Tag Archives: Christian commitment

Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Hymn for Meditation

‎Jesus Calls Us

1. Jesus calls us: o’er the tumult
Of our life’s wild restless sea,
Day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow me.”

‎2. In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love me more than these.”

‎3. Jesus calls us: by thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear thy call,
Give our hearts to thine obedience,
Serve and love thee best of all.

Cecil Frances Alexander

  • The first two lines of this hymn sound quite contemporary. How would you explain their meaning to someone who is not a Christian?
  • Verse 2 asks a question that puts Christians squarely in conflict with the philosophy that says, “You’re worth it!” What human value is served by the call to do what makes you feel good? Who or what do you serve if you think your own feelings are not the measure of what is right?
  • In what way does verse 3 provide the rebuttal to a claim by secular thinkers that Christians who obey Christ are forcing their views on others?
  • The language of this hymn reflects the fact that it was written in the 19th century. How would you explain the contemporary value of this hymn in the 21st century to someone who does not know Christ?
Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Verse for Meditation

Torah ScrollForgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

  • Everybody has a past. Are there things in your past that you regret so much that repentance is impeding your service to Christ? Are there accomplishments and honors in your past that keep you from relying on Christ as you try to serve him? Can you learn to forget those things and focus on where Christ is leading you now?
  • The Bible Exposition Commentary says that when we forget what lies behind, “It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future.[1] If you live today for the future Christ has in mind for you, what will you do differently? 
  • Sometimes it is somebody else’s past that holds us back. If someone else has done me harm, and I am not able to forgive that wound, it becomes like a shackle around my ankle as I try to go forward. What part of your past needs to be redeemed by forgiveness before you can actually “press on toward the goal?” 
  • Even though you forget what is behind you and let go of impediments that allow you to move forward, are you trying to multi-task as you move forward? Are you spreading yourself thin by trying to achieve all the things you think you ought to be doing? Do you need to let go of your desire to accomplish many things in order to be able to focus on the single “heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus?”

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Php 3:13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.