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O9. Reflections: Mar.19

Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Paul Gerhardt (b. Mar. 12, 1607; d. May 27, 1676)
Music: Diademata, by George Job Elvey (b. Mar. 27, 1816; d. Dec, 9, 1893)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Paul Gerhardt) (for another article that tells the amazing story behind this hymn see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Paul Gerhardt, a German pastor and hymn writer from long ago, went through some severe trials that touched his family too. To encourage his wife, he wrote the following hymn. Later, He saw the Lord work in their circumstances in amazing ways. (See the second Wordwise Hymns link for the story.)

As to the tune, you will see from the Cyber Hymnal that the hymn has nine four-line verses, with a tune to fit. But I’ve combined eight stanzas into four eight-line stanzas, for which I recommend the tune Diademata, which we commonly use for Crown Him with Many Crowns. (I see from Hymnary.org that exactly this formatting of the stanzas was used in a hymnal as early as 1806.)

Fear is a common emotion. In small and infrequent doses, it can serve as a safety alarm to keep us from some kind of danger. But when it becomes chronic and intrusive in our daily lives, it will begin to have a negative affect on our health.

Chronic fear and anxiety can weaken our immune system, making us more susceptible to colds and flu and other ailments. It can also cause problems with the digestive system, and the heart. It can disrupt sleep–which, in itself can lead to other health issues. A sustained anxious state can impair memory, and even bring the development of phobias that make us shy away from living life, and mixing socially with others.

Fear and other related words (such as afraid, terror, troubled, scare, anxious) are found over 800 times in the Bible (averaging a dozen per book). This shows the fear factor was common, long before our modern world brought so many new things to disturb our peace of mind. They could be fearful without bombs and terrorists, without computer hacking and more.

Fear and worry are frequent companions. The things we’re afraid of we worry are going to happen to us. On the other hand, what answer does the Word of God point us to? That faith in Him nurtures peace and rest to the mind and heart. When we call upon the Lord, we’re involving One who has the compassion and power to help us deal with the things that trouble us.

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps. 27:14).

David says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” And, later in the same psalm, “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid” (Ps. 56:3, 11). In another psalm he says, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). It’s not that the believer will be (to borrow a phrase from Dr. Watts) “carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease.” But the Lord does help us, nonetheless.

Sometimes a dramatic deliverance is involved, but not always. God can also give us daily grace to cope with our trials and continue to honour Him (II Cor. 12:7-9). Out of our struggles we can learn patience and endurance (Jas. 1:2-4), and we experience a new level of God’s presence and comfort (Ps. 23:4). The latter equips us to minister comfort to others going through their own rough times (II Cor. 1:3-4). And beyond the present scene, we have the joyful expectation of our eternal home, with things that trouble us here gone forever.

“I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

Paul Gerhardt’s beautiful hymn on the theme of dealing with our fears deserves to be much better known that it is.

1) Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.
Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou His time; so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

3) Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command;
So shalt thou, wondering, own that way,
How wise, how strong this hand.
Far, far above thy thought,
His counsel shall appear,
When fully He the work hath wrought,
That caused thy needless fear.

And the hymn concludes with the following earnest prayer:

4) Thou seest our weakness, Lord;
Our hearts are known to Thee;
O lift Thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!
Let us in life, in death,
Thy steadfast truth declare,
And publish with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.

Questions:
1) What is your greatest fear or anxiety?

2) Are there Scriptures noted in the article, or thoughts expressed in lines of the hymn, that encourage you? (How?)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Paul Gerhardt) (for another article that tells the amazing story behind this hymn see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Fill Thou My Life

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Horatius Bonar (b. Dec. 19, 1808; d. July 31, 1889)
Music: Ellacombe, from Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Wirtembergischen Katholischen Hofkapelle, 1784, adapted and harmonized by William Henry Monk (b. Mar. 16, 1823; d. Mar. 1, 1889)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Horatius Bonar born, died) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Bonar, as well as being a fine preacher, is called by historians the most eminent of the Scottish hymn writers. Hymnals have continued to use many of his songs (e.g. I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, and Go, Labour On, Spend and Be Spent).

Home life is filled with many asks and answers. He asked, “Have you got time to help me paint the den?” She asked, “Have you got time to take the kids to the hockey game?” These domestic tasks, and others like them, come up in every home. And the answers relate more to our priorities than to the actual time available. Because we each have exactly the same amount of time.

We each have 24 hours in a day, which is 1,440 minutes, and amounts to 86,400 seconds. And that translates into 31, 536,000 seconds per year–a few more in a leap year. No one gets fewer than that, and no one more, whatever your gender, or economic status, or education, or vocation. It’s the same for everyone.

It’s how we fill that allotted time that’s different from one person to another. A certain amount–likely a quarter to a third of a 24-hour period–is spent sleeping. Then there are meals, and matters of personal hygiene each day. For many, 50 or 60 hours are spent each week at employment of some kind. Then there’s church, recreation, shopping, doctors visits, and more.

Some talk about “killing time,” by which they mean doing nothing, or doing something of little or no importance for awhile. But in reality, you can’t kill time. Those seconds continue to click by, however they’re spent. There’s another expression we use as well: “making up for lost time.” We do that either by hurrying, or by taking time usually spent for other things to use for a particular activity or project.

But, again, we’re not really changing the inexorable passing of time. As Persian poet Omar Khayyam wrote nine centuries ago (translated into English): “The Moving Finger writes and, having writ, / Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit / Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, / Nor all your tears blot out a word of it.” He was speaking particularly of fate, or destiny, but it works as a description of the passage of time as well.

Yet, with all the demands and duties life brings upon us, there’s an activity the Bible says we’re to do all the time: that is to praise God. The psalmist says, “My praise shall be continually of You….And [I] will praise You yet more and more” (Ps. 71:6, 14). This seems impossible, but it’s not. Like the background music in a movie, it continues on through the action. In life, it has to do with our mind-set and attitude, our habitual thought patterns and emotional responses to life. “Praise the Lord,” whatever the circumstance, should be a natural response.

The Israelites were commanded by the Lord to offer a “continual burnt offering” on the bronze altar of sacrifice (Exod. 29:38-42). Morning by morning, and evening by evening the smoke of a sacrifice was to ascend to the Lord, without interruption. It symbolized the praise and worship of God that was to be the “background music” of their lives, even when it wasn’t being explicitly programed.

There’s no longer an altar of sacrifice for believers, but the ongoing praise of God is still called for. “Therefore by Him [Christ] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Scottish pastor and hymn writer Horatius Bonar expressed this theme in a beautiful song.

CH-1) Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lip of praise alone,
Nor e’en the praising heart
I ask, but for a life made up
Of praise in every part!

CH-2) Praise in the common words I speak,
Life’s common looks and tones,
In fellowship in hearth and board
With my belovèd ones;
Not in the temple crowd alone
Where holy voices chime,
But in the silent paths of earth,
The quiet rooms of time.

CH-3) So shall each fear, each fret, each care
Be turned into a song,
And every winding of the way
The echo shall prolong;
So shall no part of day or night
From sacredness be free;
But all my life, in every step
Be fellowship with Thee.

Questions:
1) What things have happened in the last day or so that caused you to praise the Lord?

2) What does a life filled with God’s praise look like from the outside?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Horatius Bonar born, died) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Farther Along

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: William Buel Stevens (b. Mar. 11, 1862; d. Dec. 9:1943); Barney Elliott Warren (b. Feb. 20, 1867; d. Apr. 21, 1961)
Music: Grenada, by George Harrison Cook (b. _____; d. ___, 1948)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Barney Warren) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: There seems to be some confusion over who actually wrote this song. You can read more about that in the second Wordwise Hymns link above. Apparently William Stephens wrote the original, but it was adapted by Barney Warren, who had thousands of gospel songs to his credit. Books sometimes credit Warren for the song, other times it’s a man named J. R. Baxter, another major gospel song writer in the first half of the twentieth century. Of Harrison, the composer of the tune, we know little, he was a preacher and gospel singer, and apparently composed other music.

It’s the same with many things we learn. When we’re first exposed to a subject it can be confusing and even intimidating. We may doubt we’ll ever be able to understand it or put it to use.

That may be how we feel in childhood, when confronted with reading or arithmetic. Or with riding a two-wheeler. Later, driving a car is another skill that can be daunting at first. So can learning a new language. And though computer skills are now taught an at an early age, some of us had to master at least the basics well into adulthood. It wasn’t easy!

It helps if we have a good teacher in the beginning, and good role models (the two are sometimes found in the same person), and we’ll need a good measure of patience for the challenges mentioned, and many others. “It takes time” is more than a trite phrase. Diligent effort usually brings progress, even if it’s not as fast as we could wish.

Something like this happened to the disciples of the Lord Jesus. These were not theological scholars. The Lord plucked them from here and there during the early days of His earthly ministry. Peter and several others were fishermen, Matthew was a tax collector, Simon the Zealot belonged to a group that advocated political revolution.

These men were to be trained for missionary work and church planting after Christ’s ascension. They were educated by the greatest Teacher who ever lived, and One who lived before them a glowing example to follow (Jn. 13:14-15). Their schooling was extensive. There was about three years of being with Jesus, and listening to His teaching. Also, He sent them out, two by two, to minister on their own (Mk. 6:7-13), then report back how it had gone (vs. 30).

But, even so, they struggled to understand what was going on, and what their part in it all would be. This was especially true when Christ began speaking of His coming death on the cross (Matt. 16:21). How could He be their reigning Messiah-King if He died? Peter’s impetuous response was, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You” (vs. 22). For this, Peter was severely rebuked (vs. 23).

Then, hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus seems to be referring to His ascension back into heaven when He says, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward” (Jn. 13:36). But the disciples seem to think He’s speaking of going into hiding (Jn. 13:37; 14:5).

The Lord didn’t rebuke them for their confusion, but simply recognized it (Jn. 13:7), promising they’d have a fuller understanding later on. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (Jn. 16:12-13).

Today, we still have many unanswered questions. With Paul we may say, “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (I Cor. 13:12). What is called for is ongoing faith in God’s promises, confidence that He does all things well, and patience to wait for what’s to come.

This is the attitude reflected in a 1911 gospel song taken from words by an American pastor named William Stevens.

CH-1) Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.

Farther along we’ll know more about it,
Farther along we’ll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.

CH-5) “Faithful till death,” saith our loving Master;
Short is our time to labour and wait;
Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
When we shall pass the heavenly gate.

CH-6) Soon we will see our dear, loving Saviour,
Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
Then we will meet those gone on before us,
Then we shall know and understand why.

Questions:
1) What are some events in your life that you’re hoping to understand better in heaven?

2) What are some reasons the Lord withholds an explanation for such things now?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Barney Warren) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Face to Face

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Carrie Elizabeth Ellis Breck (b. Jan. 22, 1855; d. Mar. 27, 1934)
Music: Grant Colfax Tullar (b. Aug. 5, 1869; d. May 20, 1950)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Interestingly, Mrs. Breck could not, herself, carry a tune. But she was skilled at writing words for others to set to music–she produced hundreds of songs, including one in 1898 called Face to Face. For the interesting story of how Tullar’s tune came about, see the first Wordwise Hymns link above.

Heaven is surely a wonderful place, and every child of God can justly look forward to going there. The Bible tells us something about it, so let’s think a little about the subject.

As the Lord readied Eden for our first parents, so He’s specially prepare heaven for the people of God. The Lord Jesus Himself tells us that (Jn. 14:2-3). And we’re told some of the things that will be missing from our home to come: tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain (Rev. 21:4). Another thing there won’t be is any ending to it. Heaven will be forever (Rev. 22:5). In Shakespeare’s Henry VI the king calls heaven “the treasury of everlasting joy” (cf. Ps. 16:11).

The throne of God, and the Lamb (Christ) are in heaven (Rev. 4:1-2; 22:1). The saints of God and the holy angels are there too (Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 5:9, 11-12). And believers have an inheritance reserved for us there (Heb. 9:15; I Pet. 1:3-4). Heaven is a place of indescribable beauty. It’s a city, according to Revelation chapters 21 and 22. But the word “Paradise” is also used of it, a Persian word meaning a beautifully laid out park or garden (II Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7).

Heaven will be filled with the resounding praise and worship of God (Rev. 7:11; 19:5). As a vehicle for this, there’ll be wonderful music (Rev. 15:2-3). We don’t know the details of things we’ll be doing in heaven, but it will involve meaningful and fulfilling service for the Lord (Rev. 7:15; 22:3). A surpassing blessing of heaven will be the presence of Christ our Saviour. It’s what made heaven a “far better” place for Paul (Phil. 1:23; II Cor. 5:8).

Hymn writer Carrie Elizabeth Breck gave us a lovely song about that.

CH-1) Face to face with Christ, my Saviour,
Face to face–what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

CH-3) What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

CH-4) Face to face–oh, blissful moment!
Face to face–to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.

Yes, it will be wonderful for us–but that’s only half the story. Have you ever thought that it will be wonderful for the Lord too? That’s another point of view memorialized in some touching lines by hymn writer Frances Bevan. She writes:

He and I in that bright glory,
One deep joy shall share–
Mine, to be forever with Him;
His that I am there.

Amazing! The Lord intention is “that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). And He expressed the same to His heavenly Father in prayer, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am” (Jn. 17:24). We are “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18). “The Lord’s portion is His people” (Deut. 32:9)–was true of Israel in an earthly sense, but of the church, especially in a heavenly sense. Our citizenship is there (Phil. 3:20).

That is heaven! And who would not look forward to such a place? But, as the old Spiritual says, “Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’t goin’ there.” It will be the home of those who’s names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27). Pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards said, “There are two unalterable prerequisites to man’s being happy in the world to come. His sins must be pardoned, and his nature must be changed.” And both of those are ours through faith in Christ.

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17).

Questions:

1) What does it tell you about the Lord Jesus that He is looking forward to you being there?

2) What Bible character(s) will you especially be interested in meeting and talking with in heaven?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Does Jesus Care?

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Frank Ellsworth Graeff (b. Dec. 19, 1860; d. July 29, 1919)
Music: Joseph Lincoln Hall (b. Nov. 4, 1866; d. Nov. 29, 1930)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (J. Lincoln Hall) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: I encourage you to go to the Cyber Hymnal link are read all the stanzas of this wonderful song from 1901. Pastor Graeff deals with the subjects of temptation, and of the sorrow at the loss of a loved one, along with other trials.

The Roaring Twenties lived up to their name. The period following the First World War was marked by giddy excess on the part of many. The blind optimism that the recent devastating conflict was “the war to end all wars” spilled over into wasteful extravagance and moral laxity. If you were to believe some newspapers of the day, a good time was had by all.

Then came the crash. In October of 1929, the Stock Market experienced what came to be known as the Great Crash. Believing stock prices would continue to rise forever, some had speculated recklessly. But soon share prices plummeted and billions of dollars were lost. Investors panicked as the situation grew worse.

This was one factor that led to the Great Depression. The largest and most sustained economic downturn in the industrialized world, it continued for a decade. Consumer spending dropped, companies laid off workers. About a fifth of the work force in America was looking for employment, and could find none. Many were forced to rely on credit, and went deeply into debt. A drought and the infamous Dust Bowl out west affected food production too.

That was a downward spiral into disaster. So what led to a turn-around, and a fairly steady recovery? It’s too simplistic, of course, to credit one single event in a situation that was very complex. But certainly things began to change in America with the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932.

A clever politician, he immediately introduced reforms to address the crisis. Further, he initiated a series of thirty “fireside chats” over the radio, stretching through the Depression and into the 1940’s. It was an early and effective use of mass communication. A gifted communicator, the president spoke to citizens with calm assurance, as their friend, telling them what was being done in Washington, and why. People were convinced he really cared.

We can draw a spiritual parallel to what some believers experience in their personal lives. Reading the first couple of chapters of the book of Job, we see a good man hit by a series of disasters, one after another, events for which he was unable to find any rational explanation. Suddenly it seemed the Lord had forgotten him, or even turned against him. But he could think of nothing that could have precipitated the change.

Something similar happened to Frank Graeff. Mr. Graeff was an American clergyman, known for his sunny optimism and his effective ministry to children. But he went through a time of severe testing. Physical pain, depression, and spiritual doubt, all weighed him down. He felt as though he’d been abandoned by God. He says his attitude at the time was characterized by “despair and defeat.”

So, how does a burdened soul deal with such a shattering crash? How does a turn-around begin? Something like the circumstances described earlier, it begins with the help of a wise and compassionate Helper, the Lord Himself. When he hit bottom, Graeff fell to his knees and began to pour out his troubles to God. And it was a hymn and a Bible verse that buoyed his faith and brought refreshing joy and comfort to his heart.

The hymn was one by Joseph Scriven, which says:

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.

What an encouragement to a struggling servant of God! And the verse of Scripture that meant much to him speaks of…

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Pet. 5:7).

Twice in the Gospels the Lord Jesus is asked, “Do you not care?” In a storm on the Sea of Galilee the disciples cry, “Do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mk. 4:38). And in a home in Bethany, when Christ was their Guest, Martha frantically worked to prepare a meal, while her sister Mary sits at His feet to listen to His teaching. With obvious irritation, Martha complains, “Do You not care that my sister has left me to serve along?” (Lk. 10:40).

And of course He does care, when things like danger (in the first instance) and duty (in the second) seem to overwhelm us. And the Lord hears and answers prayer, either providing a means of deliverance, or the grace to carry us through whatever we face. Out of that assurance, Frank Graeff wrote the gospel song Does Jesus Care? with it’s joyful affirmation in each refrain that indeed He does.

CH-1) Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Saviour cares.

CH-2) Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Questions:
1) What trial or testing are you facing presently?

2) Has the Lord helped you through this time? (What has He used to do this?)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (J. Lincoln Hall) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Depth of Mercy, Can There Be?

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Charles Wesley (b. Dec. 18, 1707; d. Mar. 29, 1788)
Music: Seymour (or Weber), by Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (b. Nov. 18, 1786; d. June 5, 1826)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Charles Wesley) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,500 hymns. Not all are of high quality, and many have been long forgotten. But his best are considered among the finest hymns in the English language, hymns such as: Jesus, Lover of My Soul; Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Carl von Weber was a pianist and classical composer of note. This hymn tune is taken from the opening chorus of Oberon, his last opera.

Did you ever dive into water that wasn’t deep enough for a dive? I did once, but fortunately came away with only a few scratches and scrapes–and an important lesson learned. For others it’s meant crippling injuries or even death. But diving into water that is more than deep enough can be a thrilling and enjoyable experience.

This might be compared, in the spiritual realm, to experiencing the wonderful mercy of God. Mercy is God’s compassionate help for those who are afflicted and wretched. It is a quality that combines with His love and grace in rescuing lost sinners. The psalmist David exclaims, “Great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Ps. 86:13). (Sheol is a Hebrew word referring to the grave, or the abode of the dead.)

Prolific hymn writer Charles Wesley published a hymn in 1740 that seeks to plumb something of the depths of the mercy of God. The hymn as Wesley wrote it had thirteen stanzas, but most congregations now would balk at singing anything of that length. Recent hymnals usually contain only four or five stanza from Wesley’s original.

The hymn may have another drawback, when it comes to modern thought. Wesley’s self condemnation is unrelenting and intense. In order to show the amazing depth of God’s work on our behalf, the hymn writer believed he needed to face the sinfulness of his sin, and therefore how undeserving he was. The song begins:

CH-1) Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

Consider some of the dire descriptions of “the chief of sinners” we’re given in the hymn: “[He had] long withstood His grace, provoked Him to His face, would not harken to His calls, grieved Him by a thousand falls….I my Master have denied, I afresh have crucified, and profaned His hallowed name, put Him to an open shame….I have spilt His precious blood, trampled on the Son of God.” This is strong medicine!

First Corinthians speaks of those who participate in the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) with sin on their conscience: “Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord….For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (I Cor. 11:27, 29). It’s as though such a one is taking the bread and the cup with one hand, and shaking a rebel fist in God’s face with the other. And Hebrews speaks of those who “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:6).

We may wish to dismiss Wesley’s strong words as only applying to the worst among us, but before he trusted in Christ alone for salvation Wesley was a moral man, active in good works. However he’s speaking of how the Lord saw him–a holy God before whom, “all our [self-generated] righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). Scripture declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God [that is, apart from His intervening mercy and grace]….All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10-11, 23).

That’s why we’re in desperate need of the help of a loving God. As the psalmist puts it, “Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low” (Ps. 79:8). Which brings us to Charles Wesley’s description of the mercy of God in the latter part of the song.

CH-6) Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father’s mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

CH-8) Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus’ face,
Now before the throne of grace.

CH-9) There for me the Saviour stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

CH-13) Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

That is mercy deep enough to save not only the best of us, but the very worst of us, all who will trust in the Saviour. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

Questions:
1) Why do you think we sometimes rate sins (big sins, little sins)? And is this an accurate way to look at it?

2) Based on your knowledge of Scripture, how does God look at our sins?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Charles Wesley) (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: Charles Wesley (b. Dec. 18, 1707; d. Mar. 29, 1788)
Music: Easter Hymn, by an unknown composer

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Wesley’s original of this hymn had eleven stanzas. In present hymnal, usually four are used, as quoted below. The word Alleluia reflects the Greek form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, meaning Praise the Lord! In the ancient church, it was a common greeting on Easter morning.

The word “resurrection” comes to us from a Latin word signifying a resurgence. It can mean to bring to life again, or to bring back into use.

In the latter case, for example, a song that was popular decades ago can be brought back and be a hit once more. Or, a style of dress that was in vogue long ago can come into fashion again. Or, in debate, the notion that the world is flat, not round, can be resurrected once more.

In Greek, the word literally means a raising up. It was used in ancient times of someone rising from a chair, or getting out of bed. But in the New Testament it always speaks of a person who was dead coming to life again.

In this regard, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a major theme of the Bible, being discussed dozens of times, using words such as resurrected, raised, and risen–and also by a simple contrast of death, and life. The glorified Christ says to John, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Rev. 1:18).

It’s impossible to cover the many Bible verses that deal with this subject in a short treatment. But I’ll try to summarize some of the Scriptures’ teaching on the vital truth of Christ’s resurrection under four headings.

I. The Prediction of It

Even back in the Old Testament, this great event is anticipated. “You will not leave my soul in Sheol [the grave], nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Ps. 16:10; cf. Acts 2:24, 27, 31). Speaking prophetically of the death of Christ Isaiah says, “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He [God the Father] has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand” (Isa. 53:10). And Jesus Himself predicted both His death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21; cf. Jn. 2:22).

II. The Proof of It

“The angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay’” (Matt. 28:5-6). “He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days” (Acts 1:3).

III. The Proclamation of It

Because it was great good news, Christ’s resurrection was published from the very beginning. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matt. 28:7). “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” (Gal. 1:1).

IV. The Purpose of It

What are some things accomplished by Jesus’ resurrection? Here are a few references you can check out.
¤ Only Christ declared He had the power over death (Jn. 10:17-18), so His resurrection confirms His identity (Rom. 1:4; 6:9).
¤ By His resurrection life He provides salvation from sin (Acts 5:30-31; 13:36-39).
¤ His resurrection is a divine guarantee of our own one day (Rom. 8:11; I Cor. 6:14; 15:20; I Pet. 1:3).
¤ In heaven, the risen, glorified Christ is our Advocate and Intercessor (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; I Jn. 2:1-2).
¤ And by His power we are equipped for service (Acts 4:10; Rom. 7:4; cf. Eph. 4:11-12).

Because this is a brief article, we’ve only scratched the surface regarding what the Bible has to say. Christ’s resurrection has rightly been the subject of many of our hymns. Among them, the glorious truth of it is presented in what may be our greatest Easter hymn, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today. It was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley and has been published in over a thousand hymnals since.

CH-1) Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

CH-2) Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is o’er, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

CH-4) Lives again our glorious king, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

CH-5) Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Questions:
1) Why is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ so important?

2) What is the most memorable Easter Sunday morning you have experienced?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Children of the Heavenly King

Graphic Bob New Glasses 2015HOW TO USE THIS BLOG
1) The Almanac. Click on the month you want in the side-bar, then the specific date. The blog will tell you what happened in hymn history on that day.
2) Reflections. There is always a current article on a hymn. But you can find many others by clicking on the Index tab. (More being added all the time.)
3) Topical Articles are opinion pieces on many aspects sacred music.
4) To Donate. If you can help with the cost of developing and maintaining this site, click on the “Support” tab above and the page will show you how.

Also see 30+ Ideas for Promoting Hymn Singing in your church. As others have contributed ideas, this wonderful resource has grown to over 80 items now. And, for more than three dozen reasons why congregations should still use hymn books rather than merely projecting words on the wall, see The Value of Hymn Books.

Words: John Cennick (b. Dec. 12, 1718; d. July 4, 1755)
Music: Pleyel’s Hymn, by Ignaz J. Pleyel (b. June 18, 1757; d. Nov. 14, 1831)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: This fine hymn is sung (twice) in Mrs. Miniver, the Academy-Award-winning movie about wartime in England. In the story, it’s sung by a congregation at the beginning and end of the Second World War. As I write, I can hear the rich voice of actor Walter Pigeon rising above the others. Whoever selected that hymn, it was an inspired choice. It’s found in the Anglican hymnal, in a section called Pilgrimage and Conflict. In Mrs. Miniver, it says, tacitly, that the pilgrim journey of the people of God goes on, through times of peace and war.

We are creatures of time and space. I’m now at Point A (whatever its actual name), and I plan to travel to Point B, if I’m able. And doing so will take a certain amount of time, depending on the distance and other factors. It sounds obvious perhaps, but it’s important. Because we’re all travelers, pilgrims in this world. This mortal life itself can be viewed as a journey, from the womb to the tomb.

On my father’s gravestone is the following information: 1902–1962. The first date tells when his journey of life began; the second tells when it ended–that is, as far as this present earthly life is concerned. And that dash between the dates represents a journey of sixty years. How small it looks. How uncomplicated. Yet the journey of life is anything but.

Many observations have been proffered on the subject. Some wise, some otherwise. Those that evidence a lack of understanding and accuracy often come from a view of life that sees nothing beyond the grave. But, as J. R. Baxter’s old gospel song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.” Our stay here is only temporary. The Lord wants His children with Him, in a place of eternal blessing.

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:2-3).

The Bible tells us God’s plan is “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). And, through Christ, Christians have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us]” (I Pet. 1:4).

What a future! And the things which make the present journey difficult, and sometimes painful, will not be a part of life in the heavenly city. There, “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

With these wonderful truths in mind, you can see the serious limitations of philosophies that say, “Our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” That’s only half true. Whether we believe our ultimate end is a hole in the ground, or an eternal heavenly home, will inform and influence our choices and goals today. Another says, “It’s good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Again, only partly true. Where we end up is surely of surpassing importance.

Much better are these two observations.

“The journey you wish to take can only begin from where you are right now.” That’s exactly why it’s vital to put our faith in Christ today. “Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2).

Then, one more wise observation: “If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking.” And we’re to travel on, keeping our eyes on the Saviour, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher [the Source and Goal] of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).

We move forward, having recognized and confessed that we’re “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13), guided by heavenly values, emboldened by a heavenly hope, and cheered by like-minded companions on the way. In 1742, evangelist John Cennick  published a hymn about our pilgrim journey in company with other believers. (And “Zion’s city,” of course, refers to the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), not the earthly.)

CH-1) Children of the heavenly King,
As you journey, sweetly sing;
Sing your Saviour’s worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways.

CH-2) We are traveling home to God,
In the way the fathers trod;
They are happy now, and we
Soon their happiness shall see.

CH-3) Glory be to Jesus’ name,
Glory be to Christ the Lamb;
Through Thy blood were we redeemed,
When we justly were condemned.

CH-6) Lift your eyes, you sons of light,
Zion’s city is in sight:
There our endless home shall be,
There our Lord we soon shall see.

Questions:
1) What are some special blessings of God on life’s journey that you have enjoyed?

2) What has the companionship of other believers meant to you on this journey?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (for another article see here)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org