Johann Frelinghuysen

Orthodox means right thinking.  Someone who is orthodox in faith is thinking right about God.  Dead orthodoxy is a way of describing right thinking that leads nowhere.  What good is orthodoxy (right thinking) if it doesn’t lead to orthopraxy (right behavior)?  We can have all our theological ducks in a row yet still lack spiritual vitality.  Jesus said, “Not everyone who says, to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 17.21).  Pietism was a 17th century movement in Germany concerned that Protestant churches were more focused on heady stuff like doctrine and theology (right thinking) than matters of the heart and putting faith into practice (right behavior).  Piety is a word that has fallen out of favor in our day and has become associated with self-righteousness. Originally, the word meant devoted.  Johann Anastasias Frelinghuysen (1670-1737) was a Pietist who sought to recover a vital spirituality among God’s people.  He organized his congregation into small groups for prayer and faithful Scripture reading. He founded orphanages for children left destitute by war and a series of deadly plagues.  He wrote hymns that expressed his desire for spiritual renewal.  Forty-four of his hymns survive in our day.  The words of one such hymn serves as our focus in prayer.  Jesus, give light to those who are spiritually lost.  Grant life to those who are spiritually dead.  Liberate those imprisoned by guilt and paralyzed by fear.  Bestow peace to those in turmoil.  If only we would take his prayer into our hearts: