Archive | June 2009

Hymn #79: Trust and Obey

Jun24

Alternate TItle: When We Walk With the Lord

Lyrics: John H. Sammis.
Music: Daniel B. Towner.
Theme:

Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.

Isaiah 50:10

Daniel B. Towner wrote:

“Mr. Moody was conducting a series of meetings in Brockton, Massachusetts, and I had the pleasure of singing for him there. One night a young man rose in a testimony meeting and said, ‘I am not quite sure—but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.’ I just jotted that sentence down, and sent it with a little story to the Rev. J. H. Sammis, a Presbyterian minister. He wrote the hymn, and the tune was born.”

I found this gem at youtube: Trust and Obey on the ukelele.

And here’s a very different vocal rendition by Carlene Davis:

Sharon: “. . . the cry of my heart!”

Dorothy: “If only I could always live this way all the time. . .”

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.
Refrain:
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.

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.

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.

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.

Sources:
Osbeck, Kenneth. 101 More Hymn Stories.

Finally, Mr. Obama Speaks

Jun23

From the White House, today, June 23, 2009:

Today, I want to start by addressing three issues, and then I’ll take your questions.

First, I’d like to say a few words about the situation in Iran. The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.

I have made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not at all interfering in Iran’s affairs. But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society. And we deplore violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place.

The Iranian people are trying to have a debate about their future. Some in the Iranian government are trying to avoid that debate by accusing the United States and others outside of Iran of instigating protests over the elections. These accusations are patently false and absurd. They are an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran’s borders. This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran. This is not about the United States and the West; this is about the people of Iran, and the future that they – and only they – will choose.

The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That is precisely what has happened these last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice. Despite the Iranian government’s efforts to expel journalists and isolate itself, powerful images and poignant words have made their way to us through cell phones and computers, and so we have watched what the Iranian people are doing.

This is what we have witnessed. We have seen the timeless dignity of tens of thousands Iranians marching in silence. We have seen people of all ages risk everything to insist that their votes are counted and their voices heard. Above all, we have seen courageous women stand up to brutality and threats, and we have experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets. While this loss is raw and painful, we also know this: those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights, and heed the will of its own people. It must govern through consent, not coercion. That is what Iran’s own people are calling for, and the Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government.

Narnia Aslant: A Narnia-Inspired Reading List

Jun23

In the fifty some odd years since C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia were published, other authors have been inspired by, or provoked by, Lewis’s imaginary land and characters. If you like the Chronicles of Narnia, especially if you’re a die-hard fan, you may enjoy these related books:

Young Adult Fiction:

Here There Be Dragons by James Owen. Owen’s Imaginarium Geographica and the lands it maps are clearly inspired by Lewis’s Narnia as well as other fantasy and science fiction classics.
Nymeth’s review of Here There Be Dragons. I’m pretty much in agreement with her: great literature it’s not, but it is a lot of fun.
Semicolon review here. The sequels are The Search for the Red Dragon and The Indigo King. I just finished reading The Indigo King, and as with the other two it was a lot of fun, mostly because of all the sic-fi and fantasy allusions and in this third book also because of the time travel element which reminded me somewhat of LOST. (Of course, everything reminds me of LOST.)

A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles is quite a different kettle of fish, although it has a Narnia slant, too. It’s young adult contemporary fiction about a family of children dealing with the alcoholism of their mom. One way the youngest child copes is by writing letters to C.S. Lewis and believing that she can go to Narnia if she can just find the right door.
Semicolon review here.

In Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson, Leslie is a fan of the Narnia books, and the children name their secret place Terebithia, which Ms. Paterson says was not consciously a corruption of Terebinthia, an island in Narnia. It sure sounds awfully close to me, though, and the author admits that she probably got her secret kingdom’s name from Lewis, although sub-consciously.

Adult fiction:
Neil Gaiman wrote a 2004 short story called The Problem of Susan in which we get to meet a grown-up, left behind, Susan Pevensie. I suspect I won’t like the story very much, because I don’t like short stories in general and I never did understand what the problem was with Lewis’s having Susan refuse to return to Narnia. She “outgrew” Narnia, so Narnia was closed to her. I’m going to read it, though, just to see what Gaiman’s take is on the whole “Susan problem.”

Nonfiction Narnia-lore:

The Narnia Cookbook by Douglas Gresham. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes. HarperCollins, 1998. I haven’t actually seen this book, but doesn’t it sound like fun. Who wouldn’t want to learn how to make Turkish Delight, even though I hear it’s not nearly as good as it’s cracked up to be?

Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis by Michael Ward. I’m definitely going to read this book as a part of Carrie’s Narnia Challenge. You can read more about the book here and here.

Any other suggestions for Narnia-inspired fiction or nonfiction?

Hymn #80: Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean

Jun22

Alternate Title: Dyma gariad fel y moroedd

Lyrics: William Rees, translated from Welsh to English by William Williams, 1900.
Music: Robert Lowry.
Theme: How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3:1

Shirley: ‘Here Is Love’ is the love song which came out of the Welsh Revival in 1904. The tune itself with the words stirs my heart like no other hymn.

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Let us all His love accepting
Love Him ever all our days
Let us seek His Kingdom only
And our lives be to His praise
He alone shall be our glory
Nothing in the world we see
He has cleansed and sanctified us
He Himself has set us free

In His truth He does direct me
By His Spirit through His Word
And His grace my need is meeting
As I trust in Him, my Lord
All His fullness He is pouring
In His love and power in me
Without measure
Full and boundless
As I yield myself to Thee.

I like the old Welsh version above, but if you want here’s an updated version from Steve and VIcki Cook at Sovreign Grace Ministries. You can also listen to Matt Redman sing his souped-up rendition here.

Odd, how things serendipitously coincide. I had never heard of this hymn. However, on Saturday we had a sort of hymn sing/mime worship time at my church, and one of the songs we sang was Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean.

Kids, Drugs, and Depression

Jun22

Whatever happened to Freddie Prinze?

I’m old enough to remember comedian and TV star Freddie Prinze. I watched his sit-com Chico and the Man. I laughed and enjoyed the comedy.

But Mr. Prinze, only 22 years old, wasn’t laughing so much. And on a January night in 1977, Freddie Prinze, full of quaaludes and depression and drama, shot himself. His mom insisted that it was an accident and got the cause of death on his death certificate changed from suicide to “accidental shooting due to the influence of Quaaludes.” I don’t see that it really matters. Mr. Prinze ended his life at the age of 22 because of drugs and depression. The drugs deepened the depression and made him reckless and stupid.

I’m writing about this tragedy because today is Freddie Prinze’s birthday. He would have been 55 years old today.

But I’m also writing about Mr. Prinze, the talented but tragic comedian, because just this past week another talented young man destroyed himself with drugs and depression and bad decisions. I didn’t know D., but I do know his family. D. was taught about the Lord. He grew up in a family that loves Jesus with a mom and dad who loved D. He was homeschooled and went to church and memorized Scripture and had made a commitment to Jesus Christ.

However, D. had “graduated” to using cocaine about three months ago, and he came home a little over a week ago to get help. He was hearing voices and believed that implants in his head were monitoring his thoughts and telling him to do horrible things.

He told his dad he didn’t know what to do to make the voices stop. What he decided to do was to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire. His parents woke up to hear D. screaming in pain, and although D. was in agony, he was able to tell his dad that he was sorry before the paramedics came, sedated him, and took him to the hospital burn unit. D. never regained consciousness, and he died a couple of days later.

A friend of mine wrote about D.:

How did this happen? Why did it end this way? No one will ever have all the answers but there are some lessons here for anyone with eyes to see.

. No child of God is immune to sin. Each of us has freedom of choice and is responsible to God for his choices.

. God disciplines the child that He loves.

. If we continually reject the warnings of God at some point He will call His child home.

I choose to believe that D. was more afraid to continue to live than he was to die. I have no doubt that as the old gospel hymn goes, D. is now; “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care; safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm him there.”

Why am I telling you all this story? Because it’s still happening. Kids, and some who should be past childhood, still think that illegal drugs are harmless, that maybe taking a few pills or a shot of something will make them feel better, will medicate the depression and the pain out of existence. I know some of them are thinking this way because they’ve told me: “it won’t happen to me. I just smoke a little weed. Nothing bad will happen to me. That’s a scare story.”

Well, yeah, I’m trying to scare you. But D. really did die just the way I described. I’m going to his memorial service this afternoon. And we’ll remember all the good things about him, how he had compassion for homeless people, how he made beautiful music, how he loved his family. But we’ll also remember what could have been, how D. could have been a blessing to his family instead of giving them a pain that will never go away completely. How he could have served the Lord with his music. How he could have lived.

I’m writing about what happened to Freddie Prinze and to D. because I don’t want it to ever happen to another family or to another talented young man. And they’re all talented and remarkable and loved, by God the Father even if they don’t feel loved by anyone else. Please pray for my friends the R family who have lost a son and a brother. And please examine yourself, and if you need it, get help. Make good decisions. Flush the drugs, whatever they are, down the toilet. Cling to the precious saving love of the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t let go.

Please.

Reading Through Southeast Asia

Jun22

Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray is sponsoring another One Shot World Tour on August 12th. The idea is to read and review on that date one book –any reading level–either written by an author from that region or set in that part of the world. For the purposes of this tour, Southeast Asia consists of the following countries:

Thailand
Silk Umbrellas by Carolyn Marsden.
Touch The Dragon or Dream of a Thousand Lives: A Sojourn in Thailand by Karen Connelly.
Laos
Cambodia
Children of the River by Linda Crew.
The Stone Goddess by Minfong Ho.
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him.
When the War Was Over by Elizabeth Becker.
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung.
River of Time by John Swain.
Vietnam
Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan.
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata. Semicolon review here.
When Heaven Fell by Carolyn Marsden. Semicolon review here.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Perry, a teenager from Harlem, experiences the horrors of the Vietnam War.
Paradise of the Blind by Thu Huong Duong and Nina McPherson
Singapore
Malaysia
The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess.
Indonesia
The Flame Tree by Richard Lewis. Semicolon review here. I loved this book when I read it back in 2005, and I’m recommending it to anyone who reads YA fiction and is participating in the tour.
Peace Child by Don Richardson. Christian missionaries Don and Carol Richardson confront a culture in which treachery is a cultural icon. Excellent true story.
A House in Bali by Colin McPhee.
The Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch.
Philippines
In Our Image; America’s Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow.
Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal.
When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe.

I gathered this list from some of the lists linked below and from my own reading, and I’ll be reading a new-to-me book from the list above so that I can join in the world tour. I think I may focus on Cambodia.

All bloggers are welcome to participate in the One Shot World Tour on August 12th.

Links and Sources:
Southeast Asian Reading List by Bibliobuli.
Bibliography of Southeast Asian Children’s Books.
Cambodia: Book Reviews and Recommended Reading.

Hymn #81: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want

Jun21

Lyrics: Psalm 23, from the Scottish Psalter of 1650, translated by Francis Rous.
Music: CRIMOND by Jessie S. Irvine.
EVAN by William Henry Havergal.
There are an amazing number of other tunes that will fit these lyrics; it’s written in the same syllabic meter as Amazing Grace, so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Or if you prefer, William Dutton on BBC Songs Of Praise (3 February, 2008), singing Bob Chilcott’s setting of Psalm 23 with Emma Whiteley.

Theme:

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

Psalm 23:1-3, The Message.

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me,
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling-place shall be.

The video below is NOT, I think, the version of this beloved psalm that people voted for, but it’s supposed to be a “Celtic” version of Psalm 23. I don’t know who the singer is nor who wrote the music or the lyrics (maybe Hillsong?). But I did think it was a rather beautiful rendition.

And here’s a George Herbert poem/hymn version of Psalm 23 posted at Rebecca Writes today.

Hymn #82: God of Grace and God of Glory

Jun19

Lyrics: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930.
Music: CWM RHONDDA by John Hughes, 1907.
Theme: Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20.

October 5, 1930, saw the celebration of the first service at Riverside Church, New York City. To mark the occasion, Harry wrote the hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory.”

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil ’round us,
Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways.
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,
To the evils we deplore.
Let the search for Thy salvation,
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving Thee Whom we adore,
Serving Thee Whom we adore.

Fosdick became a central figure in the conflict between fundamentalist and liberal forces within American Protestantism in the 1920s and 1930s. While at First Presbyterian Church, on May 21, 1922, he delivered his famous sermon “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”, in which he defended the modernist position. In that sermon, he presented the Bible as a record of the unfolding of God’s will, not as the literal Word of God. He saw the history of Christianity as one of development, progress, and gradual change. To the fundamentalists, this was rank apostasy, and the battle lines were drawn.”

It’s interesting that I’ve been reading Chaim Potok’s The Chosen this week which presents a fictional picture of the same basic controversy in almost the same time period (1940’s) within Orthodox Judaism.

Whether you agree with his theology or not, it’s a rather good and sticky hymn. (As in, it sticks in my memory.) “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage . . . ”

Sources:
John MacArthur: Harry Emerson Fosdick and the Emerging Theology of Early LIberalism.
Wikipedia: Harry Emerson Fosdick
Christian History: Harry Emerson Fosdick Dedicated Riverside Church

Narnia, Here We Come

Jun19

Dawn Treader
Carrie at Reading to Know is sponsoring a Chronicles of Narnia Reading CHallenge. I don’t know exactly what I’ll do to participate in the challenge, but I must do something!

Narnia and Middle Earth are my favorite places in children’s literature. My children and I have read the books, listened to them on CD, read them aloud, and watched the movies, both the BBC series and the newer big screen movies. We are immersed in and longing for Narnia and what it symbolizes. (The art print is called Dawn Treader by artist John Ruseau.)

So I can’t resist the challenge, but to find something Narnian that we haven’t already explored will be a challenge. Stay tuned for what promises to be a fun Narnian adventure in the next month or so.

Hymn #83: O Worship the King

Jun18

Lyrics: Robert Grant
Music: LYONS by Joseph Martin Kraus. Often attributed to Johann Haydn.

Alternate tune: HANOVER attributed to William Croft.

Theme: The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Psalm 104:31-33

1. O worship the King, all glorious above,
And gratefully sing HIs wonderful love;
our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is HIs path on the wings of the storm.

3. The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

4. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

5. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in Thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Mr. Grant, the lyricist for this hymn, was born in India; his father was a director in the East India Company. The family returned to England when Robert was six years old, but as an adult Robert Grant returned to India as Governor of Bombay in 1834.

I must tell you that this hymn is one of MY favorites. I find myself singing it at times without even intending to do so, whenever I am moved to “worship the King.”

Sources:
HymnTime: Robert Grant.
O Worship the King: Hymns of Praise and Assurance to Encourage Your Heart (Book w/CD) by Robert Wolgemuth, Bobbie Wolgemuth, Joni Eareckson Tada, John MacArthur, Lane T. Dennis.