I always hoped that one day I might meet one of my songwriting hero’s, Timothy Dudley Smith. That won’t happen now this side of heaven, as he went to be with the Lord on Monday, aged 97.
He leaves behind a legacy of over 400 hymns. Not bad for a dog collar wearing Anglican Bishop who spoke so properly he might well have given elocution lessons to the King (to my friends around the world I simply mean he sounded quite posh).
I was raised in a church that didn’t sing a lot of hymns - contemporary worship was our bread and butter - and so for many years I had never heard of Timothy Dudley Smith. I can remember the exact moment that all changed, somewhere in the mid 1990’s. I was on the road, singing and speaking in churches around the UK, and one Sunday morning found myself in a well attended Methodist church. The worship was not ‘free’ or ‘expressive’ in the pentecostal sense I was used to, but the very white British congregation stood to attention at the sound of the pipe organ with earnest sincerity. Heads up, shoulders back, and with great gusto they sang the opening line, “Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord!”
I nearly fell over. Not because the Spirit was moving, (though I’m certain He was in ways unfamiliar to me) but because of the power of that line and the triumph with which it was sung.
“Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice
Tender to me the promise of his Word
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice”
This was the start of my admiration for this dear songwriter. A very different kind of lyricist from a completely different stream I flowed in, but one I grew to admire.
Years later I listened as an older church member shared a personal story of God’s faithfulness. They introduced a song unfamiliar to me and asked if we might all sing it. I did my best to sing along, once again moved by a lyric which I would discover to be from Timothy Dudley Smith:
Above the voices of the world around me,
my hopes and dreams, my cares and loves and fears,
the long-awaited call of Christ has found me,
the voice of Jesus echoes in my ears:
‘I gave my life to break the cords that bind you,
I rose from death to set your spirit free;
turn from your sins, and put the past behind you,
take up your cross and come and follow me.’
As a song it’s not a ‘banger’. It wouldn’t do well on Christian radio or be sung by lots of young people. Some might even place it in the ‘pleasant-but-twee’ category, which would be a mistake. There is a weight to the lyric that often stirs me. It’s all there, encouraging our life of faith and our need to believe the promises of God.
What I admire about a lot of great hymn writers is how they move us away from an over reliance on feelings, to a faith grounded in God’s Word. That’s important for me because I tend to be a bit of an emotional, soppy, feelings and shivers kind of Christian. I believe we can know the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in very real ways. However, I have also become aware of our need to be grounded in worship. Pain teaches us that need, as does tragedy, disappointment, anxiety, grief, and all manner of other experiences. It’s not that we can’t experience God’s presence in those seasons - we certainly can - but often in those seasons we learn to lift our heads and sing something true, whether we feel it or not.
Two years ago our church lost our Director of Music to cancer. Andrew was a consummate professional musician from the classical world. He naturally tended towards traditional worship and was in many senses the fish to my chips. He loved Bach, I love Billy Joel. We both admired Timothy Dudley Smith. We became friends and found a way of working together, our two streams merging into one river. I still love modern songs, but I can also appreciate a well crafted hymn. Andrew’s widow, Linda, recently went home as well, another shock to our congregation. However - and this is the key - they had, and we have, a faith that looks beyond the darkness of death to the dawn of eternal life.
And so this morning as I sip my coffee, I think about Andrew, Linda, and Timothy Dudley Smith. I thank God as I look forward to that day when we shall all drink a cup together in the new heaven and earth. I remember there is a time to lift my hands in moments of joyful worship, and there is also a time to stand tall, chin up and shoulders back, and belt out words that are simply true. Those words will shape and strengthen my soul.
I was in a shop yesterday when I heard of Timothy Dudley Smith’s passing. My daughter was trying on clothes and so I browsed some of his lyrics on my phone as the news sunk in. My eyes - quite unexpectedly - filled with tears as I read the final verse of his great hymn, Lord of the Years:
Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us -
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.
Amen, Timothy, amen.
May you rest in peace and rise in glory.
I hope I finally meet you in a corner of heaven where we might have a cuppa, chuckle about writing song lyrics, and sigh at the unending joy.
Steve x
I hope I’ll be able to join in that corner of heaven, not necessarily to sip the coffee or join in your conversation, but just to listen and meditate on God’s blessings.
Thank you Steve for another inspiring writing.
Many have been blessed by so many song writers, some well known others not known. Many know their words, few may know the author. This reminds me of the author of life itself, greater God himself.