Category: River

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Good Morning, Lord!

sun rise“Well I’m up in the morning and I’m feeling OK…Don’t want the devil to get in my way so I’m down on my knees and I’m starting to pray, ‘Good Morning, Lord!’ Good morning, Lord! Send a little sun(son)shine down my way. Good morning, Lord! I just want to live for you today.”

Earlier this month I was honored to worked with more than 20 young people (JH/HS & College) at the 1st Annual Ark/La/Tex Singing Camp  in central Louisiana. With the combined talents of Andy Singing CampBaker, Benjamin Bruce and our camp director Doyle Bruce the young men were taught more than just how to read shape notes and understand music theory. We imparted a working knowledge that embraced the responsibility of leading singing and bringing the congregation closer to honoring and glorifying God. The young ladies were directed by Katheryn Baker, Kristy Huntsman and Emili Bruce.

When we consider our opportunity and obligation to sing and teach singing, we come closer to knowing how GREAT our God really is. We come to appreciate the vast debt we owe for the hope we have in this life and in the life to come. But when it comes to trying to understand that debt and how I should live in response to God’s great gift, we start by looking at the first chapter in the book of Psalm. Thanks, Andy, for taking us through this psalm as we sang and learned how to live for our God!

“Blessed is the mantree by the river
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates…day and night.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Godly man…PARALLELED…with the Ungodly man

The ungodly are not so
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation (family) of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous
but the way of the ungodly…shall perish (shall not last).”

Make plans to join us next summer, but in the mean time let me encourage you with these words from Andy Baker…

“Spend time in the Son (sun),
Spend time in the Scripture and
Spend time in Self-Refection.”

 

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The Christian’s Bumper Sticker…Nov. 30th

Have you ever driven up behind someone, noticed they have a bumper sticker only you’re not quite able to read it? We squint and strain to see if there is some nugget of value. Or maybe that car in front of you doesn’t have ‘a’ bumper sticker, they’ve got dozens. We get an idea of Bumper-Stickersthe person driving the car by the message or the image on the sticker. But if the Christian were to have a ‘bumper sticker,’ what would it look like, what would it say? Would those who come up to you have to squint to read it or would our non-verbals speak loud and clear? And then…what message would we be sending?

If we’re honest, we know there are some bumper stickers that can give us a laugh, but at the same time, there are some that are worthless. Their message is not worthy of repeating. But as children of God, what would our bumper sticker say? Would it bring a smile to the reader’s face or cause him to shake his head? Would anyone be able to read it? This Sunday morning we’re on the rebound from being stuffed from Thanksgiving. So as you get back into the regular routine, join us as we look at “the Christian’s Bumper Sticker.”


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

Sunday morning, November 30, 2014

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

“Redeemed” – 458

This is one of our spiritual songs that carries a lot of energy. Each statement is repeated as we sing of our redemption. “Sweet is the song I’m singing today, I’m redeemed! I’m redeemed!” Not to be mistaken with the hymn by Fanny J. Crosby, this song was penned almost 100 years ago, almost 35 years after Crosby’s “Redeemed.” Maybe as Christians this could be one of our bumper stickers. Letting the world know we’re REDEEMED!redeemed

“Higher Ground” – no book

What a grand message we send when we sing, “I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day. Still praying as I onward bound, ‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.’..” People will ‘read’ your life and know if you’re comfortable here in this life or if you’re looking for something better. Let your message (your bumper sticker) speak loud and clear,“My heart has no desire to stay…”

“Worthy is the Lamb” – no book

Taken from the book of Revelation and blended with the tune from “Just as I am,” we come away with a moving hymn we’ll sing before the Lord’s Supper. ‘You alone are worthy to open its seals, because You were slain and gave Your blood. You purchased every man for God. Oh, worthy is the Lamb, the Lamb…’ and then we read the text. “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9

“When Peace Like a River” – 490

The tragic drowning of Horatio Spafford’s daughters motivated him to write this spiritual song of encouragement and strength. Whether or not our life is peaceful like a calm river, or turbulent like the waves of the sea, God’s children can say with confidence, “it’s OK, I have peace in Christ.” But many have missed this verse that is omitted from so many hymnals. Notice the striking message which would make for a great Christian bumper sticker,“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control. That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul.” Maybe we should have bumper stickers that say, “It is well with my soul.”

“A Beautiful Life” – 570

What makes a life ‘beautiful?’ Is it the things we accomplish or the legacy we leave? Could it be the things we do or the things we say? Is a beautiful life “all of the above?” As we sing this song before our lesson, we’re singing about how we treat one another. How we act toward strangers and how, ultimately, we represent God. You might say a beautiful life is reflected in the entirety of our being. We sing about doing a golden deed, and striving to help some troubled soul. We’ll continue our song as we focus on a good and pure life that lends a helping hand. Does your life look beautiful to others or, more importantly, does your life honor God? Or do we just have good bumper stickers?

“I Know Whom I Have Believed” – 524

Not your typical invitation song, but notice the message we sing; “I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin, revealing Jesus thru the Word, creating faith in Him.” We sing it and we wear it…but do we truly believe it?

“Redeemed” – 514

Perhaps this is the best bumper sticker the Christian could boast “REDEEMED, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Redeemed thru His infinite mercy, His child and forever, I am!” Singing we announce that we love to proclaim our redemption. We sing about being ‘happy in Jesus’ and there’s no language to express our excitement. But ask yourself, when you’re alone at work with only your non-believing co-workers around…can they still read your bumper sticker?

 

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Down to the River…

Today is the ‘kickoff’ of the 26th Annual Red River Family Encampment in Red River, New Mexico.  In 1987 more than 400 brothers and sisters in Christ met in the New Mexico mountains for the first RRFE.  As we plan for this year’s encampment we are excited about the speakers and lessons that have been planned.  My family and I first experienced Red River in 2002.  We were blessed by the week and from that experience a song was set in my mind.

You may remember the movie with Alison Krauss, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” released in 2000.  This movie gave popularity to the song, “Down in the River to Pray”.  For the last several years this song has found its way into some of our worship services.   But where did it come from?  Is there Biblical precedence for this ‘spiritual song’?  Some historians claim that this song was originally composed and known as “The Good Old Way”.  G.H. (George H.) Allen is recognized as the composer for this piece, and its contents can be found in a section of an old slave song book from 1867.  The song is also known as “Come, Let Us All Go Down”, but has most recently been known as “Down to the River to Pray”, and alternately as “Down in the River to Pray”.  However, the original song, calls for the worshiper to ‘go to a valley’…not a river.  Notice the original words.

“As I went down in de valley to pray,
Studying about dat good old way,
When you shall wear de starry crown,
Good Lord, show me de way.
O mourner, let’s go down, let’s do down, let’s go down,
O mourner, let’s go down, Down in de valley to pray”

Since these are the original words, what is to be said about ‘de valley?’  If, as some suspect, George Allan was a slave in Nashville, one could conclude the valley is somewhere in Tennessee, since there are many valleys there.  Or is there a Biblical reference here from Joel 3:14, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decisions!  For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!”  There is much more that is intriguing about this song, and many questions still linger.  But what about the word changed from ‘valley’ to ‘river’, what was significant (or Biblical) about going to a river?  And, for those who want to go into the river to pray (and not just to the river), would this be an implied message about baptism?  Perhaps we can find a clearer understanding from John 7:37, 38 when Christ said, “If anyone is thirst, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”  Whatever the message, the composer was most likely thinking of family, as mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are ‘called’.  One can almost imagine a slave family clinging to one another in this song’s embrace.  And, as verse 5 closes, we are all sinners.  It is interesting that a song which may have found it’s origin from slaves, still resonates in our culture 150 years later.

And today, as I sit in the small mountain town of Red River, New Mexico I encourage those who would read these words to ‘go down’ (to the valley or the river) and pray.  This week at RRFE we’ll be singing, studying, learning, listening and praying…down in the river.

Look again and read this old spiritual song…

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O sisters let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O sisters let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O brothers let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
Come on brothers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O fathers let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O fathers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O mothers let’s go down, come on down, don’t you want’a go down.
O mothers let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!
O sinners let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.
O sinners let’s go down, down in the river to pray.”

“As I went down in the river to pray, studying about that good old way
and who shall wear a robe and crown.  Good Lord, show me the way!”