Hymns Project - I Cannot Tell

Something that really started concerning me when I got more serious about my faith as a younger Christian was how certain people, based on their "doctrines" seemed to think that they could explain everything about God and how He worked.  Even though they might say that God is God because He can't be fully known and His ways are beyond comprehension, they still had to have everything fit inside their systematic, theological box.  They don't have much room for mystery or for people's ideas or beliefs that don't fit with theirs (even if the other person's thoughts have as much or more biblical backing than theirs).

Well I admit that as I've grown in my walk with Christ, I think I have more answers than I used to, and I am definitely the kind of person that doesn't like to be wrong (hence I think I'm right most of the time).  Thankfully God and people that are close to me have continued to remind me of this so that I can try to keep it in check.  In the last year or so, God has really helped me with this by challenging me with the concept of mystery, and how that is crucial to our faith, since after all, how could God be God if we could explain everything about Him.

I've been working on a bunch of hymns to bring into our church's repertoire, most of which I've had to give a more contemporary feel for us to be able to play it in our context.  One of those hymns is "I Cannot Tell" by W.Y. Fullerton.  It really meditates on a bunch of things that we can't explain or really know from our position where Christ is concerned.  Like how amazing His love is that that He would humble Himself to come to earth  to save us.  Or how He is going to return and make all things new and reign forever (I'm pretty sure the Left Behind books are not the answer to that question either).  

Each verse then contrasts what we "cannot tell" with what God has made known to us.  Besides the fact that it emphasizes mystery and keeps us in a humbles place where our theology is concerned, I noticed today that it really connects with the book Future Grace that I wrote about in my last post.  We don't need to know the answers to all the things we "cannot tell" about, but we have the promises of God to cling to that He has done what He said He did or will accomplish what He said He will.  A song like this can help us to be comfortable and even rejoice in the mystery of our God, but also help us to recall some of God's promises in worship.  Maybe I'll post the mp3 of this when I finish the recording, but in the meantime here's the words in case you aren't familiar with it.  The music is to the Irish tune "O Danny Boy."  

I cannot tell why He whom angels worship,
Should set His love upon the sons of men,
Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,
To bring them back, they know not how or when.
But this I know, that He was born of Mary
When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,
And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,
And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come.

I cannot tell how silently He suffered,
As with His peace He graced this place of tears,
Or how His heart upon the cross was broken,
The crown of pain to three and thirty years.
But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted,
And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
For yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here.

I cannot tell how He will win the nations,
How He will claim His earthly heritage,
How satisfy the needs and aspirations
Of East and West, of sinner and of sage.
But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,
And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,
And some glad day His sun shall shine in splendor
When He the Savior, Savior of the world is known.

I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
When, at His bidding, every storm is stilled,
Or who can say how great the jubilation
When all the hearts of men with love are filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
And countless voices then will join to sing,
And earth to Heaven, and Heaven to earth, will answer:
At last the Savior, Savior of the world is King!