Tom Fettke – Adoration

Hymnist Tom Fettke is not a “Christian Artist” in the usual sense.  His work does not primarily consist of releasing music with his voice recorded.   He produces Hymnals for choirs, releasing hundreds of works throughout his 50+ year career.  His most famous work is The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, released in 1986.

Lyrics can be found at https://www.lyrics.com/sublyric/82151/Tom+fettke+Choir/Adoration/.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

This song compels us to humbly come before God with empty hands and obedience.  It references the Magi in that famous Christmas story as an example of such worship, though with gifts offered by God, namely, Christ crucified, who is truth and love.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song is Biblical.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1: Borrowed from 1 Chronicles 16:28-29, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 29:2, and Psalm 96:8-9, it calls for us to worship.

Lines 2-4: Pulls imagery from Matthew 2:11, where the Magi gave the Lord Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They bowed down and worshipped Him.  Fettke also takes two of these objects, namely gold and frankincense, and makes them figurative to describe two elements of worship: compliance (Matthew 25:34-40, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:10-14, 1 Peter 1:14-15, 1 John 2:3-5, 1 John 4:19-20, 1 John 5:2-3, and 2 John 1:6) and humility (Micah 6:8, Romans 12:3, Romans 12:16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 4:2, Philippians 2:3-8, Colossians 3:12, James 4:6-10, James 4:14-16, and 1 Peter 5:5-10).

[Verse 2]

Line 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).  We should not be afraid to enter God’s Presence in that state of humility.

Line 2: This is so because our best gifts are dirty, filthy, menstrual rags: discarded and thrown away (Isaiah 64:6).

Lines 3 and 4: This is a subtle reference to Jesus, who is the Truth (John 14:6) whose love compelled Him to offer Himself for our sins (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 John 4:9-10).  He is also love itself (1 John 4:8).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

This song is overtly Christian to unbelievers, thick with Christianese terminologies such as Lord, references to gold and incense, worship, and offerings.  Yet, despite its heavy reliance on Biblical ideas, unbelievers should easily comprehend Fettke’s points, except for offering Truth and love in connection with “bearing no gifts” in Verse 2.  To some unbelievers, without an understanding that Jesus is Truth and Love, this is a contradiction.

Score: 7/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God when as it calls us to surrender to God, worshipping at His feet.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Tom Fettke’s Adoration is short and sweet.  It compels us to praise and worship God with deep reverence and respect, obedient to His commandments, bringing Him glory.  While believers will conclude that “Truth” and “love” offered on the throne references Jesus, unbelievers who haven’t studied Scripture will probably not see the connection.

I highly recommend this song for churches looking for a short song; However, seeker-sensitive churches should proceed with caution.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Adoration (listen to the song)

Artist: Tom Fettke

Album: N/A

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 1986

Duration: N/A

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Updates:

03/26/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.