This Sunday, we are singing one of my very favorite hymns: And Can It Be. I want to encourage you to sing boldly and really listen to the words. They are powerful words of grace, freedom, and awe at the love of Christ.
A Little History
And Can It Be was written in 1738 by Charles Wesley, just days after his own conversion experience. He and his brother John had been raised in a devout Anglican home, but both wrestled with doubts about salvation. After Charles felt his “heart set free,” he poured out his joy in this hymn. It was one of his very first hymns, and it has become one of the great treasures of Christian worship. Phrases like “my chains fell off, my heart was free” capture the wonder of God’s grace breaking into a sinner’s life.
A Personal Word
Growing up, this hymn shaped my faith and theology in profound ways. Verses 4 and 5 especially have always stayed with me: “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.” That picture of grace, God’s freedom breaking into my life, continues to be one of the clearest ways I understand salvation. Praise God that our chains fall off and our hearts are set free in Christ!
Grace and the Scriptures
John Wesley often reminded the early Methodists that God’s grace is at the very heart of our faith. He wrote about prevenient grace (God’s work drawing us before we even know it), justifying grace (God’s pardon and forgiveness through Christ), and sanctifying grace (God’s Spirit shaping us to become holy in love). For Wesley, all of this truth is grounded in the Scriptures. He called himself homo unius libri, “a man of one book,” meaning that above all, he lived by the Bible. Wesley believed that the Scriptures are “the rule and guide of our faith,” the clearest witness to the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
How We Sing Together
As we prepare to sing, let’s remember John Wesley’s own “Directions for Singing,” printed in the United Methodist Hymnal:
1. Sing all – don’t skip parts or sit silently. Join in!
2. Sing lustily and with good courage – lift your voice with strength and joy.
3. Sing modestly – don’t try to drown out your neighbor. Blend your voice with others.
4. Sing in time – keep with the congregation, not dragging or rushing ahead.
5. Above all, sing spiritually – let your heart be directed to God, seeking to please God more than yourself.
So as we sing And Can It Be this Sunday, let’s sing it not just as music but as the story of salvation sung and experienced. May it be our proclamation that God’s grace has set us free.
Here’s a rendition you can listen to ahead of time: https://youtu.be/Sbx6RNev-o0?si=dqfPTM4kHxcgFsDf