Favourite Hymn

Which would you chose? Over the years there have been many favourites. Each special markers along the pathway of faith. One particularly is - O Jesus I have promised to serve thee to the end. The first line characterises the response to The Call.

As I moved to my last post I chose the terrific 21st century one - In Christ Alone - the words resonate with the ministry I was called to exercise in that place, as well as the move to this place.

In Christ Alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

It's taken time to see clearly the Hand of God in all that took place, and to be thankful for the experience. Yesterday we sang this song again in St Mary's on the Harbour. Minutes later I was greeted by a lovely manxwoman, visiting her sister here, who now lives close to our last Vicarage. New to that area, she has become very active in one of the prayer groups there. Jean brought greetings and encouragement from my many sisters there.

Testimony in Time

Many of our hymns are filled with scripture and quietly give direction. While the singer lifts their voice in song, the words feed and nourish the heart. One of those sung this morning was an old favourite of mine, I love it especially for the lines: filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.Perhaps its my love of the sea and the nautical references resonate, these lines are from Habakkuk 2:14.

God is working his purpose out,
As year succeeds to year:
God is working his purpose out,
And the time is drawing near;
Nearer and nearer draws the time,
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

From utmost east to utmost west,
Where'er man's foot hath trod,
By the mouth of many messengers
Goes forth the voice of God;
Give ear to me, ye continents,
Ye isles, give ear to me,
That the earth may be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.

Yet there's more here than the sea. The Isles of the scriptures were the northern reaches of the known land, beyond European mainland - that is Britain. The islands, the continent ... creation is bearing testimony to the works of the God. The Lord of history.

This hymn was written by Arthur C. Ainger (b. Blackheath, England, 1841; d. Eton, England, 1919) for use by the boys at Eton College, where Ainger was a popular schoolmaster from 1864-1901. Sadly there is an unedifying element of envy being perpetuated in politics, one that is discriminatory of people who've been to Public School, especially Eton.

Perhaps the challenge this discrimination presents may be overcome by celebrating all that's good. The fourth verse has the words:
That the light of the glorious gospel of truth
May shine throughout the world:
Fight we the fight with sorrow and sin
To set their captives free, that the earth ...
Goodness can emanate from across the political spectrum. We may need courage to make a stand so the gospel of truth may shine.

http://www.hymnary.org/text/god_is_working_his_purpose_out-1

What a difference a day makes

It's been a beautiful day, a good to be alive November day which makes me want to sing! It's hard to imagine that vicious storms were assaulting our shores a day or so ago. Looking out across the beach, instead of sand, there's tons of seaweed. Sadly we don't have a garden as it would make an excellent fertilizer.

Singing seems the right response to such a lovely day. Hymn singing was a part of daily assembly, for me and many of my age, which gave us a foundation few of us recognised at the time. It set me to thinking which particular hymn I would chose for today. Could it be All creatures of our God and King ... perhaps, it does celebrate creation and Creator?

Yet it was just 36 hours ago the storm raged. John Newton's hymn, based on Isaiah 33: Glorious things of thee are spoken. Line on line and verse on verse, it's brimming with assurance.

As I researched this hymn, I came upon the site that I've posted at the bottom of this post. I had no idea of Newton's history. His father was a sea-captain, and took his young son to sea. On these journeys, the young Newton was schooled in the harsh realities of life. He remained at sea after his father retired, and over the next few years experienced many kinds of terrible situation. At one point he even fell into the hands of a slave trader.

Finally Newton was reading Thomas à Kempis and ...

... the fearful experiences of a storm at sea in which his ship was almost lost, his deliverance from a severe fever in Africa, — these, and other experiences, at last awoke in the sinful man the memories of the religion his mother had taught him, and he turned from his sins with true repentance.

Reading his history, it's possible to see that the terrible journey that eventually brought Newton to faith informs his writing. I include just one verse, this is my song for today, but go and look at the others.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose word cannot be broken,
Form'd thee for His own abode:
On the Rock of ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bnewton8.html