My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

By H. E. Singley, organist

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

(II Corinthians 5:7, ESV)

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

(Hebrews 11:6, NLT)

My faith has found a resting place, from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One, his wounds for me shall plead. 

Refrain:
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me. 

 Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul I come to him, he’ll never cast me out. [Refrain] 

My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God:
salvation by my Savior’s name, salvation thro' his blood. [Refrain] 

My great Physician heals the sick, the lost he came to save;
for me his precious blood he shed, for me his life he gave. [Refrain]

You may well be thinking that there is something different about the second phrase of the poem as it appears here. It is different from how I first learned it. The editors of the Trinity Hymnal made a slight adjustment in the text from the original, “My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed,” to “My faith has found a resting place, from guilt my soul is freed.” This subtle but important change reconciles the important role that the historic creeds have in the Church with the compelling positiveness of this Gospel-rich poetry. 

To be certain, the faith we have in Christ supersedes any axiom or premise of human origin. Yet, the historic creeds are succinct summaries of Scripturally founded declarations regarding our faith and its core beliefs. We join Christian believers through many centuries—and each other—when we affirm the sinews of what we together hold to be true.

What’s more, “from guilt my soul is freed” reminds us of Isaiah 6:7—"He touched my lips with it and said, ‘See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven’” (NLT). Also, Acts 13:39, “And by him [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (ESV).

This hymn by Lidie H. Edmunds, a nom de plume used by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt*, centers on the Gospel. There are several references to Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sin, along with an emphasis on God’s Word (cf. stanza three, “leaning on the written Word of God”). I would like to focus this short essay primarily on the opening phrase, “My faith has found a resting place.”

Faith “shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT). In one of the most uplifting chapters in all of Scripture, Hebrews 11 describes the faith of several notables about whom we know from vivid narratives elsewhere in God’s Word. There are three summaries of these extraordinary individuals in the chapter:

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. . . . They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.

(Hebrews 11:33-34a, b, 35b) 

Another compelling synopsis is in verses 13 and 16.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. . . . they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

Then notice toward the end of the chapter in verse 39: 

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith yet none of them received all that God had promised. 

It is always beneficial to remind ourselves of our innate human tendency to put our faith in that which we can touch, feel, see or control in some way—with a confident assumption that things are going to proceed smoothly with minimal interruption and a perpetual predictability. The coronavirus pandemic is a stark reminder of misplaced reliance on ourselves or any human institution to “manage” life, to keep our routines as dependable, safe and risk-free as possible.

There is an alternative to the incontrovertibly unknown and ultimately ungovernable human pilgrimage. Henry David Thoreau is not necessarily someone we would hear quoted in church very often; but he did say something that is worth considering when, for instance, we envision a technological fix of some sort to that which otherwise seems beyond solution.

Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things.

They are but improved means to an unimproved end . . . . 

The alternative is the “resting place”—the rest—that we can find by living every moment of every day with our faith placed in the “ever-living One,” the One who decidedly offers a very improved end—eternal life in His presence! Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Hebrews 4:3a says, “For only we who believe can enter his rest.” Most who will read this have, I’m sure, believed in Christ for salvation. Concurrently, because we’ve trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and an eternal relationship with God, we are confident about what lies beyond this life.

But, what about now, the “not yet?” Can we find rest by intentionally, constantly trusting Him? 

“Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever. The children of your people will live in security. Their children’s children will thrive in your presence.”

(Psalm 102:25-28, NLT)

 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

(Matthew 24:35, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• There are three stanzas of in music plus one refrain. As you listen, perhaps think of stanzas one, two and three. But, definitely read and think about stanza four!

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

____________________________

*Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was a life-long Philadelphian, a Presbyterian, a Sunday School teacher and a writer of poems, several of which were set to music (e.g., “When We All Get to Heaven”). The hymn-tune, Landås, is the name of a neighborhood in Bergen, Norway and is adapted by William J. Kirkpatrick from an operatic melody.

It Is Well With My Soul

By H. E. Singley, organist

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith,

we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

(Romans 5:1, NLT)

Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him

 through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us.

(Ephesians 2:13b, 14a, NLT)

The backstory is well-known by many Christian worshipers. Horatio Spafford was a nineteenth-century Presbyterian layman and Chicago attorney who lost much of his material wealth in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Two years later, his wife, Anna, and their four daughters were headed to Europe for a family vacation and were among 313 passengers and crew on a transatlantic voyage aboard the S.S. Ville du Havre. (The ship’s name is the title Philip P. Bliss gave to the music he composed for these words.) On November 22, 1873, the Ville du Havre collided with another vessel on the high seas, splitting in half. All four daughters were numbered with the 226 women, men and children who perished in the quickly sinking ship. After finally arriving in Great Britain, Mrs. Spafford was able to send a telegram to her husband back in Chicago with the terse phrase, “Saved alone.” As he was en route to rendezvous with his wife, Horatio Spafford wrote this hymn, it is said, near where his daughters lost their lives.

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.

Though Satan should buffet, tho' 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)

My sin—O 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)

And, Lord, haste the day when the 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)

Spafford’s poetry speaks of the tranquility of a river, then juxtaposes the turmoil of a sea, thereby suggesting that bewildering uncertainty is endemic to human reality—our “lot.” Stanza two begins with a similarly daunting disclosure—certain contention with Satan, inevitable adversity. (Spafford had first-hand experience!) Halfway through that same stanza, he does an about-face toward the ultimate resolution of our desperate condition, the shedding of Christ’s blood to account for the totality of our unmitigated destitution. Stanza three further elaborates on Christ’s substitutionary death and its all-encompassing extirpation of the foundational and otherwise unsolvable human defect—our sin—ending with a fervent paean of praise!

Stanza four takes us to the apostle Paul’s words in I Thessalonians 4 via II Corinthians 5:

For we live by faith, not by sight.

(II Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout,

with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.

 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth

will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

(I Thessalonians 4:16-18, NLT)

Then, the poetry comes full circle: “It is well, it is well with my soul.” In the midst of the vicissitudes of life, praise the Lord—yes, praise the Lord—it IS well!

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:7, ESV)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music reflects three of the four stanzas, with a brief introduction derived from the refrain.

• The middle stanza portrays the “about-face” mentioned above in connection with stanza three of the poem by means of the shift from the minor mode and an overall ponderous sense to a major key and lighter texture.

• The final stanza of music attempts to reinforce the hope and anticipation which the words convincingly affirm.

• The refrain is heard in its entirety only after the final stanza, ending tranquilly, with quiet confidence.

• Sing the hymn–words AND music, all four stanzas–even if you’re by yourself!

Come Christians Join to Sing

By H. E. Singley, organist

Come, let us sing to the Lord!    

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

(Psalm 95:1, NLT)

There are several passages in Scripture which begin with the imperative, “Come.”

Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:

See how he brings destruction upon the world.

(Psalm 46:8)

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are

like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

(Isaiah 1:18)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary

and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” 

(Matthew 11:28)

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says,

“Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

(Revelation 22:20)

The psalmist issues the invitation in Psalm 46, the Lord in Isaiah 1, and Jesus in Matthew 11. In Revelation 22, Jesus promises that He is coming soon, at which point John the apostle makes the entreaty, pleading that Jesus come—and come quickly!

In the meantime, in the “not yet,” consider again Psalm 100, verses one and two.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness.    

Come before him, singing with joy.

Consider the verse, “Come before him, singing with joy.” This invitation to come and sing is the emphasis of “Come, Christians, Join to Sing.”

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!”

Poet Christian Henry Bateman was a nineteenth-century English pastor who began his service in the Moravian Church. While still in his thirties, he pastored three Congregational churches in Scotland and England. When in his fifties, he was ordained in the Church of England, serving three different parishes. “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” was part of a hymnal this pastor edited, Sacred Melodies for Sabbath Schools and Families, which had an influential and widespread role in Sunday Schools in Scotland. In its original presentation, the text began, “Come, Children, Join to Sing.” The hymn-tune, Madrid, is designated as a traditional Spanish melody with no composer identified.

 Here, we have a simple text of praise—“loud praise”—to Christ and is an invitation to all Christians to engage “heart and voice,” to “fill the sky” with praise to our King, our Guide and our Friend—the one who, in truth, did “condescend” (cf. Philippians 2:6-8) and whose love for us “shall never end.” Like Christ’s unending love, our praise does not end when our earthly sojourn is completed but endures with “singing forevermore” in eternity.

 This theme of praise is for all Christians. Some say, “But, I can’t sing.” The late Don Hustad, chairman of the music department of Moody Bible Institute, organist for Billy Graham’s crusades in the 1960s, professor of church music at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of numerous hymnals, once said that the point is not whether you can sing, but that as a redeemed child of God,  you have a song!

He has given me a new song to sing,    

a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.    

They will put their trust in the Lord.

(Psalm 40:3)

Hustad writes, “[This] new song was a different [emphasis added] song—a song of victory and praise—as compared to the earlier song of defeat and lament.” (Hustad, True Worship, p. 130).

He also once said that the only music that the Church cannot do without is congregational song. (Even a choir and any other group of musicians or soloists are best understood as an extension of the congregation in the context of public worship!)

In Music through the Eyes of Faith, Harold Best writes:

Corporate singing and hymnody in all of its forms, types, and presentational modes . . . . is the heart of all church music, therefore the most important. Congregational song is not only primary because it is corporate. Of equal importance, in the union of text and music, is that the entire worshiping body is given full responsibility for singing to and about God and proclaiming the gospel. This further implies—and the rich history of hymnody has proven it possible—that the body of hymnody employed by any church is incomplete until, by constant use, it discloses the entire counsel of God. In other words, a congregation is just as responsible to sing the gospel as the preachers are to preach it.[Emphasis added.]

So, come, Christians, join in song! Let all—every man, woman and child—rejoice! Alleluia! Amen!

Come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God.

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• There are three stanzas of text and the equivalent in music.

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him

By H. E. Singley, organist

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

(Ephesians 1:3, NLT)

Thomas Kelly was born in County Queens in Ireland and was preparing to be a lawyer when he recognized the call to become a pastor. He was ordained in the Church of Ireland (Anglican). However, his pastoral ministry in the Church of Ireland was rather short-lived because of his fervent preaching along the lines of the Reformation and, particularly, its emphasis on justification by faith. He established “dissenter” chapels which shared that concern in several locations around Ireland.

A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, Thomas Kelly was respected as a scholar, particularly in Hebrew. He wrote at least 765 hymns, four of which are included in Hymns for the Living Church. Three of those hymns are Ascension hymns, represented by this brief excerpt from “Hark! Ten Thousand Harps and Voice”:

. . . . Jesus reigns and heaven rejoices,

Jesus reigns, the God of love.

See, He sits on yonder throne:

Jesus rules the world alone.

Probably the best-known of his hymns is “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him,” a crisp, compact lyrical poem with five focused, four-line stanzas. The music is identified simply as a “Traditional German melody.” The hymn-tune name, Acclaim, comes from the hymn’s theme of praise and adoration to Christ.

Praise the Savior, ye who know Him!

Who can tell how much we owe Him?

Gladly let us render to Him

all we are and have.

Jesus is the name that charms us;

He for conflict fits and arms us;

nothing moves and nothing harms us

while we trust in Him.

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever;

He is faithful, changing never;

neither force nor guile can sever

those He loves from Him.

Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving

to Thyself, and still believing,

till the hour of our receiving

promised joys with Thee.

Then we shall be where we would be,

then we shall be what we should be;

things that are not now, nor could be,

soon shall be our own.

The hymn complements what we know of Thomas Kelly’s view of Scripture by poetry which mirrors the Bible. For example:
 

·       “. . . . Who can tell how much we owe Him? . . . .”

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much . . . . God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us . . . .”

(Ephesians 2:4, 7a)

·       “ . . . . let us render to Him all we are and have. . . .”

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.”

(Proverbs 3:9)

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

(Romans 12:1)

·       “ . . . . He for conflict fits and arms us . . . .”

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

(Ephesians 6:10b, 11)

Another phrase fraught with theological implications is this one from the third stanza:

“ . . . . He is faithful, changing never . . . .”

These words point to one of God’s attributes, His immutability. In lieu of often disquieting, unnerving change, our God is changeless!

Finally, I cannot help but notice the tongue-twisting mix of verb tenses in the final stanza. The verbs are all the same, “to be.” The certitude of future indicative “shall be” is juxtaposed with the conditional mood—would, should, could (with “not now” mixed in). This stanza (which, sadly, is eliminated in some later hymnals) uniquely and gracefully articulates the “already, not yet” in which we live by causing us to think of the “where,” the “what” and all the “things” which God has promised to His children in eternity!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Hebrews 13:8, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music reflects four stanzas, all in a different key, all with a different stylistic approach.

• You might think of the first, second, third and fourth stanzas as you hear the music, then simply read that final stanza—out loud!

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

The Church's One Foundation

By H. E. Singley, organist

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.

We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations,

no one will remember what we are doing now.

(Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, NLT)

With that encouraging (?) pronouncement, wise King Solomon reminds us of the ineluctable reality that history repeats itself. Maybe even more sobering are the words of Spanish philosopher and writer George Santayana who wrote in the early twentieth century, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

As daunting, varied and vast as modern-age threats may be, they are part of the human condition in a fallen creation. Think, for instance, of the Thirty Years’ War in seventeenth-century central Europe. As many as eight million people died from the war and its heinous accomplices, protracted epidemics of disease such as bubonic plague and pervasive famine.

Yet, no one should minimize today’s afflictions. In many instances, we would do so to our own peril. Keeping the bigger picture, much as we are able, is imperative, nonetheless. One of my best friends from growing up years in Texas has had a lengthy pastorate in southern Wisconsin. In the face of adversity, he says, “We don’t need to think that God is sitting up in heaven wringing His hands.”

The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?

But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.

He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

(Psalm 11:3-4, NLT)

In the face of shaking foundations, we profit from deliberating about that which is our only secure security. As portentous theological currents swirled around the world of his day, Anglican pastor Samuel Stone wrote a hymn of confidence and hope, one that Christians sing around the world. The hymn-tune most associated with these words, Aurelia, was composed by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, a grandson of Charles Wesley. In its simplicity and singability, the music appropriately supports the textual cadence. Take a moment to read and contemplate this elegant, well-proportioned and substantive poetry.

The church's one Foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;

She is His new creation,by water and the Word;

From heav'n He came and sought her to be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.

Elect from ev'ry nation, yet one o'er all the earth,

Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;

One holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food,

And to one hope she presses, with ev'ry grace endued.

Tho' with a scornful wonder, men see her sore oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,

Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, "How long?"

And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.

'Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,

She waits the consummation of peace for evermore;

Till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,

And the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,

Like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.

Like so many hymns which have been filtered by the sieve of time and which valiantly serve our own context, these words are laced with Scripture. Look for Scriptural allusions–some obvious, others not so obvious. For example:

·       “His holy bride,” Ephesians 4:29-32, Revelation 21:9

·       “Elect from every nation, yet one over all the earth,” John 17:21; Revelation 5:9

·       “One Lord, one faith, one birth,” Ephesians 4:5

As Stone paints his portrait of the seemingly tottering reality through words, he writes of sore oppression, of distressing schisms, the cry of “How long?,” the toil, the tribulation, the war, the wait for consummation of it all in everlasting peace.

 By reason of the immutable foundation of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and His atoning work, we anticipate a morning of song! In the interim, in this “not yet,” we have union with the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Triune God, the hope of the resurrection and being part–each of us–of the Church victorious and, ultimately, the Church at rest.

May that secure security sustain our courage, our fortitude, our perseverance in times of uncertainty.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds

a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and

the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house,

it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

(Matthew 7:24-25, NLT)

For no one can lay any foundation other than

the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

(I Corinthians 3:11, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music reflects three stanzas, all in a different key, all with a different stylistic approach.

• You might think of the first, fourth and fifth stanzas as you hear the music.

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart

By H. E. Singley, organist

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

Psalm 118:27, NIV 

On one of my first journeys to Latin America to participate musically in several city-wide evangelistic efforts, the first day in one location featured a parade on a bright, sunny morning with hundreds of believers joining in a festive march through the village. Many bedecked themselves with brightly hued clothing distinctive of that region. At the front of the procession were homespun but obviously carefully made banners with verses like John 3:16 and invitations to attend the evangelistic rallies which were to commence that evening. That adventure reshaped earlier recollections I had of parades (such as marching in the Tournament of Roses parade as a tuba player in my high school band). 

At College Church, we also think of the festive banners which have graced our sanctuary through the years, representing remarkable skill, a palpable labor of love and a personal sacrifice of praise by the late Marge Gieser. Those exquisite “festal banners” draw our attention to the themes of Scripture as we are gathered for holy worship.

Some of our most familiar hymns have numerous words or phrases which point us to a passage of Scripture or even a particular—and possibly quite personal—memory we associate with our Christian pilgrimage. “Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart” has a phrase which accomplishes just that, “Your festal banner wave on high.” This phrase often brings to mind the joyful procession I just mentioned in the highlands of Guatemala so many years ago. Then, those words lead me straightaway to the next phrase, “The cross of Christ your King.” We have the privilege of marching in the triumphal procession of our Lord—not ourselves as the triumphant ones—but as slaves of the One who conquered sin and death on the cross. That cross is our “festal banner!”

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues

to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.

II Corinthians 2:14a, NLT 

The poet who wrote “Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart” was Edward Plumptre, an English biblical and theological scholar educated at King’s College, London, and Oxford University. He became a professor of pastoral theology and Bible exegesis while serving as a pastor. He wrote sacred poetry and translated earlier hymns. Arthur Henry Messiter was born in England and composed the hymn-tune commonly associated with this text, Marion. He came to the United States while in his twenties. Here, he served in the pastoral ministry of music for over thirty years.

Rejoice, ye pure in heart,
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing;
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.

Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing!

Bright youth and snow-crowned age,
Strong men and maidens fair,
Raise high your free, exulting song,
God's wondrous praise declare. (Refrain)

 With all the angel choirs,
With all the saints on earth,
Pour out the strains of joy and bliss,
True rapture, noblest mirth! (Refrain)

Yes, on through life's long path,
Still chanting as ye go;
From youth to age, by night and day,
In gladness and in woe. (Refrain)

Still lift your standard high,
Still march in firm array;
As warriors through the darkness toil
Till dawns the golden day. (Refrain)

Maybe one or more of these phrases will especially stand out to you when you sing this hymn on your own or as part of the singing congregation:

• “Bright youth and snow-crowned age, strong men and maidens fair . . . . God’s wondrous praise declare . . . .”

• “. . . . all the angel choirs . . . .”

• “. . . . all the saints on earth . . . .”

• “. . . . in gladness and in woe . . . .”

• “. . . . through the darkness toil till dawns the golden day.”

Christians of all ages—together with choirs of angels and every saint around the globe, whether in good spirits or deep affliction: press on to the golden day of final redemption! And, rejoice!

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive

the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:14, NLT

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Philippians 4:4, NLT

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music reflects three of the five stanzas in Hymns for the Living Church, each in a different key, each with some difference in style.  

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

Jesus Paid it All

By H. E. Singley, organist

Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.  Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. (Matthew 18:32-34, NLT)

The verses above are part of a section of the Gospel of Matthew that is entitled “Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor” in the New Living Translation. The main point of the passage is forgiveness, particularly forgiveness on the horizontal, human plane—one person to another. (I do not in any way want to detract from that emphasis in this passage, if for no other reason than its pertinence to my own reality!)

Nonetheless, I would like to think about the king who, at the outset of the story, had forgiven an incalculable debt held by the unforgiving debtor. This merciless individual’s obligation made the pittances he was owed seem infinitesimal when compared to his own unpaid account which, in the words of the NLT, was “millions of dollars.”

It is the debt which every redeemed child of God has to our heavenly Father that I wish to bring into the forefront. We can imagine that “millions of dollars” to a servant in biblical times could have seemed like trillions of dollars would appear to us in our day—a figure that no one could fathom, much less repay (probably not even the government of the United States!).

 I once heard of an admittedly insufficient approximation between a single grain of sand on any seashore in relation to all the sand on all the seashores in all the world and all of time in relation to eternity. Similarly, any parallel between a trillion-dollar debt and what forgiven sinners owe to our loving, merciful Heavenly Father only begins to reckon the measure of our indebtedness due to our condition as sinners by nature and sinners by choice.

King David understood his sin.

Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.
My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear.  My wounds fester and stink    because of my foolish sins. I am bent over and racked with pain.    All day long I walk around filled with grief.

(Psalm 38:3-6) 

The apostle Paul expresses his—and our—frustration:

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right,

I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.

 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.

This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

 Oh, what a miserable person I am!

(Romans 7:21-24a)

There is desperation in this expression of John Donne, a 16th-century Anglican priest and poet:

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,

Which was my sin, though it were done before?

Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,

And do run still, though still I do deplore?

When thou hast done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won

Others to sin, and made my sin their door?

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun

A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?

When thou hast done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

I have a fear of sin, that when I have spun

My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;

But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son

Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;

And, having done that, thou hast done;

I fear no more.

 The final stanza of Donne’s poem, “A Hymn to God the Father,” turns us toward the only hope we have for our interminable, seemingly irresolvable debt, the finished work of His resplendent Son.

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim--
I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. (Refrain)

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save," my lips shall still repeat. (Refrain)*

All to Him we owe!

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

(Isaiah 1:18, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music reflects three of the original four stanzas, all in a different key, all with a different stylistic approach.

• Think of the three stanzas above as you hear the music.

•  Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!

* “Jesus Paid It All” (All to Christ). Text by Elvina M. Hall, Music by John T. Grape. Both poet and composer were from Baltimore, Maryland and were members of a local Methodist church.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

By H. E. Singley, organist

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

(Psalm 121:1, 2, NLT)

When our family lived in Ecuador in the 1970s and 1980s while involved in missionary service, we lived in what some would call a paradise. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is located in a valley at an altitude of 9,350 feet (2,850 meters), surrounded by enthralling, majestic mountains. Those mountains are part of the range known as the Andes which looks like a spine extending along the west coast of South America. In Ecuador, the mountains run mainly through the middle of the country with tropical rainforests to the east and indescribable coastlands to the west.

By some counts, Ecuador (which, incidentally, is about equal to the state of Colorado in size) has fourteen mountains which are perpetually snow-capped. Ten of the peaks are over 5000 meters (16,000 feet) high! From our apartment in Quito, we could see five of the snowcaps almost every day of the year. (This Texan loves snow when I can see it off in the distance.)

I’ve come to think of those imposing mountains–each quite different from the others–as another demonstration of the ineffable beauty and grandeur of God’s creation. I’ve also realized that they were a kind of metaphor when we looked out to see them at the beginning of the day and realized that they were still there. I believe we gazed at them to remind ourselves–assure ourselves–that there are at least some things that we can count on virtually every day.

Thus for our family, the words of Psalm 121 have rich significance. They drive all of us to think about what we see in any context that offers confidence and certitude. If we’ve trusted Christ–and Christ alone–for forgiveness of sin and eternal life, then, in the words of the hymn we’re exploring, we have “turned our eyes upon Jesus.”

The writer of the hymn, Helen Lemmel, was born in a pastor’s home in England and came to the United States as a child. She was a singer of some renown and taught voice at Moody Bible Institute and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola University). She wrote the words and composed the music for the hymn.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Thro' death into life everlasting,

He passed, and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion--

For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you--He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

As is sometimes the case, the refrain can be detached from the three stanzas (verses) and stand by itself. (Some hymnals have done that.) The stanzas, however, strengthen the refrain by:

• Asking if we might be weary and troubled (perhaps a rhetorical question?)

• Reminding us that His Word will not fail us

• Urging us to tell of His salvation to a dying world

There’s a summons here for all people, no matter where we find ourselves in our spiritual pilgrimage!

May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing He is always there!

Let all the world look to me for salvation!

    For I am God; there is no other.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses

to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down,

especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,

the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

(Isaiah 45:22; Hebrews 12:1,2a, NLT)

IDEAS FOR LISTENING

• Listen for the melody of the hymn-tune throughout.

• The music begins and ends with the refrain.

• Two different interpretations accompany the melody of the “verse part” of the hymn. (You might think of the first and final stanzas.)

• Sing the hymn–words AND music–even if you’re by yourself!