Public School Hoops

Jul20

I’m talking about the hoops you have to jump through. The public high school that Brown Bear Daughter will be attending in the fall just called, and they want only four things:

1. A copy of her birth certificate.
2. A copy of her Social Security card.
3. Her immunization record.
4. Proof of residency.

Bad, disorganized mother that I am, can you guess which of those things I can actually produce on demand? Well, I do have two of them and half of another. I hope I don’t have as much trouble getting her a Social Security card as I did my oldest son. We practically had to pass an act through Congress to get him a Social Security card a few years ago, soon after 9/11.

Anybody know what hoops I have to jump through to get a Social Security card these days? We’ve always homeschooled, and now I feel as if I’m committing Brown Bear Daughter to an institution; wait, I guess I am.

Hymn #57: Jesus Lover of My Soul

Jul19

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

Music: ABERYSTWITH by Joseph Parry.
MARTYN by Simeon Butler Marsh.
HOLLINGSIDE
by John Bacchus Dykes.
Greg Thompson at Indelible Grace/RUF has a new tune setting.

Theme: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

Henry Ward Beecher: “I would rather have written that hymn of Wesley’s than to have the fame of all kings that ever sat on earth; it is more glorious, it has more power in it. I would rather be the author of that hymn than to hold the wealth of the richest man in New York. He will die after a little while, pass out of men’s thoughts, what will there be to speak of him? But people will go on singing that hymn until the last trump brings forth the angel band; and then I think it will mount upon some lips to the very presence of God.”

1. Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

2. Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.

3. Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall! Lo! on Thee I cast my care!
Reach me out Thy gracious hand while I of Thy strength receive;
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold I live!

4. Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in thee I find;
raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name, I am all unrighteousness;
false and full of sin I am; thou art full of truth and grace.

5. Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

When Charles first presented the lyrics of Jesus, Lover of My Soul to his brother, John Wesley rejected it as being too sentimental. I’ve heard this hymn ridiculed as a sort of Jesus-is-my-boyfriend, hiding from the world, pietist ode to complete withdrawal from the all things earthly. However, it doesn’t really read that way, does it? It’s more an acknowledgment of my complete dependence on the grace and mercy of Jesus. And what is sentimental about the words “I am all unrighteousness/False and full of sin I am”? I rather like the frank and unsentimental estimate of my unworthiness and Christ’s sufficiency.

Sources:
Hymntime: Jesus Lover of My Soul.
Suite 101: Jesus Lover of My Soul.
Hymnary: Jesus Lover of My Soul.

Hymn #58: Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed

Jul18

Lyrics: Isaac Watts, 1707. (b.1674. Yesterday, July 17th, was Isaac Watts’s birthday.)

Music: MARTYRDOM attributed to Hugh Wilson, 1827.
Also sung as “At the Cross” with a chorus and tune (HUDSON) by Ralph E. Hudson.
Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed – Sovereign Grace Music

Theme: “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Luke 7:41-43

Isaac Watts: “I have made no pretence to be a poet. But to the Lamb that was slain, and now lives, I have addressed many a song, to be sung by the penitent and believing heart.”

Fanny Crosby, about yielding to the call of Jesus upon her life while hearing this hymn: “I surrendered myself to the Savior, and my very soul flooded with celestial light. I sprang to my feet, shouting ‘Hallelujah.'”

1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
for such a worm as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when Christ, the mighty maker, died
for man the creature’s sin.

4. Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine
and bathed in its own blood
While the firm mark of Wrath Divine
His soul in anguish stood.

5. Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.

6. But drops of grief can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
’tis all that I can do.

At the Cross refrain:
At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away;
it was there by faith I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day.

Even though I have reservations about the “happy all the day” line, we used to sing this song every Sunday morning in the car on the way to church. Z-baby always requested it, and we belted it out. “AT the cross, AT the cross, where I first saw the LIGHT . . .” I never heard the fourth and fifth verses (above), but our family knows all of the others by heart. It’s a good hymn.

Sources:
Hymn Stories and Gospel Hymn Stories: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.

Red Skelton and the Pledge of Allegiance

Jul18

I see that today is comedian Red Skelton’s birthday. Red Skelton aka Cauliflower McPugg aka Clem Kaddiddlehopper aka Sheriff Deadeye aka San Fernando Red, (not to mention his many other aliases: Freddy the Freeloader, Willy Lump Lump, The Mean Widdle Kid) was a clown, a composer, a painter, a short story writer, and a poet. And a patriot. His monologue explication of the Pledge of Allegiance has become a classic. And his sign-off phrase for his TV show was the first and best of the “good wishes” signatures: he said simply and sincerely, “Good night, and God bless.”

When asked about the character of Freddy the Freeloader, Red Skelton said:

“I get asked all the time; Where did you get the idea for Freddie the Freeloader, and who is Freddie really?
Well, I guess you might say that Freddie the Freeloader is a little bit of you, and a little bit of me, a little bit of all of us, you know.
He has found out what love means. He knows the value of time. He knows that time is a glutton. We say we don’t have time to do this or do that. There’s plenty of time. The trick is to apply it. The greatest disease in the world today is procrastination.
And Freddie knows about all these things. And so do you.
He doesn’t ask anybody to provide for him, because it would be taken away from you. He doesn’t ask for equal rights if it’s going to give up some of yours.
And he knows one thing … that patriotism is more powerful than guns.
He ís nice to everybody because he was taught that man is made in Godís image. He’s never met God in person and the next fella just might be him.

I would say that Freddie is a little bit of all of us.”

I have fond memories of watching Red Skelton on television back the olden days (the 70’s). If you’ve never seen him perform, head over to you tube and look him up. He’ll make you smile, and maybe, probably, that’s what you need today.

Good night, and God bless.

Hymn #59: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Jul16

Lyrics: Elisha Hoffman, 1887.

Music: Anthony Showalter, 1887.

Theme: The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

This Gaither Vocal Band performance is classic, especially with the harmonica:

Or if you prefer, here’s Chet Atkins on guitar and Carman doing the singing.

Or the blogger at Subversive Influence has Mahalia Jackson.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

The story is that Mr. Showalter wrote the chorus to this hymn after an appeal for comfort from two separate friends whose wives (or perhaps close friends?) had died. He then sent his lyrics to Elisha Hoffman who penned the verses.

Sources:
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms by Deborah Macomber.

Hymn #60: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Jul14

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

Music: BEECHER by John Zundel. This tune is the only one I’ve ever heard for this hymn, but as I began to explore I found it set to all sorts of tunes: HYFRYDOL, BLAENWERN (said to be a popular choice for British weddings?), LOVE DIVINE (STAINER) by John Stainer. And finally, there’s this modern composition by British composer Howard Goodall, which I’m not sure would work at all for a normal congregation, but it’s a beautiful choral piece:

Theme: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.
I Corinthians 5:17-19.

Conjubilant With Song: “He sometimes wrote hymn texts that would suggest other works familiar to his followers. One of his best-known hymns was intended to evoke memories of the poet John Dryden’s ode to England, Fairest isle, all isles excelling. Wesley’s text has now far outlived Dryden’s, being sung across many denominations around the world and to many different tunes. Though I would not go so far as to call this my favorite hymn, I do think that it is one of the most perfect hymns ever written.”

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.

2.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit; let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

3.
Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never, nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

4.
Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Read The Journal of Charles Wesley.

Hymn #61: Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting

Jul13

Lyrics: Jean Sophia Pigott, 1845-1882.

Music: TRANQUILITY by James Mountain.
This tune by Matthew Smith is the one we sing at my church, and I’m rather fond of it.

Jesus, I Am Resting – Matthew Smith

Theme:

My Two Cents: “Concentrate on the rich text that urges you to gaze on Christ, to find delight in Him, to rest in Him, to be satisfied in Him alone.”

Rebecca Writes: “This hymn points to the beauty of Christ and his work and reminds us that trust in him is resting in what he is done and is doing for us. Buddy Greene is my go-to artist for this one.”

Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power, thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness, lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved, know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise, and have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings: thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me as I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory, sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with Thy grace.

James Mountain was an English revivalist and musician, influenced by the ministry and example of Americans Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey. He also wrote the tunes EVERLASTING LOVE (I Am His and He Is Mine) and WYE VALLEY (Like a River Glorious).

This hymn was said to be China missionary Hudson Taylor’s favorite, and it gave him comfort in troubled times.

“Having returned to England in ill health, he was brought to the very doors of death by the terrible news of the disruption of the work and the murder of hundreds of missionaries, as well as hundreds of native Christians, in connection with the Boxer uprising of 1900. Anguish of heart was killing him. Yet he believed that this baptism of blood would, under God, work out to the furtherance of the gospel.”

As J. Hudson Taylor was taking comfort in the words of Ms. Pigott’s hymn, Jean Sophia Pigott’s brother, Thomas Wellesley Pigott, a missionary in China, was martyred during the Boxer Rebellion.

Sources:
Our Home With God: Hymn Devotionals.
Wholesome Words: J. Hudson Taylor, God’s Mighty Man of Prayer by Eugene Myers Harrison.
HymnTIme: Jean Sophia Pigott.

Hymn #62: Take My Life and Let It Be

Jul12

Lyrics: Frances Havergal

Music: HENDON by Henri A.C. Malan. Malan was “one of the originators of the hymn movement in the French Reformed Church.” In addition to this tune, he also wrote the tune SILCHESTER, which is sung to the Isaac Watts hymn Marching to Zion. I love that tune.
Take My Life and Let It Be can be and is sung to a number of alternate tunes, but the ohter one that I’m familiar with, Baptist that I am, is William b. Bradbury’s YARBROUGH. We sang both HENDON and YARBROUGH out of the old Baptist Hymnal in my church growing up.
See Hymn TIme for an exhaustive list of alternate tunes.

Here’s Chris Tomlin’s version:

Theme:

Joni Eareckson Tada: “Because of my spinal-cord injury, I can’t use my hands. That means I can’t hold things, and I don’t have very much strength in my arms. I can’t walk or run. But I can sing, and that’s why I love this special hymn, “Take My Life, and Let It Be.” I may be in a wheelchair, but I can still do a whole lot of things for God.”

Lydia’s Extra Thoughts: “I know, it’s just a goal. One says, ‘Hey, here’s a thought. Tomorrow I start out with that in mind. I say only those things Christ would want me to say. My voice is his voice. My lips are his lips. My hands are his hands, and so forth. What a concept.'”

Wordwise Hymns: Though they never met, Miss Havergal was an admirer of Fanny Crosby, and wrote a touching poem to her. It says in part:
Dear blind sister over the sea,
An English heart goes forth to thee.

Here Barbara at Stray Thoughts reviews the book In Trouble and In Joy by Sharon James which tells the stories of four Christian women, including Frances Ridley Havergal.

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee;
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

On December 2, 1873, partially as a result of reading a book called All for Jesus, Frances Havergal consecrated her entire life to the Lord Jesus Christ. The words of this hymn are an expression of that consecration which continued to be worked out in her life as she grew older and found more and more areas of life to give over the lordship of Jesus.

Sources:
Steve Webb’s Lifespring Hymn Stories: Take My Life and Let It Be.
Girl With a Treasure: Frances Ridley Havergal.

Hymn #63: I’ll Fly Away

Jul11

Lyrics: Albert E. Brumley, 1929.

Music: Albert E. Brumley

Theme: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16-17

Here’s Allison Krauss singing with scenes from the movie O Brother Where Art Thou.

My brother-in-law loved that movie; I was and am completely unable to share his enthusiasm, except for the music which is worth enduring the tediousness of the movie.

Some bright morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To that home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away

Chorus
I’ll fly away oh glory
I’ll fly away (in the morning)
When I die hallelujah by and by
I’ll fly away

When the shadows of this life have gone
I’ll fly away
Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I’ll fly away

Oh how glad and happy when we meet
I’ll fly away
No more cold iron shackles on my feet
I’ll fly away

Just a few more weary days and then
I’ll fly away
To a land where joys will never end
I’ll fly away

Albert E. Brumley, the author and composer of this famous gospel hit, was the son of an Oklahoma share-cropper, and at the age of sixteen he decided to write gospel music.

“In 1926 Albert made a life-altering decision. He left the family farm and traveled east toward Hartford, Arkansas, searching for a “Good Samaritan.” His name was Eugene Monroe Bartlett, owner of the Hartford Music Company and director of the Hartford Musical Institute. . . . Throwing back his frail shoulders, Albert found the Institute and soon located Mr. Bartlett in his office. He introduced himself and said, “Mr. Bartlett, I hear that you’ll teach a fella how to sing and how to write music. I’ve come to learn and I understand I don’t have to have any money.”
Mr. Bartlett asked Albert if he at least had money for tuition, which was five dollars. Albert answered, “No, sir.” Bartlett then asked if he had any money for his room and board. Again the answer came, “No sir, Mr. Bartlett, I don’t have any money period.”
Albert never forgot what happened next. The “Good Samaritan” looked the frail young man up and down and said, “Well, in that case you better go over to my house and board.”

Brumley spent the rest of his life writing music,and he eventually bought Eugene Bartlett’s music publishing company after Bartlett’s death.

You can listen to this gospel favorite sung by almost any country or folk or gospel artist you want to hear. They’ve all recorded it: Wynona Judd, Johnny Cash, Jars of Clay, Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Nickel Creek, Hank Williams, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Kanye West, WIllie Nelson, Plainsong, Ronnie Milsap, Aretha Franklin, George Jones, Avalon, and Jerry Lee Lewis, just to link and name a few.

Sources:
Biographical Sketch on the Life of Albert E. Brumley.

Hymn #64: To God Be the Glory

Jul11

Lyrics: Fanny Crosby.

Music: William H. Doane.

Theme: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:6-7

Steve Webb at Lifespring Hymn Stories: “One of Fanny Crosby’s many hymns which was not at all popular when it was first published. Cliff Barrows, of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association team, was introduced to this wonderful hymn eighty years after it was written, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

To God be the glory, great things He hath done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin,
And opened the lifegate, that all may go in.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer, the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see!

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done!

William H. Doane was one of Fanny Crosby’s many collaborators. He was quite prolific himself, writing over 2000 hymn tunes.

I love this one, tune and lyrics. I can still hear my father-in-law, John Early (now with the Lord), humming and singing To God Be the Glory as he went about his daily tasks, gardening and cleaning and studying. I tend to slide into the same song, unconsciously, whenever I feel the urge to praise the Lord. I use the words I learned: “lifegate” and “transport.” I don’t mind adding new verses to an old song, but I don’t like changing the original words unless there’s a good reason to do so.

Now it’s also possible to write an entirely new song, inspired by an old one. This Andre Crouch standard isn’t Fanny’s song, but it’s obviously informed by her lyrics.

Sources:
Faith Alone Journal: To God Be the Glory.