How Did We Get Here?…June 18th

Driving down the street with your mind on that meeting; your spouse’s doctor appointment and the ‘conversation’ you had with the kids earlier, did you notice the stop sign? Of course I did, I stopped didn’t I…didn’t I? After leaving the house you drove those familiar streets to your next stop, but have you ever ask yourself, “What did I pass, how did I get here?”

This Sunday morning we’re not talking about driving, but we are going to look at what we have done (what happened while I was raising my family) to get where we are today. And since its Father’s Day, we’ll look at a father whose son challenged him at every corner. With or without challenges, you have grown up in a family that brought you to this day, so maybe we should ask the question…“How Did We Get Here?”

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, June 18, 2017

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Let Every Heart Rejoice and Sing” – 8

We’ll open our worship with a song encouraging ALL to rejoice and sing. “…Ye aged men and children bring to God your sacrifice…” Together we will lift up our hearts as a sacrifice of praise!

“Wonderful Words of Life” – 543

Dads (Grandads), as you raise your family insure that you are singing to your children about a God who created them and loves them? Sing so that your children would say, “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life…” If you want your family to head toward heaven, point them toward God. You can do that by singing to them about the wonderful words of life.

“There is a Redeemer” – 287

The next two songs will usher us toward the Lord’s Supper. The prayer we’ll sing is simple, “Thank you, O my Father for giving us Your son.” Tell your children and your grandchildren about the gift God has given us through His Son! Without it, our families will be in distress wondering ‘how did we get here?’

“It Is Well with My Soul” – 490 Old rugged cross

The second verse of this song before the Lord’s supper we’ll focus on a call to remember Christ sacrifice, “My sin! O the bless of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to HIS cross and I bear it no more…Praise the Lord!” Maybe this could be a song before the Lord’s Supper.

“Remind Me Dear Lord” – 606

“Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son, I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands. Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead, why He loved me, I can’t understand.” Sometime we need the curtain of our memory rolled back so we can remember where we came from…we need that if we are ever going to know how we got where we are!

“Faith of Our Fathers” – 754

Before our lesson we’ll sing about the faith of our forefathers. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. If we fail to see what our fathers have done to bring us this far we miss the value of our legacy. Not to mention we’ll never know…you got it…how we got here!

“How Deep the Father’s Love” – no book

An invitation song that might not be ‘typical,’ but one that clearly reminds us (if we’re thinking about the words) that we were once a wretch, but now we are His treasure. That it was my voice that was heard among the scoffers and my sin that held Him to the cross. And perhaps most importantly, I have NO answer as to why I should gain from the reward of His death and resurrection. If we fail to examine this, our destination might not be the end result we all are hoping for. We might wonder not how did I get here…but why did I do that?

“Oh, To Be Like Thee” – 429

You want to have certainty of where you’re going? What to have confidence in knowing you’re directing your family toward heaven? Then consider this song, “Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer! This is my constant LONGING AND PRAYER…” If our constant longing is to be with our God, and if we are leading our families in that direction, and if we obey God’s instructions to join Him in heaven…we’ll know how we got there!

1, November 25, 20141, November 25, 2014

Why Come Together?

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

This old hymn finds it’s beginning in the late 1500’s as the Dutch celebrated their victory in the war of liberation from the Spanish. It stands the test of time when we consider the message of deliverance. From the time it first came into print (1626) in a collection of patriotic hymns, to the early years of World War I, this song of prayer calls on Jehovah God to protect and defend His people.

Since the mid-1930’s, thousands across the country have sung this song of thanks in their worship services prior to Thanksgiving Day. Families gather together on this National Holiday to say thanks. But to WHOM and WHY have we done this year after year after year? Do we remember why ‘we gather together?’ As the Dutch sang years ago, ‘we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings.’ Never forget that the blessings we enjoy come from the hand of God. It is from His compassion and grace that we enjoy what we have been given. And therefore…we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing!

1, November 28, 20131, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving…224 years ago

Unless you simply refuse to accept it, our country was founded by God-fearing men. The first president of our United States understood the importance of honoring and fearing (respecting) our Heavenly Father. As George Washington penned this proclamation, notice how many times our president gives reference to God, our protector and ‘Author of all that’s good.’

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Note: To 1) acknowledge the providence of God, 2) obey His will, 3) be grateful to Him and 4) humbly ask for His protection…is the duty of all nations!

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks–for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war (recognizing God’s role in the Revolutionary War)–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”

Again note: Our tranquility as a country, the unity we enjoy as a nation, and our extreme ‘plenty’ is surely a blessing from God! These truths are not from our own making, but from the hand of God. That was something our first President clearly understood and adamantly promoted.

“…and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease (increase) of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.”

Each November our nation is united around ‘Thanksgiving,’ but how many of us will truly humble ourselves and pray? Do we see this time as an opportunity to perform our ‘several and relative duties (for each other) properly,’ or are we too busy ‘shopping for the holidays?’ God has so generously blessed us!

“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

G. Washington”

1, July 4, 20131, July 5, 2013

Looking Into the Dawn

There are some who are ‘early birds’ while others are ‘night owls.’ You’ve heard that the ‘early bird’ gets the worm, and the ‘night owl’ keeps vigil through the evening hours. We all have our preferences when it comes to the morning watch or the late night. Some are early to bed, early to rise while others burn the midnight oil; we know the difference.

To be honest we could examine the benefits one’s sleeping habits might have, but for the sake of this article, let’s consider what we might SEE during the early morning hours. The sun is breaking over the horizon and the sky changes from deep shades of midnight blue to soft tones of lavender. A beautiful sight to behold!

Depending on your location you might see a mist hovering over the valley, or feel the coolness in a mid-summer’s morning. The reflection of the rising sun on the lake or the serenity of your sleeping spouse is sure to open the eyes of even the weariest dreamer. But there was one early morning when a lawyer and amateur poet strained his eyes to see what he feared he had lost. He was looking for something he had seen several hours early in the fading twilight. Perhaps he didn’t even sleep as he was anticipating the sight. But as the story goes, this 35 year old man waited patiently aboard a British Navy vessel waiting to see the dawn’s light illuminate an American symbol, the US flag that flew over Ft. Henry.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key was an attorney working toward a prisoner exchange with the British Navy. During his visit aboard the British flagship TONNANT, he was met with resistance and was not immediately released. The reason; he had seen and heard too much of an upcoming attack on the town of Baltimore and her strong-hold, Fort Henry. (An interesting bit of information; the commanding officer at Ft. Henry, Major George Armistead, requested a large flag to fly over the fort. One so large, he said, “the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance.” The seamstress recruited for this 30 x 42 foot standard was Mary Young Pickersgill and her 13 year old daughter. The two women cut fifteen stars that measured two feet from point to point. In addition, eight red and seven white stripes, two feet wide, were cut and sewn together to form the US flag for Ft. Henry. This highly visible banner proved to be very motivational to many Americans.)

The attack on Ft. Henry and Baltimore lasted 25 hours while more than 1,500 bombshells were sent to their target. The British fired the new ‘Congreve rockets’ that traced wobbly arcs of red flame across the night sky as the assault continued long into the evening hours. With both a land and sea attack, eventually the British cannons ceased their firing. Then around 1:00 in the morning, the British ships came to life again. This time, they lit up the night sky with a monstrous display of fireworks. While the cannon’s were roaring and rockets were flashing, Francis Scott Key and the other Americans drew hope knowing Ft. Henry had not yet surrendered. Then long before day break, in the predawn of the early morning, a sudden and mysterious silence filled the air.

Francis Scott Key waited in the darkness as his eyes strained to see the horizon and the wave of the enormous Ft. Henry flag. The British had determined that Baltimore and Ft. Henry were too costly of a prize. The retreat of the British navy had been ordered. Francis Scott Key penned what he saw and at the same time asked a question to all Americans throughout the ages. Other verses were written, but there is some discrepancy as to which ones came from the pen of Francis Scott Key.

O say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Whether you’re an ‘early bird’ or not, the next time you wake up before the rising of the sun, look into the dawn and consider the freedom you have. Wipe the sleep from your eyes and remember the battle of Ft. Henry in 1814. We are a blessed nation. One with freedoms we don’t necessarily understand nor fully appreciate. Our nation is the land of the free, but it’s up to you and me if we are to continue to be the home of the brave. Open your eyes and look into the dawn’s early light. Search with pride and see the broad stripes and bright stars. Francis Scott Key would be proud to know, they’re still there!

1, June 14, 20131, June 16, 2013

God’s Chosen Fathers…June 16th

On a clear Sunday afternoon in the mid-1990’s our family went to eat lunch after morning services. As we were getting our children out of their car seats and into the restaurant, Logan, then three, asked, “Since we celebrate mommy’s on Mother’s Day and daddy’s on Father’s Day, when do we celebrate ‘Son Day’?” My response; “Every day…is son’s day.”

But if the truth be know, every day we should be recognizing the Son of God and celebrate Him. This past month we took some time to honor our mothers, and this Sunday we’ll take a minute and consider our dads. Father’s Day and Mother’s Day were designed by our country to honor our parents (Ephesians 6:1, 2). But men we must remember our responsibility as dads. Join us as we consider the idea that God has chosen us to be fathers.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, June 16, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Restore My Soul” – no book

As we sing this song to God we’re asking Him to restore us, revive us and renew us. The text for this hymn is Psalm 80, “O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us…” Surely we have all felt weary, empty and ‘cold’ in our zeal for God. But this morning as we sing, we’ll be calling on Him to renew our love for Him, rebuild our faith in Him and restore our soul.

“Night with Ebon Pinion” – no book

This is an old spiritual song that dates back to the mid-1800’s, with some very strong Biblical applications. The poetry from this song has caused many to abandon it, but in so doing we lose a beautiful message about the last hours of Christ’s life on earth. Terms like “ebon pinion” and “brooded o’re the vale’ have perplexed many Christians into leaving this hymn behind, but consider what we’re singing. Ebon means ‘black in color’ while pinions are the wings/feathers of a bird. To ‘brood’ is to hover or sit upon, and the ‘vale’ is the valley. Now pull them all together with this translation; The dark night had settled and was hovering over the valley like the wings of bird… We have an obligation to take the time to understand what we’re singing. Maybe that’s why some of our older hymns have been tossed out; we would rather not think about the words.

“God is So Good” – 83

A simple song with a complex message. God is good, He answers prayer and He cares for me. Would that be the reason we sing the final verse, “I love Him so…” or is our faithfulness unconditional? He died for us when we were undeserving. Do you love Him because He’s good and answers your prayers? Simple, but complex…

“Walk with Me” – 394

Less than 50 years old, we sing this hymn asking for God’s guidance and presence in our daily lives. The refrain is a personal plea that I will follow in His footsteps from Galilee to Gethsemane. Fathers, remember our responsibility to lead our families; we’ll do it best when we walk with Jesus.

“Faith of Our Fathers” – 754

Fredrick Faber captured the message here of a godly heritage. When our father’s are faithful and pass that faith down to their children, we are blessed. But fathers, have you ever been confined to the dungeon, or faced the fire and sword? Who of us have been chained in prisons dark? Hebrews 11:32-38 gives us the remembrance of these faithful (fore)fathers as we look at verses 1 & 2, “Now faith, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” “Faith of our fathers! Holy faith! We will be true to Thee (God) till death!”

“Step by Step” – 15

Before our lesson we’ll medley Faith of Our Fathers with Step by Step. Song leaders, since the key signatures are the same and the message is sequential, the flow of these two songs make a beautiful combination. The tradition followed by the contemporary makes for a powerful reminder that our faith in God will seek Him in the daily. Each step toward God shows our families, and this lost world, that we are devoted to walking in His ways.

“I Am Coming, Lord” – 923

“I hear Thy welcome voice that calls me, Lord, to Thee…” As our invitation song we open the door, so to speak, for those who are lost or struggling in their faith to come back to God. An invitation song isn’t the only time we seek the lost, but it’s a great opportunity. In our hymnals, Faith & Praise, only the first verse is provided. But this Sunday morning we’ll revisit Louis Hartsough’s original writing; ” ‘Tis (It is) Jesus (who) calls me on to perfect faith and love, to perfect hope and peace and trust, for earth and heav’n above…” To those who are hurting, sad and lost in sin, there is peace in the blood that flowed from Calvary.

“To Christ Be True” – 736

What better way to end the service this morning than to reconfirm our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We’ll join our voices and sing to encourage each other to be true to Christ. Why, ‘…for He will go with you, and help you’ through all your conflicts. But more importantly, because we have been chosen to lead our children to Him.

1, April 22, 20131, April 15, 2013

Ancient Songs from the Old Testament

For the next few months articles will be shared from the research of my uncle, Richard Dent. He and his wife live in Kansas where he has served in the educational system for more than 40 years. Yet more than educating young people, he serves as a part-time preacher for the Tyrone church of Christ in Tyrone, Oklahoma. This article is one he recently shared with me as we talked about hymn history.

In his book, Then Sings My Soul (book #3), Robert J. Morgan takes his readers back to the very beginnings of music from God’s people…the Israelite nation.

The first reference of music in the Bible is found in Genesis 4:21, when a man named Jubal is described as the ‘father’ of all who play the harp and flute. The first recorded ‘hymn’ in the scriptures can be found in Exodus 15, after God’s people escape the Egyptian army through the parted waters of the Red Sea. Moses and his people drew up the story in the form of a song that could be easily learned and spread among the people. It began with the words, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.” Exodus 15:21 describes the exuberance of the moment saying, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.” And Miriam answered them, “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed in gloriously; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.”

Unfortunately, the next time we see the Israelite nation in song, it’s in a sensuous idolatry around a golden calf. While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron was compelled by the people to craft an idol of gold. The idol was similar to that of the Egyptian worship and far from the expectation of Jehovah God. In their idolatry, the desert erupted with the sound of singing and revelry. Moses heard the strains of music from a distance and realized the sin of the people. The Israelite nation had broken the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”

By the time we get to the book of Deuteronomy, the old Law Giver (Moses) is again teaching God’s people the songs of Jehovah. We read in Deuteronomy 31:30 through 32:3, “And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: ‘Listen, Oh heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teachings fall like rain, and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. O praise the greatness of our God!’.”

Ending his song, Moses advised God’s people to take the words to heart. “They are not just idle words for you”, he said. “They are your life…” (Deut. 32:46-47) He was describing not only the nature of God’s Word, but the character of his hymn represented God’s Word as it was crafted for singing.

In the rest of the historical books of the Old Testament, we find a many poems, hymns and ballads sprinkled throughout the text. Examples include Deborah’s song in Judges 5, the worship in song at the restoration of the temple under King Hezekiah’s reign (2 Chronicles 29), as well as David and his illustrious, musical, life-story. David’s early life as a shepherd is where he likely wrote many of the Psalms. David was a valiant shepherd, a talented poet, a great musician and a noble king. He launched and formalized the ministry of music in or around the year 1000 B.C. He employed thousands of musicians and then personally wrote many of the hymns for them to sing and play. Scores of these are preserved in the book of Psalm – the Hebrew hymnal.

Thanks to Richard Dent for his summary of this interesting Old Testament Hymnology.

1, August 15, 20121, August 14, 2012

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?”