Be Still My Soul

I'm still hearing comments about our hymn sing of last Sunday evening. There is no doubt that people love the grand old hymns! One oft-requested number that didn't make it onto the hymn list but did show up in the organ prelude is, Be Still My Soul.   

Here are Dr. Kirk's notes.


"Be Still my Soul"

Scripture reading:  Luke 21. 13 - 19

            Jane Borthwick made her translation of the German original of this hymn in 1855.  The hymn itself was written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel.  Very little is known about her though she is believed to have been the head of an Evangelical Lutheran nunnery in Cothen.  It is not impossible that she may have been attached to the ducal court there.  The songs of the German Pietists were largely unknown outside that country until three women - Jane and Sarah Borthwick (later Mrs. Findlater) and Catherine Winkworth - translated them into English.  Jane and Sarah Borthwick published a volume of translations under the title "Hymns from the land of Luther" and it was there that this hymn first appeared.  Miss Borthwick was a devoted member of the Free Church of Scotland and was actively engaged in missionary and social work.

            When first published in English the hymn was headed "Submission" and was accompanied by the words of Jesus: "In your patience possess ye your souls" (Luke 21. 19 AV.).  This is the key to the theme that runs all through the hymn - the Christian's attitude of complete trust and submission to the Lord in times of grief, pain or bereavement.

            One of the great assurances of the Christian faith is that we are not called on to travel the pilgrim road alone or unaccompanied.  "The Lord is on thy side".  He is our constant companion in every situation whether glad or sad.  It is important to know this because Jesus himself described Christian discipleship as cross-bearing.  He stated that anyone who would come after him must be prepared to deny himself and take up the cross daily and follow him (Matt. 16. 24).  That cross may be "of grief or pain" and yet we must be prepared to bear it patiently trusting God to provide the strength and to order our way for us.  Whatever happens to us "he faithful will remain" and however difficult the road we are called to walk we know it "leads to a joyful end" because Christ himself will be there.

            As we look back over the years that have gone we can see the ways in which God has provided for us and directed our way.  So very often our understanding of the divine guidance is fully understood only as we look back to it.  For the present all may now seem dark and mysterious but we rest our confidence in the loving presence of our God and when we do so we shall discover that "all . . shall be bright at last".  Our Lord is as capable of ruling the stormy passions of the world around us and those that beat within us as he was of controlling the elements of nature during his earthly life.

            The further we travel along the road of life the more likely it will be that some of the travelling companions of the years will depart through death.  The loss of such friends can be a real trial for us.  We have valued them for their support and encouragement.  Their loss means that we are cast more and more upon the One who comes to us "to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears".  But more, he fills up the void that has been created for "thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness, all He takes away".

            Life passes all too quickly by and "the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord".  That thought should fill us with hope and expectation.  Here below we have human "disappointment, grief and fear".  There has been the sorrow of defeat and loss; we have been confronted with change and our eyes have known bitter tears.  But we have so much to look forward to.  We shall experience "love's purest joys" and we shall arrive "safe and blessed" in our heavenly home.  With such blessings we can "be still" in the presence of the Lord.  

Flowers beautify our sanctuary every Sunday.  Thanks to all who contribute to this ministry, week after week. The bouquets posted here were particularly lovely so I took a picture.

HYMN SING

   We rocked the rafters at SPPC on Sunday night with an old-fashioned hymn sing.    From the contemplative "It is well with my soul,"  to the rousing "Onward Christian Soldiers," we sang, "lustily and with good courage," as one compiler of a hymnbook urged.

   From our own Book of Praise, we read that "Praise is the truest expression of our faith in and love towards God.  St. Paul urged the Ephesian Christians to 'be filled with the spirit' and to speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."  

Many thanks to our organist, Larry Skaggs for taking the lead on this event.  It was a great opportunity to worship with members of other churches and to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord."

Stand up, Stand up for Jesus

Irwin and Diane got to sit together!

This is My Father's World

Of course, there was food. 

From the oldest to the youngest, we all had a great evening, and "Praised the name of the Lord.  Amen." 

         

Take My Life and Let it Be, was the congregational hymn of choice last Sunday. Here is what Dr. Kirk had to say about it.


Scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 8. 1 - 9

        This is one of the best known hymns on the subject of Christian consecration and discipleship.  The occasion for the writing of the hymn was a five day visit Miss Havergal made to the home of some friends.  There were ten other guests at the home, some unconverted, others nominally Christian.  She prayed "Lord, give me all in this house!"  Before she left her prayer was wonderfully answered.  "Before I left," she wrote, "I . . passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed to my heart one after the other, till they finished with 'Ever, only, ALL for thee!'"

            We must never forget that the Christian is not only saved from something but also to something.  We are saved from a life of slavery to sin but we are also saved to a life of service.  Our salvation is not for ourselves but for the glory of God and the service of others.  Everything we have, everything we are, comprise God's gifts to us and we are the stewards of God's gifts.  They are held in trust and we are required to render an account of our stewardship.

            How do we use our time, our moments and our days?  Time is such a fleeting commodity.  If it is not used aright it can be rapidly squandered and before we realize it many precious years will have flitted by.  Time should be used "in ceaseless praise" to our great God.  And what about our bodies?  Do we use them as means of helping others?  There are many people who could use a helping hand in one way or another.  There are countless errands of mercy that could be a blessing to an incapacitated person if our feet were "swift and beautiful" for our Lord.  But we not only praise God in our actions we must also praise him with our voice.  Let us use our voice to sing his praises - and there is so much for which we should praise him!  Let us use our lips to impart messages of hope and joy and peace to others.  There is so much bad news abroad in the world; we can use our lips to bring the good news of the Saviour.

            There is no more searching examination of our Christian committment than in our use of money.  "The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts" (Hag. 2. 8).  Our bank book should be as much the Lord's as our hymn book.  And yet it is so often true that churches and missions are hampered in their outreach because of the niggardliness of God's people.  It is only when we can say, "Not a mite would I withhold" that we have begun to give in the same sacrificial manner as Christ gave to us.

            Our intellect, our will, our heart, all the influence of mind and heart that we have in relation to others must be subjected to his Lordship.  These are his own by right of our creation by him and also by right of our re-creation through his death.  It is only when we have enthroned Christ over every part of our life, having no personal ambitions of our own but placing him first in our affections that we have finally and truly consecrated ourselves to him.  That is summed up in the hymn's concluding lines.  There we pour out the "treasure store" of our love and allow Christ to be all in all for us.  Time, hands, feet, voice, lips, wealth, mind, heart and love are all re-integrated in the final prayer, "Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee".  That is a difficult petition to pray but what joy is ours when we reach the place where we can make that act of consecration.

   These words have been set to a variety of tunes.  The one used on Sunday was Hendon, composed by H.A. Cesar Malan and first published one of Lowell Mason's hymnals in 1841.

   SPPC loves its hymns and we love to sing, so Sunday, August 25,  7:00 pm we're having a hymn-sing.  Come and join us, raise your voice, bring your friends and family.  Admission is free.  Lots of parking.