Will we sing anything by Stuart Townend or Keith Getty in 200 years? Assuming the answer is no, why not?

I wanted to answer this question more prominently and at greater length for several reasons, first of which is that this is the sort of question we ought to be asking ourselves on hearing every new song. We ought to be exercising judgment all the time; if we are really serious about better music we must become better critics, not better consumers.

My first inclination is to say Probably Not, but I want to correct the inference that my answer might be automatically No. Some persist in the assumption that one unthinkingly prefers Bach and reflexively dislikes everything contemporary. As I've mentioned before, there is some encouraging contemporary stuff out there. I've mentioned the work of Boice and Jones explicitly.

But when I say "probably not", it's not because this is bad. I think it is quite good. In fact, if I were a fundamentalist I would hang my head in shame: after all the gaseous scolding we've heard about "Christ-honoring music", they have nothing to offer. To illustrate, I quote How Deep the Father's Love for Us and Our God Shall Supply All of Our Needs. The weakness of the second is representative of their body of work.

The better-known contributions of Townend and Getty represent a marked improvement over the fundagelical dittymeisters we've grown up with.

As they improve—which I hope they do—they may well move into a class of songwriter like Schlegel (Be Still My Soul) or Rossetti or the Bernards or Ringwaldt or Watts and Wesley, etc.

Part of the problem is that for contemporaries to achieve longevity means they have to hold up in comparison to some pretty great works; so they have their work cut out for them. Ours is not a poetic age. Imagination does not come naturally to us number one, and number two, we don't have as good an audience. It is unfair to compare Getty to Gerhardt without making allowance for this. That's why I keep stressing Eliot's point about the social function of poetry. There is such a thing as a social function of liturgy. We must be led in our feelings as well as our believings.

Having said that, a lot of what Townend and Getty do is commendable. Notice in the following song the sustained image of a man abandoned on a cross. It is not ditty-like as with the Garlock. It is not ADD/ADHD doggerel. It is not a simple assertion of platitudes, the diction is far superior, the music is a lot better, the cadence.... Notice the almost Atlas-like image in the third stanza. I doubt it was intended, and although the image struck me momentarily, I myself would not say it is defensible; but it is the sort of mind-play that thoughtful poetry encourages in us. It's something that engages the imagination.

It is very hard to predict what will last 200 years. If this had been Bach's concern, he will have been very grateful to ole Felix. What we should do is strive for something good that will last for 30 years, something we can pass to our own children. And out of that great pile of work may emerge some poetic gems that will shine for centuries.

Townend:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life,
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything;
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

___________

Garlock:

Our God shall supply all of our needs-
All of our needs, Yes, all of our needs.
Our God shall supply all of our needs
According to His riches in glory.

The mercies of God ever are great-
Ever are great, Yes, ever are great.
The mercies of God ever are great-
But we must trust His Word to receive them.

So give to the Lord-All of your heart-
All of your heart, Yes, all of your heart.
So give to the Lord-All of your heart-
Then you will know His blessings forever.