Rebecca of the Rebecca Writes blog recently did a bit of research into an unusual wording change in the famous hymn "Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed." Was the phrase "such a worm as I" replaced because it's theologically erroneous, or because it's a bit harsh on churchgoers' self-esteem? Rebecca found an interesting backstory behind the phrase and offers some good thoughts on the matter.

Reading her post, I was struck by the thought that I very rarely do much serious pondering of the hymn lyrics I sing in church every Sunday. Between the familiarity of the music and the sometimes archaic wording of the lyrics, it's easy to sing through an entire verse or two without giving much thought at all to what they're saying, let alone subjecting them to critical analysis. I wonder if that could be the basis for an interesting Bible study--to take a series of famous hymns and go through them line by line, checking them against the Bible and discussing the theology they teach?

(Oh, and if you're looking for a really good self-esteem killer, try "Dust to Dust, the Mortal Dies," which we sang occasionally in church when I was growing up. My family has a running joke that it should be set to the tune of "Joy to the World" for maximum effect.)