Shall We Serve With Mirth Or With Fear?

In 1593 William Kethe, an English Puritan songwriter, undertook to set Psalm 100 to music. He wrote the words of a classic hymn that has been loved and sung for over 400 years: “All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell come ye before Him and rejoice.”

Chances are if you picked up your church hymnal today and looked up “All people that on earth do dwell,” you would find the words: “Him serve with fear… ” I looked it up in my church hymnal and sure enough it said; “him serve with fear.” What happened? I suspect that some kill joy hymn-editor changed it from the original version. Perhaps he felt that mirth was too light and informal for a dignified service of worship. Something more reverent and solemn was needed.

That is why, since 1904, most of our hymn books tell us to serve God with fear. It is certainly true that Christians should be God-fearing in our daily walk, but that is different from serving God with fear. The Hebrew scripture tells us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I take that to mean that a reverence for the Almighty and a healthy respect for humankind, that is created in his image, is the corner-stone of the Judeo-Christian tradition. To be God-fearing is a wonderful virtue, but in my experience to serve with fear is counterproductive.

Athletic competition is such a wonderful teacher. We hear coaches frequently instructing their players to just go out there and have fun. Don’t let that last foul or missed shot get you down. It’s a game so just have fun. If you don’t enjoy yourself, it won’t be long until you can no longer force yourself to compete successfully.

Those of us who are called to serve cannot take our calling too seriously; but we can take ourselves too seriously as we try to fulfill that calling. Sometimes we are driven by a sense of duty and weighted down by feelings of obligation. When that happens we will soon reach the point of burnout when we can no longer force ourselves to serve. So relax, enjoy yourself, you can not save everyone, but you can make a difference in someone’s life if you keep smiling..

Jesus frequently said to his disciples, “let not your heart be troubled” and “be of good cheer.” We have every right to be cheerful. I heard about a girl in Sunday school who was asked to repeat John 3:16 from memory. She said it perfectly until she reached the last line: “… Whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have ever laughing life.” That’s the kind of life I would like to have, as I seek to serve others in his name.

So in conclusion: William Kethe had it right. Our blessed Heavenly Father wants us to serve Him and others, with mirth and joy and love and delight. That’s what is needed in the Church today. We can close the gap between heaven and earth with a heart full of mirth.