Then Sings My Soul Saturdays

Be Thou My Vision

I cannot hear this hymn without getting chills and tears in my eyes. I never really considered it a familiar favorite growing up, but my sister chose to have it played at her wedding and I have loved it ever since. My uncle arranged the song for organ and strings, and I've included the video here.

Side note: One of the funniest things at Amber's wedding was captured by Trevor on this video. The song was played during the lighting of the unity candle and prayer. Amber and David looked so beautiful as they kneeled and prayed together, and the music swelled around them. When they were finished praying, Amber (out of habit) leaned over to kiss him, and David visibly jerked away, horrified at the prospect of kissing the bride before the ceremony was over. It was a sweet, tender moment that we will tease them about for the rest of their lives.

Be thou my vision,
O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me,
save that thou art;
be thou my best thought
in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping,
thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom,
be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me,
and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father,
and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling,
and I with thee one.

Riches I heed not,
nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance
now and always;
be thou and thou only
the first in my heart;
O King of heaven,
my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven,
thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys
after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart,
whatever befall,
still be thou my vision,
O Ruler of all.

There is a Fountain

This is probably one of my favorite hymns ever. I get teared up almost every time I sing the last verse. "Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die." With Easter fast approaching, I wanted to share some of my favorite hymns that speak to the sacrifice and grace that took place at the cross that day.

There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed all my sins away.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

(I often write about singing with my family, and my love of hymns. This is a video taken in June of 2006 when we sang at my parent's church in Louisiana one Sunday morning. It is my parents, my brother and sister, my uncle, Trevor and myself. I feel compelled to apologize for the lime green dress and total rear end shot before you even view it.)

Sixteen Years

I was at Uncle Tellius' house for a New Year's Eve celebration. We had built a bonfire in the backyard, and had marshmallows on hand for toasting once a bed of coals had been established. My neck was still a little sore from the lymph node biopsy done on the 23rd, but I was 19 years old, and at that age, even surgery can't keep you down long.

Mama and Daddy were at Granny and Gramps' house when they got the call from the surgeon. I have no idea what transpired between the time of the call and the time it took them to get to me, but now that I am a parent it must have been excruciating.

Cancer.

An unthinkable diagnosis for your child, yet there it was. If you want to read the whole story, go here. My point today is that it has been 16 years since that New Year's Eve when my life was turned upside down and inside out. If I had been diagnosed 15 years before, my prognosis would have been grim. Although the treatment was not exactly a walk in the park, it saved my life.

I have had sixteen additional years to get an education, get married and have two beautiful children. I have been blessed beyond measure to simply live, and everything else is just extra. My life has been filled with joy, sorrow, love and disappointment. All of the things that each and every person experiences at some point in life, but the difference is my perspective. I think that any person who is faced with their mortality, by whatever means, is changed in an very primal way.

For some, like me, it is for the better. I have an appreciation for life that has nothing to do with how much stuff I have or how many friends surround me. I appreciate my life simply because I am alive. Each breath is a gift and although I wish I could say that I have not wasted a bit of time on things that are unimportant, I can't. Understanding how vaporous our lives really are in the grand scheme of things, doesn't change the fact that I am a human being with vices and unlovely personality traits. But when the time comes to choose stuff over relationships or job over family, the choice is simple and easy for me.

Beginning on December 31, 1991, my life became a gift. Each moment to be cherished and savored. The things in my life seem so much sweeter, especially knowing that it was God's sovereign will that designed my life this way. Although I couldn't have known the path it would take, He intended my life to be what it is.

So today I thank God for the sixteen years of grace that He granted to me, and I pray that whether the time I have left is short or long that He will be pleased with my life.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

I decided to write out some of the lyrics to the hymns that are dear to my heart. These are in no particular order, but they all have special meaning to me. Some are fraught with theology, some with encouragement, still others with promise and I love them all. This is by no means an all inclusive list of my favorite snippets, but it's a good start.

There are random lines from about 13 different hymns here, and I hope that you will read each of them and allow the words to speak to your heart as well...

For I know, whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

This my song, thro' endless ages, Jesus led me all the way.
---All the Way My Saviour Leads Me

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

Let they grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal for Thy courts above.
---Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

And the path that be my portion, may be through flame or flood
But His presence goes before me, and I'm covered by His blood.
Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand
But I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand.
---I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

My sin--oh, the bliss of this glorious thought--my sin,not in part, but the whole;
Is nailed to the cross so I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
---It Is Well With My Soul

I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears
But Jesus is a Friend Who watches day and night;
I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care
And just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.
---Just a Little Talk With Jesus

I've got a mansion, just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old;
And some day yonder, we will never more wander
But walk the streets that are purest gold.
---Mansion Over the Hilltop

In the cross, in the cross be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find, rest beyond the river.
---Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross

God shall wipe away all tears, there's no death, no pain, nor fears;
And they count not time by years, for there is no night there.
---No Night There

To our bountiful Father above, we will offer the tribute of praise;
For the glorious gift of His love, and the blessings that hallow our days.
---In the Sweet By and By

So tender and precious is He, contented with Jesus I'll be;
The way that He loves, is so thrilling because His love reaches even me.
---The Way That He Loves

E'er since by faith, I saw the stream that flowing wounds supply;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
---There is a Fountain

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea
About the angels singing and the old redemption story
And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory!

O victory in Jesus! My Saviour forever,
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
---Victory in Jesus

God Be With You

I have been playing the piano a great deal since we bought ours and got it tuned, and it's been such a pleasure to lose myself in the music. I was playing through the hymnal the other night and came across this song that I haven't played (or sung) in years. It's called "God Be With You Till We Meet Again".

I used to belong to an organization when I was a girl called Rainbow Girls and at the close of each meeting during the week of our state convention, this song was our benediction. It brings back memories of those days as well as well as reminding me that my salvation has given me an adopted family. My deepest desire is that each member of my family will rely on God and His blessings in between times that we fellowship together. I offer this song as a reminder that we are all living separate lives, but will one day meet again at the feet of Jesus Christ.

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 securely hide you,
Daily manna still provide you:
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again,
When life's perils thick confound you,
Put his loving arms around you:
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again,
Keep love's banner floating o'er you,
Smite death's threat'ning wave before you:
God be with you till we meet again

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Praise and Worship

I miss singing hymns in Sunday morning worship. I miss the sound of four part harmony singing praise to God and the simple sound of a piano and organ guiding us along. It saddens me to think that in just a few generations, all of those old hymns have been lost. We sing along to the band now, complete with bass, electric and acoustic guitar as well as drums and keyboard. The music from the instruments all but drowns out the singing of the congregation and instead of feeling as though I am participating in corporate worship, I spend my time straining to hear my own voice so I can stay on pitch.

I know that this has become a rallying point for many people in churches around the country. I don't think that this is a reason to leave or split a congregation of believers. Sadly, music in worship has become a hot topic for debate and has been the source of many a split church. Don't we have more important things to tend to as the body of Christ? Is the type of music we hear and sing in church really that important? To that I have to answer yes and no.

Yes, it's important in the sense that we need to get the most out of our worship experience as possible. If the music is distracting to your praise and worship time, then what's the point? I've heard people say that it doesn't matter what kind of music is playing, what matters is that you are praising God. I wholeheartedly disagree with that philosophy. It matters a great deal if you can't open yourself up to true worship because of what's going on around you. Believe me, I have tried very hard to learn the lyrics to all the praise songs, and I sing them when I am in church. I don't stand there just refusing to sing because I don't really like the music, because that is just pure rebellion and we should be trying to fix our thoughts on God.

However, I just don't enjoy the music the way I want to and that makes me feel like I am not worshipping to the fullest on Sunday morning. The music does not prepare me for the sermon, it's just something that I have to get through and I hate feeling like that. I hate feeling like a complainer or that I am not willing to change, but it goes deeper than that. Those hymns that we used to sing contained important doctrine about our faith. It's a proven fact that we are able to retain information better if we put it to music. I can't tell you how many bible verses I know because I learned them in a song as a child.

"Victory in Jesus", "The Old Rugged Cross", "I Need Thee Every Hour"....the words to these hymns teach us something very important about ourselves and about the God we serve. I often laugh (on the inside, of course) during the praise and worship time in church, because I occasionally hear a phrase from a hymn in a praise song. I laugh because probably 80% of the congregation has no clue that they are singing part of a hymn. I think hymns have a bad reputation among the "new congregations" who either began going to church after hymns had been sort of phased out, or have never attended a church that sang them. They think that hymns are boring and preachy, but they sing phrases from them at the top of their lungs every Sunday without even realizing it.

One of the great joys of being a member of my family is that there is a overwhelming love for music and a talent for it as well. I can't think of anyone in my family (immediate and extended) who can't sing or play an instrument. Almost every time we get together, we gather around the piano and sing in four part harmony to all the old hymns. We pull out the Broadman hymnal and the Inspiration and sing "Mansion Over the Hilltop", "The Way That He Loves" and "Just a Little Talk With Jesus" until we are hoarse. It's a beautiful time of praise and worship and the lyrics help us to remember Who we serve. Those old hymns echo through my mind when I am in a dark and lonely place, and remind me that I am not alone.

On the other hand, I have to answer that no, music is not that important in the sense that our greater purpose is spreading the gospel as far and wide as we can. If the music draws people in and keeps them engaged and ready to worship, then we should carry on smartly and continue our ministry. Much of the praise music does reflect sound theology and doctrine, albeit a little "fluffy" sometimes. I would never leave my church because of the music program. If I was getting fed in other areas (Sunday School, small groups, preaching) then that one area that I was not entirely comfortable with would not be enough to send me packing. We could spend our entire lives trying to find a church home that aligns perfectly with what we want. What really matters is what God wants for us, and we have to keep that in mind.

So, having said all of this, the bottom line is that I miss the old hymns but not enough to leave the body of believers that I have come to know and love. I would suggest a more blended music service, but that is neither here nor there. I am content with the knowledge that my children will grow up knowing all of the old favorites and maybe they can teach me some of the new.

Piano Diagnosis

I am so excited about our "new" piano! Claude came out yesterday morning to take a look at it and his diagnosis was "old but in pretty good shape" (it was built in 1914, after all!). It's 1/2 step off pitch and he will be coming back to tune it, adjust the action and retune it on the first visit and then he will do another tuning in about 3 months. I was really nervous about his diagnosis and am glad that I didn't purchase a complete piece of junk. He said that we could realistically expect up to 50 more years of life for basic home use and piano lessons.

I can't wait to play it once it's tuned! I've been amassing hymnals and music so that I can get back into shape with my playing. On the way to work this morning, I was daydreaming about this Christmas. Ever since Mama and Daddy moved away, the only time we are able to sing around the piano is when we go home. Now we can sing when they come over here and Christmas will really feel like Christmas again!

Several years ago, Patrick and I put together a spiral bound book of favorite hymns for Mama. So many of our favorites are in different hymnals and there were never enough copies to go around. There was also the fact that the print in some of those books must have been intended for sprites or wood elves and the older we all got, the harder it was to read those teeny tiny notes. So anyway, we enlarged the music and had 5 copies of this book bound and that's what we use to sing around the piano. Patrick is sending me the disc so I can go to Kinko's and have my own copies bound.

We Have Tomorrow Off!

The call came at 8 am this morning. Chris found a note on his office door asking if I could teach Sunday School today because Noelle (my co-instructor) wasn't going to be there. So, the call asking me to teach came an hour and a half before Sunday School started, and I was still asleep in my soft, warm bed. Did I mention that I had not even reviewed the lesson yet?

The ironic thing about it was that Chris and Ali were over for dinner last night and we were discussing what a shame it was that I wasn't teaching this particular lesson since it was about a subject that I am very passionate about. The theology of election is something that I struggled with for several years before I was finally able to wrap my brain around it. I was glad to have the opportunity to present this point of view to the class.

So, I grabbed my Bible and the teacher's study guide and spent about 45 min hurriedly studying before I had to get dressed. I made it to church on time, and the lesson went well in large part because most of the class agreed that the bible teaches unconditional election.

After church we came home and had leftover chicken and sausage gumbo and then proceeded to fall into a carbohydrate coma on the couch. The phone roused me just after 2 pm, so I got up and tackled the mountain of laundry that had been accumulating all week. I went between the laundry room and the couch all afternoon until it was time to go to church again at 5 pm. When it's a holiday weekend, you don't have that sense of urgency that usually accompanies Sunday afternoon. With the prospect of a whole other day off, you can afford to move slow and not get much accomplished.

Evening worship was really nice because it was a special service where we sang hymns instead of praise music. Nathan enjoyed singing with us and it was good to hear all the old songs. We were so excited about the singing that we came home and sang at the piano for a little while. I use the term "sang" loosely not because we can't sing, but because my piano playing skills are a bit rusty and I've never been good at hymns anyway. The more I play, the better I get (go figure) so some songs were better than others!

Now it's time to think about going to bed and I am enjoying the anticipation of an extra morning to sleep late, enjoy my coffee out on the deck and just generally be lazy. We've invited Trevor's family over for Memorial Day lunch as well as Chris, Ali, Nate and Calvin. It will be a full house, but lots of fun.

The Ninety and Nine

Mama called me Friday night with news that Granny Traylor had fallen and broken her hip. She had surgery in the first hours of Saturday morning and all went well and for that I thank God. But calls from Louisiana that come at night are becoming frightening for me. In the past if I saw Mama and Daddy's number on the caller ID, I would excitedly pick up the phone for a visit, no matter the time of day. But the reality of my life is that there are many people I love who are getting older and more frail each passing day. Every phone call has the potential for bad news of illness or death, and I dread picking up the phone sometimes.

I know that sounds a little dramatic, and it's not as though my heart sinks every time my mom calls...far from it. It's just that I breath a little sigh of relief when I realize that the call is being made for the purpose of visiting or confirming plans rather than imparting difficult news.

So anyway, I've been thinking about Granny Traylor a lot in the last few days. I think of her favorite color (lavendar), the way her yard used to smell in the spring with all of the flowers in bloom, and of her alto voice blending in with mine as we sang all those favorite hymns around the piano. She sang one particular hymn to all of her babies long, long ago and she sang it again to my babies as she rocked them to sleep. This song will forever remind me of Granny no matter how old I get and I wanted to post the words today.

The Ninety and Nine

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold;
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare;
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer:
“This of Mine Has wandered away from Me.
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep.
I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry;
’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.
’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.
They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,
“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"

He is Risen!

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" Luke 24:5b-6

Christ the Lord is risen today,
Sons of men and angels say.
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply.

Love's redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won.
Lo, our Sun's eclipse is o'er;
Lo, He sets in blood no more.

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ has burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened Paradise.

Lives again our glorious King;
Where, 0 Death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O Grave?

Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to Thee by both be given!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the Resurrection Thou!

Charles Wesley

He's alive! He's alive! I want to shout it from the rooftops so that everyone will know the joy and hope that I have in my heart because of His death and resurrection. He lives in my heart and one day I will see Him face to face. Our God is not dead.....He is alive!

The Sacrifice

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts

Charles Wes­ley re­port­ed­ly said he would give up all his other hymns to have writ­ten this one. I am moved to give up my pettiness, jealousy and judgemental nature when I read the words to this hymn. The work that Christ did on the cross humbles and breaks me each time I meditate on it. He could have stopped the suffering at any time, but He didn't. He chose to be obedient to the Father to the point of death....a greater example of love will never be shown. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for being the atonement for my sin and covering it with your blood so that I can have direct communion with God and eternal life.