This for Erlene: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, by the Gaither Vocal Band.
I don’t know why, but this hymn–if it were in a hymnal, it would be a hymn and not just “Christian music”–reminds me of Puddleglum in The Silver Chair, telling the Witch that even if everything she’s saying is true (which it isn’t), it’s funny how a couple of children playing a game can dream up a world “that licks your world hollow.”
Only thing is, we didn’t make up Jesus. God the Father, through Him, made us up.
I do have some hymn requests lined up, and I’ll post them all. But this one, if you don’t mind, is for me. Something about several generations of a family praising God together, making a joyful noise unto the Lord…
I haven’t looked at any news yet. I still have a nasty hole in my elbow. And would you believe it? I fell off my bike so hard, I tore one of my shoes. So today I have to run off to Payless before it rains some more.
But first, my spiritual vitamins…
Usually I like my hymns simpler than this; but today I ask for something to blow a fierce, fresh wind through my mind: a hymn with a full orchestra and a couple hundred people singing it for all they’re worth. This is from St. David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales.
Went to see my aunt, which was upsetting, and cranked out a News With Views column: I need to hear my King praised. I need to know He will come at the appointed time and cleanse the earth so God the Father can regenerate it.
Come, Lord Jesus–come!
Before I go rushing off to the nursing home to see my aunt–she misses the caregiver, a woman from Ghana, who devotedly tended to her and her sisters for going on twenty years, and there’s nothing I can do about that–let me post this, requested by Linda: Sometimes Alleluia, by Chuck Girard.
It’s hard to learn how to just lean on Jesus’ everlasting arms. I haven’t got the hang of it yet. I am glad He is patient with me.
Before I go rushing off to the doctor, the pharmacy, the supermarket, yatta-yatta, let me quickly post this hymn, suggested by reader Ron. Ron, this one’s for you.
Man, I’m getting tired of all this doctoring. Sing one for me, folks.
Several sets of English lyrics have been written for Hyfridol, depending on which denomination’s hymnal you’re using.
These lyrics, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, are by Charles Wesley. There are Catholic lyrics, too: Alleluia, Sing to Jesus.
I don’t speak a word of Welsh, but I like this melody best with its Welsh lyrics. I let the music, and the tone of the choir, speak to me.
This is the classic Welsh hymn, Hyfrydol, performed with Scottish bagpipes, modern organ, in a church in Kentucky. It’s one of my very favorite hymns.
Sure is an awful lot of evil and distressing national news today, ain’t it? But I shall try to follow the example of Judah the Maccabee, who, although engaged in a life-and-death struggle for his country and his faith, would not fight a battle on the Sabbath day, unless he was attacked: this was how he proclaimed the sovereignty of God. No, I will not write up the news today.
Sit back and let the hymn wash over you. God is in the midst of us. He has not forgotten us, and He hears us when we cry to Him.
By request, While You Were Sleeping by Casting Crowns, from their Christmas album.
There are some who object to the “right-wing politics” in this song, particularly the verse with mentions American “philosophies” such as “save the trees and kill the children,” and describes the USA as “a nation with no room for its king.”
Well, Christ was King of Kings before anyone invented “right-wing politics.” Abortion was a moral wrong 2,000 years ago and it’s still a wrong today, never mind a “president” who says it’s the way young girls achieve their dreams.
But the King will come whether anybody likes it or not: for the Lord hath spoken it.
Having received no hymn requests for this morning, I chose this one–just because it came into my mind. A good old hymn.
But of course we don’t trust God, neither do we obey Him. Maybe we trust in gravity waves. Or in people who say they’ve just discovered gravity waves. We nod sagely and mutter, “Uh-huh, yep, gravity waves,” as if we had any idea at all of what we were talking about.
God have mercy on us.
This is not the first time someone’s asked for this hymn, and it won’t be the last.
A fine way to start off the day.