Frederick Faber
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Faith of Our Fathers LBW 500
1 Faith of our fathers, living still in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword.
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy whene’er we hear that glorious word.
Refrain
Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to thee till death.
2 The martyrs, chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free;
and blest would be their children’s fate if they, like them, should die for thee. Refrain
3 Faith of our fathers! We will love both friend and foe in all our strife;
proclaim thee, too, as love knows how, by saving Word and faithful life. Refrain
Text: Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863, alt.
The Bible is the story of how our ancestors in the faith responded to their encounter with a living God. The story of Abraham, called out of ancient Ur with Sarai, his wife, to go to a strange land and place, the story of Saul, formerly of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin, persecutor of Christians, called on the road to Damascus to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, the Bible is full of stories about how ordinary peoples were called to extraordinary things in unimaginable ways.
Frederick Faber was a minister in the Anglican Church. He was deeply concerned about the “new ways” in which his church was moving; splintering among various groups, some of which could charitably be called “charismatic”, most were simply weird – but all of them seemed to want to throw out Tradition and start over. After three years of struggle, he resigned his call and became Roman Catholic. He appreciated the continuity that the RC church had with its historic and Biblical faith, its respect fort martyrs and saints, and its deep love for liturgy. But even this was not enough, he missed singing hymns! So he wrote some to fill the void. This one, “Faith of our Fathers” is a favorite for many denominations today.
It is, for me in these changing times, a good reminder that we are part of the grand witness, that “larger story” of which the hymn sings. New may be good, but it is not automatically better. And the same is true of the “old “.
Being faithful is best, and that is learned in continuity with those who were faithful in the past, like Abraham or Paul or Martin, or any of those wonderful saints we can name from our own stories. That which reveals the Truth is always worth preserving, and that which does not, is not worth arguing about. Wisdom comes from knowing the difference!
Prayer: Lord, help us to know when the bath water is dirty and needs changing, and then O Lord in your mercy, help us to NOT throw the baby out with the bath water when we do! Amen.