Sunday, April 30, 2006

Hymn of the Week: Love I

This week I still have a lot to do for school but its the last week and I am done come Wednesday. But as I was thinking for this weeks hymn, I thought I would do one that was really the theme of my week. To put my week bluntly it was me paying for all the lazy stupid mistakes I had built up over the semester. I was thinking how stupid I was and how boneheaded I could be. At that time I was really feeling worthless and stupid on the way to class(that's a 30 min drive for those that don't know me), which meant I had time to think and as usual, I had my mp3 player going. I was so caught up in my though and just trashing my self about how stupid and lazy I can be. I forgot all about the stereo and I had my "Rock" CD in on random. This is one of the last CD's I go to if I really want to have a worship session in my car. But a song came on about 5 min in to my drive, it was Pillars song "Simply". It really kind of hit me hard that God loved me any ways. He loved me just because of his Son. Just to show an un-faithful man how much God is about Grace and is a good God. It even made me see that all these hard circumstances was God's loving discipline. (Heb 12:4-7)
You see, we can not possibly see Gods love with out seeing his Holiness. And the pillar song points that out("a love that did no wrong"), its impossible to know God apart from his Holiness. I must say by the time I got to school I was very different in my out look from the time I had left home. Thursday, I did not come away with, peace because consiquences had been avoided. On the contrary I came away with peace because I suffered the consequences. With that said , and I am sure you are wondering aloud "I thought this was about a hymn not some stupid rock song" this song is about this very concept the Wonderful powerful Love that Christ shows. It puts many of today's preachers to shame. We become so busy today in the ministry talking about love we forget often the greats show of love is not Mother Teresa, don't get me started on her, it was Christ and his atoning work on the Cross. This Hymn beautifully captures this in eloquent words that so honor God. I hope it ministers to your heart like it did mine.

What Wonderous Love is This?

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God'’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great "I Am";
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I'’m free, I'’ll sing on, I'll sing on;
And when from death I'm free, I'’ll sing on.
And when from death I'’m free, I'll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I'’ll sing on, I'll sing on;
And through eternity, I'’ll sing on.

Words by Alexander Means.

Words pulled off of CyberHymnal.org

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Hymn of the Week, 4th Sunday of April '06

First Edition!!! With a bonus Hymn!!!
Ok, ok, so I have had virtually no time for any thing. But I thought I would go ahead and introduce a new feature that I plan on trying to do every week, "Hymn of the Week". I have not always loved hymns, but over the past couple of years I have really come to appreciate them. If any should know any thing about the worship at Christ Fellowship is that we honor the great hymns of the past. They are rich in theology and exhortations. Needless to say,I love worship at our church it is such a rich blessing to hear the great hymns and praise choruses of church history. So I thought I would share some of the great hymns that are so dear to me. I am kicking around the idea of actually personaly commenting on the hymns them selves, but for the time I let you use enjoy them for what they are. To kick off this series of post, I decided to give you two to savor. So with out further aduie, here are this weeks hymns.
P.S. I may update these later with some personal commentary on what in the songs capture my affections

Come Ye Sinners
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Refrain

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Refrain

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Refrain

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Refrain

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

Refrain

Words by Joseph Hart, 1759

Bonus: Trust and Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887.

Words pulled off of CyberHymnal.org

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Yea so I have not posted in a while.....Sorry

Hey guys sorry about the really huge gapping hole in my post. School is killer. but I promiss I will be bloging soon as school is on break.(but you never know as soon as I post something like this I find time and insparation to do it) In the mean time, all 2 of my readers, please go and check out some of my recominded blogs in the mean time. So it will be May be for you see any thing substanive. By the way I have some drafts (one is really long) for some post on moralism and its infection in the church and culture. So till then God bless.