God Be WIth You Till We Meet Again

Life is full of hellos and good-byes, meetings and partings, beginnings and endings. The good-byes, partings, and endings can hard to bear, if we embraced and enjoyed what was and long to do so again, or aren't sure what will come next. You may feel that way about 2011, for example, if it was a good and happy year for you. On a more personal level, you may have lost the company of someone whom you hold dear--perhaps for the rest of your life on this earth, or hopefully, just for a time here. This is where I find myself now, bidding farewell to my youngest son as he moves far away from home to begin his first full-time employment, in a new and very different place. I miss him very much already, and worry about his welfare and peace of mind. There is little more I can do for him now but pray that Lord keep him from harm and discouragement.

While so reflecting I remembered the moving hymn God Be With You Till We Meet Again. It is one of my very favorites. The text was written in 1880 by the Rev. Jeremiah Eames Rankin (1828-1904) (left), an abolitionist, champion of the temperance movement, minister of Washington, D.C.'s First Congregational Church, and correspondent with Frederick Douglass. The music was composed specifically for the text at Rev. Rankin's request, also in 1880, by William G. Tomer, then music director at Washington's Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. Rankin attributed the hymn's popularity in large part to the music to which it was set, calling it "a wedding of words and music."

Rev, Rankin explained that God Be With You Till We Meet Again "was written as a Christian good-bye; it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of 'good-bye,' which means 'God be with you.'" But the message is much more than that. It is a prayer for the safety, guidance, sustenance, happiness, spiritual comfort, and life of the person to whom the wish is addressed.

God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
With the oil of joy anoint you;
Sacred ministries appoint you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Of His promises remind you;
For life’s upper garner bind you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Sicknesses and sorrows taking,
Never leaving or forsaking;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Ended when for you earth’s story,
Israel’s chariot sweep to glory;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

Today, only the first, second, fourth, and seventh stanzas of the original are widely sung.

The rendition in the video below is by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; it is sung in a very quiet and reverent manner, and at an almost-too-stately pace.



The next rendition is by the contemporary Christian group Selah. This is a delightful arrangement and is sung more at the pace at which the hymn is typically sung.



God be with you, son.

"I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." ~ Matthew 28:20

Here With Us

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . ~ John 1:14

For believers, the core event celebrated in the Christmas season is the birth into the world of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a rich and fascinating story it is!--how His coming was foretold by the ancient prophets; God's choice of humble Mary and Joseph to be His earthly parents; Mary's joyous visitation to Elizabeth, then carrying John the Baptist; the dream that assured Joseph of Mary's divine mission; the journey to Bethlehem; the frantic, blessed night of Christ's birth; the Star of Bethlehem; the Shepherds and the Wise Men; Herod's wrath and the flight into Egypt; the naming and presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple; and the prophecies of glory (and heartache) there given by Simeon and Anna.

But even more astounding is that the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty and All-Knowing Lord, willingly left his Throne in the perfection of Eternity and--rather than coming upon the clouds in all His Heavenly majesty--submitted to be born as a helpless child amidst the animals in a stable, in a dusty little village in a backward, downtrodden land, to poor and humble human parents. No wealth, distinction, or royal courts for Him. Instead, He made Himself the tiniest particle in His own Creation, simply to show us His loving self, to teach us the Way to salvation, and, ultimately, to redeem our souls with His own blood. Can you imagine loving fleas so much that you made yourself into one and willingly suffered all their limitations, just so you could communicate with them on their own level and let them know that you loved them and wanted them to live with you forever? Except that you didn't create fleas or the world they live in, and in all probability would never love fleas enough to give your life for them. But that is exactly what our own Lord did for us, and it all started that chilly, blessed night in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago.

For me, this is the most wondrous Christmas story. It's also the most profound mystery in the history of the world. And this truth is perfectly expressed in the song Here With Us, sung by Joy Williams (2005, Word Music). Enjoy the beautiful video, ponder the lyrics, and try to comprehend--if you can--the Miracle of it all:

It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King,
You're here with us You're here with us

It's still a mystery to me,
How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
Here with us
You're here with us
(Oh, here with us)

Bridge

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
You're here with us
You're here with us

MAY EVERYONE HAVE A BLESSED AND JOYOUS CHRISTMAS!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, when loved ones gather together from far and near to remember and celebrate their blessings. On this day many people make and share around the dinner table lists of things that they're thankful for--employment, home, health, family, and friends being prominent. Hopefully, we remember the God from whom all of our blessings flow, and sing His praises at home or in church.

One of my favorite hymns, widely heard and sung around Thanksgiving time, is For the Beauty of the Earth, written in 1864 by English poet Folliott S. Pierpoint (1835-1917) (of whom no image, apparently, exists). It is related that Pierpoint was taking a walk one late spring day, in the lovely area surrounding his home in Bath, England. Overwhelmed with the beauty he saw, he sat down and wrote For the Beauty of the Earth.

Bath, Somerset, England

In this lovely hymn Pierpoint thanks God not only for His beautiful creation, but also for family, friends and other gifts God has bestowed upon us. The original text had eight stanzas.

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Refrain

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Refrain

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
For Thy prophets’ eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors’ might,
For the lips of infancy.

Refrain

For Thy virgins’ robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.

Refrain

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Refrain

For the Beauty of the Earth is traditionally sung to the tune of Dix, written by German composer and organist Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) (left) in 1838. Originally used as a hymn for communion in Anglican services, it has since become a favorite in Thanksgiving services and for Sunday School children. The hymn was sung in the 1994 movie version of Louisa May Allcott's novel Little Women.

Here is a lovely video and choral rendition of this sweet hymn, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I love this one because it celebrates and depicts not only the beauty of Creation, as the hymn's title might suggest, but also, and especially, "the joy of human love,/Brother, sister, parent, child"--my favorite lines from the hymn!



Also popular (though lacking the appealing rhythm and folksy simplicity of Dix, in my humble opinion) is an arrangement by British composer John Rutter:



Finally, here is a contemporary solo arrangement by Christian singer/songwriter Scott Dyer. It's very heartfelt and well captures the spirit of the original text.



Let us thank our Heavenly Father in prayer and song, every day, for all the infinite blessings he has bestowed upon us!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.
~ Psalm 100:4, 5

O Valiant Hearts

Of all the themes addressed in the catalog of sacred music, few weigh more heavily on the soul than the the loss of those who have given their lives in military service. Whether it is heard or sung by a mourning friend or a family member, or merely by a grateful fellow citizen, a hymn of remembrance for the fallen can provide sorely needed comfort and assurance to the spirit that the departed soldier, sailor, or airman did not die in vain, but "gave the last full measure of devotion" (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address) to his or her country and everything that that it, and we, hold precious.

Military hymns are widely heard on November 11, which is observed as Veterans Day in the United States and as Remembrance Day in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These observances were established in the 1920s to commemorate the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918 that ended World War I--the so-called "War to End All Wars." If only it had been! The Great War, as it was called then, cost more than 117,00 American lives, but more than 10 million lives in Europe, in four short years. The fighting devastated large swaths of Europe, and with its mud-and-disease-ridden trench warfare, machine gunning, huge artillery barrages, and poison gas, involved combatants and civilians alike in a seemingly interminable orgy of suffering and death.

British wounded at Bernafay Wood, France, 19 July 1916

It's no wonder, then, that those who survived the Great War struggled to find some meaning in the tragic sacrifice of so many promising lives--young men they had known, loved, and cheered as they marched away into the most awful killing fields man has ever seen. For some, faith in God was shattered, but others turned to Him for comfort and hope with an even greater devotion. From that spirit was born the heart-rending, yet stirring hymn O Valiant Hearts. The text was taken from a poem by Sir John Stanhope Arkwright (1872–1954), a member of Parliament from Herefordshire, England, and published in "The Supreme Sacrifice, and other Poems in Time of War"(1919). It was set to music by Dr. Charles Harris, who was the vicar of Colwall in the same county. The combination of Harris' tune and Arkwright's words was an immediate success; the hymn was sung at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, London, on November 11 1920. Interestingly, according to a BBC feature on the hymn, "both men knew the pain of losing a loved one first hand - Dr. Harris lost a son in the First World War, and one of Sir John's two sons was killed in a submarine accident in World War II."

Sir John Stanhope Arkwright

The text and music of O Valiant Hearts are below:

O Valiant Hearts, who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through battle-flame,
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the Land you loved.

Proudly you gathered, rank on rank to war,
As who had heard God's message from afar;
All you had hoped for, all you had, you gave
To save Mankind - yourselves you scorned to save.

Splendid you passed, the great surrender made,
Into the light that nevermore shall fade;
Deep your contentment in that blest abode,
Who wait the last clear trumpet-call of God.

Long years ago, as earth lay dark and still
Rose a loud cry upon a lonely hill,
While in the frailty of our human clay
Christ, our Redeemer, passed the self-same way.

Still stands his cross from that dread hour to this
Like some bright star above the dark abyss;
Still through the veil the victor's pitying eyes
Look down to bless our lesser Calvaries.

These were his servants, in his steps they trod,
Following through death the martyr'd Son of God:
Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice.

O risen Lord, O shepherd of our dead,
Whose cross has bought them and whose staff has led-
In glorious hope their proud and sorrowing land
Commits her children to thy gracious hand.

What most impresses me about O Valiant Hearts is the compelling way in which it compares the brave sacrifice of the men who fought for their country and people with the selfless sacrifice of Christ ("[t]o save Mankind - yourselves you scorned to save.") Our Lord is presented as the One who showed the way through awful trial to eternal victory, and in whose footsteps the valiant marched: "These were his servants, in his steps they trod/Following through death the martyr'd Son of God:/Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise/They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice." No greater tribute could be paid to fighting men than this.

This moving video presentation of O Valiant Hearts features the singing of the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and was created as a tribute to the author's grandfather and father, who fought in World Wars I and II, respectively.

Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
~ John 15:13

Lead, Kindly Light

O send out thy light and thy truth:
let them lead me;

let them bring me unto thy holy hill,
and to thy tabernacles.

~ Psalms 43:3

I am constantly frustrated by the feeling that I don't enough time to do the things that I find rewarding--scripture study, historical research and writing, genealogy, blogging, etc. Sometimes I wonder why God gave me a restless mind and an eagerness to strive and grow, but seemingly not a fair opportunity to use those gifts. Perhaps I should be more patient, but is that the whole answer? No indeed, for the Lord admonishes: "[S]eek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31) It's true that in this context the Lord was expressly talking about taking no thought for what to eat or drink, or what to wear. But perhaps the lesson applies also to higher personal goals and interests, notwithstanding their worthiness, upon which we can become so fixated as to blind us from other plans that God may have for us. Maybe the trick is to seek "first the kingdom of God"--study scripture, pray unceasingly, be honest and generous with others, do the right thing and serve wherever one can--and happiness and fulfillment will come in ways that God wills and that serve His loving plans for us, even if we can't see them just yet. Knowing our hearts, it may be that He will bless us with those goodly things we desire, as well: "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalms 37:4) Or if not, perhaps He will lead us to glory in ways even more wonderful, that are simply beyond our imagination. In either case, we know we have a special and unique purpose in this life, which we will discover by and by if only we follow His ways and be alert every moment to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson is exquisitely captured in the words of John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890), English scholar, Anglican churchman, and Roman Catholic Cardinal:

God has created me to Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission - I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work.

I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it - if I do but keep his Commandments.

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.

He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me - still He knows what He is about.

This was not all Cardinal Newman had to say on the subject, however, for in 1833 he also penned the words to one of the most beautiful hymns ever written, Lead, Kindly Light. The hymn relates the experience of one who once was determined to pursue his own goals in his own way, who "loved to choose and see my path," who "loved the garish day," and whose will was ruled by pride. Now, the writer prays God to "Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me." The hymn was written in frustration while the young Newman was convalescing from a serious illness in Italy, and was unable to get home to England where his work awaited him. As originally written it had only three verses; a fourth was added later by Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr.

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

Today, Lead, Kindly Light is usually sung to the tune Lux Benigna, composed by John Bacchus Dykes in 1865 (this is my favorite). However, it is also often sung to the tune Sandon, composed by Charles H. Purday in 1857.

It is reported that Lead, Kindly Light was sung in the pitch darkness of a mine by a small group of men and boys awaiting rescue during Great Britain's worst mining disaster in 1909, and by a soloist on the RMS Titanic during a hymn-singing gathering shortly before the ocean liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912.

Watch and listen to the two beautiful videos of Lead, Kindly Light below. The first is to the traditional tune Lux Benigna, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.



The next presentation is sung to the alternative tune Sandon, by the Wells Cathedral Choir.



I do believe this is the answer I've been seeking: simply to let God lead; follow His light first, rather than my own; and happiness and fulfillment will be mine at last, however and whenever God wills that to happen. Father Knows Best!

This Is My Father's World

It's mid-October here in western New York, All around us abound the wonder, glory, and bounty of God's creation. Reveling in its beauty is a special privilege of living here, for the countryside and forest are never very far away.

So it was for a young Presbyterian minister in the 1880s named Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858 – 1901). While pastoring at a church in Lockport, New York, a small town on the Erie Canal a few miles northeast of Niagara Falls, Babcock liked to hike along the Niagara Escarpment, an ancient ridge in the vicinity that had (and still has) a marvelous view of farms, orchards, and Lake Ontario in the far distance. He would tell his wife as he left home that he was "going out to see the Father's world."

Niagara Escarpment in New York

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, graduated in 1879 from Syracuse University and in 1882 from Auburn Theological Seminary with a degree in divinity, Maltbie Babcock went on to see much more of the Father's world than the environs of Lockport. He served from 1887 to 1900 as senior minister of the prestigious Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, attaining great distinction there, and was then called to the Brick Church of New York City in 1900. Later that year Babcock went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by ship, a special gift presented by his church. While en route back to Italy, he contracted a fever and died at the International Hospital in Naples in May, 1901. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse.

Shortly after his death Babcock's wife published a compilation of his writings entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem "My Father's World." This became the basis for one of the sweetest pieces in hymnody, This Is My Father's World. The tune for the text was arranged from an old English melody by one of Babcock's close friends, Franklin L. Sheppard, an accomplished musician. It was first included in Alleluia, a Presbyterian Sunday School book published in 1915. The tune name, "Terra Beata," means "blessed earth" in Latin.

No tune has ever been more aptly married to text. This Is My Father's World is a joyous musical expression of the marvelous truth that "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." (Psalms 19:1) And again: "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains." (Psalms 147:7,8) And especially: "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them." (Psalms 89:11)

The hymn was originally published in six stanzas, but today only first three are usually sung. Here are the simple, inspiring words:

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

This hymn means much to me, not only because of its many connections to the area where I grew up and now live (Lockport is about 15 miles from my childhood home and about 35 from where I live now), but because of the precious truths which it affirms. The worldly "wisdom" of today tells us that there was no divine Hand behind the wonder of Creation; that it, and we, are nothing but the accidental products of random molecular collisions and combinations, the sum total of which, across the ages and the far reaches of space, have no meaning or purpose. No explanation is offered for how all the intricate, elegant laws governing the universe and everything in it, from galaxies to subatomic particles--and which we are still only beginning to discover--came to be. We hear that random change, environmental adaptation, and some inchoate urge to survive, the underpinnings of the theory of evolution, govern all nature. But no satisfactory accounting is given for the phenomena of laughter, delight, remorse, or selfless devotion. We are invited to celebrate the marvelous works of the human mind, ingenuity, and labor, but the rubble of the last few centuries alone teach us what happens when man usurps and exploits God's place in the world for his own selfish ends, or tries to banish Him from the world altogether.

The Holy Spirit and the scriptures tell the believer a different and far more hopeful story: that there is an all-powerful yet loving God, who is deeply involved in His Creation and with every creature in it:

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

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. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 104)

Perhaps with this beautiful passage resonating in his mind, it's no wonder that Maltbie Babcock was moved to celebrate the wonder of our Father's World!

Here is a moving solo rendition of This Is My Father's World, sung by the outstanding Christian musician Fernando Ortega:



With its simple phraseology and affecting tune, the hymn is also ideal for singing by children:



As life's great and small trials test our faith, let us remember the loving Lord who is dramatically alive in this world, and that it is His, always!

Just As I Am

Among the most wondrous and precious truths of the Christian faith is that, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) This is almost beyond human understanding: the divine and perfectly innocent suffering humiliation, abandonment, and death to save mortal, selfish sinners--and all the while knowing that they had, or would, turn their backs on Him, over and over again. But as He explained in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7), Christ came not for the "ninety and nine just persons," (in other words, those who think they are just) but for the repentant sinner. He didn't wait until we had made ourselves worthy of His sacrifice (which would be impossible in any event); he simply gave all on the Cross, for the sake of saving that one "sheep which was lost." That is why those who seek Him need bring nothing but a "broken heart; and . . . a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18) To the reach of His mercy and saving grace it matters not what the repentant sinner has done or failed to do, or the depths to which he or she fallen. "[H]im that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

That is the compelling message of Just As I Am, called by some "the world’s greatest soul-winning hymn." It was written in 1835 by Charlotte Elliott (1789 – 1871), an English poet and hymn writer, and was set to music by American composer and chorister William Batchelder Bradbury (1816 – 1868). Miss Elliott, who was a suffering invalid for much of her adult life, has been described as "one of the sweetest though saddest of Christian singers." (Nutter, Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church, 1915).

Charlotte Elliott and William B. Bradbury

There are many accounts relating how the hymn came to be written. Essentially, as a young woman Miss Elliott met the eminent minister César Malan. She told him, "I am miserable . . . I want to be saved. I want to come to Jesus; but I don't know how." Milan answered, "Why not come just as you are? . . . You have only to come to Him as you are." One day years later, converted to Christ but still frail and in pain, Miss Elliott became severely distressed with her inability to help her minister brother raise funds for a new school, and even began to question her faith. Confronting her doubts and despair--and remembering what Rev. Malan had once counseled her--she resolved to set down in writing "the formulae of her faith," and proceeded to write the hymn we know today as Just As I Am. The following year she published it anonymously in a magazine she edited and, unbeknownst to her, it gradually found its way into scrapbooks, magazines, and other publications. Years after that the now aging Miss Elliott's doctor put into her hand a leaflet containing the words of the hymn, saying that it had helped him and that he felt sure she would like it. The surprise and pleasure was mutual when she recognised her own hymn and he discovered that she was the author (click here for an inspiring video from The Worship Network that tells the story of this great hymn along with stunning photography and music).

Just As I Am eventually became one of the most famous and beloved hymns in Christendom. It was the signature altar call song in the Billy Graham crusades of the last century, and Graham used the hymn's title as that of his 1997 book, Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham.

Just As I Am is one of the most moving hymns I know. It reminds me not only of how freely the Lord receives us, notwithstanding our weaknesses and sins, but how we must approach Him daily: on our knees and in deepest remorse for our failings, yet in full faith that He will gather us to Him if we confess and sincerely repent of our sins. Whenever I hear this hymn my eyes moisten and I rejoice that my Great, Merciful God is willing--even eager--to receive me "just as I am."

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

The moving power of this hymn can only be fully experienced when heard with William Bradbury's music. Here is an appealing traditional rendition by an unidentified choir (unfortunately, this is not a moving video):



Below is a sensitive solo rendition of the hymn by Christian songwriter and musician Brian Doerksen.



Let us approach our Lord with a contrite heart and in fullness of faith in His love, every day, just as we are!

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

One of the most wonderful things in life is stumbling upon something inexpressibly beautiful and uplifting, that you didn't know before was there. This happened to me today at work while listening to some instrumental music on my MP3 player, from a CD collection of old English hymns set to strings and woodwinds. A selection came up entitled My Shepherd Shall Supply My Need, with which I wasn't familiar. Struck by the quiet, lilting melody, I went looking online for a choral rendition, and found a breathtaking one by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I was moved to tears by the beautiful singing and video, the latter featuring lovely artwork depicting the Savior's life among us as well as the words to this incomparable hymn. Based on the Psalm 23, the text was written by the "Father of English Hymnody," Isaac Watts (1674-1748), and set to music in 1863 by William B. Bradbury (1816-1868) (composer of such popular old hymns as He Leadeth Me, Just As I Am, Without One Plea, and Sweet Hour of Prayer). This hymn expresses for me, perhaps better than any other, the confidence and joy of knowing who our Father is, that he loves us infinitely and without condition, and that He guards, guides, and sustains us throughout this life and in the eternal life to come.

So relax, close your eyes (well, after you've watched the video), and let the comfort and hope of this precious work flow over you! (text appear beneath the video)

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay;
One word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, nor a guest,
But like a child at home.

How Can I Keep From Singing?

It's so easy to become frustrated and discouraged with our lives day-to-day. Some of us have terrible crosses to bear; most of us, on an average day, have mere annoyances--bad weather, bills to pay, onerous chores, petty disappointments, and not having enough time to do the things we like to do. Great or small, our troubles bear so much less upon us when we remember how much harder others' are than our own, and how abundantly we have been blessed. One needs to think of but one thing to be thankful for, and then a second, and a third, and . . . before you know it, your sky is lightening and so are your burdens. There's no better armor against despair than humility, faith, and remembrance of the infinite Love that bought our souls with pains far greater than we could ever comprehend.

I think that the beautiful hymn How Can I Keep From Singing? perfectly expresses the attitude of heart that we should strive to maintain all day, every day. The words and music were composed in 1860 by American Baptist minister and hymn writer Robert Wadsworth Lowry (1826-1899), and are performed in the video below by the outstanding Welsh singer Aled Jones. The lyrics he sings are only slightly different from Lowery's original, which are reproduced below the video (you may have heard a version of this hymn by Enya, but I believe her lyrics are, unfortunately, scrubbed of all references to Christ). I first heard this hymn several years ago when it was performed by the Brockport, NY High School Choir, in which my son Colin sang. It was rendered so beautifully, and filled my heart with joy! This also happens to be one of my mother's favorite hymns, and I dedicate it to her with much love.

So, whenever you're feeling blue, march right on over to Songs of Praises and look up this hymn in the Titles List to listen to this and other gems of sacred music inspiration!

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (Cwm Rhondda)

Rhondda Valley (Cwm Rhondda), Wales, early 20th century

What else would I feature in the first post on this blog but Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (in some traditions, "Redeemer" is substituted for "Jehovah"), from whence comes the title of this blog: Songs of Praises. Few other Christian hymns are as rousing, exultant, and full of praise for our Savior and Lord as this one.

The text was written in the Welsh language in 1745 by William Williams Pantycelyn (1717 – 1791), Wales' most prolific and influential hymn writer. It was translated into English in 1771, and ultimately put to the tune Cwm Rhondda (the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, pronounced coom rontha) in 1907 by John Hughes (1873–1932), organist of Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown, who had been asked to write a tune for the inauguration of the chapel and its new organ. The hymn has since been translated into scores of languages, and has come to be so closely associated with the Welsh people--who prize great singing above almost all--that it is now an unofficial "national" anthem sung at rugby matches as well as in church. The hymn has been described, quite rightly, as "a belter of a hymn that defies one to sing it quietly."

William Williams (left) and John Hughes (right)

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah alludes to the Israelites' journey through the wilderness from from bondage in Egypt to their deliverance into the land of Canaan, their needs on the way being supplied by our Heavenly Father (for example, through manna or "bread of Heaven," and the pillars of fire and cloud). The hymn likens this journey and the relationship between God and His children to that of the Christian's pilgrimage on earth and on to Heaven, the "verge of Jordan":

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah [or, Redeemer]
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave,
Sin, and Satan and the grave.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

So eloquently this hymns speaks of our dependence on the Lord for spiritual sustenance, guidance, protection, and ultimate victory over Satan, sin, and death. He is indeed the "Bread of Heaven," and our "Strong Deliverer." How helpless and hopeless we are without Him, how unconquerable we are with Him!

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah has long been a great favorite in the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, especially in Wales. It has been said that in the trenches of Flanders during World War I, it was sung so melodiously by the Welsh soldiers that nearby German soldiers also took it up. The hymn was sung, in Welsh, in the Academy Award winning film How Green Was My Valley (1941), It was sung in English at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, on September 6, 1997, and again at the wedding of her son Prince William, Duke of Cambridge to Catherine ("Kate") Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, on April 29, 2011.

Here is a magnificent rendition (of the best-known three stanzas) by the congregation and choir of the Morriston Tabernacle Chapel in Swansea, Wales. How they make the rafters ring!

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:
when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
~ Isaiah 43:2