St. Paul hoped for eternal life (Titus 3:7); Job’s hope was in God (Job 13:15); King David placed his hope in God’s steadfast love (Ps 33:18).
Thrusting aside these passé, fevered deleria of Middle Eastern primitives in favour of something relevant to today’s Anglican sophisticates, the Anglican Church of Canada has decided that hope is a boat; and they have a song to prove it.
The song, “Hope” is the winner of the ACoC’s Marks of Mission song contest.
Apparently, it’s “catchy and deep” and Fred Hiltz is a fan.
Although it is a pretty enough tune, well sung and produced, I can’t for the life of me see what it has to do with Christianity. But, then, the same could be said about the Five Marks of Mission. Or the Anglican Church of Canada.
Nice song.
It’s the perfect vehicle for the ACoC. It has a vaguely religious feel to it (Faith, Hope and Love) but it has been neutered of any Christian meaning.
Vacuous, pretty, advertising.
After 50 years of trying to be relevant to the world, the ACoC has successfully produced a saccharine pop song with mildly incoherent lyrics.
The absence of theology is amply demonstrated. Hope is not some dogged perseverance; it is, according to St. Paul, our expectation of salvation, of heavenly reward, and of glorification by the grace of the Father. When this hope is fixed firm, with clarify of faith, solidified and grounded in the supreme virtue of love for Christ and his people, then the perseverance inevitably follows.
As usual, the official ACoC advises people to adopt the behaviours that come from real spiritual substance, yet they omit the substance that gives rise to their genuine expression.
Jason nailed it.
They have printed words “hope” and “love” but no “faith.”
Ahhh, I guess that last phrase sums it up: “but no faith.”