O Christ, Who Hast Prepared A Place ~ Hymn

John 14: 1-6 ~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answererd, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

O Christ, Who Hast Prepared A Place

O Christ, who hast prepared a place
For us around Thy throne of grace,
We pray Thee, lift our hearts above,
And draw them with the cords of love.

Source of all good, Thou, gracious Lord,
Art our exceeding great reward;
How transient is our present pain,
How boundless our eternal gain!

With open face and joyful heart,
We then shall see Thee as Thou art:
Our love shall never cease to glow,
Our praise shall never cease to flow.

Thy never-failing grace to prove,
A surety of Thine endless love,
Send down Thy Holy Ghost, to be
The raiser of our souls to Thee.

Words: Jean B. de San­teüil, in the Par­is Bre­vi­a­ry, 1686, p. 503 (No­bis, Olym­po red­di­tus); trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John Chandler, Hymns of the Prim­i­tive Church, 1837, p. 86.

ht: cyberhymnal

Indescribable ~ Worship Song

Indescribable

From the highest of heights
To the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing your majesty
From the colors of Fall
To the fragrance of Spring
Every creature unique
And the song that it sings
All exclaiming-

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And you know them by name
You are amazing, God
All powerful, untameable
Awestruck, we fall to our knees
As we humbly proclaim
You are amazing, God

Who has told every lightening bolt
Where it should go?
Or seen heavenly storehouses
Laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun
And gives source to the light?
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom-

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And you know them by name
You are amazing, God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart
And you love me the same
You are amazing, God

Written by Laura Story/ Additional lyrics by Jesse Reeves / copyright 2004 worshiptogether.com

I’m headed out of town without my computer. I won’t be back online until Tuesday. Blessings…

Thanks to God ~ Hymn

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

 Words: Au­gust L. Storm, in the Swed­ish Sal­va­tion Ar­my pa­per Strids-Ro­pet, 1891; trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by Carl E. Back­strom, 1931.

Come, Thou Almighty King ~ Hymn

Come, Thou Almighty King

Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy Name to sing, help us to praise!
Father all glorious, o’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!

Jesus, our Lord, arise,
Scatter our enemies, and make them fall;
Let Thine almighty aid our sure defense be made,
Souls on Thee be stayed; Lord, hear our call.

Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword, our prayer attend!
Come, and Thy people bless, and give Thy Word success,
Spirit of holiness, on us descend!

Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour.
Thou Who almighty art, now rule in every heart,
And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of power!

To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be, hence, evermore.
Thy sovereign majesty may we in glory see,
And to eternity love and adore!

Words: Some sources show the au­thor as “anon­y­mous.” Others cre­dit Charles Wes­ley, 1757. The words ap­peared in George White­field’s Col­lect­ion of Hymns for So­cial Wor­ship, 1757.

Music: Ital­i­an Hymn, Fe­lice de Gi­ar­di­ni, in The Col­lect­ion of Psalm and Hymn Tunes Sung at the Cha­pel of the Lock Hos­pi­tal, 1769. De Gi­ar­di­ni wrote the music spe­ci­fic­al­ly for this hymn. Al­ter­nate tune: Amer­i­ca, The­saur­us Mu­si­cus, 1744

In the days of the Amer­i­can Re­vo­lu­tion a con­gre­ga­tion of pa­tri­o­tic col­o­nists were wor­ship­ing in their church on Long Is­land when the ser­vice was in­ter­rupt­ed by the ar­riv­al of a com­pa­ny of Hess­ian troops. The cap­tain stalked up the aisle and com­mand­ed the people to sing “God Save the King.” The or­gan­ist start­ed the tune that we call “Amer­i­ca”; but the peo­ple, true to the cause of the Amer­i­can col­o­nies and to their God, sang this hymn.

ht: Cyberhymnal

I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone ~ Hymn

I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone

When I come to the river at the ending of day
When the last winds of sorrow have blown
There’ll be somebody waiting to show me the way
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

I won’t have to cross Jordan alone
Jesus died all my sins to atone
In the darkness I see he’ll be waiting for me
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

Often times I’m weary and troubled and sad
When it seems that my friends have all flown
There is one thought that cheers me and makes my heart glad
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

I won’t have to cross Jordan alone
Jesus died all my sins to atone
In the darkness I see he’ll be waiting for me
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

Though the billows of trouble and sorrow may sweep
Christ the Saviour will care for his own
Till the end of my journey my soul he will
keep and I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

I won’t have to cross Jordan alone
Jesus died all my sins to atone
In the darkness I see he’ll be waiting for me
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone

A dear friend is at death’s door and we are waiting to hear that she is finally in the arms of her Savior.

Grander Than Ocean’s Story ~ Hymn

Grander Than Ocean’s Story

Grander than ocean’s story,
Or songs of forest trees;
Purer than breath of morning,
Or evening’s gentle breeze;
Clearer than mountain echoes
Ring out from peaks above,
Rolls on the glorious anthem
Of God’s eternal love.

Dearer than any friendship
Our truest comrades show;
Stronger than all the yearning
A mother’s heart may know;
Deeper than earth’s foundations,
And far above all thought;
Broader than Heav’n’s high arches—
The love that Christ has brought.

Richer than all earth’s treasures,
The wealth my soul receives;
Brighter than royal jewels,
The crown that Jesus gives;
Wondrous the condescension,
And grace beyond degree!
I would be ever singing
The love of Christ to me.

Words: William F. Sherwin, (1826-1888).

The Patriot’s Prayer ~ Fanny Crosby

The Patriot’s Prayer

God of our sires that joyful sang,
While forest shades triumphant rang,
When on the wild New England shore,
Their sails were furled, their voyage o’er.
O Lord, defend Thy children yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget;
O Lord, defend Thy children yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget.

God of the brave that sought Thy aid,
And in Thy robe of strength arrayed,
They won for us beneath Thy care,
The flag we prize, the peace we share,
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget;
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget.

And when the call to arms again
Was heard afar o’er hill and plain,
Thy mighty hand upheld the right,
Thy love restored Thy banner bright,
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget;
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget.

God of our land, Thy gift so free,
O hear the prayer we breathe to Thee;
Let union’s bond our souls entwine,
And guard alike the palm and pine.
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget;
O Lord, defend our nation yet,
Nor let our hearts Thy name forget.

Words: Fanny Crosby, 1905

Psalm 27:3-4 (ESV)

 Though an army encamp against me,
   my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
   yet I will be confident.

 One thing have I asked of the LORD,
   that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
   all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
   and to inquire in his temple.

On Sunday in the States we are observing the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the United States. Our flag is flying at half staff and we put out about a hundred small flags in our yard. Josh and I picked up the small flags at the end of the Sounder’s soccer game yesterday where each seat had a flag for a special tribute during the game. When the game was over many people just left their flags behind so Josh and I gathered up a 100 of them! We pray every day that God will protect us from evil.

A Light Came Out of Darkness ~ Hymn

A Light Came Out of Darkness

A light came out of darkness;
No light, no hope had we,
Till Jesus came from Heaven
Our light and hope to be.
Oh, as I read the story
From birth to dying cry,
A longing fills my bosom
To meet Him by and by.

How tender His compassion
How loving was His call,
How earnest His entreaty
To sinners, one and all.
He wooed, and won them to Him
By love, and that is why
I long to be like Jesus,
And meet Him by and by.

Yet deeper do I ponder,
His cross and sorrow see,
And ever gaze and wonder
Why Jesus died for me.

And shall I fear to own Him?
Can I my Lord deny?
No! let me love Him, serve Him,
And meet Him by and by.

Words: William A. Hawley, 1901.

He Took My Feet from the Miry Clay ~ Traditional Spiritual

 

He Took My Feet from the Miry Clay

He took my feet from the miry clay,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!
And placed them on the rock to stay,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!

Refrain

I can tell the world about this,
I can tell the nations I’m blest,
Tell them that Jesus made me whole,
And He brought joy, joy to my soul!

O my Lord did just what He said,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!
He healed the sick and He raised the dead,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!

Refrain

O Jesus washed my sins away,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!
And made me happy all the day,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!

Refrain

He died on the cross to save my soul,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!
He ransomed me and made me whole,
Yes, He did! Yes, He did!

Refrain

Songs of Praise the Angels Sang

Songs of Praise the Angels Sang

Songs of praise the angels sang,
Heav’n with alleluias rang,
When creation was begun,
When God spoke and it was done.

Songs of praise awoke the morn
When the Prince of Peace was born;
Songs of praise arose when He
Captive led Captivity.

Heav’n and earth must pass away!
Songs of praise shall crown that day!
God will make new heav’ns and earth;
Songs of praise shall hail their birth.

And can man alone be dumb,
Till that glorious kingdom come?
No: the church delights to raise
Psalms, and hymns, and songs of praise.

Saints below, with heart and voice,
Still in songs of praise rejoice,
Learning here, by faith and love,
Songs of praise to sing above.

Borne upon their latest breath,
Songs of praise shall conquer death;
Then amidst eternal joy,
Songs of praise their powers employ.

Hymns of glory, songs of praise,
Father, unto Thee we raise;
Jesus, glory unto Thee,
With the Spirit, ever be.

Words: James Montgomery, 1819.

I read a verse this past week that I’ve been pondering. A familiar passage but something I didn’t notice in my readings in the past.

Matthew 18:10.

   10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.