Category: Singing

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I Don’t Want to Experience That Again…Jan. 27th

The sermon title on Sunday morning (Jan. 27th) at Waterview church of Christ is entitled…“I Don’t Want to Experience That Again”.  Any thoughts on what Robert might have in mind?  Take a minute and look through the songs selection and maybe you can pull together the theme.  As the scripture says, “I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”

 

Sunday morning, January 27, 2013

Robert Oglesby has been the pulpit preacher at Waterview church of Christ since February, 1963.  You’re reading it correctly, Waterview is on the threshold of celebrating 50 years with him as our preacher.  May this congregation of God’s people continue to be strong in the Kingdom of God.  The following is a listing of our order of worship, and all song numbers are from the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Awesome God” – 38

Our opening song on Sunday morning could be classified as a contemporary song (properly referred to as a ‘hymn’).  Do we truly realize the fact our God is awesome?  Not like your favorite movie or some famous person…only God should hold the title “Awesome”.

“We Praise Thee, O God” – 2

What reasons can you list as to why YOU praise God?  This old hymn, written during the time of our countries Civil War, provides 4 strong examples of why we should be praising God.  Look at the verses (all five)…is it really 4 reasons we praise God, or actually is there just one?

“In Christ Alone” – no book

Another contemporary song that has captured the hearts (and voices) of young and old alike.  As the song is sung, a story is woven that draws the Christian heart closer to God.  Where do you find your strength…your hope.  We sing with a sincere heart, “In Christ Alone”.  But don’t forget each verse and the power you’ll find as you sing the reassurance, “…til He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.”

“In Memory of the Savior’s Love” – to the tune of “Majestic Sweetness”

Two songs with the same meter…8.6.8.6 (also referred to as Common Meter or CM).  Read the words on page 335, but add the music from page 530.  This is a great way to refresh the message of the song by adding the notes from another.  Keep things fresh and avoid stagnation of the mind.  Singing by rote is a good way to learn, but a poor way to worship (in my opinion).

“Freely, Freely” – 635

What do you think it means to ‘freely give?’  As Christians we have been give so much…more than we could ever repay.  So with the gifts we so richly enjoy, do we think about how freely we are at giving back.  With this song being sung before we pass of the collection plate one would certainly assume we’re talking in monetary terms.  But what about your life?  Do you give not only money, but your actions, and your thoughts, and your words to God?

“My Only Hope is You” – no book

Another contemporary song (hymn) speaking toward the only One who can give us hope in this dark world.  Sin and despair are all around, and to many this life seems to be a hopeless journey.  But God’s people know that from early in the morning and until late at night we have hope…in Jesus!

“A New Creature” – 619

Penned by T.O. Chisholm and musically supported by L.O. Sanderson (members of the Lord’s church) this song clearly explains the new life we can have in Christ.  “Buried with Christ (baptism)…I am dead to the world.”  So examine your life and see if indeed “…Christ lives in me.”

“God Is Calling the Prodigal” -no book

An old invitation song that we no longer find in the hymnal “Song of Faith & Praise”.  But just because an editor doesn’t include a song that is Biblical and scriptural doesn’t mean we toss it out of our repertoire.  We all have wandered away (some intentionally others haphazardly), and all the while God is calling us to return; “…weary prodigal come!”

“The Way of the Cross Leads Home” -616

As we close our worship service on Sunday morning we’ll sing to remind each other and encourage those who are lost to ‘bid farewell’ to the world and seek your home with God.  The way home is easy; follow the cross.

So what’s uncomfortable about all this?  What would you not want to ‘experience again?’  See you Sunday morning!

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That’s All I Want…Jan 20th

A friend of mine shared a GREAT idea about posting the order of worship for members of the congregation and prospective worship leaders.  This simple use of the world wide web will allow those interested to get a glimpse of what’s coming up for Sunday morning.  Nice idea, and one I think will benefit those who what to learn about the songs we’ll be singing on Sunday.  This post will reflect this past Sunday morning (January 20th).  Be looking for the next few weeks as we’ll be posting the order of worship by Friday or Saturday before Sunday…

Sunday morning, January 20, 2013

Robert Oglesby has been the pulpit preacher at Waterview church of Christ since February, 1963.  Yes, in a few short days he and his family will be celebrating 50 years as the preacher for this solid congregation in the Kingdom of God.  Our sermon topic on Sunday was titled, “That’s All I Want”.  Our scripture basis was the 23rd Psalm, so our hymn selection was almost a given.  The following is an account of our order of worship and all song numbers are from the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“We Will Glorify” – 578

A great song that praises our God and King; beautiful way to set our minds on worship.

“The Lord’s My Shepherd” – 134

The music for this popular arrangement dates back to 1854.  All six verse of the 23rd Psalm can be sung in this song.  This is a perfect example of Ephesians 5:19 “…speaking to one another in PSALMS and hymns and spiritual songs”

“Hear Me When I Call” – no book

This has become perhaps my favorite of all Tillit S. Teddlie songs.  Certainly one that asks for our God to hear our call and ‘attend unto my prayer.’  What better way to describe my weakness than to request that our Lord, ‘…hold my trembling hand, lest helpless I should fall.”

“We Have an Anchor” – 467

The question is asked by those who sing, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?”  In other words, how are you doing in your relationship with God?  We echo in response…”We HAVE AN ANCHOR!”

“I Need Thee Every Hour” – 837

This song of prayer serves as our invitation on Sunday morning.  Would that we all come to understand and truly say, “I need Thee, O I need Thee…”

“I’d Rather Have Jesus” – 581

Singing the first verse this song you are stating that you prefer (would rather have) Jesus over the riches of this world.  More than houses or lands…do you really?  Would your wallet agree?  Take a look at your bank statement if you want to see if you really believe this song.

“I Love the Lord” – 359

Penned in my life time (1970), this song by Tommy Wheeler makes the statement that proclaims our love for God.  We sing “I love the Lord”, but why?  You know and you sing, “…on Calvary His dear life He freely gave…that I might live some day with Him on high.”

“The Lord My Shepherd Is” -126

Like song #134, the music for this arrangement was in the mid 1800’s, but when Isaac Watt’s penned this psalm, he followed the poetry in the message from the shepherd/king David. An affirmation of who my Shepherd is…the Lord.  And knowing that…what else could I want?

At Waterview church of Christ we use a screen to project all our songs.  This allows faces to be up (out of the book) and voices to be projected forward.  All songs on the screen are accompanied with the sheet music for those who will sing 4-part harmony.  In a world that seems to be getting faster and faster, and schedules that we tend to pack to over flow, let me admonish you to be careful and not push Jesus out of your life.  You and I both know that with Him in our life and when Christ is first, we can honestly say…That’s all I need!

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The Day After VBS…

Do you remember your days in Vacation Bible School? 

In my youth, and for years, our congregation hosted a full week (Monday-Friday) of VBS beginning at 9:00 in the morning and wrapping up around noon.  (Just after breakfast and before lunch…smart!)  One of my favorite memories from VBS, a highlight, was the opening and closing service, when everyone came together to sing.

Perhaps you’ll remember, “Roll the Gospel Chariot”, “Deep and Wide”, or an all time favorite, “This Little Light of Mine”.  Could you ever forget “Jesus Loves the Little Children”.  Personally one of my favorites was “Booster, Booster” (more on that in a minute).  What about this one; do you remember…

“Stand up and shout it if you love my Jesus!
Stand up and shout it if you love my Lord!
I want to know, Oh I want to know…Do you love my Lord?”

There’s more to the song and verses are included, but the general idea is for the singer, even the listener, to proclaim their love for Jesus Christ as Lord.  This is certainly an exciting song and one that many song leaders encouraged us to STAND UP while we sang.

But you know we can’t stay in ‘VBS mode’ our entire lives.  There’s a reason we call it Vacation Bible School; it’s held during the summer months while we’re on ‘vacation’.  This wonderful time of our life will eventually come to an end, we’ll grow up and go to work.  We love the ‘mountaintop’ experiences, but we have to come down off the mountain and get back to the grind.  Jesus modeled that behavior to us over and over.  Remember Luke 9:28 and 37, “…He took Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  … On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.” In like manner, when our ‘vacation’ is over, we ‘grow up’ and go to work.

So we stand up and shout that we love Jesus, and yes, in our lives and in our hearts we should be telling the world (showing the world) that we love Jesus.  But as we grow and mature into men, we need to do more than just stand up and shout it.  Notice what Paul, through inspirations, tells the church in Corinth, “When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  I Corinthians 13:11

Perhaps William Merrill had the right idea when he encouraged the singer, the ‘men of God’, to rise up!  In 1911 Mr. Merrill penned the words to a song that has been sung by godly men across the globe; a message that calls for men of God to do more than just stand up and shout.  It’s a message to rise up and serve, to rise up and give your heart, soul and strength.  It’s a message to rise up and serve the King of kings.  We sing that men of God are to bring in the day of brotherhood and end what is wrong.  As we sing this song we are reminded that the church Christ built is waiting for us to ‘come down off the mountain’ and go to work.  As we sing we remember that we are called to follow Christ walking in His footsteps.  Notice these verses…

Rise Up, O men of God!  Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.

Rise Up, O men of God!  His kingdom tarries long;
Bring in the day of brotherhood and end the night of wrong.

Rise Up, O men of God!  The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequaled to her task.  Rise up and make her great!

Lift up the cross of Christ!  Tread where His feet have trod;
As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up, O men of God!

In the days of my youth, during the closing session of VBS, we would sing, “Booster, Booster be a Booster!  Don’t be grouchy like a rooster (growing up on a farm, take it from me, roosters can be grouchy).  Booster, Booster be a Booster and Boost our Bible School!”  We left excited and ready for the next day.

Gentlemen, dads, husbands; VBS is over and today is that NEXT DAY.  It’s time we do more than just stand up and shout it; let’s rise up and be…Men of God!

 

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Everything Changes, Except…

Change isn’t easy!  As a matter of fact, Sydney Harris, an American journalist for the Chicago Daily News once said, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”

Change can be hard to face at times and yet if we want to grow, we have to change.  For things to sincerely ‘get better’, they can’t stay the same.  This week my daughter (a senior in HS) went with me to the office.  As we talked about the changes in our family, big brother is now in college, I reminder her that we ALL change.  She wasn’t going to always be my little blonde, curly haired 5 year old.  She was growing into adulthood and, if the Lord wills, would one day have a family of her own.  If we remain the same, that would be nice, but how could things hope to improve.  As a matter of fact, in our spiritual lives we sing the song, “Change My Heart of God”.  If we want our lives to ‘get better’, we have to go through a metamorphosis (a change).  But why do we ‘hate change?’  Perhaps it’s because of the uncertainty that lies ahead.

How often I would like for things to ‘just stay the same’.  Actually some folks take great strides to make sure things never change.  We are comfortable with the tried and true.  Not needing to ‘wonder what will happen next’ is a good thing…isn’t it?  Let me direct you to another hymn that actually talks about the changes in our lives.  The transitions that we face in life.

Over 100 years ago Jennie Wilson penned a song that tells me what to do when uncertainty comes into my life.  I need to remember the words…

Time is filled with swift transition – naught of earth unmoved can stand (Nothing on earth can change this fact)
Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand. (The earth changes…God, eternal, does not)

Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring, (God is constant, even with the changes in life)
If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling. (People let us down, God won’t)

When your journey is completed, if to God you have been true (When life is over, and if you have been faithful)
Fair and bright the home in glory your enraptured soul (delight without measure) will view (Heaven’s really good!)

Hold to His hand…to God’s unchanging hand!
Hold to His hand…to God’s unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

We will face changes in life and some of them will make us ‘wish for the good ole days’.  But change will come and often it will come swiftly.  In a world that is created to ‘change’, hold fast to Him who created this world…He does NOT change.  James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom THERE IS NO VARIATION or shifting shadow.”  To put it simply…God doesn’t change.

Children hold the hands of their parents because there is comfort in knowing someone is beside them.  We hold hands as couples to show our spouse (and others who might be watching) that we find comfort and security in our loved ones presence.  In a world that is ‘swiftly transitioning’, perhaps we should be looking to reach out and take hold of our Father’s hand.  Changes will come into your life, but with God we will always find consistency.  Perhaps Mr. Harris was right, we do have a dilemma when it comes to change, but remember what he said, want we really want is for things ‘to get better.’

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A Lifetime Preparing for the First Time…

Can you remember the first time you road your bike without training wheels, or without having your dad run along beside you?  As a parent you might remember your child’s first day of grade school as he/she stood on the front porch with books in hand.  Or perhaps you’ll remember your first time to crawl in behind the wheel of the car and drive down the road…by yourself.  Our life if full of first!  We look at our lives and can remember the times when we did things for the first time.

This morning my family and I loaded up the suburban and drove to Tennessee.  Though this isn’t the first time we’ve taken this trip, it is the first time we’ll leave the house with five (5) in the car and return with only (4) four.  Our oldest son is going to Freed-Hardeman  University for his freshman year.  Having worked with college age students for years, I’ve seen anxiety in the eyes of the new college student.  And now, as his dad, I feel the tears in the eyes of the parents.  It’s never been more real to me as it is now.  For the first time, I sit here realizing my oldest, will be striking out on his own.  He won’t be getting up in the morning to make his mom and I a cup a coffee.  We won’t be riding out to the baseball field to officiate a baseball game together, and this evening, I won’t be walking into his room to tell him good night.   For the first time our oldest will be ‘riding on his own.’

Some times we have a ‘first’ that is a great experience and the beginning of a new, exciting direction for our life.  At other times, those ‘first’ are hard to face.  With every life changing ‘first’, and every new path we take, the Christian realizes he can’t go along.  When our young men and women graduate high school, that’s a big first.  When they leave home and go to college, that’s a big first.  Parents, we need to ask our children with whom do they plan to walk down the pathway.  What will they take along with them.

During the last few days my son has been busy packing his bags and last night he loaded the car.  He was determined to make sure he had what he would need in college.  But the one thing we have tried to impress upon our children is the importance of staying close to God.  Will their life bring honor to His name?  Will the friends they choose and words they use bring glory to God?  We show them a Christian example, discipline them in Christ and pray they’ll walk with God.  Parents (Grandparents), as our children take these first steps, pray for them, that they will ‘walk with God’.

Written in 1959, this spiritual song serves as an encouragement to those listening as well as those who are singing.  We know that our life will be continually filled with ‘first’.  With each first time opportunity we remember that we must take these steps with God.  The world will hurl lies at us, but you and I know that the only hope we have comes through Christ.  So Logan, this is my daily prayer that you will ‘Go with God!’

“This is my daily prayer; God Bless you, go with God.
Hold fast His mighty hand, thru out the day;
His grace your heart sustain, His pow’r relieve your pain,
Your prayer be not in vain, as you travel His way.

In spite of all the lies that some may hurl,
Christ is the only hope of all the world;
God bless you, go with God,
Thru out eternity, my prayer will always be,
May you go with God.

In spite of all the lies that some may hurl,
Christ is the only hope of all the world;
God bless you, go with God,
Thru out eternity, my prayer will always be,
May you go with God.  May you go with God!

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What Does ‘A Capella’ Mean?

“Suppose they asked you if you could sing A Capella, would you know what to do?”

Barney Fife tries to explain to Rafe Hollister what it means to ‘sing A Capella’ and though he doesn’t get the definition right, he says what many may be thinking. [LINK]  To defend his thoughts about A Capella singing, Barney comes up with a song that he sings about ‘A Capella’.  Watch the short video, enjoy a laugh and then we’ll talk about ‘A Capella’…

By definition, a cap·pel·la means:

1. without instrumental accompaniment…or
2. in the style of church or chapel music.
Notice the FIRST definition; when we sing A Capella, we’re singing with our voices…only.  Read Ephesians 5: 19 “…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord…”  Speak to one another…sing and make music in your heart… God’s word explains (better yet) commands, that we are to sing.  And if you look closely, this singing is done with our voices and not with an instrument.  Therefore we are to sing A Capella.  Our culture doesn’t know much about this type of singing.  Listening to music on the radio is almost exclusively with instrumental accompaniment.  That would mean we aren’t much of an A Capella culture.  But is it easy to sing ‘without instrumental accompaniment’?  It takes work and that work takes practice.  We need to be more focused on singing without instrumental assistance.  Turn the radio off and start singing A Capella.
But you might be wondering, where do I start?  Begin with a search for A Capella singing groups.  Consider these as a few: His Harmony, Legacy, The McCoy Family Singers, Hallal, Acappella, Zoe, GLAD and many more.  [LINK]  But let me encourage you to consider this…why would we try to sing A Capella songs and still make ‘instrumental’ noises with our voices?  Doesn’t make sense to me…but that’s just me.  in my opinion, let’s support all of the true A Capella Groups (songs) who sing without any ‘instrupella’ or vocal band (using your voice to sound like a snare drum).  Singing without any instruments or trying to act like an instrument is true A Capella.

 

The SECOND definition for A Capella states; “…in the style of church or chapel music.”  A Capella singing, choral singing performed without instruments is done in the manner in which the early church, or chapel did their singing.  The expression means “in chapel style” in Italian.  Hundreds of years ago, religious music was composed for use in the chapels, which, unlike large churches today, had no bands, organs or instruments.  Singing and music in the early church, via historical documentation was exclusively designed to be sung using the human voice only!  A Capella singing is described in God’s word and was practiced in the early church.  Even early on within the denominational world, instruments were universally rejected.

So…”Suppose they asked you if you could sing A Capella, would you know what to do?”

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If it wasn’t for the Lighthouse…

How dark does the night have to be…
before you realize you can’t see where you’re going?

We wander through the darkness hoping that eventually we’ll find our way.  But add to the black of the night some wind and rain.  Feel the sting from the rain and the power of the storm…all in total darkness.  Now the dynamics are more intense.  Not only am I blinded by the night, whatever sense of ‘stability’ I once had is now in question.  We need someone to ‘shed some light’ on the subject.  A flashlight would be helpful, but a flood lamp would be great.  Better yet, if only the sun would shine and drive away the storm and night.

The storm may be ravaging your world today, and the darkness of sin may have blinded  your sight.  Do you need someone to shine the light into your day?  You can rest assured, the Son is shining!  Even after our physical sun has set and the day is done, God’s Light shines on.  He illuminates our lives and gives us hope in a dark and stormy world.  But are we willing to look for the light, be receptive to this glow and follow the light to the safety of the shore.  Robbie Hinson wrote the following country gospel song that stands to remind us that there is a lighthouse on the hillside.  [LINK]

 

There’s a lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life’s sea.
When I’m tossed it sends out a light, a light that I might see.
And the light that shines in darkness now will safely lead me home,
If it wasn’t for the lighthouse, my ship would be no more.

Chorus
And I thank God for The Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him.
For Jesus is The Lighthouse and from the rocks of sin,
He has shown the light around me, so that I might clearly see.
If it wasn’t for The Lighthouse, Where would this ship be?

Everyone that lives around us, they say ‘Tear that lighthouse down;
You know the big ships don’t sail this way anymore, there’s no use in it standing round.’
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night, when just in time I saw the light
Yes, the light from that old lighthouse, that stands up there on the hill.

Chorus
And I thank God for The Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him.
For Jesus is The Lighthouse and from the rocks of sin,
He has shown the light around me, so that I might clearly see.
If it wasn’t for The Lighthouse, Where would this ship be?

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He’s Awesome!

What does it mean to say that something is ‘awesome’?  In the excitement of the moment, or with the thrill of an event it’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “That movie was awesome!”.  But how much attention or thought do we give to how and when we use this awe inspiring word.

By definition, we consider something to be awesome when that ‘something’ is inspiring awe or showing characteristic of awe.  OK…then what is ‘awe’?  Again, by definition, awe is ‘an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.’  For emphasis, I want to say that again; awe is ‘an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.’  If we say, ‘That car is awesome!’ are we truly saying that it evokes feels of reverence, admiration and fear?  It might be that we ‘just loved’ that movie (admiration), but do we really have reverence for a form of entertainment or fear for an inanimate object?  We toss “awesome” around almost like we abuse the term “love”.  (The Greek language could help us here; Eros, Philoe, Storgy and Agape)  But what really makes you awestruck?  What is it in your life that makes you sit back and say, ‘That’s awesome…”?

The word “awesome” is not used in the King James version, but it can be found several times in the NKJV as well as other translations.  Interestingly enough, all but one come from within the Old Testament.

Genesis 28:17…Jacob after his dream of the ladder going up into heaven, called the place awesome
Exodus 34:10…God telling about the covenant He was going to make with His people would be awesome
Deuteronomy 7:21 and 10:17…awesome God; & 21…awesome things God has done; 28:58…the name of God
Judges 13:6…angel of God, very awesome
2 Samuel 7:23…what God did for His people and the land
1 Chronicles 17:21…what God did for His people
Nehemiah 1:5, 4:14 and 9:32…all refer to the great and awesome God
Job 10:16…show His power (awesome); 37:22…around God is awesome majesty
Psalm 45:4…teach You awesome things; 47:2…Lord is feared (awesome); 65:5…You answer us in awesome deeds; 66:3 & 5…His works and deeds are awesome; 68:35…Awesome God; 76:12…kings of the earth fear Him (have awe); 99:3…praise His great and awesome name; 106:22…God did awesome things; 111:9…Holy and awesome; 145:6…God’s awesome acts
Song of Solomon 6:4 & 10…awesome as an army with banners
Isaiah 28:21…extra ordinary work; 64:3…You did awesome things
Jeremiah 20:11…the Lord is like an (awesome) champion
Ezekiel 1:18 & 22…vision of the wheel of fire;
Daniel 2:31…image of the statue was awesome; 9:4…great and (awesome) God
Joel 2:31…great and (awesome) day of the Lord
Zephaniah 2:11…the Lord will be (awesome) to them
Acts 2:20…the great and (awesome) day of the Lord

Each of the proclamations noted above are directed to God or something God has done.  Our God IS an awesome God and He is deserving of all praise.  Daniel 9:4, “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: ‘Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments…’. “

Next time, before you hand out that compliment of awe, remember there is only one deserving of our ‘overwhelming admiration’.  Each of us will take a stand for what we believe.  It might be openly standing for what’s right or quietly standing in reverence and awe.  This song should serve as a prayer we offer to God.  Nothing else is His equal; I stand in admiration, fear and reverence to Him.

You’ll go to the movies and enjoy the show, and yes, that brand new car is pretty impressive, but what do you really admire?  Is this world what you hold in reverence?  Do we bow in fear of how ‘awesome’ our life is?  My prayer is that we all come to see our God, and Him only, as AWESOME.

I Stand in Awe [LINK]

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You!

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What Do You See?

Fanny J. Crosby wrote more than eight thousand songs during her life time.

Born in 1820 and raised in southeastern New York state, she was never afforded the privilege of seeing the sunrise or watching a bird fly through the air.  Before she had even seen 6 months of life, she was blinded by a ‘medical procedure gone wrong.’  And yet as we read any one of her many hymns, you’ll find that she was constantly referring to seeing and viewing all things godly.  Notice just a few of the thousands of hymns…

“Lo!  A spring of joy I see…” (All the Way My Savior Leads Me)

“We shall see the King of glory…” (Keep on Watching)

“Where our eyes shall see the beauty…” (At the Breaking of the Day)

“Visions of rapture now burst on my sight…” (Blessed Assurance)

“Let me now Thy glory see…” (Hear My Call)

“Ope thine eyes, behold and see…” (Church of Christ, O Sleep No More)

For someone who never saw the colors of life, she looked beyond this world and viewed things with her heart.  What has happened to those of us with strong eyesight?  The blessing of opening our eyes and viewing the sunrise; the pleasure we find in reading the printed word.  We are blessed with something those who are blind live without.  And yet some of us, with 20/20 vision, deliberately close our eyes to the promise of God.  It’s almost as if we are wondering in the wilderness.  Each of us have suffered from the bite of the serpent, and yet we dig in and refuse to ‘look upon’ the one who can heal and forgive.  It’s not a new scenario, and you’d think we’d learn from history.   Remember God’s words to Moses in Numbers 21:8, “…and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”

When I consider all the thousands of songs that our feature poet penned in her day, there is one particular Fanny J. Crosby song I want you to read, perhaps for the first time.  It became known to me in the last seven or eight years and I was drawn to it by the title she had given it.  Ms Crosby’s religious affiliations were varied throughout her life time.  She worshiped with the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church, the Trinity Episcopal church and even the Dutch Reform church.  But with this smorgasbord of theology, she penned a most interesting hymn in 1905.  Not only do the words reach and touch me, the message is so timely for us today.  Follow along with the message and thought behind this 100 year old hymn.

Church of Christ, O Sleep No More

Church of Christ, thy Lord is calling;
Ope thine eyes, behold and see,
Precious souls, in chains of bondage,
Pleading now for aid from thee.
Up and work for those that perish,
Haste, the time will soon be o’er;
Fold thy arms of love around them,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Lo, again thy Lord is calling;
Preach the Word, its truth proclaim;
Lift thy voice and, like a trumpet,
Sound aloud Jehovah’s Name.
Boding clouds are in the distance,
Billows foam, and surges roar,
Dark and wild the night is coming,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Still again thy Lord is calling;
Take the lamp that once He gave;
Let its beams of peerless glory
Shine afar the lost to save.
Do His will and do it quickly,
For the time will soon be o’er;
He may come when least expected,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Are we guilt of falling asleep on the job?  This life is long and weary, and often times our pathway is a hard road and quite honestly…we’re tired.  But this is no time to sleep!  Church of Christ, we are called to bring the lost to Christ.  We have an obligation to do more than just see those who in need; we must be ready to ‘fold our arms of love around them.’  Too often, I’m afraid, we revert back and say, ‘I’m just too busy’, or ‘My schedule is already so full.’  If you hold to that philosophy, I’m sorry to say, but you’re blind!  Shine your light in a dark and dying world.  Look up and see those who are in need.  There are ‘boding clouds’ in the distance, and believe me, the ‘surges roar.’  But it ultimately comes down to you and how you view your life with Christ…”When you look around, what do YOU see?”