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Q8. Reflections: May18

Trust and Obey

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 Henry Sammis (b. July 6, 1846; d. June 12, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

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

Note: John Sammis was a successful American business man who later became the secretary of the YMCA. Then, after training, he became a Presbyterian pastor, and a Bible college instructor.

Did you ever try to lift too heavy a load, and end up spraining your back? Or pile a little too much on a shelf, only to have it collapse and cause damage to whatever was below? With a wisdom, born of experience we recognize there must be certain limitations in such things. And the decisions involved are common to everyday life.

This is also a factor faced many times by editors of our hymn books. How much is too much? First there is the decision of which songs to include to make the volume widely useful. But there’s another complication especially with our older hymns. It’s not uncommon for the original versions of many to contain a dozen stanzas (or verses), in some cases twice that. Editing is needed at that level too.

Few congregations today would be interested in singing all thirty-three original stanzas of the hymn Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness, or the nineteen stanzas of The Sands of Time Are Sinking. And to include many songs of that length would soon fill the book and leave no room for others it seems worthwhile to include.

Editorial choices and decisions must be made. Today, most hymns and gospel songs are limited to three or four stanzas–or, if they’re very short, perhaps a couple more. But in the process, what has been left behind? Perhaps we would not agree with the selections made.

Here’s a beautiful stanza of Fairest Lord Jesus that many hymnals leave out:

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Saviour, art to me.

Or what about the ninth stanza of My God, How wonderful Thou Art, by Frederick Faber? There is holy passion  in these wonderful words that fit the scene in Revelation 5:11-14:

Father of Jesus, love’s Reward!
What rapture it will be,
Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And gaze and gaze on Thee!

And here’s one from Showers of Blessing, seldom included in hymnals, though it seems critical to the message of the song. The blessing of God rests on those who trust and obey Him.

There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Occasionally hymns have additions made by another author. Sarah Adams gave us Nearer, My God, to Thee in 1841. Some years after it was published, Edward Bickersteth added a stanza that beautifully completes the description of our earthly pilgrimage.

There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Saviour’s love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee.

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah is similarly deprived, in some books, of the original’s ending of our pilgrim journey:

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

These and other examples came to mind when I was writing an article on the gospel song Trust and Obey. American pastor John Sammis wrote it in 1887. The song has five stanzas, but recent hymnals often reduce it to three or four, leaving out the following third stanza:

CH-1) When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

CH-3) Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown nor a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Faith and obedience are inseparably linked in the believer’s life. The book of Hebrews tells us, “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Heb. 11:8), and his obedience took him to a “Promised Land” he’d never seen before. Did he face burdens and sorrows, griefs and losses along the way? Yes. But the Lord richly blessed his obedient faith.

In contrast, the nation of Israel later failed in those two key qualities, faith and obedience. Zephaniah says, “She has not obeyed His voice…she has not trusted in the Lord” (Zeph. 3:2).

God calls for those two things from each of us. Scripture elsewhere speaks of “obedience to the faith [or “obedience inspired by faith,” Williams New Testament]” (Rom. 16:26). If we believe God’s Word, we’ll surely want to obey it and follow Him. A lack of trust will surely engender a lack of obedience. And the reverse is true. A lack of obedience will foster a lack of trust.

Questions:
1) Which of the two do you have the most trouble with: trusting God consistently, or obeying Him consistently?

2) What resources have you found that can help you trust and obey the Lord?

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

He Is Near

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: Menlo Park, by George Coles Stebbins (b. Feb. 26, 1846; d. Oct. 6, 1945)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Horatius Bonar)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Bonar was a Scottish pastor in the nineteenth century, and he was called “the prince of Scottish hymn writers.” He authored more than six hundred of them.

A public library, as the term suggests, is a library of volumes that’s open to the general public. Chetham’s Library, in Manchester, England, which opened in 1653, claims to be the first such facility in the English speaking world.

Now every city and most medium-sized towns have a public library. And what a treasure trove of enlightening information and recreational reading they are. Wander among the stacks and you’ll see volumes of history, science, fiction, culture, the arts, and religion, as well as instructional books on cooking, building, crafts and much more.

But what if knowledge could be even nearer at hand? What if a distillation of the library’s information could be brought into the home?

By the middle of the eighteenth century, multi-volume encyclopedias were being produced. The Encyclopædia Britannica has been around since 1768. Other similar sets of books have been published. And since the information sometimes becomes dated, many companies produce updated editions, or occasional supplements, to keep the information current. It was common in the twentieth century for families to have a set of encyclopedias in the home.

These were great assets in their time. But today technological advances have carried us far beyond that. I have beside me, as I type this, something far smaller than the computer I’m using. A device that is smaller than the palm of my hand. A smart phone. It gives me access to far more information than the set of encyclopedias our family used to own, or the public library a couple of blocks away.

I’m reminded of the old Spiritual that begins, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” In an amazing way, we do that when we hold our phones. Information on movies and television, music, history, and calendars, notebooks of personal records, dictionaries–it’s all there. Want hear and see the news, read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an old radio program from the 1940’s, you can do that too. The whole world is now near at hand–in fact even things beyond this world and out into the surrounding universe.

But the song just mentioned isn’t about phones, It’s about God. He’s the One who holds the whole of creation in His hands. And His nearness to us is spoken of in the Bible many times. “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” asks the psalmist, “Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). “He is not far from each one of us,” says Paul to the philosophers of Athens. And to believers, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5). God is near to all who will reach out to Him in faith.

There are many other mentions of His closeness to human beings. Here are some: Gen. 18:15; Exod. 33:14; Deut. 20:1; Isa. 43:2; Matt. 18:20; 28:20.

But there’s another aspect of the Lord’s nearness that we need to consider. Christ’s return is near. Christians have His spiritual presence with us now. But one day the Lord Jesus is going to return from heaven, in His glory, to reign over the earth (Acts 1:11; Rev. 11:16cf. Isa. 9:6-7).

James tells us: “The coming of the Lord is at hand….Behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (Jas. 5:8-9). “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).

That’s the theme of a song called He Is Near, by Horatius Bonar. He speaks of the prophesied return of the Lord Jesus Christ, an event which he was convinced could well be very near, in his own day.

CH-1) I know not when the Lord will come,
Or at what hour He may appear,
Whether at midnight or at morn,
Or at what season of the year.

I only know that He is near,
And that His voice I soon shall hear.
I only know that He is near,
And that His voice I soon shall hear.

CH-4) I do not think it can be long,
Till in His glory He appear;
And yet I dare not name the day,
Nor fix the solemn advent year.

I only know that He is near,
And that His voice I soon shall hear.
I only know that He is near,
And that His voice I soon shall hear.

Questions:
1) How will the fact that the Lord may return very soon affect your life and conduct today?

2) What is your favourite hymn about the second coming or about heaven?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Horatius Bonar)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

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: Elizabeth Cecelia Douglas Clephane (b. June 18, 1830; d. Feb. 19, 1869)
Music: St Christopher, by Frederick Charles Maker (b. Aug. 6, 1844; d. Jan. 1, 1927)

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

Note: Scottish author Elizabeth Clephane wrote this lovely hymn about taking her own stand at the cross–an expression of her faith in the Saviour. Her father was the local sheriff of a town near Edinburgh. And her song, Beneath the Cross of Jesus, was written in 1868 and published posthumously four years later. She also gave us the song The Ninety and Nine.

Taking a stand is an expression we see in the news sometimes. He took a stand on voter rights; she takes a stand on equal pay for equal work. It means to have convictions, to take a firm position on what you believe, and hold your ground.

President Abraham Lincoln said, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” And he said in a speech, “I ask you to stand by me so long as I stand by it [referring to the American flag].” Auto maker Lee Iacocca said, “To succeed today you have to set priorities, decide what you stand for.” And there’s this challenging exhortation from author H. G. Wells: “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”

The Bible uses the expression to indicate how we should respond to the challenges of life.

¤ We are to “watch [be on guard], stand fast [or firm] in the faith [the teachings of God’s Word], be brave, be strong” (I Cor. 16:13).

¤ And we should “put on the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

¤ And “stand fast [firm] in the Lord [i.e. with His help]” (Phil. 4:1).

One of the most difficult times to do that was surely when Christ was seized, falsely accused and crucified. His followers had seen His wonderful power. Why couldn’t He do something to stop His enemies? We read that “all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matt. 26:56). They went into hiding–though, to his credit, John later came back and appeared at the cross with Jesus’ mother (Jn. 19:26-27).

But there were at least four followers who apparently remained near the cross (Jn. 19:25). Remarkably, they were all women, and three of them were named Mary. There was Jesus’ mother Mary, with her unnamed sister, Mary the wife of Clopas (also called Cleopas), and Mary Magdalene.

Afterward, Mary from Magdala had a remarkable meeting with the resurrected Christ (Jn. 20:11-18). Cleopas was journeying back to his home in the town of Emmaus with an unnamed companion when they both met and conversed with the risen Saviour (Lk. 24:13-32). It’s not impossible that the other person with Cleopas was his wife Mary. As for the mother of Jesus, the Lord commended her to the care of John, and we see them both, later, in the upper room, waiting for the new ministry of the Holy Spirit to begin (Acts 1:8, 13-14).

All three of these women showed great courage, even in their time of grief. They took a stand near the cross and testified to their loyalty to Christ, and their deep love for Him. They were later rewarded with a fuller understanding of what had happened.

As to the hymn, the author’s description of the cross as a “place where heaven’s love and heaven’s justice meet” is wonderful. That is the gospel: that God sent His Son, in love, to pay sin’s penalty for us, in order to satisfy His holy justice. Now through faith in Christ, we can be forgiven and saved eternally. And Clephane adds to this, in another stanza, “two wonders”: God’s redeeming love and our unworthiness of it.

Note: the word “fain” means gladly, willingly. A “trysting place” is an appointed meeting place. And the “holy patriarch” is Jacob. Clephane is referring to his dream out in the wilderness (Gen. 28:10-12). Here are three of the five stanzas found on the Cyber Hymnal. Early publications of the hymn ended stanza four with “my own worthlessness.” The word “unworthiness” is infinitely better.

CH-1) Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

CH-2) O safe and happy shelter,
O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where heaven’s love
And heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch
That wondrous dream was giv’n
So seems my Saviour’s cross to me,
A ladder up to heav’n.

CH-4) Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.

Questions:
1) Why is it wrong to describe ourselves as “worthless” (the original word used)? (What shows us we are not worthless to God?)

2) What does it mean to say we should live the Christian life in the shadow of the cross?

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

Happy in the Love of Jesus

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: Mary Jane (“Jennie”) Bain Wilson (b. Nov. 13, 1856; d. Sept. 3, 1913)
Music: Joseph Lincoln Hall (b. Nov. 4, 1866; d. Nov. 29, 1930)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Joseph Lincoln Hall)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: As noted below, Jennie Wilson was disabled, and confined to a wheelchair from the age of four. She educated herself at home, through extensive reading, and went on to write 2,200 poems, many of which became gospel songs. (As of this date, the Cyber Hymnal lists 697 of them.)

Salesmen do it all the time; they exaggerate the benefits of their products. If it’s an obvious fantasy, we perhaps can accept it for what it is, and be entertained. But the closer the overstatement is to reality, the more deceptive it can be, and the more dishonest it seems.

A television commercial shows a car ploughing through a foot of snow with ease, or climbing the rocky side of a mountain. And we know it can’t. Yet advertising experts recommend this kind of puffery, asserting such commercials will be more memorable, and bring more sales.

What advertisers rarely do is face the negatives. That casino or lottery ad will never admit that almost all who gamble their hard-earned money will be losers. That shiny new car will get dirty, and eventually begin to rust. It will break down, and need expensive repairs. And that face cream will, in the end, not be able to reverse the unsettling ravages of age.

In the spiritual realm there can be a false overselling of the gospel. It may be well meaning, but it claims more than it can deliver. The notion that if you come to Jesus all your troubles will be over, that you can be happy, healthy, and wealthy all the time? No, that’s not true. The Word of God assures the Christian of new resources from the Lord to deal with the trials of life, but it doesn’t suggest an end to all pain and suffering this side of eternity.

Paul “learned” to handle both life’s abundance and its privation, by God’s grace (Phil. 4:11-13), and he says the Lord can do the same for us (vs. 6-7, 19). God promises, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect [fulfilled, shown to fullest effect] in [your] weakness” (II Cor. 12:9).

In 1897 Happy in the Love of Jesus was published, a simple gospel song with a catchy tune. The words were written by Jennie Wilson. And first we must deal with that word “happy,” as it’s used thirty-two times in the song (counting the refrains).

Some of the modern Bible versions substitute happy in place of the word blessed–found hundreds of times in the Scriptures. But are the two synonymous? Happiness tends to be more situational, an emotional reaction to happenings. But to be supremely blessed of God has both more depth in the soul and more breadth in the life. It engenders inner joy and contentment.

In any event, happiness is what Wilson is telling us about. The stanzas are fine, as they speak of the believer’s pilgrimage to Zion (the heavenly city, Heb. 12:22).

CH-1) Home to Zion we are bound,
Happy in the love of Jesus,
Peace abiding we have found,
Happy in the love of Jesus.

CH-2) Trusting we will forward go,
Happy in the love of Jesus,
Treading changeful paths below,
Happy in the love of Jesus.

CH-4) Soon we’ll reach the homeland fair,
Happy in the love of Jesus,
And shall dwell forever there,
Happy in the love of Jesus.

There’s certainly tremendous blessing, great joy, and contentment, found in contemplating that the Lord Jesus loved us enough to die for our sins (Gal. 2:20), and to realize that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through faith in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39).

But the refrain’s absolute statements are concerning to me.

Happy, happy,
Singing all the way,
Happy all the day;
Happy, happy,
Happy in the love of Jesus.

All the way? All the day? No. And ironically, Wilson herself didn’t have that experience. She was confined to a wheelchair from the age of four, and a couple of photographs we have of her around the age of fifty show an unsmiling woman who seems well aware of the heavy burdens of life. Did she smile sometimes? Reportedly she certainly did. But it’s that “all” that does not fit life’s experiences, for Christians as well as non-Christians. It’s an oversell. Slightly better might be:

Singing on the way,
Happy day by day.

Even Christ Himself wasn’t happy all the time (Isa. 53:3; Mk. 3:5; 14:33; Lk. 19:41; Jn. 11:35). But through life’s journey the believer has access to the throne of God, through Christ, where we can “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).

Questions:
1) What is your own view of happiness, and whether any unhappiness in a Christian’s life is somehow a sin, or shows we are out of step with the Lord?

2) Can you think of other hymns or choruses that seem to misrepresent the Christian life in this way?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Joseph Lincoln Hall)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

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 Newton (b. July 24, 1725; d. Dec. 21, 1807)
Music: St. Peter ( or Reinagle) by Alexander Robert Reinagle (b. Aug. 21, 1799; d. Apr. 6, 1877)

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

Note: John Newton, the converted slave trader, became a pastor, and wrote perhaps our best known hymn, Amazing Grace, but he authored dozens more as well. This one he originally called simply “The Name of Jesus.”

It’s a subject we’ve looked at before in these articles, but there is more that can be said about it. When Shakespeare’s Juliet asks the question, “What’s in a name?” she is actually implying what we name a person or thing is inconsequential. That it’s the nature of the thing or person that really matters, whatever name we use.

Perhaps there’s an element of truth in that. In some cases, a generic or knock-off brand of toothpaste or jeans may be just as good as the name brand, and cheaper. Names can be arbitrary labels, almost randomly chosen, and therefore meaningless when it comes to describing the nature or quality of the thing they represent.

But that’s certainly not always the case. Names can be chosen for a specific reason. Sometimes a baby is named after a parent or other relative. And sometimes a name is chosen for its meaning, to be an inspiration to the individual later in life. In Bible times, parents in Israel often chose the names for their children that had spiritual significance.

¤ Adam named his wife Eve (meaning Lifegiver) “because she was the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20).

¤ Abigail, whose name means My Father’s Delight, is described as “a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance” (I Sam. 25:3).

¤ Ruth, whose name means Companion or Friend, was an ancestor of King David, and of Christ (Matt. 1:1, 5-6).

¤ The name of the prophet Isaiah (II Kgs. 19:2) means Jehovah (or Yahweh) Has Saved.

There are also times when God stepped in and changed someone’s name to carry a new meaning or reflect altered circumstances. Abram is introduced to us in Genesis 11:26. His name means Exalted Father. However, the Lord chose him to be the beginning of the great nation of Israel, and changed his name to Abraham, meaning Father of a Multitude.

Now, what about the name Jesus? It is divinely conveyed to both Joseph and Mary, before His birth, as the name to be given to the virgin’s Child (Matt. 1:21; Lk. 1:31). The name means Jehovah (or Yahweh) Is Salvation, and it’s used of Christ more than nine hundred times.

Jesus is the New Testament form of the name Joshua. There are actually several men with some form of the name Joshua or Jesus in the Scriptures. It seems to have been a common name of that time. It still is, especially among Spanish speaking people. For example, Jesus (pronounced Hay-soos) Colome, of the Dominican Republic is a former relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay baseball team.

But we cannot argue from that that the name Jesus is inconsequential, not when God Himself has chosen it as the earthly name of His incarnate Son. There may be many given that name, but the Lord Jesus Christ stands uniquely and infinitely above them. He is very God made flesh (Jn. 1:1, 14). Further the Bible makes it clear that the name was given to Him because it said something of what was to be His mission on earth–that He would “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

It was to celebrate the wonderful name of Jesus that John Newton wrote a hymn called How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds. The idea for the hymn came from the comment of a Shulamite maiden who says of King Solomon, her betrothed, “Your name is like perfume poured out” (S.S. 1:3, NIV). Pastor Newton applied that to the name of Jesus, and wrote of what that wonderful name meant to him.

CH-1) How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

CH-3) Dear name! the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place,
My never failing treasury filled
With boundless stores of grace!

CH-5) Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother*, Friend,
My Prophet Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

CH-6) Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

Note: That is four of seven lovely stanzas found in the Cyber Hymnal link. The name “Brother” (stanza five, cf. Rom. 8:29) is often used in modern hymnals in place of Newton’s original word “Husband.” What he likely meant by that is not that Christ is the Husband (or heavenly Bridegroom) of the church. Newton was a sailor, and the “husband” on board ship was the one in charge of supplies and provisions.

Questions:
1) Of the many descriptions of the Lord Jesus in the fifth stanza, which one means the most to you just now? (And why?)

2) Can you identify with Newton’s description in the first two lines of the sixth stanza? What do you do to deal with this problem?

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

Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me

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: Thomas Toke Lynch (b. July 5, 1818; d. May 9, 1871)
Music: Redhead, by Richard Redhead (b. Mar. 1, 1820; d. Apr. 27, 1901)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Thomas Lynch)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: Pastor Lynch also gave us the hymn A Thousand Years Have Come and Gone. (See the Wordwise Hymns link above for comments on this hymn.)

If a soldier doesn’t follow orders, he can find himself in big trouble. Insubordination is not only an offense against a commanding officer, it may put other soldiers in danger. Conviction for disobeying a command can result in a court-martial, a dishonorable discharge, and even imprisonment.

However, it’s not absolute. A soldier is not obligated to follow an illegal order. This was the crux of the argument made against the Nazis in the Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946). Accused of complicity in the slaughter of millions of Jews, those before the bar of justice were not excused by saying, “We were simply following orders.”

And a more recent example: When Donald Trump said he thought America’s armed forces should use torture on enemies to get information, he seemed not to realize that torture has been declared illegal. The military would rightly refuse to follow an order from their Commander-in-Chief to engage in it.

But overall, laws place helpful boundaries on members of society, with the purpose of protecting them, and others around them. The same can be said for the laws of God. In the Old Testament, the Law given to Israel was made up of 613 commands covering every aspect of life. Christians are not bound by the Jewish Law, but God’s moral standard has not changed today.

“Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Rom. 6:15). It’s still wrong to lie, and to steal (Eph. 4:25, 28), and much more. In fact, the standard is even higher on this side of the cross. Though I can’t vouch for the number, someone has counted 1,050 commands in the New Testament. And we now have, with the New Testament, God’s completed written revelation, and have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus to follow.

This raises a question: Who on earth could ever follow all those commands? The answer is no one. Not perfectly. We even fall short of keeping a summary of the Law. The Lord Jesus said the most important commandments of the Old Testament Law were to love God and love others (Matt. 23:36-40; cf. Rom. 13:9), and we’re told “love is the fulfilment of the law” (Rom. 13:10). But who can say they love God perfectly, or love others perfectly? We all fall short.

This in itself is a function of God’s holy standard. Not only to tell us how to live, but to remind us of how weak and fallible we are (Rom. 3:23). If we’re to begin to walk God’s way, we need help. And God has provided it through His Holy Spirit. This brings us to a hymn written by English pastor Thomas Lynch. It uses the first line as a title: Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me.

There’s much to commend this hymn, but I must take issue with the phrase, “dwell with me,” repeated in each of the song’s five stanzas. He’s asking the Holy Spirit to dwell with him. But perhaps a better wording would be “strengthen me.”

Here’s why. The Lord promised the Spirit (after Pentecost) would not only be with us but in us (Jn. 7:37-39; 14:17). The Christian does not need to ask for Him. The moment an individual trusts Christ as Saviour, he or she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5; I Cor. 2:12; 6:19-20). Not to have the Spirit within means the person is not yet saved (Rom. 8:9).

It’s the work of the indwelling Spirit to give us the power we need to live a life pleasing to God. He helps us to understand and apply God’s truth, and produces in us the character of Christ, including love, joy, peace, and more (Gal. 5:22-23). And “if we live in the Spirit [through the new birth], let us also walk in the Spirit [empowered and guided by Him, step by step]” (Gal. 5:25).

I believe Pastor Lynch’s hymn works better with the change suggested above, “strengthen me.” Here it is, with that amendment.

CH-1) Gracious Spirit, strengthen me!
I myself would gracious be;
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.

CH-2) Truthful Spirit, strengthen me!
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear;
And with actions brotherly
Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

CH-3) Tender Spirit, strengthen me!
I myself would tender be;
Shut my heart up like a flower
In temptation’s darksome hour,
Open it when shines the sun,
And his love by fragrance own.

CH-4) Mighty Spirit, strengthen me!
I myself would mighty be;
Mighty so as to prevail,
Where unaided man must fail;
Ever, by a mighty hope,
Pressing on and bearing up.

CH-5) Holy Spirit, strengthen me!
I myself would holy be;
Separate from sin, I would
Choose and cherish all things good,
And whatever I can be
Give to Him who gave me Thee!

Questions:
1) What is it about “walking” that beautifully illustrates how we are to live the Christian life?

2) How is this process explained in John Sammis’s hymn Trust and Obey?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (Thomas Lynch)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

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: Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (b. May 26, 1700; d. May 9, 1760); English translation by John Wesley (b. June 28, 1703; d. Mar. 2, 1791)
Music: Germany, by William Gardiner (b. Mar. 15, 1770; d. Nov. 16, 1853)

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

Note: German Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf wrote about two thousand hymns during his life, but only this one remains in common use. Christi Blut und Gerechtigkeit was translated into English by the count’s friend, John Wesley. Incredibly, the original song had thirty-three stanzas. Wesley eliminated some in his translation, and they’re customarily pared down further by hymn book editors, usually to four or five.

Clothes make the man–that saying goes back to ancient times. Shakespeare later took it up in Hamlet, with “The apparel oft proclaims the man.” And humorist Mark Twain gave it a witty twist with, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

As to what the saying means, it’s certainly true that how we dress may say important things about us. To a degree we could say dressing properly promotes success, at least in some settings. People tend to judge us initially according to our appearance. Part of this involves dressing appropriately. Standards are more lax than in former times but, in most cases, a shoeless, shirtless man will still be barred from fancy restaurant.

Most of us don’t have the financial means to follow the latest fashions, or dress in expensive clothing. But we can work at dressing appropriately, within our means. And we can make an effort to see that our clothes are neat and clean, and modest. Clothing that is too revealing is immodest of course. But so is clothing that becomes a matter or personal pride, or that which displays vulgar or unwholesome printed messages.

Two centuries ago in England there lived a man named George (“Beau”) Brummell. Mr. Brummell (1778-1840) was obsessed with his physical appearance. Looking the absolute best was virtually his religion. Always perfectly groomed, his fancy clothes set the fashion in society. And he was insistently vocal in his criticism of others who didn’t dress according to his high standard. Sadly, being a gambler, and an immoral man, Brummell died sick and penniless.

In the Bible, clothing is used in a couple of symbolic ways. One is to represent our behaviour toward others. We’re to “put off” sinful conduct, and “put on” righteous conduct (cf. Col. 3:5-15). But for this article we’ll look at another application of the symbol, as representing our standing before God.

When a sinner puts his faith in Christ for salvation, he is recognizing that when Christ died on the cross, the death paid his or her debt of sin, and when He rose from the dead, the sinner was given likewise new and eternal life in Him. To put it another way, when the Father looks at Christians in terms of judgment, He sees His holy Son. It’s as though we are clothed in Christ, and His righteousness.

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ [by a work of the Holy Spirit] have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). And “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). The prophet Isaiah anticipates this when he says:

“He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10).

That is the gist of the present fine hymn which sees Christ as the right spiritual clothing for each of us, a robe that can be ours through faith in Him.

CH-1) Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress:
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

CH-8) Lord, I believer were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

CH-2) Bold shall I stand in that great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am,
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

CH-24) O, let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness!

Questions:
1) The hymn asks the question, “Who aught [anything] to my charge shall lay?” (Stanza 2) referencing Romans 8:33. What is the answer to the question?

2) Why is this so, according to the Romans verse? (Explain.)

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

God Our Father, We Adore Thee

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: George West Frazer (b. ____, 1830; d. Jan. 24, 1896)
Music: Beecher, by John Zundel (b. Dec. 10, 1815; d. July ___, 1882)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (none)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Note: The Cyber Hymnal says of the author: “Son of a police inspector, Frazer came to Christ at a revival meeting in Dublin led by evangelist Grattan Guiness. Employed at a Dublin bank, Frazer worked at evangelism on the side. He eventually left banking to devote full time to evangelistic work.”

Through history there’ve been expressions of prejudice, and struggles for equality in society. Whether by gender, or by the colour of one’s skin, or something else, there’s sometimes been an attempt to treat one segment of society as inferior, and for one group to deny rights to another, or curtail the freedoms of another.

One example is the enslavement of blacks in America. And, sadly, prejudice against them didn’t end with the Civil War and President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. There followed another century of segregation, Jim Crow restrictions, and abuse. From all accounts, things are greatly improved, but are not yet where they should be.

Another example of this is the treatment of women. Even well into the twentieth century in North America, women did not have a vote. And the struggle for equal pay for equal work still goes on, as well as the need to combat the tendency of too many men (and the media as well), to treat women as sex objects to be exploited, failing to see them as individuals worthy of respect as persons, with important contributions to make to society in many ways.

It’s a subject, deserving of more space that we can give it here. Suffice to say that all Christians stand before God on an equal footing. “There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Let that be our standard too.

And equality of standing extends to God Himself, in a unique way. Though we cannot explain it, orthodox Christianity has always accepted the Bible’s teaching that there is one God (Deut. 6:4), but that He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is God (Eph. 2:20); the Son is God (Tit. 2:13); the Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4)–yet there is only one God. This is the triune nature of the Almighty.

It shouldn’t bother us that we cannot completely understand and explain the Trinity. God is transcendent and, though He has revealed Himself to us to some extent, much about Him remains beyond the comprehension of finite human beings. All three persons of the Godhead minister uniquely but in perfect harmony (Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18).

The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of God” many times in the Bible. He was active in creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4); He was the divine cause of the virgin birth (Lk. 1:35); and He was the One who gave us the inspired Scriptures (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21). The Spirit of God dwells in the hearts of believers (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19). If this is not so, we are not saved (Rom. 8:9).

God the Son was also involved in creation (Jn. 1:3). Later, He came to earth to reveal the Father to us (Jn. 1:14), and to die for our sins (I Cor. 15:1, 3-4). Great as God’s holy angels are, they are commanded to worship the Son (Heb. 1:6, 8). The Lord Jesus Himself says, “All should honour the Son just as they honour the Father” (Jn. 5:23).

There are many Trinitarian hymns, including the familiar Holy, Holy, Holy, which speaks of “God in three persons, blessed Trinity.” Irish hymn writer George Frazer gave us another. In his song he tells us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each worthy of our adoration. To “adore” God, a synonym for worship, means to view Him with the utmost esteem, respect, and love. All three persons of the Trinity are worthy of the equal honour of our adoration.

Note: “Abba” is an affectionate term for a father, used several times of God the Father (Mk. 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). An Aramaic word, it’s difficult to translate precisely. God is being addressed as “dearest Father.”

Paraclete (stanza 3) is the English form of the Greek word parakletos, meaning one called alongside to help. The Lord Jesus was just such a Helper and Encourager. But with His ascension He was sending “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 14).

CH-1) God, our Father, we adore Thee!
We, Thy children, bless Thy name!
Chosen in the Christ before Thee,
We are “holy without blame;”
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
Abba’s praises we proclaim!
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
Abba’s praises we proclaim!

CH-2) Son Eternal, we adore Thee!
Lamb upon the throne on high!
Lamb of God, we bow before Thee,
Thou hast brought Thy people nigh!
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
Son of God, who came to die!
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
Son of God, who came to die!

CH-3) Holy Spirit, we adore Thee!
Paraclete and heavenly Guest!
Sent from God and from the Saviour,
Thou hast led us into rest.
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
By Thy grace forever blessed:
We adore Thee! We adore Thee!
By Thy grace forever blessed!

A fourth stanza (see the Cyber Hymnal) draws the three persons of the Trinity together in a final note of praise.

Questions:
1) What are some of the ministries of the Holy Spirit now, in the Church Age?

2) Do you know some other hymns that speak of the triune nature of God? (Over sixty of these are listed in the Cyber Hymnal.)

Links:
Wordwise Hymns (none)
The Cyber Hymnal
Hymnary.org

Take the Name of Jesus with You

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: Lydia Odell Baxter (b. Sept. 2, 1809; d. June 22, 1874)
Music: William Howard Doane (b. Feb. 3, 1832; d. Dec. 23, 1915)

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

Note: For much of her adult life, Mrs. Baxter was a bedridden invalid, yet she was active in the Lord’s work in a number of ways. She published a book of her poems called Gems by the Wayside, with this interesting comment:

“If the mind of the reader is not elevated with flights of the imagination, the heart may be cheered and encouraged, as it participates with the writer in the joys that flow from that pure stream which meanders through the valley of humiliation.”

Shakespeare’s Juliet asked, “What’s in a name?” She claimed that giving something a different name doesn’t change the nature of the thing itself. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” she said.

But names do matter. Parents can give their children names that signify something positive. Names that may continue to inspire them through life. On the other hand, out on the school playground, cruelly labeling a boy Fatty, or Dummy may lay a heavy burden on him, significantly affecting him for years to come.

Further, there are the things with which a name is associated, later in life. Such things as a person’s character and accomplishments will bring the individual recognition, either for good or ill. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, or Kim Jong-un are well known and influential people–noted in the current news for much different reasons.

In the Bible, various forms of the word “name” are used over a thousand times, and thousands of personal names are given, many quite revealing. (David means beloved, Daniel means God is my judge.) As for the names and titles of God, there are hundreds of them, revealing aspects of His person and character.

In the New Testament, with the incarnation of the Son of God, we are given quite a number of names that focus on Him in particular. John records many of the titles Jesus gave Himself. He said He was: the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35), the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12), the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11), the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25), and “the Way…to the Father” (Jn. 14:6).

Many times He is given the compound title the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g. Acts 16:31; Rev. 22:21).

¤ “Lord” speaks particularly of His deity, that He is God in human flesh (e.g. Lk. 1:43).

¤ “Jesus” means Jehovah [or the Lord] is salvation.

¤ “Christ” meaning Anointed One, identifies Him as Israel’s Messiah.

In speaking of His second coming, Titus 2:13 refers to Him as “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Either by itself, or as part of many compounds, the name Jesus is used over nine hundred times. It’s found in the first verse of the New Testament (Matt. 1:1), and in the very last verse (Rev. 22:21). But it’s rarely found by itself after the Day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2). The few times when this happens, however, are significant.

An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to name the One who’d be born of Mary “JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The very meaning of the name speaks of His redemptive work. Indeed, He is described as “Jesus, the author and finisher [the Source and Goal] of our faith” (Heb. 12:2) Later, we’re told there is coming a day when, “at the name of Jesus, every knee [will] bow,” and confess Him as Lord (Phil. 2:10-11).

He is our glorious Lord and Saviour. His name is wonderful to us because it represents His person, and He is wonderful. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray on His authority. The name stands for the person. That truth enriches our understanding of a hymn by Lydia Baxter. The song sometimes has the title Precious Name, other times the first line is used. A lovely descriptive phrase in the refrain reminds us that Jesus is the believer’s hope here, and will be our joy forever.

CH-1) Take the name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.

Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.
Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.

CH-3) O the precious name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!

CH-4) At the name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.

Questions:
1) What does the author mean by describing Christ as the “hope of earth”?

2) What are some reasons why He is (and will be forever) the “joy of heaven”?

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