Sunday's Hymn: Gracious Saviour, Gentle Shepherd

Gracious Saviour, gentle Shepherd,
Our little ones are dear to thee;
Gathered with thine arms and carried
In thy bosom may they be
Sweetly, gently, safely tended,
From all want and danger free.

Tender Shepherd, never leave them
From thy fold to go astray;
By thy look of love directed,
May they walk the narrow way;
Thus direct them, and protect them,
Lest they fall an easy prey.

Let thy holy Word instruct them:
Fill their minds with heav'nly light;
Let thy love and grace constrain them,
To approve whate'er is right,
Take thine easy yoke and wear it,
And to prove thy burden light.

Cleanse their hearts from sinful folly
In the stream thy love supplied;
Mingled streams of blood and water
Flowing from thy wounded side:
And to heav'nly pastures lead them,
Where thine own still waters glide.

Jane E. Leeson, 1842
Tune: Dismissal, William L. Viner, 1845

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for good medical care. I'm thankful for Andy's job which provides good insurance coverage for that medical care and I'm thankful for the good doctors, hospitals and other health care providers that we have in Chicagoland. Andy and I do make use of them. But overall, our health is good and for that I am most thankful to our gracious God.

What are you thanking Him for today?

Quotable

Indeed, every earthly inclination--every earthly pursuit, however innocent in itself, when it interferes with the cultivation of Christian dispositions and the practice of Christian duties, becomes a weight which must be laid aside. There are certain habits in reference to religion itself which form great encumbrances to the persevering discharge of Christian duty. A fondness for what is curious and new in religion--a disposition to "intrude into things not seen," because not revealed--a giving heed to doctrines which minister questions rather than godly edifying--a turning aside unto vain janglings,--this appears to me one of the weights which Christians of the present as well as of the apostolic age need to lay aside, if they would so run as to obtain. The great enemy of our souls does not care much what it is that keeps us from prosecuting our Christian course, if we are but kept from prosecuting it; and when he can so far delude us as to make us believe that we are prosecuting that course when we are either standing still or proceeding in another direction, he considers his object as gained in the best possible way.~John Brown, Hebrews, on Hebrews 12:1

Sunday's Hymn: When Peace, Like a River

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul;
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
"Even so"—it is well with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford, 1828-1888
Tune: It is Well, Philip P. Bliss, 1876

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for bright sunshine this afternoon. Its only 17 frigid degrees out there and the forecasted low for tonight is -6 degrees Fahrenheit but sunshine right now makes up for a lot of those missing degrees.

So does Bible study with Kim and Carol. I am thankful for the encouragement around the table in refocusing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Wow! Overwhelmingly thankful to our most gracious Savior!

What are you thanking our God for this day?

Sunday's Hymn: O Lord, By Thee Delivered

O Lord, by thee delivered,
I thee with songs extol;
My foes thou hast not suffered
To glory o'er my fall.
O Lord, my God, I sought thee,
And thou didst heal and save;
Thou, Lord, from death didst ransom
And keep me from the grave.

His holy Name remember,
Ye saints, Jehovah praise;
His anger lasts a moment,
His favor all our days;
For sorrow, like a pilgrim,
May tarry for a night,
But joy the heart will gladden
When dawns the morning light.

In prosp'rous days I boasted,
Unmoved I shall remain,
For, Lord, by thy good favor
My cause thou didst maintain;
I soon was sorely troubled,
For thou didst hide thy face;
I cried to thee, Jehovah,
I sought Jehovah's grace.

What profit if I perish,
If life thou dost not spare?
Shall dust repeat thy praises,
Shall it thy truth declare?
O Lord, on me have mercy,
And my petition hear;
That thou mayst be my helper,
In mercy, Lord, appear.

My grief is turned to gladness,
To thee my thanks I raise,
Who hast removed my sorrow
And girded me with praise;
And now, no longer silent,
My heart thy praise will sing;
O Lord, my God, for ever
My thanks to thee I bring.

From Psalm 30
The Psalter, 1912
Tune: Ellacombe,
Wurttemberg, Gesangbuch, 1784

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who take my concerns and requests to our perfect High Priest as though they were their own. I thank God upon every remembrance of them.

Sunday's Hymn: Glory be to Jesus

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the life-blood
From his sacred veins!

Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be his compassion,
Infinitely kind!

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torments
Did the church redeem!

Abel's blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.

Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.

Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood,
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!

Italian, 18th century, cento
Tr. by Edward Caswall, 1857
Tune: Wem In Leidenstagen, Friedrich Filitz, 1847

Thankful....

...Friday. Again. But I am so very thankful for this:

In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.~Ephesians 1:7-8

Quotable

All who would live godly must make sacrifices, and expose themselves to hazards. Faith, and nothing but faith, can enable persons cheerfully to make such sacrifices, to expose themselves to such dangers. Faith can do it; and, in the deliverance from the destruction which awaits the unbelievers, will in due time obtain for them a rich recompense for all they have hazarded and all they have lost in the cause of Christ.~John Brown, Hebrews, p. 577

Sunday's Hymn: As With Gladness Men of Old

As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright;
So, most gracious God, may we
Evermore be led to thee.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly cradle bed,
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy-seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that cradle rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure, and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav'nly King.

Holy Jesus, ev'ry day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds thy glory hide.

In the heav'nly country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There for ever may we sing
Alleluias to our King.

William C. Dix, 1861
Tune: Dix, Arr. from Conrad Kocher, 1838

Thankful Thursday

This has been Emily's week off from her playing and teaching responsibilities so she and I have done some relaxing together and its been fun. I'm thankful for my daughter and the good times we have together whether its visiting a museum, enjoying a quiet lunch or just watching a movie at home. I even enjoy the times we work together but that's not been on the schedule much this week. The key is in the word together. I'm thankful that God gave me Emily.

I'm also thankful for Kim of The Upward Call who initiated these Thankful Thursday posts. This is the last Thursday of 2010 but I'm not about to stop giving thanks to our gracious God for all of His gifts to us. There's blessing in the discipline of giving thanks but I'm blessed by hearing all of your reasons to thank Him too. So I'm planning to continue my Thankful Thursday posts in 2011 and I'm hoping that you will join in as well.

Sunday's Hymn: Silent Night

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heav'n afar,
Heavenly hosts sing: Alleluia,
Christ, the Saviour, is born!

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Joseph Mohr, 1818
Tune: Stille Nacht, Franz Gruber, 1818

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours the peace and joy that comes from celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus on a mid-winter's night so long ago in Bethlehem.

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful that Andy has had this week off from work and we've had the opportunity to spend some time together just hanging out over coffee (tea for me), doing a little shopping, watching a movie at home, even doing a few chores. But we've been together and that's the part that I love.

I'm glad Emily has been around most of the time too. And Charlie, of course. Its been a nice, homebody sort of relaxing week as we look forward to our simple Christmas celebration.

Each Thursday of 2010, I've joined with Kim of The Upward Call and several other friends in thanking our God for His gracious gifts to us. Please join in!

Sunday's Hymn: Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Comfort, comfort ye my people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning 'neath their sorrow's load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover,
And her warfare now is over.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved his anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

For the herald's voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance,
Since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet him,
And the hills bow down to greet him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad;
And all flesh shall see the token,
That his word is never broken.

Johannes Olearius, 1671
Tr. by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
Tune: Thirsting, Louis Bourgeois, 1551

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for this promise in Isaiah 26:3-4:

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

This passage was part of the lesson in our study of Isaiah for last week but I am still pondering it. I find such comfort in it. One aspect of our study for the last 12 weeks has been focused on understanding God's grace alongside His wrath and judgment. Isaiah is conveying God's judgment to the sinful people of Judah and surrounding nations in his prophesy but I am struck by how his compassion for those who will suffer comes through in his words. I can sense his real grief over those who do not trust in the Lord all these many years later. But Isaiah's words are God's words. He is bringing God's word to the people of his time and to us. So its God's compassion and grief that is so palpable to me. And what greater expression of grace and love is there than to warn people of the judgment and death to come and tell them how to be saved from it, even how to have peace in the midst of it?

And so in this advent season, in a world of uncertainty and chaos where death and destruction are as far away as a click on the internet, my goal is to keep my mind steadfast on the Prince of Peace. I thank God for His infinite grace and compassion in sending Him to accomplish the salvation by His death on the cross of all who would trust in Him. I thank Him for the privilege of sharing this very good news with those around me too. Merry Christmas, indeed!

Sunday's Hymn: To Us a Child of Hope is Born

To us a child of hope is born,
To us a son is giv'n,
Him shall the tribes of earth obey,
Him all the hosts of heaven

His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
For evermore adored,
The Wonderful, the Counsellor,
The great and mighty Lord;

His power, increasing, still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know;
Justice shall guard his throne above,
And peace abound below.

To us a Child of hope is born,
To us a Son is giv'n,
The Wonderful, the Counsellor,
The mighty Lord of heaven.

John Morison, 1781, alt.
Tune: Zerah, Lowell Mason, 1837

Thankful Thursday

Its bitterly cold out today and it been snowing since just about 3 this afternoon. But I've got warm clothes, a warm house and right now I've even got a warm little dog in my lap. Plus I'm drinking a nice, hot cup of tea! I am blessed! I thank God for all this warmth surrounding me on a cold and snowy day!

Each Thursday of 2010, I'm joining my friend, Kim at The Upward Call, and several others in thanking our God for His gracious provisions to us. Won't you join us?

Sunday's Hymn: Behold, a Branch is Growing

Behold, a Branch is growing
Of loveliest form and grace,
As prophets sung, foreknowing;
It springs from Jesse's race
And bears one little Flow'r
In midst of coldest winter,
At deepest midnight hour.

Isaiah hath foretold it
In words of promise sure,
And Mary's arms enfold it,
A virgin meek and pure.
Through God's eternal will
This Child to her is given
At midnight calm and still.

The shepherds heard the story,
Proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of Glory,
Was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped
And in the manger found him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God;
From sin and death he saves us
And lightens every load.

O Saviour, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Saviour, King of Glory,
Who dost our weakness know,
Bring us at length, we pray,
To the bright courts of heaven
And to the endless day.

German author unknown, c. 1500
Tr., st. 1-4, Harriet R. Spaeth, 1875
Tr., st. 5, John C. Mattes, 1914
Tune: Es Ist Ein' Ros' Entsprungen, Traditional German melody
har. by Michael Praetorius, 1609, alt.