Sunday Post

Hymns are balm to my soul.  Poetry and music joined.  It's been a long time (like 4 years!) since I've made a "Sunday Post."  No reason, other than my usual laziness, I guess.  This one we sang this week in church woven into a contemporary praise chorus, and since I couldn't remember the rest of the original hymn, I looked it up.  Good stuff.  I wish I could always remember more than a phrase or two of a good hymn.  This one would come in handy while standing on the dock at dawn or twilight, looking out over a placid Lake -- or standing in the silent woods with a clear night sky above.

I was surprised at the attribution.  I think we tend to remember one dimension of famous people and forget that they were real, multifaceted human beings.

All Creatures of Our God and King

1.  All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia.
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him!  O praise Him!
Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

2.  .....  Thou rising morn in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

3.  Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia.   .....

St. Francis of Assisi, 1225

Sunday Post

Hymns are balm to my soul. Poetry and music joined.  Today's hymn is over 230 years old, and it both soothes and convicts me, as any hymn ought.  Today was a strange church service for me.  The long-serving Pastor of our church is retiring and today was the 'farewell liturgy.'  And I do use the term 'liturgy' very loosly, since we aren't high church.  I've never out-lasted a Pastor in a church I've attended.  I've moved so much and attended so many houses of worship that I'm gone before the Pastor is.  This is a wholly new experience for me, and for The Husband, who is at the first meeting of the Pastoral Search Committee right now. 

But, the hymn - and the Him -  provides continuity for the congregation, and for me:

And Can It Be that I Should Gain

1. And can it be that I should gain

an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
 
3. He left his Father's throne above
(so free, so infinite his grace!),
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Thomas Campbell
 
Hear it here

Sunday Post

Hymns are balm to my soul. Poetry and music joined. And this Sunday was Anne Day, apparently, since three of my favorite hymns were sung in church! Unfortunately, I didn't get to belt out the last one, since Little G and I ducked out early to attend a friend's First Communion at another house of worship. (And their hymns? Not so much. Sorry DD) Here are the lyrics to one that just hits the spot. Most people are at least familiar with the first line, but don't know about the whammy those last two verses pack.

It Is Well with My Soul

Text: Horatio G. Spafford

Music: Philip P. Bliss

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain: It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)

3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)

4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

Sounds all maudlin at first, right? Yeah yeah yeah... don't worry, be happy. Whatever. And then, the truth laid bare and the perspective on this life sucker punches you! Plus, it's easy to crank it out reaaaal loud. And with the Husband harmonizing the bass line? Gosh I love congregational singing.

I just feel sorry for the person in the pew in front of me. *eek*

Sunday Post

Hymns are balm to my soul. Poetry and music joined. We sang this oldy-but-goody this morning; number 1 in the hymnal. I repeat the first two stanzas only with special emphasis on the boon that certain lines in hymns (as in poetry) are to my faith life. EARLY in the morning, my song shall rise -- up with the sun, up with the birdsong, up with the mist on the lake. And, more prosaically, the use of the archaic 'wert'. A satisfying word.

This morning's sermon was on holiness, part of a series on 'The Nature of the Church.' Personal holiness is required of Christians, as we are not our own. To paraphrase the scriptures: would you wear your muck-spattered barn boots across a beautiful white carpet? Neither should we try to join our new selves, which are one with Christ, with our old muck (or new muck, I suppose).

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Words by Reginald Heber
Music by John B. Dykes

Sunday Post

Hymns are balm to my soul. Poetry and music joined. Since my soul feels a bit chapped, I share the lyrics of one we sang this morning, as well as the memory of standing on the beach at Hunting Island State Park, SC looking out over the Atlantic Ocean with the sun on my face and feeling every word of the hymn sink in as I sang it aloud. Vast! Boundless! Free!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

Words: S. Tre­vor Fran­cis, 1875.
Music: Thom­as J. Will­iams