June Caedmon's Blog, page 17
October 6, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Because He Lives
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Because He Lives
Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19
This is a time of great turmoil in our country. In our world. Setting politics aside, even a brief glance to the outside world reveals the suffering. Homes and people have been destroyed by natural disasters, anger, fear, bitterness, and a growing opioid epidemic. Chances are, many of you don't have to look to the outside world to witness these things. Someone we know is suffering. Often it's the person looking back at us in the mirror.
Forty-seven years ago, Bill and Gloria Gaither were facing a world in similar turmoil. The Vietnam war and the American drug culture were raging; creating a world that seemed as if it were spinning out of control. Pregnant with their third child, Gloria wondered if this really was a good time to be bringing another child into the world.
Then Benjy came and God reminded the Gaithers of these beautiful truths:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives; But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Christ's resurrection is our guarantee not only of an eternal life with Him but also the reality that He lives in our hearts today, now, and is an integral part of our daily living.
We all can face these uncertain days because He lives.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
Join the Gaither's, live, here.
Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19
This is a time of great turmoil in our country. In our world. Setting politics aside, even a brief glance to the outside world reveals the suffering. Homes and people have been destroyed by natural disasters, anger, fear, bitterness, and a growing opioid epidemic. Chances are, many of you don't have to look to the outside world to witness these things. Someone we know is suffering. Often it's the person looking back at us in the mirror.
Forty-seven years ago, Bill and Gloria Gaither were facing a world in similar turmoil. The Vietnam war and the American drug culture were raging; creating a world that seemed as if it were spinning out of control. Pregnant with their third child, Gloria wondered if this really was a good time to be bringing another child into the world.
Then Benjy came and God reminded the Gaithers of these beautiful truths:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives; But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Christ's resurrection is our guarantee not only of an eternal life with Him but also the reality that He lives in our hearts today, now, and is an integral part of our daily living.
We all can face these uncertain days because He lives.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
Join the Gaither's, live, here.
October 5, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Blessed Assurance
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Blessed Assurance
One of the most prolific hymn writers of all-time, having written well over eight thousand texts, Fanny Crosby wrote Blessed Assurance for her beloved friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp, herself a well-known singer and writer, had composed the tune and asked Fanny to write the words.
In her memoir, Fanny wrote this about the beloved hymn: "[Phoebe] had composed the tune; and it seemed to me one of the sweetest I had heard for a long time. She asked me what it said. I replied, "Blessed assurance." I felt while bringing the words and tones together that the air and the hymn were intended for each other."
Indeed, some might argue that they were divinely intended for each other as Fanny's words have no doubt comforted millions of Christians in the face of fear and doubt.
Her words remind us to keep our eyes focused firmly on the Source of our salvation. Christ is ours and we are His! The divine glory that is ours and will be ours in Christ moves steadily closer as we praise and worship Him in our daily lives.
The second stanza provides a glimpse of the perfection and healing that will be ours when we embrace Him in eternity. Surely Fanny, who was blinded when she was six, must have longed for the day when she would receive back her physical sight.
Neither the loss nor the longing, however, stopped her from contributing greatly to the Kingdom while she was here on earth. Beyond her writing, she was a teacher and distinguished as the first woman whose voice was ever heard publicly in the Senate Chamber in Washington.
Despite her fame, the heart of Fanny Crosby remains evident in the Sunday-school hymns she wrote, many of which, still today, teach children the truths of scripture.
We all have a story. And the story of Fanny Crosby is one from which we can all learn and benefit.
This is my story, this is my song,praising my Savior, all the day long;this is my story, this is my song,praising my Savior all the day long.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can't beat a Gaither gathering, find one here.
One of the most prolific hymn writers of all-time, having written well over eight thousand texts, Fanny Crosby wrote Blessed Assurance for her beloved friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp, herself a well-known singer and writer, had composed the tune and asked Fanny to write the words.
In her memoir, Fanny wrote this about the beloved hymn: "[Phoebe] had composed the tune; and it seemed to me one of the sweetest I had heard for a long time. She asked me what it said. I replied, "Blessed assurance." I felt while bringing the words and tones together that the air and the hymn were intended for each other."
Indeed, some might argue that they were divinely intended for each other as Fanny's words have no doubt comforted millions of Christians in the face of fear and doubt.
Her words remind us to keep our eyes focused firmly on the Source of our salvation. Christ is ours and we are His! The divine glory that is ours and will be ours in Christ moves steadily closer as we praise and worship Him in our daily lives.
The second stanza provides a glimpse of the perfection and healing that will be ours when we embrace Him in eternity. Surely Fanny, who was blinded when she was six, must have longed for the day when she would receive back her physical sight.
Neither the loss nor the longing, however, stopped her from contributing greatly to the Kingdom while she was here on earth. Beyond her writing, she was a teacher and distinguished as the first woman whose voice was ever heard publicly in the Senate Chamber in Washington.
Despite her fame, the heart of Fanny Crosby remains evident in the Sunday-school hymns she wrote, many of which, still today, teach children the truths of scripture.
We all have a story. And the story of Fanny Crosby is one from which we can all learn and benefit.
This is my story, this is my song,praising my Savior, all the day long;this is my story, this is my song,praising my Savior all the day long.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can't beat a Gaither gathering, find one here.
October 4, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: It is Well with My Soul
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: It is Well with My Soul
When peace like a river . . .
Do you have peace? Do you long for peace? What sort of peace do you have, what sort do you long for?
Lisa McKay suggests that peace isn't always found in the silence:
Spafford lost everything in the Chicago fire of 1871. Just three years later, he lost all four of his daughters when the French ocean liner they were traveling on, the S.S. Ville du Harve, sank in just 12 minutes.
I cannot imagine his pain.
Yet, as he traveled across the Atlantic to join his wife, near the spot where the tragedy occurred, God comforted Spafford, enabling him to write these words:
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."
Where does such a peace come from? Spafford knew without a doubt that Christ had bled and died for his sins. When we admit our sin and repent, embracing the forgiveness that Christ offers, we receive a peace that surpasses all understanding.
My sin oh, 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!
The trials still come. We feel pain and experience tragedy but they pale in comparison to the weight of glory we will know when our faith becomes sight.
O Lord, haste the day when my 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.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You hear the beautiful voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing this hymn here.
#Write31Days
When peace like a river . . .
Do you have peace? Do you long for peace? What sort of peace do you have, what sort do you long for?
Lisa McKay suggests that peace isn't always found in the silence:
“I used to think of peace primarily as a stillness – a pause, a silence, a clarity – but that sort of peace is not the peace of rivers. There is a majestic, hushed sort of calm to rivers, but they are not silent and they are certainly not still – even the most placid of rivers is going somewhere…I’ve stopped expecting peace to look like the pristine silence that follows a midnight snowfall. I’m coming to appreciate a different sort of peace instead – a peace that pushes forward, rich with mud, swelling, and splashing and alive with the music of water meeting rock.”Perhaps McKay finds peace in the splashing and swelling because her true peace is found within rather than without. This was certainly true for Horatio Spafford, the author of today's hymn, It is Well with My Soul.
Spafford lost everything in the Chicago fire of 1871. Just three years later, he lost all four of his daughters when the French ocean liner they were traveling on, the S.S. Ville du Harve, sank in just 12 minutes.
I cannot imagine his pain.
Yet, as he traveled across the Atlantic to join his wife, near the spot where the tragedy occurred, God comforted Spafford, enabling him to write these words:
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."
Where does such a peace come from? Spafford knew without a doubt that Christ had bled and died for his sins. When we admit our sin and repent, embracing the forgiveness that Christ offers, we receive a peace that surpasses all understanding.
My sin oh, 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!
The trials still come. We feel pain and experience tragedy but they pale in comparison to the weight of glory we will know when our faith becomes sight.
O Lord, haste the day when my 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.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You hear the beautiful voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing this hymn here.
#Write31Days
October 3, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: In the Garden
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: In the Garden
I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses.
Is there a hymn or song that is dear to your heart because it was dear to another? A loved one, still living or passed on, who greatly influenced your life?
So it is for me with today's hymn focus; In the Garden. It was my Nana's favorite hymn and I think of her and everything she did to enrich my life and the lives of others when I hear it.
Over time, as I've grown in my relationship with Christ, this beautiful and almost seductive refrain has come to be precious to me for other reasons.
Author C. Austin Miles wrote the poem in 1913 after having had a vision while reading the account of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the garden in John 20. He wrote the music for it later that same evening. An author of over 500 texts, In the Garden is, by far, his most popular and most published.
Unlike Mary, who had but a brief moment with our Lord in the garden, we have access to His presence at every moment of our lives. Whether we choose to meet Him in a literal garden, on the subway, in the car after dropping off the kids, in the quietness of our bedrooms, the place of our meeting Him matters not.
He is always there to talk with us and remind us that we are, indeed, His own. The joy we share, as we tarry there with HIm, none other has ever known.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,And He tells me I am His own,And the joy we share as we tarry there,None other has ever known.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can find a beautiful rendition of In the Garden, by Alan Jackson here.
#Write31Days
I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses.
Is there a hymn or song that is dear to your heart because it was dear to another? A loved one, still living or passed on, who greatly influenced your life?
So it is for me with today's hymn focus; In the Garden. It was my Nana's favorite hymn and I think of her and everything she did to enrich my life and the lives of others when I hear it.
Over time, as I've grown in my relationship with Christ, this beautiful and almost seductive refrain has come to be precious to me for other reasons.
Author C. Austin Miles wrote the poem in 1913 after having had a vision while reading the account of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the garden in John 20. He wrote the music for it later that same evening. An author of over 500 texts, In the Garden is, by far, his most popular and most published.
Unlike Mary, who had but a brief moment with our Lord in the garden, we have access to His presence at every moment of our lives. Whether we choose to meet Him in a literal garden, on the subway, in the car after dropping off the kids, in the quietness of our bedrooms, the place of our meeting Him matters not.
He is always there to talk with us and remind us that we are, indeed, His own. The joy we share, as we tarry there with HIm, none other has ever known.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,And He tells me I am His own,And the joy we share as we tarry there,None other has ever known.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can find a beautiful rendition of In the Garden, by Alan Jackson here.
#Write31Days
October 2, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Be Thou My Vision
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: Be Thou My Vision
Who would have guessed that an 8th-century poem, written to honor St. Patrick's rebellion against King Logaire of Tara three centuries earlier would, after being translated and versified in the 20th century, become one of the most recorded hymns of all time?
Such is the ancient history of Be Thou My Vision translated by Mary E. Byrne, M.A. in 1912.
It is my favorite hymn and prayer that, at every moment of my life, God would be my vision above all else.
The theme of vision and perspective have followed me most of my life. Our experiences shape our perspectives.
Truth is Truth.
But people can and do have different perspectives of the same truth.
Examing my own perspectives and understanding other's has always been important to me. Perhaps that is why this ancient, 8th-century poem turned hymn resonates so deeply with my heart.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart.
As believers, our vision flows from a true awareness of Christ in all His fullness. His presence is the light by which we see the world. His word gives us the wisdom we need to act righteously.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word.
A personal relationship with Him is what we treasure above all else. His victory over sin gives us hope in every circumstance.
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
When we allow Him to reign in our hearts, the truth of His victory, heaven's joy, will be a vision we can take comfort in no matter what befalls us in this life.
Heart of my own hear, whatever befall,
still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can watch and listen to Audrey Assad's beautiful video here.
#Write31Days
Who would have guessed that an 8th-century poem, written to honor St. Patrick's rebellion against King Logaire of Tara three centuries earlier would, after being translated and versified in the 20th century, become one of the most recorded hymns of all time?
Such is the ancient history of Be Thou My Vision translated by Mary E. Byrne, M.A. in 1912.
It is my favorite hymn and prayer that, at every moment of my life, God would be my vision above all else.
The theme of vision and perspective have followed me most of my life. Our experiences shape our perspectives.
Truth is Truth.
But people can and do have different perspectives of the same truth.
Examing my own perspectives and understanding other's has always been important to me. Perhaps that is why this ancient, 8th-century poem turned hymn resonates so deeply with my heart.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart.
As believers, our vision flows from a true awareness of Christ in all His fullness. His presence is the light by which we see the world. His word gives us the wisdom we need to act righteously.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word.
A personal relationship with Him is what we treasure above all else. His victory over sin gives us hope in every circumstance.
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
When we allow Him to reign in our hearts, the truth of His victory, heaven's joy, will be a vision we can take comfort in no matter what befalls us in this life.
Heart of my own hear, whatever befall,
still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
You can watch and listen to Audrey Assad's beautiful video here.
#Write31Days
October 1, 2018
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: an introduction
Inspired by . . . Hymns of Faith: an introduction
“If I had a thousand tongues, I’d praise Christ with them all.” ~Peter Böhler
John Wesley published the first hymnbook in Charleston, South Carolina in 1737. For his efforts, Mr. Wesley was, “arraigned before a grand jury for altering authorized psalms and for introducing unauthorized compositions into church services.”
As with all Divine movements in history, bringing the hymns to the people was met with opposition, controversy, and division.
The word "hymn" comes from the Greek "hymnos," songs sung to the gods and heroes of Greek mythology. Yet, unlike other pagan to Christian adaptations, our hymns of faith did not simply change the small "g" to a large "G". The hymns of the Church find their Divine origins in the Psalms; songs written by King David, and others, songs sung by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In the 6th century, St Benedict took the Latin texts and fit them to the Greek hymnos structures, creating the plainsong (not to be confused with plainchant) hymns. Ten centuries later, the Reformers, insisting that the hymns should be sung and understood by the people, began to introduce metrical versions of the psalms sparking a controversy in the Anglican church that would last well into the 19th century.
While the psalms remain the foundation, few of us view them from a musical perspective. Fewer still will ever learn to chant or sing them. Yet every Christian knows at least one hymn, even if they are more likely to call it a Christmas carol.
For those who grew up in the church, it is quite possible that the words we sang and the emotions we experienced have remained with us through our entire lives.
Regardless of your background or musical preference, the hymns still have much to teach and to offer us today. More importantly, they remain a "sweet, sweet sound in [His] ear."
Let's revisit them together.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
Links:PlainsongHistoryHymns: Did You Know?A wonderful resource
#Write31Days
“If I had a thousand tongues, I’d praise Christ with them all.” ~Peter Böhler
John Wesley published the first hymnbook in Charleston, South Carolina in 1737. For his efforts, Mr. Wesley was, “arraigned before a grand jury for altering authorized psalms and for introducing unauthorized compositions into church services.”
As with all Divine movements in history, bringing the hymns to the people was met with opposition, controversy, and division.
The word "hymn" comes from the Greek "hymnos," songs sung to the gods and heroes of Greek mythology. Yet, unlike other pagan to Christian adaptations, our hymns of faith did not simply change the small "g" to a large "G". The hymns of the Church find their Divine origins in the Psalms; songs written by King David, and others, songs sung by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In the 6th century, St Benedict took the Latin texts and fit them to the Greek hymnos structures, creating the plainsong (not to be confused with plainchant) hymns. Ten centuries later, the Reformers, insisting that the hymns should be sung and understood by the people, began to introduce metrical versions of the psalms sparking a controversy in the Anglican church that would last well into the 19th century.
While the psalms remain the foundation, few of us view them from a musical perspective. Fewer still will ever learn to chant or sing them. Yet every Christian knows at least one hymn, even if they are more likely to call it a Christmas carol.
For those who grew up in the church, it is quite possible that the words we sang and the emotions we experienced have remained with us through our entire lives.
Regardless of your background or musical preference, the hymns still have much to teach and to offer us today. More importantly, they remain a "sweet, sweet sound in [His] ear."
Let's revisit them together.
Blessings,
You can find the entire series here.
Links:PlainsongHistoryHymns: Did You Know?A wonderful resource
#Write31Days
September 19, 2018
Inspired by . . . Servant or Master?
Inspired by . . . Servant or Master?
Unlike earthly kings, the Creator of the Universe welcomes us into His presence without condemnation or judgment. He is eager to give grace and mercy whenever we have need.
Yet, still, He is always gracious to us; withholding punishment and giving blessing upon blessing.
Always more than we deserve.
Blessings,
The king held out . . . the golden scepter. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. Esther 5:2Many of us would have difficulty coming into our husband or bosses presence and waiting for them to acknowledge us before we approach. Yet this deference is still widely practiced in many parts of the world today.
Unlike earthly kings, the Creator of the Universe welcomes us into His presence without condemnation or judgment. He is eager to give grace and mercy whenever we have need.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16Yet, I wonder, are we coming boldly or are with approaching with impertinence? How often do we "kneel" before Him as master, rather than as servants; directing Him to give us this or to fix that. How often do we pray for His will with faith and a sincere heart?
Yet, still, He is always gracious to us; withholding punishment and giving blessing upon blessing.
Always more than we deserve.
Blessings,
September 18, 2018
Inspired by . . . love casts out fear
Inspired by . . . love casts out fear
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, Who will no allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13
It's such a comfort to know that even in our failings, God has set limits. He will provide a way of escape. Jesus.
Yes, Jesus is the answer. Not only as a means of escape for ALL humankind but a daily, minute-by-minute escape for those who trust in Him and follow His commands.
When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Isa 59:19We never stand alone. God is always with us - going before, preparing the way of safety, coming behind us as our rearguard.
Never fear.
Blessings,
Rom 8:31 * Ps 118:6 * Dan 3:17
September 12, 2018
Inspired by . . . a faith so big
Inspired by . . . a faith so big
Feeling a little short on faith today? James tells us to pray for whatever we need, with a firm mind, and God will give it.
The centurion prayed for increased faith and so can we. God is faithful. He will provide what we need.
Psalm 46:1-2; Psalm 37:23-24
Blessings,
Whoever trust in the Lord, happy is he. Prov 16:20
[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Rom 4:20-21Pondering the faith of Abraham today and wondering at a faith so big, so sure, that it was counted to him as righteousness. The author of Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
Feeling a little short on faith today? James tells us to pray for whatever we need, with a firm mind, and God will give it.
The centurion prayed for increased faith and so can we. God is faithful. He will provide what we need.
Psalm 46:1-2; Psalm 37:23-24
Blessings,
September 5, 2018
Inspired by . . . Guided by His Word
Inspired by . . . Guided by His Word
Wait.
Sometimes His best work is done and the greatest blessing received during the pit stops of life.
Blessings,
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105Wondering which way to go? what step to take next? where to begin? or end?
By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. Psalm 17:4-5
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isa 30:21If the path is shadowed or unclear- - if His answer has not yet come. . .
Wait.
Sometimes His best work is done and the greatest blessing received during the pit stops of life.
Blessings,
