Let's raise the rafters with thanksgiving for another week of safety and praise the Lord for his great faithfulness!
Are you ready to worship, but worried about the quality of your singing voice?
Listen with your heart to the words of Thomas Tuller, a 17th-century English theologian:
Hadst Thou given me a better voice, I would have praised Thee with a better voice, now what my music wants in sweetness let it have in sense--singing praises with my understanding. Yea, Lord, create in me a new heart, therein to make melody, and I will be contented with my old voice until in Thy due time, being admitted unto the choir of heaven, I have another, more harmonious, bestowed upon me.
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PRELUDE
(prepare your heart, mind, and soul to worship)
Words by Christian H. Bateman, "Madrid" hymn tune (Spanish Traditional Melody), arranged for solo piano by Roger Summers
Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
let all, with heart and voice,
before his throne rejoice;
praise is his gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!
Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
he is our Guide and Friend;
to us he’ll condescend;
his love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!
Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia! Amen!
life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
on heaven’s blissful shore,
his goodness we’ll adore,
singing forevermore,
"Alleluia! Amen!”
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING AT HOME
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
Words by Reginald Heber, Music by John B. Dykes
Scripture references:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-5)
"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)
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,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee
perfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Words: anonymous, from A Selection of Hymns (1787) edited by John Rippon, "Foundation" American hymn tune (anonymous)
The structure of this hymn is closely tied to Scripture: verse 1 reminds us, "What more can He say than to you He has said?" (through His "excellent Word"). The subsequent verses each reflect a different Biblical promise. You can read a more detailed analysis of this hymn and its history here.
"How Firm a Foundation" was a favorite hymn of President Andrew Jackson (and Confederate General Robert E. Lee) and was sung at the funerals of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Although it isn't a Christmas hymn, it was spontaneously sung by American troops in Havana, Cuba as the clock struck midnight on Christmas Eve, 1898, during the Spanish-American War (you can read that incredible story here).
There are two additional stanzas to this hymn that have been omitted from most modern hymnals: they are both beautiful and the first of these is especially applicable during this uncertain time.
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
"Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed;
for I am your God, and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand."
"When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress."
"When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply;
the flame shall not hurt you; I only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine."
"The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake."
Like A River Glorious
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| Merced River, Yosemite Valley (Albert Bierstadt, 1866). Public Domain |
Words by Frances Ridley Havergal, Music by James Mountain
British poet and hymnwriter Frances Havergal (1836-1879) was vacationing in Wales when she caught a severe cold resulting in inflammation of her lungs. She thought she might die, and was at peace as she had a precious relationship with her Savior. But she survived, and wrote "Like a River Glorious" later that year.
She incorporated Isaiah 26:3 into her hymn ("You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.) as well as Isaiah 66:12.
For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream."
Like a river glorious
Is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious,
In its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth
Fuller every day;
Perfect, yet it groweth
Deeper all the way.
Refrain:
Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blest -
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest.
Hidden in the hollow
Of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow,
Never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry,
Not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry -
Touch the Spirit there. [Refrain]
Every joy or trial
Falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial
By the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully
All for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly
Find Him wholly true. [Refrain]
BONUS: LET'S LEARN A "NEW" OLD HYMN TOGETHER!
If You But Trust in God to Guide You
Words by Georg Neumark (1627-1681), translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878). Music by Georg Neumark
Hymnwriter Georg Neumark was no stranger to hard times. He came of age during the Thirty Years' War in Germany (1618-1648), a time of deprivation and suffering. When Neumark was twenty, hope-filled and headed toward university study, he was robbed of all his possessions (except his prayer book and a small amount of money sewn into his clothes). He later experienced success as a poet and scholar but continued to deal with challenges, such as the loss once again of all he owned in 1646, this time due to fire.
Throughout the ups and downs of his life, Neumark wrote hymns that reflected his faith in God's "changeless love." One of his best-known hymns is "If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee" which has been modernized to "If You But Trust in God to Guide You." Neumark was unique in that he also composed the tune for this hymn: notably, it is in a minor key. We seem to have developed a subtle aversion in today's churches to minor key hymns/songs (except, perhaps during the Lenten season). For many people, minor keys = "sad" and major keys = "happy."
Unfortunately, this idea keeps us from regularly singing many beautiful, extremely meaningful hymns. Minor keys offer a special kind of depth and profundity. Perhaps that's because minor keys also contain major chords. . . much like life: we can find hope even during suffering because we "trust in Him, indeed." God's presence and power provide the major chord(s) we desperately need when we seem to be living in a minor key.
Finally, just as minor key hymns like "If You But Trust in God to Guide You" may reflect our changeable emotional state in sound, the text provides a solid, comforting grounding. Our feelings may tell us one thing, but God reassures us that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End . . . and, as Neumark describes Him, "the Rock that will not move."
Many 17th-19th century German hymns might be lost to us today without the faithful work of poet, translator, and women's rights' activist Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) who translated hundreds of these classic sacred songs into English.
If you would like to hear a recording of this hymn with singing, click here.
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| Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
If you but trust in God to guide you,
And place your confidence in Him,
You’ll find Him always there beside you
To give you hope and strength within;
For those who trust God’s changeless love
Build on the Rock that will not move.
Only be still and wait His pleasure
In cheerful hope, with heart content:
He fills your needs to fullest measure
With what discerning love has sent;
Doubt not our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.
Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
Offer your service faithfully,
And trust His word; though undeserving,
You’ll find His promise true to be;
God never will forsake in need
The soul that trusts in Him indeed.
Offer your service faithfully,
And trust His word; though undeserving,
You’ll find His promise true to be;
God never will forsake in need
The soul that trusts in Him indeed.
POSTLUDE
Words by Anna Bartlett Warner, Music by William B. Bradbury, arranged for solo piano by Shirley Brendlinger
Along with "Amazing Grace," this may be one of the best-known Christian songs/hymns. Its history, however, is little known. Anna Bartlett Warner (1827-1915) wrote these verses in 1859, and they were included in her sister Susan Warner's 1860 novel, Say and Seal. In the story, a dying boy is comforted by his Sunday school teacher who sings him the stanzas listed below (most of us are only familiar with the first stanza and refrain). Two years later, musician William Batchelder Bradbury added the tune as well as the now-familiar refrain, "Yes, Jesus Loves Me."
Anna and Susan Warner were both successful writers (sometimes described as ''the Brönte Sisters of America") and lived in their family home on Constitution Island in the Hudson River. They taught Bible classes to nearby West Point cadets for 50 years: they would boat across to the academy until they were too frail to make the trip, then the cadets would come to them for both Biblical training and warm hospitality that included lemonade and ginger cookies. They are the only two civilian women buried at the U.S. Military Academy Cemetary, recognized for their service to generations of these young soldiers.
"Jesus Loves Me" is typically considered to be a song for children. Yet it is deeply meaningful to many adults as well. Famed German theologian Karl Barth was asked in 1962 how he would summarize his numerous writings on faith and religion, and simply stated, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
he loved children long ago.
In his arms for all to see,
saying, "Let them come to me." [Refrain]
Jesus loves me, he will stay
close beside me all the way;
he's prepared a home for me,
and someday his face I'll see. [Refrain]
Jesus loves me, loves me still,
though I'm very weak and ill;
from his shining throne on high
comes to watch me where I lie. [Refrain]
Jesus loves me, he who died,
heaven's gates to open wide;
he will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in. [Refrain]
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