Clear Vision musings

God help us, bring discernment, when people think this is the One and Only True Almighty Righteous God who is doing these things.

A friend sent me this, saying they were learning it in their church. This song is beautiful.

SDG,
Lisa

This is a topic I think about a lot. A thought came to my mind while in the shower today, where that usually happens, since that is usually the only time my mind is not engaged in other thinking, and is free to ponder random thoughts.

Is this the difference between being culturely literate and culturely relevant?

I think I’ll have to do more pondering.

SDG,
Lisa

Before my children and I began singing hymns, I had never considered singing the psalms. (Obviously we don’t come from a background that teaches psalmody nor hymnody.) The only Psalm I’d heard sung was the 23rd - and snippets of others included in modern choruses.

Although I’d bought an old Psalter, mainly for educational purposes as we studied the Pilgrims and Puritans, we hadn’t seriously began learning them. When we went to a family camp 3 years ago we were introduced to congregational singing of the Psalms  - and their beauty. How anyone can say that psalm and hymn singing is dead and dreary is beyond me. (Well, obviously they’ve only encountered it in a "church" that is dead and dreary. The people are dead, not the hymns!)

The saints of God, with their voices raised in harmonious praise, singing the rich Psalms and Hymns, excellent music with depth, put the simple ditties we "grew up" on to shame. It isn’t just emotional-feelings stirring music, it is rich, deep complete soul enlivening and arresting music. It isn’t music you mindlessly sing, but music that engages both the mind and the heart, enabling you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

I find it quite telling that in contemporary worship, people are always seeking a newer song list. The songs that were sung 2 or 3 years ago are "old" and everyone is tired of them. It seems it is always time to move on, because, although the songs were fun while they lasted, there was nothing substantial to keep them surviving long term. They were nothing but a fad. They stirred emotions once, but no longer are having the same effect. They’ve become ho-hum. (I can say that having been in worship ministry for over 20 years.)

Yet, other songs have survived hundreds of years, and still touch the hearts, souls, lives of people in deep ways. These songs have survived, not 2 years, not 10, not 20, but many, many generations, 100’s of years and still have a message that honors God and reaches hearts in lasting ways. (Not all hymns of course. There’s been a good share of shallow, non-lasting "fluff" there too. They aren’t still around, just like much of today’s music won’t still be around in a hundred years.)

The Psalm I’d like to share with you today is one we first heard at that family camp. The whole family loved it. We came home and tried to find it. It took nearly 3 years, but a couple months ago I finally found the tune online.

This is the version of words we sang at camp (I believe), (they were altered a bit for the tune.)

1 O sing a new song to the Lord,
for wonders he hath done:
His right hand and his holy arm
him victory hath won.

2 The Lord God his salvation
hath caused to be known;
His justice in the heathen’s sight
he openly hath shown.

3 He mindful of his grace and truth
to Isr’el’s house hath been;
And the salvation of our God
all ends of th’ earth have seen.

4 Let all the earth unto the Lord
send forth a joyful noise;
Lift up your voice aloud to him,
sing praises, and rejoice.

5 With harp, with harp, and voice of psalms,
unto Jehovah sing:
6 With trumpets, cornets, gladly sound
before the Lord the King.

7 Let seas and all their fullness roar;
the world, and dwellers there;
8 Let floods clap hands, and let the hills
together joy declare

9 Before the Lord; because he comes,
to judge the earth comes he:
He’ll judge the world with righteousness,
his folk with equity.

SDG,
Lisa

You just can’t imagine my young son’s thrill when he found out what our new hymn for this week was. It wasn’t a new one, as we usually learn each week. But this one is his absolute favorite!

Why was it our hymn for the week, if we already know it? Because that is the chapter we are at in our "Mr. Pipes" reading. As we read the story, the older ones knew what was coming, but you should have seen his face when he realized we were reading about his song.

I don’t know what attracted him to this hymn over all others, perhaps the descant part that the boys get to sing on their own. But every time he’s allowed to pick a song for our morning worship, we know what it will be - It is Well with My Soul by Horatio Spafford. Mr. Spafford wrote this song in 1873 after his 4 daughters were drowned at sea, and his wife nearly so.

I can relate to this song too. In 1990 we lost  our 5th daughter, only 3 hours after birth. My Lord was truly with me and granted a "peace that passes all understanding." Although I could not understand how anyone could get through such without God, it truly was "well with my soul."

It is Well with My Soul

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

Refrain (after each verse)
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 hath shed His own blood for my soul.

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!

And 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.

SDG,
Lisa

Richard Sibbes was one of the most influential preachers/ theologians  of the early 1600’s. He only authorized 3 volumes of his works to be published, 2 of those being collections of sermons. In  The Bruised Reed, one of those collections, we see the "foundation and essence of his ministry. "Richard Sibbes writes and preaches as a man constrained and compelled by the love of Christ. He cannot know enough about Christ. For more than anything else, Christ defines his existence. And he has found Christ to be the source of everything good and needful." "His words carry with them the wisdom of one who has spent many hours at the feet of his master. He preaches as one whose sins have been forgiven, whose heart has been filled with Good News. And he speaks with the peace of one who knows what the final outcome of the battle will be". This book was written "at the desire, and for the good of weaker Christians," and is the first in the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge.

I just found out about this challenge last week, so am only a little over half way through The Bruised Reed so far. I am hoping to get "on track" sometime next week and begin The Mystery of Providence for February. But I will post at least once my thoughts/notes on The Bruised Reed.

Quotes from  Richard Sibbes and The Bruised Reed by J. William Black, reprinted on Fire and Ice.

"Warning: Offensive post to Sunday-only Christians ahead. Proceed with caution." Thus begins Scott Head’s post today at These are the Generations of...  on The Revival that the Church Doesn’t Know About.

"We struggle with discussing the issue of sound Biblical doctrine, multi-generational vision, family worship, Biblical gender roles and the like because we know it easily offends those who also claim Christ but for some reason or another do not hold to these teachings in scripture. We struggle with how to discuss these things without being perceived as prideful or "holier than thou", or haughty. But in all honesty, we can’t cease speaking what the Bible says just so we don’t offend. Truth offends, it cuts, it bruises. If we speak the truth in love, we still offend, and that’s hard to endure. There IS a problem in the church today, it is a big, giant, trumpeting elephant in the room that everyone sees, but no one will discuss, because it will rock the boat. There ARE a vast group of people who come to church every Sunday but sit there stone faced and un-saved. There ARE preachers who do not preach the Word of God in all its convicting and edifying strength, …."

It is worth a click on over there to read the whole post.

SDG,
Lisa

I heard a story this week about one of my favorite hymns, an old celtic hymn, I’m sure most of you know - Be Thou My Vision, by Patrick, missionary to Ireland in the early 400’s. (Not all attribute it to him.)

I was listening to a message by Joe Morecraft, so I hope I get all these details right. Joe had heard about some Indian scratchings, from pre-1000, in the mountains in southern Virginia, and he asked his grandma, who was 97 and lived there, if she knew anything about them. She said yes, and told him where about, and to go find an old timer there and they could no doubt give him directions to go see them. He did and found them. But as he was looking at them, he knew these weren’t just Indian scratchings. He had seen these petroglyphs before. It was ancient Irish petroglyph writing, and it was the words to Be Thou My Vision, — in southern Virginia, — in America, written there before 1000 AD. Awesome!

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

SDG,
Lisa

Some things just bear repeating. Paul Washer is a clarion voice declaring the gospel straight up to America today. I recommended another of his messages back in March. I’ve listened to several others since then, and enjoyed them all. This series on the True Gospel is exceptional. But I’ll let These Are the Generations of … tell you all about it and provide the links.

SDG,
Lisa

Yesterday I challenged you to to read dead guys. (See yesterday’s post or the Puritan Reading Challenge image in the sidebar.) Perhaps you were unconvinced. You see no reason why anyone would want to do this.

I gave you one good reason, spiritual maturity. Fluff reading (or non-reading) keeps Christians as babes on milk. They need to grow and enjoy a full well-rounded meal. That should really be enough. But for a nice list of a few good reasons, read Colin Adam’s 20 Reasons to Read (Good Christian Books). And I’ll try to get my own post written soon on why I think reading dead guys is important.

SDG,
Lisa