Hymns4Him

When we come to the Lord’s Table, our pastors encourage us to give careful thought ahead of time about the seriousness and magnificence of all that is represented in this sacrament. Our colonial ancestors typically held a communion preparatory service before communion Sunday.  It was a service devoted to a rehearsal of what Jesus accomplished by His atoning sacrifice and the need for self-examination to make sure those who approach the table do so with renewed repentance and faith, and a fresh commitment to obedience.  At that preparatory service, it was customary to distribute pewter “tokens” to each adult.  On communion Sunday, when the elements were served, often at tables set up in the church yard, one needed that token, like a ticket, in order to be allowed a seat at the table.

While we no longer see such valuable services and practices today, the need is still there to examine one’s self before partaking of the elements.  This is evident in Paul’s instructions about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29.  “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”  This is why in Reformed churches there is the mandatory “fencing of the table,” when the pastor reminds attendees that the table is open to all, and only, who have repented of their sins and placed their trust in Christ, and whose profession of faith has been deemed credible by virtue of their being members in good standing of an evangelical church.

As part of the liturgy in coming to the Lord’s Table, it is typical in our churches to sing a hymn that prepares our hearts for this wonderful blessing of communion with the Lord, when our souls are nourished by feeding on Jesus’ body and blood by faith.  Among the hymns that help us do that is Isaac Watts’ hymn, “How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place.”  Written in 1707, its lyrics give eloquent expression to the attitudes and understanding that should dominate our thinking as we come to the Table.  It is a much-appreciated and often-used hymn at communion services.

Continue Reading…

During the summer months, most denominations hold their annual national meetings.  These can be times of great joy and celebration as reports are shared about the progress of the gospel through their church planting, foreign missions, and discipleship ministries. In addition to the “business” of the church that is conducted, these are also pleasant times of renewing friendships with colleagues and former school classmates, almost like a homecoming school reunion.  And for some, a highlight are worship services as thousands join their voices in singing great hymns of the faith, and hear sermons from some of the finest preaches of our day.

Sadly, in some denominations, these are painful times where liberal theology and unbelief increase their influence, leading denominations further and further away from their historical and biblical roots. Increasingly such denominations follow the “progressive” views and priorities of our culture, not only in rejection of foundational doctrines (such as biblical inerrancy, Jesus’ virgin birth, and substitutionary atonement), but also in opposition to long-standing principles of morality (such as the homosexual agendas, abortion support, and gender identity), with a shift away from the mission of evangelism and church planting to the early 20^th century substitute of social justice.

When the focus remains on the gospel, people can rejoice in a fresh commitment to the church as the bride of Christ, seeking to renew a commitment to Him and to the work to which He has called us, aiming at making His bride more and more beautiful, adorned with the fruit of the Spirit, and leading lost souls to the giver of eternal life.  We have a rich treasury of hymns about the church which we can sing at such meetings, and in our local churches as we pray for God’s blessing on His church, the body of Christ as well as the bride of Christ.

Continue Reading…

One of the major holidays for the Christian Year is Pentecost Sunday, marking the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostolic church.  Luke’s record of that event in Acts 2 describes what happened that day as people had gathered from many nations for the Jewish Pentecost festival in Jerusalem.  Jesus’ followers were meeting together in an upper room, waiting for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.  With the sound like a rushing wind and the appearance of what looked like tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit was poured out on those disciples.  The commotion attracted a crowd who then heard the gospel being preaching in their own language, occurring as a supernatural gift from the Holy Spirit. 

In all of those events, the common theme was power, the power in the wind, the flames, and the tongues.  But the greatest demonstration of power was in the incredible change of hearts in hearers that took place while Peter was preaching.  Three thousand people who were spiritually dead were transformed by the Holy Spirit, producing in them conviction of sin and faith in Christ, as they interrupted Peter’s preaching to cry out, “Brothers, what must we do?”  Such total reversal of thinking could only have happened by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He did what Jesus told Nicodemus needed to happen: “You must be born again.”

Musical reflections about Pentecost abound in the church’s repertoire, especially from the time of the Reformation.  Some are instrumental works, frequently for organ.  Others are choral compositions, including cantatas.  But almost all of them are based on hymns about the Holy Spirit and His coming at Pentecost.   Today, every hymnal will have, in its topical structure, hymns about God the Father, hymns about God the Son, and also hymns about God the Holy Spirit.  Many of these are actually addressed to the Spirit Himself. Quite a few composers have written works based on the ancient (9^th century) hymn, “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Creator Spirit”).

Continue Reading…

Note: Dr. Roff has released an update to this hymn study, enjoy! — ed.

Singing the Psalms has long been a distinguishing mark of biblical faith.  It dates from the time of David, the author of half of the Psalms, about 1000 BC.  One of the Psalms, number 90, goes back even further, since that one was probably written by Moses four hundred years before David.  The divinely inspired collection of the 150 Psalms in the middle of our Bibles was the songbook of Israel throughout the rest of the Old Testament period, and continued into the New Testament era.  As a boy and as a man, Jesus sang the Psalms.  Growing up in Nazareth, He would have known them all very well, perhaps even by memory.

When we review the history of the Christian church, we find Psalms to be the heart of medieval worship in churches and monasteries as they were sung in monophonic chants (melody only, as in Gregorian plainsong).  When Calvin overcame the millennia-long ban on congregational song imposed by the Roman Church in the fifth century, it was to the Psalms that he turned.  He provided music and texts for all 150 Psalms for the churches in Reformation Geneva, employing the finest musician and finest poet in France to compose the 1551 Genevan Psalter.  In Reformed churches on the continent, in the British Isles, and in the American colonies, believers sang the Psalms exclusively in corporate and family worship.  And that is still the practice in the Covenanter denomination, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA).

Continue Reading…

The Bible makes it clear that what the Lord most wants from us is neither slavish obedience to His laws (though a rightly-motivated embracing of His laws is an essential part of biblical religion) nor casual engagement with worship rituals (though He has made plain in His Word those elements of worship – like reading Scripture, preaching, singing, praying, etc. – which He desires).  Jesus was very direct in His criticism of the Pharisees for following details of the law as proud works of self-righteousness (Matthew 23:23), and He called out the people of His time for their failure by thinking they were worshiping God when their hearts were “far from Him” (Matthew 15:7-9).

When Jesus was asked about the first and greatest commandment, He didn’t respond with something new and previously unknown.  No, He quoted from what was in His day one of the best-known verses from the Old Testament, a virtual Jewish John 3:16! Known as “The Great Shema” (because of the opening words in Hebrew: “Shema, Israel”), it was Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

When Paul wrote his second letter to the church at Corinth, he addressed the issue of their progress toward spiritual maturity.  In 2 Corinthians 12:14, he identified what he most wanted from them.  It is the same thing the Lord desires of us in our daily lives as well as in our worship. The Apostle wrote, “for I seek not what is yours but you.”  There it is; what God wants from us is … us! Our whole selves!  It is the same theme about which Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2, where we read, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Continue Reading…

Our glorious Christmas and Easter hymns are too wonderful to sing just once a year!  We should find great joy in celebrating these two events of redemptive history many times during the year.  We have more hymns for those two seasons than could possibly all be sung during the short time they are observed on our calendars.  Since the biblical events associated with Christmas and Easter are so very special, it’s not surprising to realize how many hymns  have been written for those two events, some of which stretch back hundreds of years.

One of those whose origins go back a thousand years (!) is the Easter hymn, “Sing Choirs of New Jerusalem.”  We sing a more recent 19^th century translation of the Latin text that comes from Bishop Fulbert of Chartres.  He was born in Italy about 960 and died in Chartres, France in 1028, having served as Bishop there from 1006 until his death.  Having studied at Rheims, he was a pupil of Gerbert of Aurillac, who would later become Pope Sylvester II.  Fulbert also taught and became head of the Cathedral school at Chartres. He lectured on many subjects, including medicine, and was able to attract many well-known scholars to the schools, thus making the Chartres institution one of the best schools of its time. 

Continue Reading…

America’s National Day of Prayer, now observed on the first Thursday in May, has roots stretching back to the nation’s founding. While not formally established until 1952, the practice of national days of prayer and thanksgiving existed even before the country’s independence. The First Continental Congress in 1775 called for a National Day of Prayer, and later Presidents like George Washington and John Adams also issued proclamations for days of prayer and thanksgiving. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a Congressional resolution in 1863 designating a day of fasting and prayer. President Harry S. Truman formally established the National Day of Prayer in 1952, designating it to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. President Ronald Reagan amended the law in 1988 to designate the first Thursday in May as the official National Day of Prayer. 

Today it is observed with suggested guidelines from a national task force.  In many communities, there is a noon prayer service on the steps of the city hall.  In some schools, students gather around the flagpole before classes begin.  And often nearby churches will join together for an evening prayer service.  In each of these, ideas are provided to have prayers led by local leaders (not just pastors) focusing consecutively on such topics as our president, congress, and supreme court, local schools, police and fire personnel, schools and school boards, families, members of our armed forces, as well as specific topics such as poverty and joblessness, political issues, judicial decisions, international relations, crime, and especially for the need for a widespread revival that would return our people and culture to biblical principles of true righteousness.

Continue Reading…

One of the best words to capture the essential message of Easter is “Victory!”  By His death and resurrection, Jesus has been victorious over sin. He has conquered Satan, He has conquered the fall, and that will lead to His return when He will have conquered the world!  That’s when these biblical promises will be fulfilled: when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14), and as every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).  The Puritan pastor/theological John Owen articulated this in his classic book on the atonement, with the eye-catching title, “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.”  J. I. Packer has expanded on that in his eloquent introduction to the reprint of Owen’s book.

When this victory has been applied to our hearts by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, that glorious victory becomes ours, as we are raised from spiritual death to spiritual life, and assured of eternal life.  At Easter, we sing of Jesus’ victory over the grave, and at the same time we sing about the victory that is ours by being united to Him by faith.  As Jesus said to Lazarus’s sisters in John 11:25-26, “Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

Continue Reading…

Easter is a time of great joy for believers.  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is not only an historical event of enormous theological significance.  It is the very center of the unique power of the Christian faith.  Paul made that clear when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is in vain and we are to be pitied above all people for placing our hope in a myth.  But as Paul went on to say, Christ has indeed been raised the dead.  He is the Lamb who was slain but is now alive, and who is celebrated in heaven, as John recorded in Revelation.  For Christians, Easter is indeed a time for great joy.

Unlike them, non Christians have tried to impose a counterfeit joy on this holiday.  Chocolate Easter bunnies, Easter baskets filled with candy, Easter egg hunts, and new Easter dresses make a sorry substitute for the “real” Easter.  The joy that comes from such replacements is very brief and unsatisfying.  While we wouldn’t want to call such celebrations “evil” (they can be a time of valuable family joy), there is a sense in which Satan is behind such things as his way of trying to promote them in place the true Easter event.

Continue Reading…

Children find a special kind of joy in the church seasons that are closely connected to the historical events of Jesus’ life and ministry.  When we list those seasons, we can all very quickly think of hymns we learned as children, from Christmas time through Passion week.  For many of us who grew up in churches, when we recall Palm Sunday, we can remember festive processions into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, carrying palm branches … especially those of us who grew up in parts of the country where palm trees grew in our yards!

Think about how much of the Bible is the record of stories, from Old through New Testaments.  This is significant now only in the fact that the gospel is rooted in actual history.  It is also a beneficial thing for our learning and remembering Bible truths as they are so vividly connected with stories, from the Garden of Eden to Noah’s flood, Moses and the Red Sea, Daniel in the lion’s den, and also Jesus in the manger, at the wedding in Cana, feeding the multitude, instituting the Lord’s Supper in the Upper Room, at the cross on Calvary, the open tomb, and the mount of ascension.

Continue Reading…