My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me, love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be. O who am I, that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh and die? He came from his blest throne, salvation to bestow; but men cared not, and none the longed-for Christ would know. But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed, who at my need his life did spend! Sometimes they strew his way, and his sweet praises... Read more
Why is church planting still a thing? In my work and studies over the past couple of decades I’ve run into many a person – young, middle-aged embarking on a second career path, or retired looking for a place of service in their later years – spoke of a call they felt on their life, not just to ministry, but specifically to planting new churches. One wealthy suburban church I served stated it plainly in their long-term vision: “We will... Read more
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of... Read more
I’m a member of a few Facebook groups for professional musicians, and every once in a while someone will share a job posting for a choir director or an organist or a church music director. Obviously, I would think this is a good thing. I’m glad there are still opportunities for people like me in churches that value good liturgical music over the jesusy pop fluff that has taken over many churches. There was a troubling detail hidden in this... Read more
Most holy, loving God, Joy of those who love you, Fount of life, Light of the world, We are so grateful for your presence among us. Your love is better than life. With joyful hearts and lips we praise you and bless your name. Generous One, you have given us everything, for you have given us yourself. You offer us a rich, satisfying feast, better than anything imaginable. But instead, we have turned to our own way. Too often we... Read more
Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts, Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men, From the best bliss that earth imparts, We turn unfilled to Thee again. Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; Thou savest those that on Thee call; To them that seek Thee Thou art good, To them that find Thee all in all. We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still; We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, And thirst our souls... Read more
All my hope on God is founded; he doth still my trust renew. Me through change and chance he guideth, only good and only true. God unknown, he alone calls my heart to be his own. Human pride and earthly glory, sword and crown betray his trust; what with care and toil he buildeth, tower and temple, fall to dust. But God’s power, hour by hour, is my temple and my tower. God’s great goodness aye endureth, deep his wisdom,... Read more
O love, how deep, how broad, how high, It fills the heart with ecstasy, That God, the Son of God, should take Our mortal form for mortals’ sake! He sent no angel to our race Of higher or of lower place, But wore the robe of human frame Himself, and to this lost world came. For us baptized, for us He bore His holy fast and hungered sore, For us temptation sharp He knew; For us the tempter overthrew. For... Read more
I grew up listening to contemporary Christian music. Actually, I was completely immersed in it. At home, we kept the Amy Grant records spinning and the Michael W. Smith cassettes rolling. In the car, we were always listening to 89.3 FM KSBJ in Houston, Texas, with its unbelievably audacious pun of a marketing slogan, “God Listens.” Even our megachurch traded in its hymnody for jesusy radio favorites. It wasn’t just that it was the favorite music in our house, it... Read more
“To anyone beginning the study of Sunday and early Christian literature, the initial impression is one of confusion: Sunday is the first day, the day of creation, the day of light, the day of a new time. But it is also the last day, the eighth day, the day beyond days, the day of Jubilee, the day of the end time. It is the day of resurrection, but also the day of the postresurrection appearances and meals. It is the... Read more
Ponder Anew
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