Hymns With A Message: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

One of the worst Christian cliches is "I'll pray for you!" I am convinced that most of the time this is a cop-out that is seldom followed through. Now maybe I am being too tough on Christians today, but I really wonder how many of us really are prayer warriors. How often do we spend quality time in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication? Or do we just get to busy and prayer is just too easy to skip, unless we have very serious needs. If today's hymn was written today, maybe a more realistic title might be "Sweet Minute of Prayer." But no matter how we are committed to a prayer life that doesn't detract from the fact that prayer is vital. It is communicating with God and that is necessary for our spiritual maturity. William Walford of Coleshill, England was a woodcarver by trade and the owner of a small trinket shop. He was also a devout Christian and often the guest preacher in the churches around the area where he lived. One day, in 1842, the Reverend Thomas Salmon, a congregational minister, made his customary call at the shop of his friend. On this occasion, instead of showing the minister his beautiful collection of hand carved ornaments, Walford asked Mr. Salmon to write down the words of a poem he had just completed, because Walford was blind. Three years later the Reverend Salmon was in New York city and, while there, took the old woodcarver's poem along to the editor of the New York Observer, As a result, Sweet Hour Of Prayer appeared in the issue for September 1845. Nothing happened for another fourteen years. Then the famous composer, William Bradbury, set the poem to music and turned it into one of the most famous hymns of all time. Lifted on the wings of Bradbury's beautiful melody the words soon sped around the globe and in a short time were being sung by millions. Though physically blind, Walford certainly wasn't spiritually blind. The eyes of his soul could see perfectly clearly. It took a rate insight to write such a meaningful and blessed sacred song as this.

(1) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter's snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

(2) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

The joys I feel, the bliss I share,

Of those whose anxious spirits burn

With strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

Where God my Savior shows His face,

And gladly take my station there,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

(3) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I'll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

(4) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

May I thy consolation share,

Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,

I view my home and take my flight.

This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise

To seize the everlasting prize,

And shout, while passing through the air,

"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"

Listen to it here. LISTEN

Sunday, October 24, 2010

SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS

This past week my wife and I had the special privilege to be part of the annual Senior Saints Retreat at the Pinebrook Bible Conference. It was refreshing to step aside from the rush and pressures of everyday life to spend time with fellow believers and to be challenged from the Word of God. One of the highlights of the week were the sessions led by two experienced pastors, Brooke Solberg, of Allentown, and Lynn Warner from Ohio. For four days we "sat at the feet" of these men who shared and challenged us with practical lessons from the Bible. And as I reflect upon this uplifting experience, I think about how tremendous it must have been to actually sit at the feet of Jesus and hear Him share the Word. Someday we will have that experience when we live with Him in the place He is preparing for us. In the meantime, we can listen to godly speakers here on earth. But, even better than that, we can "sit at His feet" here in our private devotional time when we can talk to Him and commune with Him and listen to Him. Unfortunately, we, especially those of us in ministry, often fail to do this. We often are like Martha (Luke 10:40) and are just too busy serving to take time to sit at His feet. We need to be more like Mary, who, according to Jesus "has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Examine your schedule and think about this as you review this week's hymn. It was written by J.H., whoever that was, and the music was by Asa Hull. And that is all that I could find about the background of this week's choice. But the message of the hymn is much more important than it's history.

1. Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

Oh, what words I hear Him say!

Happy place! so near, so precious!

May it find me there each day;

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

I would look upon the past;

For His love has been so gracious,

It has won my heart at last.

2. Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

Where can mortal be more blest?

There I lay my sins and sorrows,

And, when weary, find sweet rest;

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

There I love to weep and pray;

While I from His fullness gather

Grace and comfort every day.

3. Bless me, O my Savior, bless me,

As I'm waiting at Thy feet;

Oh, look down in love upon me,

Let me see Thy face so sweet;

Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,

Keep me holy as He is;

May I prove I've been with Jesus,

Who is all my righteousness.

You can listen to it here. LISTEN

Sunday, October 17, 2010

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS

Has this been a difficult week for you? Are you discouraged? Do you seem to be overloaded with problems? Are you facing financial needs? Does life seem to overwhelm you with constant conflicts? Then this week's choice might be what you need. Sometimes we get so down that we forget all that we do have. and we forget to thank the one who has blessed us. Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr. was one of the important and prolific gospel song writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a child, Oatman Junior became acquainted with the hymns of the church through the singing talents of his father. At 19 he joined the Methodist Church and years later was granted a license to preach in local Methodist congregations. His mainstream career was in a mercantile business and later as administrator for a large insurance company in New Jersey. At the same time, he wrote over 5,000 hymn texts. "Count your Blessings" is generally considered to be Oatman's finest hymn. It first appeared in 1897 and it has been sung all over the world. One writer has stated, "Like a beam of sunlight it has brightened up the dark places of the earth." It was received most overwhelmingly in Great Britain. The London Daily, in giving an account of a meeting presided over by Gypsy Smith, reported, "Mr. Smith announced the hymn 'Count Your Blessings.' He said, "In South London the men sing it, the boys whistle it, and the women rock their babies to sleep on this hymn." During the revival in Wales it was one of the hymns sung at every service. So maybe this week, like those over a century ago, we need to be reminded to daily thank God for the many blessings that we have. It certainly is more profitable than counting sheep when sleep just doesn't seem to come.

(1) When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.