A just peace

Peace without justice is an illusory peace that sets the stage for vengeful behavior later on. The strength to persevere in the struggle is found in knowing that the wounds remaining in human society after great atrocities are the wounds of Christ himself, now risen and reigning but still the Lamb standing yet slain (Rev. 5:6).—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 143 (emphasis original)

Through the Love of God, Our Savior

498 Through the Love of God, Our Savior

1 Through the love of God, our Saviour,
   all will be well.
   Free and changeless is his favour;
   all, all is well.
   Precious is the blood that healed us,
   perfect is the grace that sealed us,
   strong the hand stretched forth to shield us;
   all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
   all will be well.
   Ours is such a full salvation,
   all, all is well.
   Happy still in God confiding,
   fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
   holy, through the Spirit’s guiding;
   all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow;
   all will be well.
   Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
   'All, all is well.'
   On our Father’s love relying,
   Jesus every need supplying,
   in our living, in our dying,
   all must be well.
                         Mary Peters
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
This hymn seemed familiar to me, even though it only occurs in about 150 hymnals. Once I read the biography, I saw why. It was included in some Plymouth Brethren hymnals. I'm sure that's where I sang it, as I was involved in a PB-style church for a few years.
</idle musing

It's not just the victims!

We arrive at a point that is all too rarely acknowledged. In the final analysis, the crucifixion of Christ for the sin of the world reveals that it is not only the victims of oppression and injustice who are in need of God’s deliverance, but also the victimizers. Each of us is capable, under certain circumstances, of being a victimizer.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 141 (emphasis original)

Tozer for Tuesday

Weed: Christ Is for Us, God Is against Us

Some say that Christ the Son differs from the God the Father. That is one weed I want you to pull out of your mind, never allowing it to grow there. The misconception is that Christ is for us and God is against us. Never was there any truth in that at all. Christ, being God, is for us. And the Father, being God, is for us. And the Holy Ghost, being God, is for us. The Trinity is for us. It was because the Father was for us that the Son came to die for us. The reason that God is for us is why the Son is at the right hand of God now, pleading for us. The Holy Spirit is in our hearts. He is our advocate within. Christ is our advocate above. And all agree. There is no disagreement between the Father and the Son over man.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 155–56

Like a River Glorious

497 Like a River Glorious

1. Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
   Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
   Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
   Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Refrain:
   Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
   Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

2. Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
   Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
   Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
   Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

3. Every joy or trial falleth from above,
   Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
   We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
   They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.
                         Frances Havergal
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Apocalyptic theology in a nutshell

The central theme is not “justice” in the older sense of the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked; it is the coming triumph of God independent of anything human beings can do “either good or bad” (Rom. 9:11). Postexilic Isaiah delivers an astonishing rebuke to the traditional distinction between the righteous and the wicked with these words: “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6 KJV).

Summing up this brief overview, “apocalyptic” theology can be defined on the simplest level as the thought-world that emerged among the Hebrew people after the exile, in which the human situation is seen as so tragic and insoluble that the only hope for deliverance is from outside this sphere altogether.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 140

<idle musing>
A translation note on Isa 64:6: It is very probable that the "filthy rags" are used mentrual rags.

Wrap your head around this: Your righteousness is like walking into the presence of God and waving used tampons™ in his face and expecting a reward.
</idle musing>

It Is Well with My Soul (When Peace, Like a River)

495 It Is Well with My Soul

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
   It is well with my soul,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

4. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.
                         Horatio G. Spafford
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
I can't believe I haven't posted this one yet! It's one of my favorite hymns. I guess it just doesn't appear in any Methodist hymnals. And it does appear in fewer hymnals than I would have expected, just a few over 500.

Take a minute to read the biography at the link above. I was familiar with the story about the hymn, but I didn't know he and his wife were founders of the American Colony in Jerusalem, or that their adopted son was the one who discovered the Siloam Inscription!

Hymnary.org adds a couple of verse that I wasn't familiar with (read the biography above; it appears they are later additions):

4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

</idle musing>

Thought for the day

6 I’ve lived far too long
     with people who hate peace.
7 I’m for peace,
     but when I speak, they are for war.
Ps 120:6–7 (CEB)

Wonderful Peace (hymn)

494 Wonderful Peace

1 Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight,
   Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
   In celestial like strains it unceasingly falls
   O'er my soul like an infinite calm.

Chorus:
   Peace! peace! wonderful peace,
   Coming down from the Father above;
   Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
   In fathomless billows of love.

2 What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
   Buried deep in my innermost soul;
   So secure that no power can mine it away,
   While the years of eternity roll! [Chorus]

3 I am resting to-night in this wonderful peace,
   Resting sweetly in Jesus' control;
   I am kept from all danger by night and by day,
   And his glory is flooding my soul. [Chorus]

4 I believe when I rise to that city of peace,
   Where the Author of peace I shall see,
   That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing,
   In that heavenly kingdom will be, [Chorus]

5 Weary soul, without gladness or comfort or rest,
   Passing down the rough pathway of time!
   Make the Saviour your friend ere the shadows grow dark;
   O accept of this peace so sublime. [Chorus]
                         W. D. Cornell
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Psalm 83 (paraphrased)

490 Psalm 83

I am so depressed tonight, O God.
I feel as if I am the sole target of an enemy barrage —that all the demons of hell are bent upon damning my soul for eternity.

I remember Your precious promises, but I do not witness their fulfillment.
I talk to people about Your love, and they drown my zeal with scorn.
I step forth to carry out Your will, but I feel no sense of accomplishment.
I mouth words, wave my arms, and beat the air with fruitless endeavor.
Then I fall like a wounded warrior, bone-weary, defeated, and lonely.
And I wonder if You are truly my God, and if I am really Your child.

Consume, O God, these demons that depress, these enemies that plague my soul.
May the whirlwind of Your Spirit sweep them out of my life forever.
May I awaken in the morning with a heart full of joy, and with the strength and the courage to walk straight and secure in the dangerous and difficult paths before me.
                         —Leslie Brandt
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Wow. This paraphrase really speaks to me. It's so raw and real. No wonder people have been drawn to the psalms for thousands of years. They aren't afraid to be real with God. May I be that honest with him!
</idle musing>

In spite of our resistance…

When we read in the Old Testament that God is just and righteous, this doesn’t refer to a threatening abstract quality that God has over against us. It is much more like a verb than a noun, because it refers to the power of God to make right what has been wrong. That in itself sounds inoffensive enough, but the radical message underlying it, and the one we resist, is that God does this right-making in spite of our resistance.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 134 (emphasis original)

Real Prayer

484 Real Prayer

The prayer preceding all prayer is,
"May it be the real I who speaks.
May it be the real Thou
that I speak to."
   C. S. Lewis
   Hymns for the Family of God

"Right relationship"

Perhaps the most succinct thing we can say against “right relationship” as an adequate definition of righteousness is that it is not a verb! The most important thing to remember about the righteousness of God is that it is the powerful action of God in making right. “Righteousness in the Old Testament is not some ontological state of cosmic harmony, but an event inaugurated by God’s intervention in the world for the sake of humanity and rendered according to the divine will” (Brevard Childs, Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments: Theological Reflection on the Christian Bible [Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993], 490).—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 134 n. 61 (emphasis original)

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

483 May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

1 May the mind of Christ my Savior
   Live in me from day to day,
   By his love and pow'r inspiring
   All I do or say.

2 May the Word of God dwell richly
   In my heart from hour to hour,
   So that all may see I triumph
   Only through his pow'r.

3 May the peace of God my Father
   Rule my life in ev'rything,
   That I may be calm to comfort
   Sick and sorrowing.

4 May the love of Jesus fill me
   As the waters fill the sea,
   Him exalting, self abasing --
   This is victory!

5 May I run the race before me,
   Strong and brave to face the foe,
   Looking only unto Jesus
   As I onward go.

6 May his spirit live within me
   As I seek the lost to win,
   And may they forget the channel,
   Seeing only him.
                         Kate B. WWilkinson
                         Hymns for the Family of God

A different kind of outrage

Where is the outrage? It is God’s own; it is the wrath of God against all that stands against his redemptive purpose. It is not an emotion; it is God’s righteous activity in setting right what is wrong. It is God’s intervention on behalf of those who cannot help themselves.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 132 (emphasis original)

O To Be Like Thee

480 O To Be Like Thee

1 O to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer,
   this is my constant longing and prayer;
   gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
   Jesus Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Refrain:
   Oh! to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
   blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
   Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
   stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

2 O to be like Thee! Full of compassion,
   loving, forgiving, tender, and kind;
   helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
   seeking the wand’ring sinner to find. [Refrain]

3 O to be like Thee! Lowly in spirit,
   holy and harmless, patient, and brave;
   meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
   willing to suffer, others to save. [Refrain]

4 O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming
   now to receive th’anointing divine;
   all that I am and have I am bringing,
   Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. [Refrain]

5 O to be like Thee! While I am pleading,
   pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
   make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
   fit me for life and heaven above. [Refrain]
                         Thomas O. Chisholm
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Tozer for Tuesday

Unfortunately, many Christians settle for less than God’s conscious, manifest presence in their daily walk. There is a strain of loneliness infecting many Christians, which only the presence of God can cure. Why do so many Christians shy away from the holy presence of God? God’s face (His realized, manifested and enjoyed presence) may be the treasure of all God’s people.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 146

Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God

479 Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God

1 Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
   in every part with praise,
   that my whole being may proclaim
   thy being and thy ways.

2 Not for the lip of praise alone,
   nor e'en the praising heart
   I ask, but for a life made up
   of praise in every part:

3 Praise in the common things of life,
   its goings out and in;
   praise in each duty and each deed,
   however small and mean.

4 Fill every part of me with praise:
   let all my being speak
   of thee and of thy love, O Lord,
   poor though I be and weak.

5 So shalt thou, Lord, receive from me
   the praise and glory due;
   and so shall I begin on earth
   the song for ever new.

6 So shall no part of day or night
   unblest or common be,
   but all my life, in every step,
   be fellowship with thee.
                         Horatius Bonar
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Not a terribly popular hymn, only occurring in about 100 hymnals. Hymnary.org inserts a verse:

6 So shall each fear, each fret, each care,
   be turned into song;
   and every winding of the way
   the echo shall prolong.

</idle musing>

Injustice is real! Suffering is real! God is real!

The Dalai Lama has been an admirable symbol of courage around the world and continues to trouble the Chinese Communist regime with his steadfast presence and his hold on his people and their aspirations. His inability or unwillingness to integrate injustice and suffering with his worldview, however, limits him. It is interesting to contrast him with his friend Desmond Tutu. Both of them have famous laughs. As has been noted by several observers, however, the Dalai Lama often uses his laugh to deflect attention from unpleasant subjects. He and Tutu are friends, but Tutu never laughs in that way. His laugh is an eschatological sign of God’s triumph over evil. He has felt the intensity of the struggle in his bones in a way that does not appear either in the demeanor or in the writings of the Dalai Lama. For him, suffering is the way to compassion, which is the way to happiness and the cessation of suffering. His teaching often sounds as if suffering and compassion were not connected to actual suffering human beings at all, but are stages along the way to personal happiness and even “achieving one’s goals.” Dalai Lama, with Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), 128-30, 228, 310, and various other passages throughout.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 124 n. 40

More about Jesus Would I Know

477 More about Jesus Would I Know

1 More about Jesus would I know,
   more of His grace to others show;
   more of His saving fullness see,
   more of His love who died for me.

Refrain:
   More, more about Jesus;
   more, more about Jesus;
   more of His saving fullness see,
   more of His love who died for me.

2 More about Jesus let me learn,
   more of His holy will discern.
   Spirit of God, my Teacher be,
   showing the things of Christ to me. [Refrain]

3 More about Jesus in His Word,
   holding communion with my Lord,
   hearing His voice in ev'ry line,
   making each faithful saying mine. [Refrain]

4 More about Jesus on His throne,
   riches in glory all His own;
   more of His kingdom's sure increase;
   more of His coming, Prince of Peace. [Refrain]
                         Eliza E. Hewitt
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Take a minute to click through to the biography of the hymnwriter.
</idle musing>

Make Me a Blessing

473 Make Me a Blessing

1 Out in the highways and byways of life,
   Many are weary and sad;
   Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
   Making the sorrowing glad.

Refrain:
   Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
   Out of my life may Jesus shine;
   Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
   Make me a blessing to someone today.

2 Tell the sweet story of Christ and his love,
   Tell of his pow'r to forgive;
   Others will trust him if only you prove
   True, ev'ry moment you live. [Refrain]

3 Give as 'twas given to you in your need,
   Love as the Master loved you;
   Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
   Unto your mission be true. [Refrain]
                         Ira B. Wilson
                         Hymns for the Family of God

A Teacher's Prayer

471 The Teacher

Lord, who am I to teach the way
To little children day by day,
So prone myself to go astray?

I teach them knowledge, but I know
How faint they flicker,and how low
The candles of my knowledge glow.

I teach them power to will and do,
But only now to learn anew
My own great weakness through and through.

I teach them love for all mankind
And all God’s creatures, but I find
My love comes lagging far behind.

Lord, if their guide I still must be,
O let the little children see
The teacher leaning hard on Thee.
                         Leslie Pinckney Hill
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Forgiveness is complicated

We have ranged across a wide territory to show that forgiveness is not a simple matter. If we think of Christian theology and ethics purely in terms of forgiveness, we will have neglected a central aspect of God’s own character and will be in no position to understand the cross in its fullest dimension. God’s new creation must be a just one, or the promises of God will seem like mockery to those whose defenselessness has been exploited by the powerful. Furthermore, if we fail to take account of God’s justice, we will miss the extraordinary way in which it is recast in the New Testament kerygma.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 131

Higher Ground

469 Higher Ground

1 I'm pressing on the upward way,
   New heights I'm gaining every day;
   Still praying as I onward bound,
   Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Refrain:
   Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
   By faith, on Heaven's table land;
   A higher plane than I have found;
   Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2 My heart has no desire to stay
   Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
   Tho' some may dwell where these abound,
   My pray'r, my aim is higher ground.

3 I want to live above the world,
   Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
   For faith has caught the joyful sound,
   The song of saints on higher ground.

4 I want to scale the utmost height,
   And catch a gleam of glory bright;
   But still I'll pray till Heav'n I've found,
   Lord, lead me on to higher ground.
                         Johnson Oatman Jr.
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Giving a voice to the voiceless

It makes many people queasy nowadays to talk about the wrath of God, but there can be no turning away from this prominent biblical theme. Oppressed peoples around the world have been empowered by the scriptural picture of a God who is angered by injustice and unrighteousness. The humor and exuberance of a freedom fighter like Desmond Tutu are evoked, fueled, and sustained by the conviction that God is on the side of those who are defenseless and voiceless, who have no powerful friends, who are abused and oppressed by the system.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 129

Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord

467 Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord

1 Take thou our minds, dear Lord, we humbly pray;
   give us the mind of Christ each passing day;
   teach us to know the truth that sets us free;
   grant us in all our thoughts to honor thee.

2 Take thou our hearts, O Christ; they are thine own;
   come thou within our souls and claim thy throne;
   help us to shed abroad thy deathless love;
   use us to make the earth like heaven above.

3 Take thou our wills, Most High! Hold thou full sway;
   have in our inmost souls thy perfect way;
   guard thou each sacred hour from selfish ease;
   guide thou our ordered lives as thou dost please.

4 Take thou ourselves, O Lord, heart, mind, and will;
   through our surrendered souls thy plans fulfill.
   We yield ourselves to thee: time, talents, all;
   we hear, and henceforth heed, thy sovereign call.
                         William Hiram Foulkes
                         Hymns for the Family of God

The essence of Christianity

Forgiveness in and of itself is not the essence of Christianity, though many believe it to be so. Forgiveness must be understood in its relationsliip to justice if the Christian gospel is to be allowed its full scope. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa has said, “Forgiveness is not cheap, is not facile. It is costly. Reconciliation is not an easy option. It cost God the death of his Son.”—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 115 (emphasis original)

Liberation from Materialism (prayer)

464 Liberation from Materialism

Forbid it, Lord, that our roots become too firmly attached to this earth, that we should fall in love with things.

Help us to understand that the pilgrimage of this life is but an introduction, a preface a training school for what is to come.

Then shall we see all of life in its true perspective. Then shall we not fall in love with the things of time, but come to love the things that endure. Then shall we be saved from the tyranny of possessions which we have no leisure to enjoy, of property whose care becomes a burden. Give us, we pray, the courage to simplify our lives.

So may we be mature in our faith, childlike but never childish, humble but never cringing, understanding but never conceited.

So help us, O God, to live and not merely to exist, that we may have joy in our work. In Thy name, who alone can give us moderation and balance and zest for living, we pray. Amen.
                         Peter Marshall
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Justice, mercy, and forgiveness

The well-known passage in Micah 6:8 (“What does the Lord require of you . . . ?”) declares that justice and mercy are two foundational aspects of God’s character. Working out the relation between the two is an essential task of Christian theology, preaching, and pastoral care. In our own time this has become a particularly pressing question. There is a widespread impression that Christian forgiveness can be construed separately from the question of justice — that, in fact, forgiveness can be offered without reference to justice. However, forgiveness is by no means as simple or expeditious as is often suggested; it is a complex and demanding matter. The question of forgiveness and compensation really should not be discussed apart from the question of justice. When a terrible wrong has been committed and an apology is offered, the person or persons wronged may be justified in feeling that too much is being asked of them. If the impression is given that the wronged parties are simply supposed to “forgive and forget,” the wrong will linger under the surface and cause further harm.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 114

Tozer for Tuesday

The ordinary Chtistian is satisfied to live just a little removed from the presence of God. God has always had His David, His Paul, His Stephen and those who would die to taste what one man calls the piercing sweetness of the love of God.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 145–46

Living for Jesus (Hymn)

462 Living for Jesus

1. Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
   Striving to please Him in all that I do;
   Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
   This is the pathway of blessing for me.

Refrain:
   O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
   For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
   I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
   My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

2. Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
   Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
   Such love constrains me to answer His call,
   Follow His leading and give Him my all.

3. Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
   Doing each duty in His holy Name;
   Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
   Deeming each trial a part of my cross.

4. Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
   My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
   Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
   Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
                         Thomas O. Chisholm
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Justice

This last verse [Deut 10:19] contains a key idea: the care given by the community to its weakest members, and even to those who are not members at all, is to be a mirror of God’s own care for the Israelites when they were enslaved. The activities of the community are not undertaken on general principles; they arise out of the lively remembrance of God’s just and merciful initiatives with them (“A wandering Aramean was my father” — Deut. 26:5).

Because justice is such a central part of God’s nature, he has declared enmity against every form of injustice. His wrath will come upon those who have exploited the poor and weak; he will not permit his purpose to be subverted.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 110

All for Jesus (hymn)

459 All for Jesus

1 All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
   All my being’s ransomed pow'rs,
   all my thoughts and words and doings,
   all my days and all my hours.

2 Let my hands perform his bidding,
   let my feet run in his ways;
   let my eyes see Jesus only,
   let my lips speak forth his praise.

3 Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
   I’ve lost sight of all beside;
   so enchained my spirit’s vision,
   looking at the Crucified.

4 O what wonder! How amazing!
   Jesus, glorious King of kings,
   deigns to call me his beloved,
   lets me rest beneath his wings.
                         Mary D. James
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Hymnary.org inserts a verse:

3 Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
   cling to gilded toys of dust,
   boast of wealth and fame and pleasure;
   only Jesus will I trust.

</idle musing>

I'll Live for Him

453 I'll Live for Him

1 My life, my love I give to Thee,
   Thou Lamb of God who died for me;
   O may I ever faithful be,
   My Savior and my God!

Refrain:
   I'll live for him who died for me,
   How happy then my life shall be!
   I'll live for him who died for me,
   My Savior and my God!

2 I now believe thou dost receive,
   For Thou hast died That I might live;
   And now henceforth I'll trust in Thee,
   My Savior and my God! [Refrain]

3 O Thou who died on Calvary,
   To save my soul and make me free;
   I'll consecrate My life to Thee,
   My Savior and my God! [Refrain]
                         Ralph E. Hudson
                         Hymns for the Family of God

I Could Never Outlove the Lord

452 I Could Never Outlove the Lord

1 There've been times when giving and loving brought pain
   And I promised that I'd never let it happen again
   But I found out that loving is well worth the risk
   And that even in losing you win

Chorus
   I'm going to live the way He wants me to live
   I'm going to give until there's just no more to give
   I'm going to love, love till there's just no more love
   For I could never, ever out love the Lord

2 He showed us that only through dying we live
   And He gave when it seemed there was nothing to give
   He loved when loving brought heartache and loss
   He forgave from the old rugged cross [Chorus]
                         Gloria Gaither
                         Hymns for the Family of God

The irony of justice in this world

There is much irony here, for injustice is a threatening subject for the ruling classes who have the time and inclination for reading books like this one. Those who suffer most from injustice are the poorly educated, the impoverished, the invisible. Justice is involved with law and judges; the people most likely to suffer injustice cannot afford good lawyers, do not even know any lawyers, whereas lawyers and judges are the ones who have the money to buy books. In other words, those most likely to be affected by the issues raised in this chapter are least likely to be reading about them.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 107

I Need Jesus (Hymn)

450 I Need Jesus

1 I need Jesus, my need I now confess;
   No friend like Him in times of deep distress;
   I need Jesus, the need I gladly own;
   Tho' some may bear their load alone,
   Yet I need Jesus.

Chorus:
   I need Jesus, I need Jesus,
   I need Jesus every day;
   Need Him in the sunshine hour,
   Need Him when the stormclouds low'r;
   Every day along my way,
   Yes, I need Jesus.

2 I need Jesus, I need a friend like Him,
   A friend to guide when paths of life are dim;
   I need Jesus, when foes my soul assail;
   Alone I know I can but fail,
   So I need Jesus. (Chorus)

3 I need Jesus, I need Him to the end;
   No one like Him, He is the sinner's Friend;
   I need Jesus, no other friend will do;
   So constant, kind, so strong and true,
   Yes, I need Jesus. (Chorus)
                         George O. Webster
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Loosing sight of the cross

We have looked at passages from Paul’s Corinthian letters to show what happens to a church when it loses sight of the cross. Paul’s insistence on the “word of the cross,” then as now, causes offense, because a “Corinthian” church is self-congratulatory, certain of its own spiritual attainments, whereas the cross of Christ displays God’s leveling of all distinctions in his godless death.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 105

Speak, Lord, in the Stillness

444 Speak, Lord, in the Stillness

1 Speak, Lord, in the stillness
   speak your word to me;
   hushed my heart to listen
   in expectancy.

2 Speak, O gracious Master,
   in this quiet hour;
   let me see your face, Lord,
   feel your touch of power.

3 For the words you give me
   they are life indeed;
   living bread from heaven,
   now my spirit feed.

4 Speak, your servant listens,
   be not silent, Lord;
   let me know your presence;
   let your voice be heard.

5 Fill me with the knowledge
   of your glorious will;
   all your own good pleasure
   in my life fulfill.
                         Emily May Grimes Crawford
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Not a terribly popular hymn, only occurring in about forty hymnals. The biography link above is a bit strange, almost as if the person writing it had an axe to grind.
</idle musing>

Not ashamed?

The purpose of this chapter has been to show that God’s purpose is revealed not only in the fact of his Messiah’s death, but also in the mode of his death. We have attempted to say something about the depth of shame and ungodliness attached to crucifixion as a method, and to explain how much audacity and courage were required of the early Christians to proclaim a crucified Messiah to a world that could have been expected, then as now, to find such a message insupportable. Martin Hengel describes his research into “the constantly varying forms of abhorrence at the new religious teaching.” He shows us why such a highly educated, well-born person as Paul would feel constrained to say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.”—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 104 (emphasis original)

Tozer for Tuesday (on a Wednesday!)

The rank and file does not want to enter beyond the veil of self. It demands a life of holiness in order to enter.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 144

A poetic prayer

441 Prayer

More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day,
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friends,
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.
                        —Alfred Lord Tennyson
                         Hymns for the Family of God

In and through, not over and against!

Closely related is a striking passage in II Corinthians that begins: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself,” thereby nailing down the indispensable affirmation that the Father is acting, not over against the Son, but through and in the Son, whose will is the same as the Father’s. The awesome transaction is taking place within God.—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 100 (emphasis original)

Psalm 144 (paraphrased)

438 Psalm 144

O God, it is difficult to understand how You can regard man with such high regard and show him so much concern.
His years upon this earth are so few. He is little more than a wisp of wind in the time and space of Your great universe.
You created him as the object of Your love—only to see him turn from You to play with his foolish toys.
You tried to teach him to love his fellowman—only to see him express his fear and suspicion and hate through cruel acts of violence and war.
You showered upon him Your abundant gifts—only to see him make them his ultimate concern.
Still You continue to love him and seek incessantly to save him from destroying himself and the world You have placed in his hands.
Even while he rejects You, You reach out to draw him back to Yourself.
Even while he suffers the painful consequences of his rank rebelliousness, You offer to him Your healing and demonstrate Your desire to restore him to love and joy.
And when he finally turns to You, he finds You waiting for him, ready to forgive his sins and to reunite him to Your life and purposes once more.
That man who returns to his God is happy indeed!
He will forever be the object of God’s love and blessings.
                         —Leslie Brandt
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Pitied, petted, and pampered

THE CHURCH WORLD IS FULL of Christian professors and ministers, Sunday school teachers and workers, evangelists and missionaries in whom the gifts of the Spirit are very manifest, and who bring blessing to multitudes. However, when known ”close up,” they are found to be full of self.

They may have ”forsaken all” for Christ and imagine they would be ready, like the disciples of old, to die for their Master, but deep down in their hidden, private lives there lurks that dark, sinister power of self.

Such persons may wonder, all the while, why they do not have victory over their wounded pride, their touchiness, their greediness, their lovelessness, their failure to experience the promised "rivers of living water.” Ah, the secret is not far away. They secretly and habitually practice “shrine worship” at the shrine of self. There they bow daily and do obeisance. They are fundamental. In the outward Cross they glory, but inwardly they worship another god—and stretch out their hands to serve a pitied, petted, and pampered self-life.—L. E. Maxwell, Born Crucified, 65–66

Almost Persuaded

437 Almost Persuaded

1 “Almost persuaded” now to believe;
   “Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
   Seems now some soul to say,
   “Go, Spirit, go Thy way;
   Some more convenient day
   On Thee I’ll call.”

2 “Almost persuaded,” come, come today;
   “Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
   Jesus invites you here,
   Angels are lingering near,
   Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
   O wanderer, come.

3 “Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!
   “Almost persuaded” doom comes at last!
   “Almost” cannot avail;
   “Almost” is but to fail!
   Sad, sad, that bitter wail,
   “Almost,” but lost!
                         Philip P. Bliss
                         Hymns for the Family of God

For Those Tears I Died

436 For Those Tears I Died

1 You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
   You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows.
   I came so close to sending You away:
   But just like You promised You came here to stay,
   I just had to pray.

Chorus
   And Jesus said come to the water, stand by my side;
   I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied.
   I felt every teardrop when in darkness You cried;
   And I strove to remind you, that for those tears I died.

2 Your goodness so great, I can't understand.
   And dear Lord I know that all this was planned.
   I know You're here now and always will be;
   Your love loosed my chains and in You I'm free,
   But Jesus, why me? [Chorus}

3 Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul.
   I know that without You, I’d never be whole.
   Savior, You've opened all the right doors,
   And I thank You and praise You from Earth's humble shores,
   Take me I'm Yours.
                         Marsha Stevens
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
An old standby from early CCM, written in 1969. It only occurs in about 12 hymnals, but I recall singing it multiple times in Bible studies and small groups. It was on an album by Children of the Day that Debbie owned. For our wedding, as the closing song, we used their song, "Children of the Day."
</idle musing>