a thought for your day

top 100 hymns

Sherry has tabulated the results of the 100 top hymn meme she got going some weeks ago. She's posting results throughout June. Keep track of the countdown here.

Are you finding many of your favorites on the list? I certainly am!

promptings top ten hymns countdown - 2, 1

(This is my fifth and final post of favorite hymns for Semicolon's top 100 hymns project.
#1, #2, #3, #4)


2. "Of the Father's Love Begotten" - 413
by Aurelius C. Prudentius, Translated by John M. Neale 1818-1866 and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977. "Divinum mysterium", Plain-song tune, 12th century

I first heard this song sung by the Amadeus Children's Choir when our daughter sang in it. At the beginning of the Christmas concert the children entered the auditorium singing it in their clear, pure voices. What a heavenly sound!

Since then it has become one of my favorite hymns. Its beautiful lyrics and plaintive tune make it unforgettable.





1. "A Mighty Fortress" - 1529
Text: Martin Luther Trans. by Frederick H. Hedge
Music: Martin Luther Harmony
Tune: EIN' FESTE BURG

"In the forward of a book, Luther once wrote: 'Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treaure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts and spirits.'

...Luther's most famous hymn is "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott," -- "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Based on Psalm 46, it reflects Luther's awareness of our intense struggle with Satan. In difficulty and danger, Luther would often resort to this song" (p. 15, Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan).

I would say it never fails to encourage me too!



Hymn stories are quoted or adapted from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan.

modern biblical artists

One of the things I enjoy about putting up my kids' devotionals is finding illustrations to go along with each story. A web site that has helped me immeasurably with this is Biblical Art on the WWW.

I actually have this page bookmarked. It lists the books / main epochs of the Old Testament. Clicking on any topic takes you to a page of the topic broken down into the events or stories of that time, each of which leads to a page of thumbnails. Clicking on any one of those takes you to a link of where the illustration is found on the Internet. It was through that site I found a thumbnail of this wonderful illustration of David, celebrating as he brought the ark into Jerusalem.


Many of these illustrations are in the public domain. This one, however, is not, as Darlene Slavujac is very much alive. However, this painting so captures the joy and energetic worship of the story, I decided to contact the artist and ask for permission to use it on Bible Drive-thru.

Ms. Slavujac graciously gave her permission. Thus a larger view of her painting is on yesterday's post. She also told me a little about the painting. Her husband (who has since died) was the model for David. She is the one playing the harp. This post is illustrated with her painting of the child Samuel and Eli. On her site are many other paintings and works for sale. (I'm thinking - Christmas gift possibilities...)

Another working artist I found through the Biblical Art On the WWW site is Diana Shimon. Here is her rendering of Elisha leaving his oxen and running after Elijah, with thumbnails linking more or her Children's Illustrated Bible pictures here. Graham Kennedy of The Bible Illustration Blog interviewed this Soviet emigre to Israel recently. That interview is here.

I love these new Bible story illustrations. Many of them are rich with details that suggest the artist has spent time soaking in the Scriptures and researching the biblical culture in which the stories are rooted. If I had another lifetime, I would be an artist and paint Bible story pictures like Darlene Slavujac or Diana Shimon.

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More: Check out this complete Gospel of John illustrated cartoon style by Keith Neely.

magnify

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3 (NKJV)

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Photo: Beach pea

cover the earth!

Yesterday was one of my favorite Sundays of the whole year in church – the first Sunday of missions conference. This is when everyone is encouraged to come dressed in traditional costumes and there is a flag parade. As a member of the choir for the last two years, the costume part is not optional. Last year, my first in the choir, I trekked to my local Salvation Army thrift store and bought a beautiful purple sari just for the occasion. Yesterday I put it on again and joined everyone else in ethnic duds – from Canadian hockey jerseys to the get-up of African chiefs.

So imagine the scene. As we’re singing these words

"Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven
All of the earth is before You
All of the nations adore You
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven
Cover the earth...As the waters cover the sea, cover the earth... "

- by Houghton / Cruse Ratcliff

people are parading the flags of the nations of the world to all parts of the auditorium. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it – it’s here, you can see it for yourself (the flag parade starts about 4 minutes in)*.

After that, we sang "O Sifuni Mungu" – a song in Swahili (originally done by First Call). Don’t miss pastor’s instructions on how to accompany your singing with some African dance steps, as they would do it in Uganda. Just imagine – heaven will be even better!

(*The video clip is far from DVD picture and sound quality but it gives an idea.)

throwing off the michal spirit

At the end of last Sunday evening’s night of worship, I noticed Heather leave her spot in the choir. A minute later I caught sight of her twirling, leaping, pirouetting as she did her own little dance at the side of the stage. What kind of praise needed to come out in such an extravagant way, I wondered.

I was reminded of Heather yesterday morning when I read about the woman who poured costly perfume on Jesus’ head. Jesus loved it. The disciples not so much. They murmured amongst themselves saying, what a waste and couldn’t it have been sold and the money given to the poor? I sense in their reaction almost an embarrassment – for themselves and for Jesus. How did He manage to attract such bizarre and fanatical behavior? Their reaction was not unlike that of another critic of expressive worship, David’s wife Michal.

I have been guilty of the Michal spirit myself. We used to go to churches where worship was pretty much non-expressive. Aside from the odd tear perhaps and very proper clapping when the leader invited it, we sang beautifully but stone-faced. None of this hands in the air, jumping around business we experienced when we started attending a Pentecostal church almost seven years ago. But here the people get free from wild and zany ways, addictions, hopelessness and bound-up lives. And there’s all kinds of ways that freedom is expressed from kneeling to lying on the floor to hands in the air, clapping, and dancing. Not everybody worships that way of course. But you’re free to if you wish.

At first I struggled often with a Michal spirit. What was this craziness? How undignified! What would my calm-and-cool worshiping friends think? I’m not sure when it stopped bothering me. Maybe it was the cumulative effect of all those testimonies I heard from the baptismal tank. My attitude also changed when I studied the Bible accounts of extravagant worship and came to see what they really are – sincere attempts by mere mortals to express some measure of praise and adoration and thanks to God for who and what He is. I’m sure my attitude was helped when I decided to no longer judge their motives as being showoffy and exhibitionist. They’re not worshiping me, after all, or others in the church, but God. He’s more than sufficient to see into their hearts.

I’m loving my extravagantly worshiping church more all the time. It sure didn’t hurt either when after watching Heather Sunday night I happened to glance, yesterday, at the February issue of the B.C. Christian News. There on page 3 is Heather’s testimony. It’s also online here. Reading that is almost enough to make a staid mama like me cut a caper!