What’s in a Definition?

Christine O’Neil’s recent Thought about William Blake’s ‘Jerusalem’ concluded, ‘Jerusalem is very popular, but is it a hymn?’. I have been thinking about that question ever since, having almost never chosen Jerusalem in over forty years leading worship. Indeed, it is absent from many hymn books. Like many people, I like the rousing tune and the words have a sort of patriotism about them but for me that is as far as it goes.

The conclusion in our house, after consulting the dictionary, is that Jerusalem, in the combination of words and tune by Blake and Parry respectively, is an anthem. An anthem, according to the Cambridge Dictionary is, ‘a song that has special importance for a particular group of people, or organisation, or a country, often sung on a special occasion’.

Many of us will have recently replayed the great anthems used at the Coronation of our Queen in 1953. National anthems are integral to sporting events and at times they link together many emotions. The National Anthem of Ukraine is currently full of meaning, not for its words in a language which many cannot understand, but for what it symbolises.

Anthems used to be sung in churches with choirs, but over the years their use grew less because of the lack of people with the ability to perform them tolerably well (for the sake of listeners) in the setting of worship. Sung well, an anthem in worship can be a devotional treat but it can be the other thing too.

Does the definition matter? Not particularly for most of us, but what does matter is that anything that can unify people, cause them to hush, focus and think in times of rejoicing or strife, in common life or in worship is a powerful tool.

If I had to choose an anthem to take to a desert island it would probably be by Parry, but his ‘I was glad’ would be in the short list well ahead of Jerusalem. Musically powerful and with lyrics straight from the psalter it makes my flesh creep in excitement as I am taken to the heart of the worshipping church, militant and triumphant together.

A prayer

Lord, we have as many ways of expressing ourselves in worship as there are opportunities to come to you. Help us value one another and draw inspiration from each other’s thoughts that we may find ever new ways of deepening our encounters with that indescribable ‘place’ where we meet you. Amen.