"When Words Alone Cannot Express" A Hymn by Rev. John Thornburg

This article was originally published by "UMC Discipleship," the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church's website as a "History of Hymns" article--"History of Hymns" is an ongoing hymnological column--this article didn't survive the transition to www.umcdiscipleship.org when it migrated in Fall 2019.

When Words Alone Cannot Express
by John Thornburg
Worship & Song, No. 3012

When words alone cannot express
all that our hearts ache to confess,
bring music! Alleluia!
Bring melody and rhythmic fire!
Bring instruments, bring bells and choir!
Bring music! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!*

*Originally included in The One Who Taught Beside the Sea by John Thornburg, © 2003 Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. WL 800009. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Even though it is a 21^st-century hymn text, it is hard to separate “When words alone cannot express” from the familiar 17^th-century hymn tune for which it was written, LAAST UNS ERFREUEN, a tune often associated with the hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King.” “When Words Alone Cannot Express” uses this singable and triumphant melody to provide an explanation of the role of music in worship.

This hymn was written by John Thornburg (b.1954) in celebration and appreciation of the work of United Methodist composer Jane Marshall (b. 1924) and her colleague, Lloyd Pfautsch (1921-2003), long-time director of choral activities at Southern Methodist University and founder of the Master of Sacred Music program. Jane Marshall, a member of Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, has been a long-time collaborator with Rev. Thornburg in the composition of hymns, especially when he was pastor of that congregation from 1991-2001. The hymn was first published in 2003 and now appears in the United Methodist hymnal supplement, Worship and Song (2011).

John Thornburg, a fourth-generation Methodist minister, was born in Southampton, New York. He graduated from DePauw University and Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and served 22 years in parish ministry before launching his own ministry of consultation in worship and congregational song. He has contributed to congregational song since the early 1980s, and his songs are infused with rich theology, vivid imagery, striking narrative, and convicting perspective. Formerly a President of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, of which he was also named a Fellow in 2016, he now serves the Texas Methodist Foundation as the Area Representative for North Texas(as of the writing of this article) and considers himself a “professional encourager.” Currently residing in Dallas, Texas, one of his questions to churches the he consults as they craft a dream and vision for their church is, “What should we sing to be the church God is calling us to be?"

In this hymn, Thornburg addresses the why and when of that question.

When speech erodes and tempers flare,
when peace gives way to idle dare,
[. . .]
Let psalms restore our memory
that God has made us to be free!

While the discussion of appropriate worship styles and music genres in our churches still ensues, we are called to remember that our song is a part of our congregation’s identity and is an excellent offering to lift to God. Our song is also sacramental—it unites our past to our present.  In worship, we sing our theology, our praise, our laments, our pleas, and we sing them together.

In worship, speech alone often is not sufficient to fully and honestly express to God the range of our experiences—struggles, joys, doubts, confessions, frustrations. In moments of deep meaning—the Eucharist, the birth of a new life, or the death of a saint—the inexpressible can find its way out of us in song.  Music serves as a language we can share with our Creator to pour out those things “our hearts ache to confess.”

This hymn employs the first-person plural: “our,” “us,” and “we” instead of “your,” “mine,” and “me.” Music is rarely a solitary exercise. The best music is made in communion with others, and what a spiritual force it is! “When we encounter Christ the Lord, bring music!” We experience God most fully in community.

“When Words Alone Cannot Express” is an eager, exultant invitation to worship. It may be used throughout the Christian year. Indeed, it calls for music “within each season of our lives,” and it reminds us that music is constantly appropriate.

Rev. Thornburg punctuates the meaning he is expressing in this hymn with jubilant refrains of “Alleluia!” almost as if the shouts of thanks cannot be stopped before each new thought begins, and creating similarity with another hymn text that utilizes LAAST UNS ERFREUEN: the Gilbert H. Vieira (1978) adaptation of Thomas Ken’s (1674) “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.” These shouts of thanks are also passionate examples of what we should be doing in our churches as often as we can: “Bring Music! Alleluia!”