626

Cast Down, O God, the Idols

Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Our songs and prayers include honesty before God in which we express the pain we experience over our own sins and failures, the difficulties in both our lives and others’ lives, and our laments at the suffering and brokenness that marks our world and our lives. We have assurance, says Belgic Confession, Article 26, that Christ, our intercessor, will hear us, “since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted.”

 

We are encouraged to approach the throne with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Belgic Confession, Article 26, based on Hebrews 4). “We grieve that the church…has become a broken communion in a broken world” (Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 40).

 

We also “lament that our abuse of creation has brought lasting damage to the world we have been given...” (Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 51). And we cry to God for those who suffer in our world, knowing “that God…is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged...” (Belhar Confession, Section 4).

626

Cast Down, O God, the Idols

Additional Prayers

A Prayer for Deliverance
In our sadder but wiser moments, we see them, O God. We see the things that snare us and hold us away from you. Pills, smokes, eats, drinks, pictures—whatever makes us hunger for more, always more, ever more—cast it down, O God. Power, prestige, position—whatever makes us hunger for more—cast it down, O God, and set us free through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
626

Cast Down, O God, the Idols

Tune Information

Name
RUTHERFORD
Key
F Major
Meter
7.6.7.6 D

Recordings

626

Cast Down, O God, the Idols

Hymn Story/Background

RUTHERFORD was composed by Chrétien Urhan and was published originally in Chants Chrétien (1834). The tune became associated with Anne Ross Cousin's hymn text “The Sands of Time Are Sinking.” Cousin based her hymn on writings from the Last Words of Samuel Rutherford (1857); Rutherford was a seventeenth-century Scottish Covenant preacher. The tune was later arranged by Edward Francis Rimbault (b. Soho, London, England, 1816; d. Soho, London, 1876) and published in its present form in Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867).
 
RUTHERFORD consists of four long lines, each of which has its own melodic and rhythmic patterns. Sing this music with two beats per bar to get the sense of the longer textual and musical lines. Try singing in harmony, unaccompanied on one of the inner stanzas.
— Bert Polman

Author Information

Herman G. Stuempfle Jr. (b. Clarion, Pennsylvania April 2, 1923; d. Gettysburg, Pensylvania, March 13, 2007) was educated at Susquehanna University (A.B., 1945), Lutheran Theological Seminary (B.D., 1946), Union Theological Seminary (S.T.M., 1967) and Southern California School of Theology at Claremont (Th. D., 1971). From 1947-1959, Rev. Stuempfle, served as pastor of parishes in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1959, he joined the staff of the Board of Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America. Throughout his 27-year career as Professor of Preaching at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Rev. Stuempfle also served as the school’s Dean (1971-1976) and as President (1976-1989).

In 2004, Dr. Stuempfle was named a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. His work is found in an ever-growing number of hymnals. His collections of hymn texts include The Word Goes Forth (GIA 1993); Redeeming the Time (GIA 1997); Awake Our Hearts To Praise (GIA 2000); and Wondrous Love Has Called Us (GIA 2006). Dr. Stuempfle died on March 13, 2007 after a long battle with ALS. 
— Bert Polman

Composer Information

Chrétien Urhan (b. Aix-la-Chappelle, France, 1790; d. Belleville, near Paris, France, 1845) was an accomplished violin and viola player at an early age. After hearing him play his instrument in 1805, the Empress Josephine took him to Paris to study composition and strings from the best teachers. Urhan revived the importance of the viola d'amore by giving virtuoso performances on this instrument with Pierre Baillot's quartet. 
— Bert Polman
Edward Francis Rimbault (b. Soho, London, England, 1816; d. Soho, London, 1876) played the or­gan at the St. Pe­ter’s, Vere Street; St. John’s Wood Pres­by­ter­i­an Church; and the Swiss Church in So­ho, Lon­don. He helped found the Mu­sic­al Ant­i­quar­i­an So­ci­e­ty in 1840, and com­posed op­er­et­tas and pop­u­lar and re­li­gious mu­sic. He once re­ceived—and de­clined—a po­si­tion as pro­fess­or of mu­sic at Har­vard Colle­ge. His works in­clude: The Organ: Its His­to­ry and Con­struct­ion, with Ed­ward Hopkins, 1855; and Early Eng­lish Or­gan Build­ers and Their Works, 1865.
— Bert Polman
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