Thine is the Glory
Thine is the glory, Risen, conquering Son;
Endless is the victory Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded graveclothes Where Thy body lay.
Refrain
Thine is the glory, Risen, conquering Son;
Endless is the victory Thou o’er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, Risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, Scatters fear and gloom.
Let His church with gladness Hymns of triumph sing,
For her Lord now liveth: Death hast lost its sting.
Refrain
No more we doubt Thee, Glorious Prince of life!
Life is naught without Thee: Aid us in our strife.
Make us more than conquerors, Through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan To Thy home above.
Refrain
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Unreality TV
How real is “reality TV”?
“A novel three years in the making, a painting slowly achieved after years of study, even a long-running television series—these may possibly possess the power to take us more deeply into the mysteries of the condition in which we find ourselves, and may, most crucially, cast a vision of what we might yet become. But "reality TV"? Its tacky melodrama, deus ex machina plots, unending musical manipulations, and pseudo-heroic corporate saviors only undercut what it pretends to be about. Instead of showing us our truest selves, it plays to our worst impulses and misperceptions, making, in the end, a spectacle of our inner lives. Like other forms of voyeurism, it actually diminishes our taste for reality.” (read entire article)
“A novel three years in the making, a painting slowly achieved after years of study, even a long-running television series—these may possibly possess the power to take us more deeply into the mysteries of the condition in which we find ourselves, and may, most crucially, cast a vision of what we might yet become. But "reality TV"? Its tacky melodrama, deus ex machina plots, unending musical manipulations, and pseudo-heroic corporate saviors only undercut what it pretends to be about. Instead of showing us our truest selves, it plays to our worst impulses and misperceptions, making, in the end, a spectacle of our inner lives. Like other forms of voyeurism, it actually diminishes our taste for reality.” (read entire article)
Monday, February 13, 2006
Favourite Hymn #20
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
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.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
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.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
One irritating thing regarding this hymn is that lately I see that the second stanza is often left out of some hymnals and overhead projections (where hymnals are not used). Ebenezer is the name of the stone that Samuel raised after the Israelites’ (actually God’s) victory over the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:12). To my mind that line is the centerpiece of the hymn. Go figure.
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.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
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.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
One irritating thing regarding this hymn is that lately I see that the second stanza is often left out of some hymnals and overhead projections (where hymnals are not used). Ebenezer is the name of the stone that Samuel raised after the Israelites’ (actually God’s) victory over the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:12). To my mind that line is the centerpiece of the hymn. Go figure.
On Hymns
A quote in my hymnal, attributed to Martin Luther goes:
“I wish to see all arts, principally music, in the service of Him who gave and created them. Music is a fair and glorious gift of God. I would not for the world forego my humble share of music. Singers are never sorrowful, but are merry, and smile through their troubles in song. Music makes people kinder, gentler, more staid and reasonable. I am strongly persuaded that after theology there is no art than can be placed on a level with music; for besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy of the heart…the devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
C.S. Lewis notes that “for many people…music is the thing known in the present life which most strongly suggests ecstasy and infinity.”
As I write this I’m listening to a composition by Bach set to Psalm 51. Known as “the fifth Evangelist”, J.S. Bach evokes, through his music, heaven like none other I know. That his theology permeates everything he wrote can be seen (or heard) in the fact that his “secular” works sound just as “sacred” as his explicitly religious works (I recommend reading Bach Among the Theologians by Jaroslav Pelikan).
The main musical selections we get in church today are hymns and contemporary worship songs/choruses. For my money, contemporary songs don’t come close to hymns in conveying the depth of emotion, theological conviction, and intellectual formation of the Christian faith. Modern choruses give us, unfortunately (in my view) simply a baptized version of the ubiquitous romantic ballad. Just replace “boy” or “girl” or “him” or “her” with God or “Him”. There are a few contemporary songs I do like though. The next few posts will include my 20 favourite hymns. I might give a few of my favourite contemporary songs as well (at least the ones we sing in my church. If not for those I probably would have little or no exposure to them).
“I wish to see all arts, principally music, in the service of Him who gave and created them. Music is a fair and glorious gift of God. I would not for the world forego my humble share of music. Singers are never sorrowful, but are merry, and smile through their troubles in song. Music makes people kinder, gentler, more staid and reasonable. I am strongly persuaded that after theology there is no art than can be placed on a level with music; for besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy of the heart…the devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
C.S. Lewis notes that “for many people…music is the thing known in the present life which most strongly suggests ecstasy and infinity.”
As I write this I’m listening to a composition by Bach set to Psalm 51. Known as “the fifth Evangelist”, J.S. Bach evokes, through his music, heaven like none other I know. That his theology permeates everything he wrote can be seen (or heard) in the fact that his “secular” works sound just as “sacred” as his explicitly religious works (I recommend reading Bach Among the Theologians by Jaroslav Pelikan).
The main musical selections we get in church today are hymns and contemporary worship songs/choruses. For my money, contemporary songs don’t come close to hymns in conveying the depth of emotion, theological conviction, and intellectual formation of the Christian faith. Modern choruses give us, unfortunately (in my view) simply a baptized version of the ubiquitous romantic ballad. Just replace “boy” or “girl” or “him” or “her” with God or “Him”. There are a few contemporary songs I do like though. The next few posts will include my 20 favourite hymns. I might give a few of my favourite contemporary songs as well (at least the ones we sing in my church. If not for those I probably would have little or no exposure to them).
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
A prayer
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
-Unknown
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
-Unknown
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