper translated it into
English in 1925. The hymn is
a paraphrase of the famous
Sun Song. or Song About
Creatures" which st. Fran
els wrote. Under great diff
cultieS st. Francis wrote this
hymn. He was i'll and so SUI.
fering from loss of sight, thai
he was unable to have his
eyes exposed to any light. Ac-
cording to ]. Jorgensen, st
Francis was plagued by c
swarm of field mice who pro.
badly had their home in the
straw walls of the hut, anc
who eventually ran over hi,
face so that he had no peace
day or night. And yet it wa.
precisely in this Wretchec
sickness that he composed hi,
wonderful masterpiece. st
Francis is one of the greaI
Catholic saints who has in.
fiuenced immensely the Pro.
testant church.
"A Mighty Fortress is oul
God" is another great hymn
of the Protestant church very
much neglected by oui
churches which are primarily
colored. This hymn was writ
ten by Martin Luther, the
founder of the Protestant
church. 1t was written arounc
1870 and was a battle hymn
or a defiant song with which
Martin Luther and his COM
rades entered Worms Capri
16, 1920. The old cathedral
treinbled at these newnotes.
Says Heinrich Heine, and the
ravens were startled in theii
hidden nests in the towers
This hymn, the Marseilla9se
Hymn of the Reformation
has preserved its potent spell
even to our own days, and
we may yet soon use again
in similar conflicts the old