When morning gilds the skies

(Tune)

When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When you begin the day, O never fail to say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Whene’er the sweet church bell peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings, as joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

My tongue shall never tire of chanting with the choir,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy, it never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind? A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss? My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

To God, the Word, on high, the host of angels cry,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals, too, upraise their voice in hymns of praise,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this at meals your grace, in every time and place;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, when day is past, of all your thoughts the last
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When mirth for music longs, this is my song of songs:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

When sleep her balm denies, my silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest, with this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

The night becomes as day when from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

No lovelier antiphon in all high Heav’n is known
Than, Jesus Christ be praised!
There to the eternal Word the eternal psalm is heard:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heaven’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Sing, suns and stars of space, sing, ye that see His face,
Sing, Jesus Christ be praised!
God’s whole creation o’er, for aye and evermore
Shall Jesus Christ be praised!

In Heav’n’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky from depth to height reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Archer

Wow. I love these guys. So crazy that I wanted this for so long, and then, as always, God drops something on my lap, out of the blue, that was so much better than my plans. Exceedingly more than I ever asked or thought. Makes me regret my worry and doubt, but even more than that, I am in awe of His love, again I see evidence of him delighting in giving good gifts to His children.

Honesty, vulnerability, and shared vision: we would grow closer to Him, closer to each other, and closer to those around us. Love our neighbors. I really want to be looking to be a part of what He is doing, and not looking to do my own thing. I hope we continue to pray together too. It was so rich and exciting. Approaching the throne together, asking Him to use us in this place. Incredible.

I know that this will be stretching and quite a growing year, but to go in with fellow warriors, anticipating many of the battles ahead, and resting in the strength of the King of Kings--I can't help but be encouraged.

And archer is our house typeface.

In Memoriam....

Pastor Jim read these words of Dr. King's in church yesterday:

"...A religion true to its nature must...be concerned about man's social conditions. Religion deals with both earth and heaven, both time and eternity. Religion operates not only on the vertical plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks not only to integrate men with God but to integrate men with men and each man with himself. This means, at bottom, that the Christian gospel is a two-way road. On the one hand it seeks to change the souls of men, and thereby unite them with God; on the other hand it seeks to change the environmental conditions of men so that the soul will have a chance after it is changed. Any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion. Such a religion is the kind that Marxists like to see - an opiate of the people."

An incredible paragraph, that has implications with my last post, but not what I am thinking about right now.

What is the proper way to remember someone? To me, volunteering on MLK day is a lot like working in a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. Its a nice gesture, but if its something you do once a year, then it isn't reflective of a heart-attitude, and likely is done more to make you feel good, than a deep desire to help the brokenness around you. I suppose a little is better than none at all--and help that is at its core selfish is still help, but I really would rather "volunteer" the other 364 days of the year rather than on MLK day, just because its perceived as the day you go help people. Most people don't really know who he was, or what drove him to do what he did, they just have a vague sense that he wanted racial equality, he was assassinated, and so we should help those in need. That's not how you remember someone.

Joshua 4 is about the memorial stones that the Israelites placed after they crossed the Jordan into Canaan. He tells them to place 12 stones at the place they crossed, "that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'what do these stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them ..." Memorials are a very Biblical concept, the most famous being the Lord's Supper. I also think to Jeremiah 31, "set up road markers, make yourself guideposts" so as to not go back down that road. He had to continually remind Israel what He had done for them, and where they had come from. I think He knows how prone we are to forget, to live in the immediacy of now (or in fear of the future) and forget the past, all that He has brought us through, and all that He has done for His people throughout history.

Its for that reason that I think it is good to honor them memory of Dr. King, but only if it is actually tied to who he was and what he said. It is good to read the words of some of his speeches, and glean from his wisdom and insight. I think though, he would be more honored by a lifestyle of service and reconciliation, rather than a few hours once a year...

...Oh let me ne're forget, that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet...

Right now the wrong that is seeming so strong is not active, oppressive evil--as it often is--but rather seemingly insurmountable brokenness all around me. Been thinking very programmatically about development lately, or really about development as a means of poverty alleviation. And really, poverty alleviation as a cure for brokenness, and brokenness as a result of the fall. Doesn't work though, poverty (a relative term) is in itself a symptom of a greater problem, one that I can in no way solve. Without Christ, there is no hope, there is no help, and there is no salvation.

Editor's Note:

Ok, so before I continue...and I may not...Can I just say that God is at work! Incredible. As I continue to wrestle through all this:
- I am given a house to live in, in a neighborhood of image bearers, with a friend who has a similar vision for loving people.
- "When Helping Hurts" is a recurring them among people I dialogue with on this...
- JR Caines at East Ridge Pres preached on this very thing today, and DJ told me about it. (Read his sermon here.
- I've had some really challenging conversations with a number of people I respect, and I know of a few more who I will have the opportunity to dialogue with in the near future...
- I visited a church which I really liked, and can't wait to visit again--and they have a small group in my new neighborhood!
- Talked with Dad at length about some of my frustrations, and as always, he was able to give me some good insight and bring it all back to Jesus.
- I'll have to opportunity to explore this, in some fashion, at work--which will be quite the challenge, and will really test a lot of what I hold dear. Usually good, rarely fun.
- I'm encouraged. This stuff is well worth wrestling with, and while it seems that he didn't make me right, I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and it will all make sense in due time--ideally this side of heaven. (A little explanation: I was telling dad how I was frustrated that I seem to be wired to develop programs and systems, and at the same time given a heart for the needy and brokenness all around me--it also seems that programs and systems aren't the solution, but rather relationships--and so my heart seems to be at odds with my head.)

So, dear reader (both of you), be encouraged that I am encouraged.
Thanks.
I appreciate that.

The Blessings of Kenny G

Confession: I did go to a Kenny G concert the other day. Its not as bad as it may seem, as I had a free ticket, and so didn't pay $30ish dollars to sit and watch a guy blow into a sax for 2 hours. That's what I expected anyway, and was pleasantly blown away. Not only is he extremely talented, but the rest of his "group," as it were, are quite skilled as well. Since it was live, it was much more in the typical jazz style-improve and solos-than you can get on a cd. But this isn't really about my enjoyment of the concert, but rather my reaction to it.

As I was driving home, reflecting on that concert and thanking Him for all the recent blessings I have experienced, I found myself almost afraid of what was coming next. I don't know what it is, but I cannot seem to understand grace. Still. Had coffee with DJ on Thursday, and reflected on 2009. Its been such a great year, and while its had its ups and downs, I have so much to be thankful for, and I can see His hand all over it. I can not seem to grasp God blessing me just because, or Him being actually pleased with me. I vacillate between thinking I deserve blessings, or that He is about to send some hardship, so I shouldn't enjoy it too much. I know better, but doesn't seem to penetrate my heart. I am apprehensive about tomorrow, thinking that there is some great hardship about to befall me or that He will basically say, "That's enough, time for some more sanctification." So twisted. And even when He does send trials, they are not to be feared. I realized a while back, that I have a hard time accepting grace, both from God, and from others. More on that later, but as we approach the New Year, I think it'd be best to be thankful for the blessings of the past, and trust in His care for the future, whatever it may look like...

Reflections on: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.

It kind of has a haunting tune...reverent one might say. Such a neat song. The third verse has such a neat perspective, much different that what I normally think of during Advent. While His coming was the greatest gift, its more than just a cute story of a baby in a manger. His coming was also the final move in the cosmic battle between God and Satan. He uses battle imagery throughout Scripture, and its reflected in that verse. The vanguard is the first line of troops that go into battle. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the angels who, way more than we, understand what was at stake, and what it meant for the "Light of light" to descend from heaven to become a man. Imagine escorting the King of Kings down from heaven as he goes from All-powerful to the most vulnerable. Gives me chills...

Something to meditate on as we enter the advent season...

The Incarnation

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!