Tapestry September 2019

A Worship Magazine

Easley Presbyterian Church

Easley, SC

September 2019 Vol. 5 Issue 1

A common thread that joins us together with Christ and with each other.

What Matters Most: “Love God + Love Neighbor” According to rabbinic Judaism, the Torah (the law of God) contains 613 commandments.

Of these commandments, 365 are negative in form (“you shall not”) and 248 are positive in form (“you shall”). Given this complexity, it is unsurprising that the ancient rabbis frequently sought ways to summarize the law and to identify the most important laws, those commands that incurred the harshest penalties when violated.

Thus, when the scribe identified in today’s passage came to Jesus to ask Him which of the commandments was the most important, he was not posing a question that he or Jesus had never thought about before (Mark 12:28). Moreover, Jesus’ first response was not unique to Him. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4– 5, the fundamental creedal statement of Judaism known as the Shema, Christ replied that love for God above all else is the most important of all the commandments (vv. 29–30).

Our Lord’s second response, that love for neighbor is the second greatest of all the commandments, was also not unheard of, for many rabbis before and after Jesus’ lifetime summarized the Torah as teaching the love of neighbor. What was unique about Jesus’ response was the way in which our Lord combined the commandments. Though He gave a certain logical priority to loving God by mentioning it first, answering a question about the greatest commandment with two commandments shows that Jesus regarded the commands as

distinguishable, not separable. That is, Christ held that we cannot truly love God without loving our neighbor and we cannot truly love our neighbor without loving God. Jesus’ response indicates that we must love God in four ways—with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark that loving God with one’s entire heart means loving Him from the very root of our being; that loving God with one’s entire soul means loving Him passionately, not in a tepid manner; that loving God with all of one’s strength means loving Him with all of the power we can muster; and that loving Him with all of one’s mind means loving Him by studying His ways and His character as revealed in His Word. If we are honest with ourselves, we will confess that none of us has loved God in such a way. We might love God more today than we loved Him yesterday, but we still do not love Him as we ought. That is why we must repent daily for o ur f ail ure to keep the grea test commandment.

Dr. R.C. Sproul also writes in his Mark commentary, “We do not really progress in the Christian life until we understand that we are to love God simply because He is lovely and wonderful, worthy of every creature’s unqualified affection.” Love for God on account of who He is in Himself is the highest form of love that creatures can show. Let us pray that the Lord would give us such love for Him. —”Table Talk Magazine”

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Sunday, September 1 “Calm the Storm” Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace!

Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Hymn Meditation: “A Mighty Fortress”

(click title to listen)

The Reformers didn’t just protest; they sang. The Protestant Reformation, which began in earnest 500 years ago this week, didn’t just give birth to preaching and writing, but it inspired music and unleashed song.

That God declares us rebels fully righteous on the sole basis of his Son, through faith alone — such news is too good not to sing. And that our Creator and Redeemer himself has spoken into our world, and preserved his speech for us in a Book, to be illumined by his own Spirit — such news is too good not to craft into verse. Perhaps the greatest evidence that the Reformation released real joy in freeing captives from the bondage of man-made religion is that its theology made for such a good marriage with music. The Reformation sang.

Leading the way not just in word, but in song, was Martin Luther. He wrote nearly forty hymns, many of which he composed not only the words but even the music. His most famous, of course, “A Mighty Fortress,” often is called “The Battle Hymn of the Reformation.” The song embodies with strength and gusto the very spirit of the Reformation, breaking free from the flaccidity and poverty of medieval theology with rich God-confidence.

The hymn takes its inspiration mainly from the first two verses of Psalm 46, along with the refrain of verses 7 and 11. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear . . . (Psalm 46:1–2 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:7, 11) Psalm 46 opens with God as “refuge and strength,” and the battle hymn opens with God as “mighty fortress” — literally, a strong or unshakable castle. Line three is “help in trouble”; stanza three is “we will not fear.”

3 But that’s where the parallels end.

Rather than a mere hymnodic expression of the psalm, we do better to call it a Christian hymn inspired by it. What’s generic in Psalm 46, Luther makes specific, and Christian. He names the perDid we in our own strength confide, our striving would be loosing, sonal agent behind the trouble: “our Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. ancient foe,” the devil. He puts a huDost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he. man face and person to the rescue: Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same, “Christ Jesus it is he.”

And he must win the battle.

Finally, the translation of the last line And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, (“His kingdom is forever”) loses Luther’s We will not fear for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. “for us” (literally, “The kingdom must reThe Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him. main for us”). It’s a small loss, yes, but His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure. sweet and important. This is the great One little word shall fell him. for-us-ness which the Reformation so That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth. wonderfully recaptured. In Christ, we The Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. not only catch a glimpse of God’s Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. spectacular kingdom, but we’re invited The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still. in. We become part of the reign from His kingdom is forever. the inside (even, in some real way, —Martin Luther, 1529 reigning with him, 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6) — in a kingdom that not only remains forever but is for us, for our eternal good and everlasting joy.

So, this weekend, and into the future, as we enjoy the admirable translation — for which we should be thankful — we can rest assured that Luther’s original is even stronger, and even better. And Psalm 46 and Romans 8 are even better, and even stronger, than what Luther could capture in verse. The God we sing about will always be stronger, and better, than even our best songs can say.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

Our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe.

His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.

Listen to how it the original hymn sounded.

Anthem: “God Is our Refuge” click on title to listen

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…” (Psalm 46:1 NIV) The Psalmist says that no matter what happens around us, we need not fear, because God is our refuge and strength.

A refuge is a place where you hide when troubles get to be too much. Like a cleft in the rock, it covers and protects us. We need that when the storms of life come. But notice: he does not provide a refuge for us; he is our refuge. He doesn’t give us an umbrella to cover us from the driving rain; he is that umbrella— that covering over us. If the enemy of our souls is dis-

4 God is our refuge and strength; tracting you, tempting you, discouraging you, look to A present help in time of trouble God to shelter you with his wings (Psalm 91:4).

God is also our strength when we run out of gas and get Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, weary in life. It takes strength to believe, to trust, to do Though the waters roar and foam, God’s will, to stand against the onslaught of the eneWe will not fear. my. But, again: he doesn't just give us strength; he is our Come and behold the work of the Lord, strength. As you put your trust in him, he will do things in The awesome acts of God. and through you that you can’t even imagine. He will He is in the midst of his people, in all the earth. keep your feet on the right path, lift up your arms, and He is the Word, we are his hands, give you strength you thought you could never have.

He will lead us.

Moreover, God is an ever-present help in time of trou- He is the air, we are his song ble — this means all the time… continually! Do you need We will celebrate his presence to be sheltered in your mind and in your heart today? Do All the day long. you need someone to protect and hold you close at this He is the rain, we are the stones, moment in your life? He is there right when you need He will cleanse us. him. We can’t always say that about a physical doctor; He is the air, we are his song, sometimes we can’t get an appointment for weeks. But We will celebrate his presence the Great Physician is ever-present, always ready to help All the day long.

—Jay Johnson (Psalm 46) us.

If you are experiencing pressures or some attack in your life today, just ask the Lord in faith to help you. Say, “God, you said you’d be my refuge!” If you’ve run out of strength to do God’s work or to keep trusting him, remember that he is your strength. Now you have to run to him! Begin by praising him right now for loving you and for being all that you need. Thank God that he is greater than every problem and bigger than any mountain! Tell him, “Thank you, Lord, for who you are!” Then trust him to be your refuge and your strength, at this very moment in your life.

Read Psalm 46: 1-11.

Jim Cymbala (Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir)

Hymn Meditation: “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” (click title to listen)

"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a hymn written by William Whiting in 1860 inspired by the dangers

of the sea described in Psalm 107.

The original hymn was penned in 1860 by William Whiting, an Anglican churchman from Winchester, United Kingdom. Whiting grew up near the shores of England, and at the age of thirty-five had felt his life saved by God when a fierce storm nearly destroyed the ship he was traveling on, instilling a faith Eternal Father, strong to save, O Holy Spirit, who did brood in God's control over the Whose arm does bind the restless wave, Upon the chaos wild and rude, rage and calm of the Who bade the mighty ocean deep And bade its angry tumult cease, sea. As headmaster of Its own appointed limits keep; And gave for fierce confusion peace; O hear us when we cry to Thee O hear us when we cry to Thee the Winchester College For those in peril on the sea.

For those in peril on the sea.

Choristers' School some years later, he was apO Savior, whose almighty word O Trinity of love and power, proached by a student The winds and waves submissive heard, All travelers guard in danger's hour; about to travel to the Who walked upon the foaming deep, From rock and tempest, fire, and foe, United States, who exAnd calm amid the rage did sleep; Protect them where-so-e'er they go; pressed to Whiting a treO hear us when we cry to Thee Thus, evermore shall rise to Thee For those in peril on the sea.

Praise from air and land and sea. mendous fear of the —William Whiting, 1860 ocean voyage. Whiting

5 shared his experiences of the ocean and wrote the hymn to "anchor his faith". Whiting is commonly believed to have been inspired by Psalm 107, which describes the power and danger of the seas in great detail: "Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away."

Psalm 107: 23–26 This hymn was popularised by the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the late 19th century, and alterations of it were soon adopted by many branches of the armed services in the United Kingdom and the United States. Services who have adopted the hymn include the Royal Marines, Royal Air Force, the British Army, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Marine Corps, as well as many navies of the British Commonwealth. Correspondingly, it is known by many titles, periodically referred to as the Hymn of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, the Royal Navy Hymn, the United States Navy Hymn (or just The Navy Hymn), and sometimes by the last line of its first

verse, "For Those in Peril on the Sea".

Anthem Meditation: “Secure” (click title to listen) When Storms Howl

Read Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

-Matthew 14:27 (NRSV)

A storm is raging, Lord.

The boat I sail is small, and oh, so frail.

The wind is blowing, Lord.

I cannot hold the course against the gale.

The lightening strikes on every side, Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Your hand alone can hold the tide, Lord, Rescue me.

Have you ever been desperately afraid when you I am sinking, Lord. passed through a stormy patch in your life? If so, then you The boat is taking water, going down.

Part the waters, Lord. probably understand the terror and fear that the disciples I long to plant my feet on solid ground. experienced when they saw Jesus walking on the stormO Lord of earth and sky and sea, tossed lake, coming toward their little boat.

Your hand is reaching out to me, The Sea of Galilee is almost completely surrounded by I know that you have heard my plea, steep hills. It is 686 feet below sea level, and in no time the My hope is sure. wind can blow down the valley and whip the sea into a I am secure, I am secure, I am secure. boisterous turmoil.

— Susan Bentall Boersma It was probably during such a storm that Jesus walked on the water toward the boat in which the disciples were traveling. The disciples were terrified; they imagined the figure they saw to be a ghost. But Jesus calmed their fear and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

6 Jesus gave them peace in the midst of the storm, and Jesus can give us peace too. When we fear the storm, when frightening figures hover in the shadows like ghosts, we can remind ourselves that Christ says, "Take heart. I'm here with you."

—Elaine S. Massey (Gauteng, South Africa)

Hymn Meditation: “Rock of Ages” (click title to listen)

“My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” John 10:29 On November 4, 1740, a baby in Farnham, England, was given the formidable name of Augustus Montague Toplady.

His father died in a was, his mother spoiled him, his friends thought him “sick and neurotic”, and his relatives disliked him.

But Augustus was interested in the Lord. “I am now arrived at the age of eleven years,” he wrote on his birthday. “I praise God I can remember no dreadful crime; to the Lord be the glory.” By age 12 he was preaching sermons to whoever would listen. At age 14 he began writing hymns. At 16 he was soundly converted to Christ while attending a service in a barn. And at 22 he was ordained an Anglican priest.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee; Let the water and the blood, From thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy law's commands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling; Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless, look to thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.

— Augustus Toplady

Augustus Toplady died at age 38, but his poem outlived him and has been called “the best known, best loved, and most widely useful” hymn in the English language.

— “On This Day”, Robert J. Morgan, 1997

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Sunday, September 8 “Healing” Mark 5:1-20

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Hymn Meditation: “How Great Thou Art” (click title to listen) O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When thro the woods, and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

“Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.” Psalm 111:2 Today’s inspiring hymn of praise and adoration reminds us of God’s unlimited power and love in creation and redemption. Although written in the past century, the hymnhas become familiar to congregations just since the close of WWII. It especially became an international favorite after the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team used it in theeir crusades during the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.

The original text was written by a Swedish pastor, Carl Boberg, in 1886. While visiting a beautiful country estate, Boberg was caught in a sudden thunderstorm. The awesome and violent lightning and thunder quickly ended, leaving clear brilliant sunshine and the calm, sweet singing of the birds in

8 the trees. Falling on his knees in awe and adoration of Almighty God, the pastor wrote nine stanzas of praise. It was sung to a familiar Sweedish folk tune. The text was later translated into German, Russian, and English by Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Hine. The Hines were missionaries to the people of Ukraine. When war broke out in 1939, it was necessary for the Hines to return to Britain.

They brought with them this wonderful hymn of praise. “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee: How Great Thou Art!”

Anthem Meditation: “Hymn of Mercy” (click title to listen) “Forever mercy” O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 You don’t have to live very long in this world before it becomes painfully clear that nothing lasts forever. The car you were so proud of when you bought it is spending too much time in the shop getting fixed. Those clothes you picked up on sale are now in the hand-me-down box. At home, the roof eventually leaks, the appliances break down, the carpet needs to be replaced. And relationships we think will endure often fall apart.

Nothing lasts forever—nothing but God’s mercy, that is. Twenty -six times we are reminded of this inspiring truth in Psalm 136.

Twenty-six times the writer gives us something for which to praise the Lord, and then he reminds us, “His mercy endures forever.”

Think of what this means. When we sin and need forgiveness, His mercy endures forever. When our lives seem a jumbled mess that we can’t control, His mercy endures forever. When we can’t find anyone to turn to for help, God’s mercy endures forever. When each day is a struggle because of illness, despair, or conflict, His mercy endures forever. Whenever life seems overwhelming, we can still praise the Lord, as the psalmist did—for God’s mercy is always new and fresh.

No problem can outlast God’s forever mercy!

—Dave Brannon, “Our Daily Bread”

Gracious Lord, thy mercy filleth All the earth below; And from heaven’s throne it falleth When to thee I go.

Mercy flowing swift pursuing Like a river strong, Sympathizing with my weakness Mercy suffering long.

Mercy calling with compassion; “Oh return to me.”

Wounded hands extended, Loving is the plea.

How can I refuse thy mercy?

Whither would I flee?

From my idol shrine I turn, Lord, Reaching up to thee.

Tender mercy of the Savior Gently drawing nigh With the blood that cleaneth sinners Ready to apply.

Gracious Lord, thy mercy filleth All the earth below; And from heaven’s throne it falleth When to thee I go.

—Eileen Berry

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Hymn Meditation: “We Come to You For Healing, Lord” A Liturgy for the Feeling of Infirmities We come to you for healing, Lord, Of body, mind, and soul, And pray that by your Spirit’s touch We may again be whole.

We are not made for mortality but for immortality; Our souls are ever in their prime, And so the faltering of our physical bodies repeatedly takes us by surprise.

As once you walked through ancient streets And reached toward those in pain, We know you come among us still With power to heal again.

The aches, the frailties, the injuries, the imposition of vexing diseases and worsening condition are unwelcome evidences of our long exile from the Garden.

Even so, may the inescapable decline of our bodies here You touch us through physicians’ skills, not be wasted. May it do its tutoring work, inclining our Through nurses’ gifts of care, hearts and souls ever more vigorously toward your comAnd through the love of faithful friends Who lift our lives in prayer. ing kingdom, O God. While we rightly pray for healing and relief, and someThrough nights of pain and wakefulness, times receive the respite of such blessings, give us also Through days when strength runs low, patience for the enduring of whatever hardships our jourGrant us your gift of patience, Lord, ney entail.

Your calming peace to know.

For what we endure here, in the deterioration of bone and We come to you, O loving Lord, joint, blood and marrow, muscle and ligament, vitality In our distress and pain, and mobility and clarity, is but our own small share of the In trust that through our Nights and days malady common to a frayed creation yet yearning for a Your grace will heal, sustain.

—Annie S. Hawks, 1872 promised restoration.

Give us humility therefor in our infirmities, to ask and to receive, day by day, your mercies as our needs require.

Where our dependence on others increases, let us receive their service as a grace rather than a shame.

Let us trace in the hands of our caregivers the greater movement of your own hands, for you ever meet us and uphold us in our weakness.

And in those moments when our bodies betray our trust, work in us by our own hard experience a more active and Christlike compassion toe the suffering of others.

Give us also a sense of humor to wink at our weaknesses now, knowing that they are but the evidences of a perishable body that will at your beckoning rise again imperishable, and that the greater joke is the one played upon death.

By the inevitable dwindling of our strength, may the mettle of our true hope at last be proved, rising as the memory of a song stirring deep in the bones,

10 A martial melody of which our difficulties are but the approaching drumbeat, reminding us that this flesh and blood are soon the be transformed, redeemed, remade.

The infirmities we incur today are but the expected buffetings of a battle at which victorious end our birthright will be forever reclaimed.

So may the decline of our bodies incline our hearts and souls ever more vigorously toward our coming kingdom, O God. Ever more vigorously.

Amen. and teaching children with the gospel.

One fall day, her husband, Rev. William Alexander asked her to write a poem for a sermon he was planning to preach the following Sunday for St. Andrew’s Sunday. The pastor closed his sermon with the new poem written by his wife. These words have since been widely used in all churches to challenge God’s people to hear Christ’s call as Andrew did and then to follow, serve, and love Him “best of all.”

— Kenneth W. Osbeck, “Amazing Grace

Hymn Meditation: “I Need Thee Every Hour” (click title to listen) “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:16 NASB Even as a young girl, Annie Hawks wrote poems that expressed her faith in God. One day as she was going about her normal activities in 1873, when she was 37, she felt an overwhelming closeness to God. Describing this moment, she wrote how she suddenly “became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master.”

Annie knew that the Lord was so precious to her that she wondered how she could ever live without Him. Words started flowing into her mind, and she said the thought of His presence at once took “full possession of me.”

She wrote, “I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee.” She knew that she needed to seek an intimate relationship with the Savior in order to be blessed: “O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.”

Annie realized that when she was close to Jesus, He provided all the protection she needed: “I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby; temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.”

And she needed Him all the time: “I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.”

She had discovered that Jesus would provide the answers to all of her problems: “I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will; and Thy rich promis- I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; es in me fulfill.” In His presence, she could experiNo tender voice like thine can peace afford. ence deep and lasting peace: “I need Thee every I need thee, O I need thee, hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like Every hour I need thee!

O bless me now, my Savior— Thine can peace afford.”

I come to thee!

These became the words to a hymn that still I need thee every hour; stay thou near by; touches lives: “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Right Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. now, if you know this hymn, sing it unto God. Ask I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, Him to overwhelm you with His presence. He is And thy rich promises in me fulfill. right by your side, going through your jourI need the every hour, most holy One; ney with you. Speak to Him often. Call on His O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son. name, and allow Him to fill you with His peace, joy, —Annie S. Hawks, 1872 and power.

—Inspiration Ministries

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Sunday, September 15 “Healing” Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Hymn Meditation: ”Make a Joyful Noise to God!” (click title to listen) The power of God is on the mind of the psalmist in Psalm 66. The writer remembers God’s remarkable story and the parting of the Red Sea. When you’re in the middle of your own trial, “Say to God,’ How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.’” (Psalm 66:3). Don’t go a second without saying it or a moment without mouthing it. God’s power has been great in your past, is great in your present, and will be great in your future.

With God, we are never under our circumstances, we are always over them! His miracles in the past and his mastery over the present promise us his majesty over the future. His hand is on the throttle of the universe. When you are under fire and under water, he still parts seas

12 Make a joyful noise to God! All creation sings your praise!

Great your wonders here displayed, Unexcelled throughout our days.

Glorious is your sacred name, Ages old, yet still the same.

and stills storms.

—James Merritt, “52 Weeks Through the Psalms”

Blessed is he who comes in

Come and see what God has done, Great the blessings to the just: Walked the chosen through the sea, Brought their enemies to dust.

Let us lift a thankful voice For God’s mercies, and rejoice!

the name of the Lord.

Bless the Lord, our refuge sure; Let our songs of praise be heard!

By whose justice, we are tried; By whose grace, our guilt deferred.

When our life’s sure end shall come, Bring us to your heavenly home.

—Michael Morgan, 1995

Anthem Meditation: “Benedictus” (click title to listen) The Gospel of Mark tells us that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, people cut branches and spread them and their cloaks in Jesus' path as he entered Jerusalem, making a highway for the Messiah. They shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"

As a teenager I thought the triumphal entry was the most exciting story in the Gospel narratives, more wonderful than the angels' singing at Jesus' birth or the dove's descent at his baptism. I viewed those affirmations of Jesus' messianic role as somehow external to him. The angels and the dove were given, but Jesus earned those hosannas. They proved that he had done his job well.

Following the spontaneous parade of celebration, the Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus "went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, ... he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

This verse seems to imply that the crowd's acclaim was Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini. just another piece of Jesus' job. Now that I am older, I Hosanna in excelsis. have learned that he was right and that keeping our atBenedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini. tention on the kingdom rather than on the crowd is the Benedictus. most Christlike -- and one of the most demanding -- of the spiritual disciplines.

Blessed is he who comes Prayer: Giver of all grace, fix our hearts not on the crowd's in the name of the Lord. acclaim but on doing your most beautiful and eternal will.

Hosanna in the highest.

Amen.

—Phyllis A. Tickle (TN, U.S.A.) The Upper Room Daily Devotional, April 13, 2003

Hymn Meditation: “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee” (click title to listen) “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God. My Soul thirsts for God, for the living God: When shall I appear before God?” Psalm 42:1, 2 This hymn comes from the height of the Middle Ages, a period of history often scornfully called “The Dark Ages.” The spiritual and moral darkness of the Church reached a new black-

13 ness. The institution founded by Christ some 1,000 years prior was for the most part degenerate and corrupt.

Bernard of Clairvaux was born to a noble family at Fontaine in Burgundy, France; his father was a knight and his O hope of every contrite heart, mother a person of radiant goodness. At an early age young O joy of all the meek, Bernard showed a bent for piety and scholarship. With his To those who fall, how kind thou art! natural charms and talents Bernard had many opportunities How good to those who seek! open to him for a successful secular life. However, while in his But what to those who find? Ah, this early twenties, he chose the life of a monk at the monastery Nor tongue nor pen can show; of Citeaux. Within three years, his talents and leadership qualThe love of Jesus, what it is, ities were recognized , and he was asked to form other None but his loved ones know. branches of this order throughout Europe.

Jesus, our only joy be thou, It is generally agreed that Bernard of Clairvaux was the As thou our prize wilt be; greatest of the medieval leaders of this period. Martin Luther Jesus, be thou our glory now, wrote of him: “He was the best monk that ever lived, whom I And through eternity.

— Bernard of Clairvaux admire beyond all the rest put together.” Bernard became an important church leader and a respected preacher who worked hard to reform the church and change the lives of his parishioners. Through his leadership, 162 new churches were built throughout Europe.

— “101 Hymn Stories”, Kenneth W. Osbeck Jesus, the very thought of thee With sweetness fills the breast; But sweeter far thy face to see, And in thy presence rest.

Hymn Meditation: “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee” click on title to listen In the years following the Civil War and the birth of the Industrial Revolution, the social gospel emerged. Washington Gladden (1838-1918) was one of the most distinguished clergymen of his era and a leader in the social gospel movement.

This hymn was published in 1879 in three eight-line stanzas in Sunday Afternoon, a magazine prepared by the author, under the title “Walking with God.” C.H. Richards discovered the poem and included it in his 1880 hymnal, Christian Praise. The stanzas were placed into four four-line stanzas and paired with the durable Victorian tune MARYTON. The hymn has become one of the most significant devotional hymns of this era.

The hymn addresses Christ as “Master” both at the beginning of stanza one and end of stanza four.

The more commonly used reference to Christ, “Lord,” indicates a relationship of a feudal noble to a vassal, while “Master” perhaps implies more of a reciprocal respect between a teacher and disciple.

Throughout the remaining stanzas, the singer makes several petitions to the Master. In stanza one, we petition for the privilege of walking with

14 O master let me walk with thee Christ “in lowly paths of service.” We want to underIn lowly paths of service free; stand the “secret” of how we, as we serve Christ and Tell me thy secret; help me bear others, can “bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.”

The strain of toil, the fret of care.

In stanza two, we petition Christ for sensitivity toward Help me the slow of heart to move “the slow of heart”—those who do not recognize the By some clear, winning word of love; wisdom offered by the Master. We ask to be taught Teach me the wayward feet to stay, how to guide those with “wayward feet” along “the And guide them in the homeward way. homeward way.”

Teach me thy patience, still with thee Stanza three turns inward, as we request to be In closer, dearer company, taught “thy patience” so that we may dwell with Christ In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, “in closer, dearer company.” Our labor will maintain a In trust that triumphs over wrong. “faith [that is] sweet and strong” and our “trust” in the In hope that sends a shining ray Master will help us “triumph... over wrong.”

Far down the future’s broadening way; In the final stanza, we look “far down the future’s In peace that only thou canst give, broadening way” with “hope” and therefore have With thee, O Master, let me live.

—Washington Gladden, 1879 “peace” that only the Master “canst give” when we dwell with him.

Gladden was a native of Pennsylvania, and served churches in New York and Massachusetts before accepting a call to First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, a parish he served for 32 years. Educated at Owego Academy and Williams College, he was the moderator of the National Council of Congregational Churches from 1904-1907. He served as one of the editors of the Pilgrim Hymnal(1904).

As editor of the Independent, he made important contributions to the cause of social justice. While a pastor in Massachusetts, Gladden began preaching about labor-management problems, encouraging cooperation between employers and employees.

This theme aroused opposition from those who felt the role of a minister was “to save souls, not to regulate business.” Furthermore, he challenged the idea that the Bible was inerrant in matters of science and history.

From the Ohio pulpit, Gladden found willing listeners to his message at the State University of Columbus. He received invitations to deliver lectures at a number of universities including the Yale Divinity School. His tracts, Social Facts and Forces (1897) and Organized Labor and Capital (1904), were very influential.

Perhaps this hymn is a paradox.

Few singers realize that behind the relatively peaceful words of Gladden’s poem, sung to a placid Victorian melody, one can find the witness of a champion for social justice.

—Dr. C. Michael Hawn, Perkins School of Theology

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Sunday, September 22 Missionaries: Les and Cindy Morgan I’m enjoying a peaceful late evening sitting alone next to the side rail of the upper deck of the overnight riverboat Shurobhi-7, heading north to Dhaka. I’ve just spent two days with one of my former theological students, now a lay pastor serving a rural congregation in southern Bangladesh. I went to encourage him in his outreach to the sick, and together, along with a parish elder, we visited several homes in their village.

Tonight’s cool breeze and the moon’s reflection on the river are helping keep fresh within me the peace I felt as the three of us walked through the lush green rice fields and bamboo groves that lie between the village homes.

Yet, mingled with this peaceful memory is the sorrow we felt as we listened to the stories of those who were sick, such as in a Hindu home where the father had had a stroke. He wept as he spoke of his incapacity, frustration and fear. Our sitting and listening to him and my looking over his medicines and assuring him and his family that they were managing his illness in the best way brought peace to his household. In gratitude, they served us fresh mangoes and dates.

But now on the Shurobhi-7 I am heading to a place that does not engender such peaceful feelings: the teeming and polluted metropolis of Dhaka. There you must persevere through a tense and dangerous environment to carry out your ministry and trust that God will lead you into moments of peace.

On occasion the students in my Healing Ministry class at St. Andrew’s Theological College get to experience such moments, even in some of the roughest places in Dhaka. The course is based on the premise that ministering to the sick is fundamental to the work of the church and bears fruit for God’s kingdom, regardless of the setting.

The course is a continuous component of the three-year curriculum for all the residential students at the college. This year I have 11 students in my class; the other 34 students at St. Andrew’s are in the five-year, nonresidential program.

Although my class meets only once a week, over the three-year period this adds up to a significant amount of time the students get to learn about the Christian ministry of healing. Last year we looked at how the Hebrew word rapha is used in the Old Testament to identify certain biblical concepts of suffering and healing. Some of these concepts are not easy to comprehend, such as God’s role in causing suffering as well as alleviating it.

This year we’ll explore healing in Jesus’ ministry to the sick and in his parables, such as his story of the Samaritan who cares for a man attacked by robbers and left half dead on the road. Later on we’ll examine healing practices in the history of the church, particularly the roles of elders and deacons in ministering to the sick.

My students learn that there is no such thing as an isolated disease or remedy. Illness lays bare the interconnected physical, psychological, social, environmental and spiritual dimensions of our lives. The church must consider each of these dimensions in depth if it is to address the root causes and broader effects of disease and human suffering.

The course has a practical component too. The students periodically visit the sick Cindy and I have gotten to know through our clinics in the area. Through these home visits the students get to experience and explore the challenges of ministering to those who suffer.

In Dhaka one special challenge is simply getting to the where the sick live. To visit them the students must walk through an area of Dhaka that is home to criminals, prostitutes and drug dealers. For almost all the students it is their first time to enter an urban slum.

Then, of course, there is the challenge of taking the ministry to people of a different faith. No Christians live in the area the students visit. Although there are a few Hindus, almost everyone is Muslim and most know little about the Christian faith. Since the students are part of a small Christian minority in this Muslim-dominated

16 country, visiting the sick in Muslim homes is a big step for them.

So the ministry of healing brings us to places we would not usually go and often leads us to the bedside of people who are quite different from ourselves. It is here, however, that God reveals why he has sent us and lets us taste the fruit of this ministry.

One of my students, Suvojeet Mondal, last spring visited 3-year-old Dighi, a Muslim girl, lame from cerebral palsy, who lives in a poor area about a 30-minute walk beyond the Buriganga River in south Dhaka. Our class rule is that you don’t visit alone, so my wife, Cindy, went with him.

At first little Dighi was uncomfortable seeing these new visitors, and Suvojeet was concerned that he was not going to be able to relate very well to her. But after they sat a while and spoke with Dighi’s mother, Cindy encouraged Suvojeet to take Dighi onto his lap. When he did, Dighi broke out in laughter!

She and Suvojeet immediately became friends. He handed her a cellphone and then called her with another from just outside the window, and Dighi had great fun talking to him as she held the phone up to her ear. In his report on the visit Suvojeet wrote, “I never want to forget that peaceful moment.”

Through my own experience in the ministry of healing and now in teaching it, I have come to believe that Christ gave this ministry to his church for its own good as well as for the benefit of those to whom it ministers. Whatever our context, whether it be a lush green village or a filthy urban slum, visiting the sick brings us face-to-face with the realities of the human condition in all its dimensions.

The work is not easy and it can be risky, but this ministry allows the church to understand better the breadth and magnitude of Christ’s grace and experience more deeply his peace.

Looking out at the silent river from the upper deck of the Shurobhi-7 and thinking of my former and current students visiting the sick in the name of Christ is a moment of peace I never want to forget. Thank you for helping make it possible for me to teach and encourage these servants of Christ in Bangladesh.

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. (click title to listen) Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; While gazing at the magnificent Berkshire mountains of drive the dark of doubt away.

Massachusetts, Henry van Dyke described in “Joyful, Joyful,” Giver of immortal gladness, the many aspects of life that should bring us joy. He insisted that fill us with the light of day! his text, written in 1911, be sung to the music of “Hymn of Joy” All thy works with joy surround thee, from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. This combination of words earth and heaven reflect thy rays, and great music makes stars and angels sing around thee, “Joyful, Joyful” one of center of unbroken praise. the most joyous expresField and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, sions of any hymn in chanting bird and flowing fountain, the English language. call us to rejoice in thee.

One of the forceful ideas expressed by van Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, Dyke is that Go’s grawell-spring of the joy of living, cious love for us should ocean depth of happy rest! create a greater Thou our Father, Christ our brother, “brother love” for all of all who live in love are thine; mankind. With God’s teach us how to love each other, help we can become lift us to the joy divine. victorious over strife Mortals, join the mighty chorus and be “lifted to the which the morning stars began; joy divine” as we daily love divine is reigning o'er us, show more love to othbinding all within its span.

Ever singing, march we onward, ers. victors in the midst of strife; Henry van Dyke was joyful music leads us sunward, a distinguished Presbyin the triumph song of life.

— Henry van Dyke terian minister. He also served as ambassador

Hymn Meditation: “Joyful, Joyful”

17 to Holland and Luxembourg under President Wilson. He later served as a professor of literature at Princeton University. Even with all of the accolades, this simple hymn of praise stands as his greatest achievement and for which he is best remembered. What could possibly be better than to leave a legacy of joyful praise.

Anthem Meditation: “O God Beyond All Praising” (click title to listen)

“O God beyond all praising” was written specifically for the melody THAXTED in 1982, a composition by the early 20th-century British composer Gustav Holst O God beyond all praising, we worship you today (1874-1934). and sing the love amazing Michael Perthat songs cannot repay; ry comfor we can only wonder posed the at every gift you send, text, he said, at blessings without number “in response to a call for alternative words that would be and mercies without end: we lift our hearts before you more appropriate for Christian worship.” and wait upon your word, Rarely is a symphonic theme taken en toto and used for we honor and adore you, a hymn tune. The ranges are usually too wide and the our great and mighty Lord. phrases may be too long for congregational singing. The melody THAXTED, named for a small town in the Uttlesford for we can only wonder district of Essex, comes from the middle section of the at every gift you send, “Jupiter” movement in Holst’s orchestral suite, The Planat blessings without number and mercies without end: ets (1914-1916). In 1921, Holst adapted the theme to fit For Christ, your gift from heaven Cecil Spring-Rice’s patriotic poem “I vow to thee my counfrom death has set us free, try” (1908).

And we through him are given It is hard to underestimate the fervor that this text/tune the final victory. combination inspires in the British homeland. It is often sung at Remembrance Day services, and Princess Diana requestThen hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring, ed it for her wedding in 1981. The song was repeated for that we who know your favor her funeral in 1997 and again for the 10th anniversary obmay serve you as our King; servance of her death in 2007. and whether our tomorrows Perry faced a formidable challenge in composing a text be filled with good or ill, to such a stately theme, especially one that bears an assowe’ll triumph through our sorrows ciation with a text that combines patriotic and religious ferand rise to bless you still: vor. To meet this challenge, he created a majestic hymn of to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways, praise that is biblically rooted. and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.

—Michael Perry, 1982

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Hymn Meditation: “Lord, Speak to me that I May Speak” (click title to listen)

Frances Ridley Havergal came by her love of hynology naturally. Her father, Rev. William Henry Havergal, was an Anglican clergyman who devoted his life to improving the music of the Church of England, writing over 100 hymns Lord, speak to me, that I may speak in living echoes of your tone. himself.

As you have sought, so let me speak your erring children, lost and lone.

Frances, born December 14, O lead me, Lord, that I may lead the wandering and the wavering feet.

1836, was a delightful child who O feed me, Lord, that I may feed your hungering ones with manna sweet. began reading and memorizing O teach me, Lord, that I may teach the precious truths which you impart. the Bible at age four. By age sevAnd wing my words that they may reach the hidden depths of many a heart. en, she was already writing poems.

O fill me with your fullness, Lord, until my very heart o’er flow Through joys and sorrows, In kindling thought and glowing word, your love to tell, your praise to show.

Frances remembered all the O use me, Lord, use even me, just as you will, and when, and where words her parents taught her Until your blessed face I see, your rest, your joy, your glory share. about the Loving Savior. She — Frances Ridley Havergal, 1872 went on to become a deeply spiritual writer of hymns and devotional books. This hymn, originally titled “A Workers Prayer” was written on April 28, 1872, for the use of lay helpers in the church.

Hymn Meditation: “Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim”(click title to listen)

"Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim" was originally written not as a hymn of praise but as encouragement for believers facing persecution. The hymn first appeared in 1744 in a small collection of thirty-three hymns titled Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution and was captioned "To be sung in tumult." That year was a time of great tension and confusion in England and a time of bitter persecution for those new people called "Methodists," who were strangely accused of being Roman Catholics in disguise, working undercover for the pope. Mobs broke up Methodist services and often hurled bricks, cabbages, and eggs at the preachers. Undaunted, the Wesleys maintained a noble spirit, producing the 1744 collection to buoy the spirit of their followers.

Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim, Psalm 93:1-4 and Revelation 7:11-12 are the biblical and publish abroad his wonderful name; basis for this hymn. the name all-victorious of Jesus extol, his kingdom is glorious and rules over all.

The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is God ruleth on high, almighty to save, robed, he is girded with strength. He has estaband still he is nigh, his presence we have; lished the world; it shall never be moved; your the great congregation his triumph shall sing, throne is established from of old; you are from ev- ascribing salvation to Jesus, our King. erlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the "Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!" floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up Let all cry aloud and honor the Son; their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, mighty waters, more majestic than the waves[a] of fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb. the sea, majestic on high is the LORD! Then let us adore and give him his right, And all the angels stood around the throne and all glory and power, all wisdom and might; around the elders and the four living creatures, all honor and blessing with angels above, and they fell on their faces before the throne and and thanks never ceasing and infinite love.

— Charles Wesley worshiped God, 12 singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

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Sunday, September 29 “Rejection” Mark 6:1-6

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded.

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Hymn Meditation: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” (click title to listen) Come, thou fount of every blessing; Tune my heart to sing thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of God’s unchanging love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by thy help I’m come; And I hope, by thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart; O take and seal it; Seal it for thy courts above.

—Robert Robinson, 1758

Robert Robinson had a rough beginning. His father died when he was young, and his mother sent him to London to learn barbering. What he learned instead was drinking and troublemaking.

But, one evening, something stirred within him to go to an evangelistic meeting held by George Whitfield.

Whitfield was one of history’s greatest preachers, with a voice that was part foghorn and part violin.

Upon hearing Whitfield’s dynamic sermon, Robert immediately sobered up and soon entered the ministry. Three years later at age 23, while serving Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, he wrote a hymn for his sermon on Pentecost Sunday. It was a prayer that the Holy Spirit flood into our hearts with his streams of mercy, enabling us to sing God’s praises and remain faithful to him. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” has been a favorite of the church since that day.

—”Then Sings My Soul” Robert J. Morgan

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Anthem Meditation: With what shall I come before the Lord, “O Glorious Word” And bow myself before God on high? click on title to listen

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, Shall I come before Him with yearling calves?

His Hymns Souls Feel with thousands of rams, WillMake the Lord be pleased Whole” With Sinclair Ferguson, ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I give Him my Reformed Theological first-born for my transgressions, Seminary The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you,born O man; Horatius Bonar was He has shown you what is good. into a comfortable middleAnd what does the Lord require of you class family Edinburgh in But toindo justice 1808 and died there in And to love kindness, 1889. HisAnd father was a solicto walk humbly, Walk humbly with your God? itor (attorney), but the Bonar family line gave many ministers to the Presbyterian Church — including his older brother John James, and the better-known younger brother Andrew.

Horatius (“Horace” to his friends) graduated from the UniNot on my merit do I stand, not on the things which I have done; versity of Edinburgh, was an assistant minister in Leith (the Another’s worth, another’s blood, city’s port), served faithfully from 1837 in the Scottish BorOn them I rest and them alone; ders town of Kelso, and then was called in 1866 to the The love and life God’s word has shone, new charge of Chalmers Memorial Church in Edinburgh On them I rest and them alone. (named after his great professor). Here he ministered unUpon a life I have not lived, til his death in 1889.

Upon a death I did not die; The first is his work with young people. From the beginUpon another’s sacrifice ning, as a young assistant minister in Leith, he invested his I place my hopes for endless life; energetic love in pointing young people to faith in Christ O Word of hope and love of Christ, and finding ways of nurturing them in God’s grace. He I trust the glorious Word of life! loved them and was loved by them in return. “The chilO Word of grace, dren he met would often run up to him in the street, O Word that long sustained our faith; claiming a kind of property in him,” remembered a O Word of grace, O word that long sustained our faith; friend. One of those youngsters said about him, Word of love and of sacrifice; I sometimes wonder if anyone else ever possessed the O Word of hope and love of Christ, faculty that he had of drawing towards him the affection I trust the glorious Word of life! of young people, which, when you were once brought O Jesus, Son of God, I lean under the charm of his friendship, could never afterwards On what Thy Word has given me, be lost or lessened. How well I remember his class for us There both my death and life I read, girls! We would not for all the world have missed that My guilt and pardon there I see, hour on Wednesday afternoon.

O sacrifice that set us free, I think I see the little room underneath the dear old The Word of life I have believed. church where we gathered, a bright, happy band of Not on the tears that I have shed, school-girls, sitting around to listen to his earnest, loving, Not on the sorrows I have known, faithful teaching. I see Dr. Bonar seated at the end of the Another’s tears, another’s wound, long table with the large Bible spread out before him, Another’s blood and death gave us life!

I place my hope for endless life the Bible hymn book in his hand, his dear handsome upon the glorious cross of Christ. face beaming, and the pleasant smile which lighted it — Horatio Bonar up, as some of us gave a fuller, clearer answer than he

21 expected to the question asked.

It was originally for such youngsters that he began writing hymns. In total, he wrote around six hundred, which, of course, are not all of equal merit. But since his time, most hymn books — where they are still in use today — include a number of his compositions.

Bonar’s hymns are usually simple, but not simplistic; poetic and yet clearly theological; and the best of them focus on the person of the Lord Jesus, his atoning work, coming to him in faith, living unreservedly for him, and anticipating future glory.

In these hymns, the heart of the gospel is always found in Jesus Christ, at the cross, in substitutionary atonement. For him — as for Paul — this was a personal work of Christ, accomplished in love for us, on our behalf and in our place (“The Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2:20). And while he wanted to express all this simply and memorably for young people, he did so in such a way that the oldest and most mature are deeply moved by the profundity of it all.

Still today we can rejoice that Horatius Bonar found a way of expressing his theology, poetry, and heart’s doxology in hymnody. And since we are commanded to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and make melody to the Lord in our hearts, perhaps we should be praying more than we do that God will raise up others like him today.

We still need pastors with poetry in their soul.

Hymn Meditation: “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd” (click title to listen)

The Gospel lessons give us quite distinct views of Jesus. In some, we glimpse a very human Jesus: hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, overcome with grief for the city he loves, telling stories to his friends. In others, we see a Christ imbued with power: healing a man born blind, raising a man from the dead, riding into Jerusalem to the messianic cries of “Hosanna!” And of course this Lenten road leads to the ultimate paradox: the stark human pain of the crucifixion and the divine glory of the resurrection. This essential paradox of Jesus Christ is the theme that Canadian hymn text writer Sylvia Dunstan explores in “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd” (“Christus Paradox”).

Sylvia Dunstan (1955-93) was born in Simcoe, Ontario, and raised by her grandparents. After obtaining a history degree from York College in Toronto, she went on to earn both her Master of Divinity and Theology from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto and was ordained in the United Church of Canada. She served in a variety of positions, from parish ministry to editorial and committee appointments within the United Church to chaplain of a maximumsecurity jail in Whitby (just east of Toronto).

Her first foray into songwriting came in 1974, when she met Sr. Miriam Therese Winter (author of “My Soul Gives Glory to My God,” who taught her to write scripture songs as a means of musically exploring biblical texts. With increased exposure to hymnic resources, she began focusing exclusively on text writing and began to see the value of traditional form and meter in her com-

22 position. In the preface to her 1991 hymn collection, In Search for Hope and Grace, she described her transition as one from “guitar-strumming, meter-mangling self-indulgence to form-following, tradition-loving classicism.” In January of 1984 she drafted “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd” on a commuter bus “after a particularly bad day at the jail” where she was servClothed in light upon the mountain, ing as chaplain.

Stripped of might upon the cross, The text explores the many paradoxes of Christ takShining in the eternal glory, en from the biblical narrative (hymnary.org notes 60 Beggared by a soldier’s toss, You, the everlasting instant; scriptural references in the text!), which she describes You who are both gift and cost. in the first stanza with seemingly contradictory titles: Lamb and Shepherd, prince and slave, peacemaker You, who walk each day beside us, and sword-bringer. In the second stanza, she explores Sit in power at God’s side. the contradictory historic events of Christ’s life where You, who preach a way that’s narrow, he is both “clothed in light upon the mountain” and Have a love that reaches wide.

You, the everlasting instant; “stripped of might upon the cross.” The third stanza You, are our pilgrim guide. progresses to Christ’s work in the present, as Jesus continues to “walk each day beside us” even while sitting Worthy is our earthly Jesus! “in power at God’s side.” In the final stanza, she turns Worthy is our cosmic Christ! to doxology, praising the “earthly Jesus” and the Worthy your defeat and victory; “cosmic Christ” who is worthy of praise in both “defeat Worthy still your peace and strife. and victory.” In each stanza, she returns to the image You, the everlasting instant; You, who are our death and life. of Christ as the “everlasting instant,” underscoring an —Sylvia G. Dunstan, 1984 incarnate God who is present to us in each moment and reigning above and beyond time.

You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.

You, Lord, are both prince and slave.

You, peacemaker and sword-bringer Of the way you took and gave.

You, the everlasting instant; You, whom we both scorn and crave.

The text is most often wed to the French tune picardy (most famously employed in “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”), whose minor key combined with its stately character create its own musical paradox that accentuates the many paradoxes of the text.

The text began being used even before it was officially published. In 1984, it was selected as the theme hymn for the 1984 General Council of the United Church of Canada, whose topic of exploration was “the saving significance of Jesus Christ.” It was first published in 1987 in Songs for the Gospel and again in 1991 in Dunstan’s own collection, In Search of Hope and Grace. It is one of Dunstan’s most popular hymn texts and continues to be used by a wide range of traditions. Most recently, it was included in all three of the latest denominational hymnals to be pub-

23 lished: Community of Christ Sings (Community of Christ), Glory to God (PCUSA), and Lift Up Your Hearts (CRC/RCA).

Dunstan continued to pastor and write hymn texts until she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of liver cancer in March of 1993. She died four months later at the age of 38, thus pointing to another great paradox: a gift to the church of Jesus Christ taken too soon—a Lenten grief that awaits the hope of the resurrection.

—David Bjorlin

Hymn Meditation: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” (click title to listen)

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but thou art mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain, Whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fire and cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through.

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, Be thou still my strength and shield.

“For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore for your name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Psalm 31:3 When I tread the verge of Jordan, Throughout the centuries the Welsh people have been rec- Bid my anxious fears subside; ognized as one of the most enthusiastic groups of singers in the Death of death and hell's destruction, world. Wales is known as a land of song. This hymn is a product Land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises, of that fine musical heritage.

During the early part of the 18th century, a young Welsh I will ever give to thee.

—William Williams preacher, William Williams, became known as “the sweet singer of Wales.” Although he was greatly respected as a preacher, it was as a hymn writer that he made his greatest impact. He wrote over 800 hymns — all in the Welsh language. Unfortunately, most of William’s hymns are untranslated, and this is the only hymn that is widely sung today.

“Guide Me” first appeared in a hymnal in 1745. It was translated and published in English in 1771.

The imagery of the hymn is taken from the forty-year journey of the Israelites to the promised land and compares that journey to the Christian life.

The tune was written in 1907 by John Hughes, a noted Welsh composer. This is one of the most popular hymn tunes in Wales.

“Trinity Chair” God the Father is represented by the symbol for Alpha and Omega.

The meaning of the words Alpha and Omega —terms that refer to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet—is fairly easy to understand. Like A and Z, they simply mean “the beginning” and “the end.”

In life, we understand these concepts. Things begin . . . things end.

Jobs start . . . jobs stop. Decades come . . . decades go. Birth . . . death.

But there is something special and unique about the words Alpha and Omega as they appear in Revelation (1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13). Jesus Christ used those terms to describe Himself—terms that refer to His deity.

When used in Scripture, the words have an almost unfathomable meaning. Jesus, the Alpha, had no beginning. He existed before time, before the creation of the universe (John 1:1). As the first cause of all that exists (vv.2-3), Jesus cannot be limited by the word Alpha. And as the Omega, He is not the “end” as we know it. He will continue to exist into the everlasting, never-ending future.

It’s mind-boggling and aweinspiring—this view of our Lord. He’s the one “who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8).

He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the Almighty God. Not only that, He’s our Savior (Titus 2:13). As such, He deserves our praise, our lives, our all!

— Dave Brannon, “Our Daily Bread” “Trinity Chair” God the Father — sanctuary, Easley Presbyterian Church