Tag Archives: Hymn

Faith Practice, the Exercise

Think About a Hymn

Open Hymnal

Lord Keep us Steadfast in Your Word 

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit and sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.

Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing your praise eternally.

O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.

By Martin Luther
Text is in the public domain
Source: http://www.hymnary.org/text/lord_keep_us_steadfast_in_your_word

  • The hymn addresses the three persons of the Trinity in sequence, but each verse focuses on a specific element of godly living. What three things does Luther consider essential to the Christian life?
  • In your daily life, where do you see people who work by deceit to destroy Christ’s kingdom on earth? In a choice between deceit and sword, which weapon do you think does the most damage to the people of God’s kingdom?
  • What does Luther think is the best way to resist enemies of God’s kingdom?
  • Where do Christians find the power to stand strong when under attack?
  • What Bible verse comes to mind when you read the second verse of the hymn?
  • Who is the Comforter mentioned in the third verse? What essential role does this Comforter fill when we read the Word, mentioned in the first verse?

By Katherine Harms, author of Oceans of Love available for Kindle at Amazon.com. Watch for the release of Thrive! Live Christian in a Hostile World, planned for release in the winter of 2016

Image: Open Hymnal Source:http://foter.com/
License: CC BY-NC-SA

Faith Practice, the Exercise

Hymn Meditation

Open Hymnal

Son of God, Eternal Savior

Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
Hallows all our human race,
Thou, our Head Who, throned in glory,
For Thine own dost ever plead,
Fill us with Thy love and pity;
Heal our wrongs, and help our need.

Bind us all as one together
In Thy Church’s sacred fold,
Weak and healthy, poor and wealthy,
Sad and joyful, young and old.
Is there want, or pain, or sorrow?
Make us all the burden share.
Are there spirits crushed and broken?
Teach us, Lord, to soothe their care.

As Thou, Lord, hast lived for others,
So may we for others live;
Freely have Thy gifts been granted,
Freely may Thy servants give.
Thine the gold and Thine the silver,
Thine the wealth of land and sea,
We but stewards of Thy bounty,
Held in solemn trust for Thee.

Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
King of love, and Prince of peace,
Hush the storm of strife and passion,
Bid its cruel discords cease:
By Thy patient years of toiling,
By Thy silent hours of pain,
Quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
Shame our selfish greed of gain.

Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
Hallows all our human race,
Thou Who prayedst, Thou Who willest,
That Thy people should be one,
Grant, O Grant our hope’s fruition:
Here on earth Thy will be done.

By Somerset C. Lowry

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/g/sgetesav.htm
License: public domain

What five titles does the hymn writer give to Jesus in verse 1?

The hymn writer describes two attributes of Jesus. What are they?

What does verse 1 pray for?

In verse 2, the  hymn writer asks for worldwide church unity. Jesus even prayed for such unity, and the prayer is recorded in John 17. Why is the church not united?

What 4 principles of Christian stewardship are identified in verse 3?

In verse 4, the hymn writer contrasts Christ with ordinary human beings. What is the difference?

Despite all human failings, what is the most fervent desire of the hymnwriter expressed in this hymn in verse 5?

 

 

By Katherine Harms, author of Oceans of Love available for Kindle at Amazon.com.

Image: Open Hymnal
Source:http://foter.com/
License: CC BY-NC-SA

 

 

Faith Practice, the Exercise

Stop and Think About a Hymn

1 Comment

Open Hymnal

All Glory Laud and Honor

Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honor,
to thee, Redeemer, Kingto whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.

  1. Thou art the King of Israel,
    thou David’s royal Son,
    who in the Lord’s name comest,
    the King and Blessed One.
    (Refrain)
  1. The company of angels
    are praising thee on high,
    and we with all creation
    in chorus make reply.
    (Refrain)
  1. The people of the Hebrews
    with psalms before thee went;
    our prayer and praise and anthems
    before thee we present.
    (Refrain)
  1. To thee, before thy passion,
    they sang their hymns of praise;
    to thee, now high exalted,
    our melody we raise.
    (Refrain)
  1. Thou didst accept their praises;
    accept the prayers we bring,
    who in all good delightest,
    thou good and gracious King.
    (Refrain)

Text: Theodulph of Orleans; trans. by John Mason Neale  Source:http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh280.sht

  • When you pray, what do you pray about? This hymn offers praise to Jesus Christ the King. What proportion of your prayer time is spent in praise?
  • We live in a republic, not a kingdom. Does the notion of a king feel comfortable to you? When you talk with people who do not know Jesus, how do you explain his kingship?
  • How much of your relationship with Jesus centers on his kingship? How much centers on his promise to provide and answer prayers?
  • What is the most significant element of your relationship with Jesus? If his kingship is not important you, why?
  • The Bible teaches that Jesus’s royal status is very important. He reigns over all creation today and will continue to do so in the new heaven and earth. What will be different in your life if you acknowledge that truth?
Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Hymn for Meditation

2 Comments

hymnalBlest Be the Tie 

Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin we shall be free, a
nd perfect love and fellowship
reign through eternity.

By John Fawcett

  •  What is the value of a relationship when things are going your way? What is the value when your life is difficult? What difference does it make if the relationships are with Christians or non-Christians?
  • Each of us prays “ardent prayers” privately in time alone with God. What difference does it make if other people pray with us or for us?
  • What happens when you tell a loving friend your troubles? What happens when there is nobody to tell and you feel completely alone? Why do we need friends who share our faith in Christ?
  • The hymnwriter looks forward to a future when we don’t have trouble but we do have friends. Where did he get that idea? What is the value of friends in that setting?
Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Hymn for Meditation

hymnalCrown Him With Many Crowns 

‎1. Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark! how the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own:
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

‎2. Crown him the Lord of love;
Behold his hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright.

‎3. Crown him the Lord of peace;
Whose pow’r a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
Absorbed in prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end;
And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of Paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

‎4. Crown him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time;
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime:
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me:
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity. 

  • Where in the Bible do you find an image of Christ with many crowns? (See Revelation 19:12,16) Why do you suppose one crown is not enough?
  • The imagery of the “Lord of love” is that of the crucified Christ. (See Revelation 5:6-10) Why would angels be unable to bear the sight of Christ crucified? Can you bear that sight? How does it feel to know that Christ suffered so horrifically for the love of you?
  • Who doesn’t long for peace? What can ever bring peace to nations? What can ever bring peace to families? What can ever give peace to tormented individuals? What might it mean to absorb wars in prayer and praise? How might that concept change the way you pray?(See Psalm 46:9, Psalm 72:5-17, Isaiah 2:4)
  • Christ is God who is, who was, and who is to come? What does it mean to you in your daily time-bound life to know that Christ reigns eternally? (See Romans 8:34, 1Peter 1:12, Revelation 5:9)
  • We must visualize Christ when we pray, because our physical eyes cannot see him. Is Christ crowned in glory the image you see when you pray? Does that image change the way you pray? Do you sing and make melody in your heart to Christ on his throne?