Hymn: “I Must Tell Jesus” – Words & Music by Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929)
Tune: ORWIGSBURG
Prelude: Some of you may wonder how various hymn tunes get
their names. They are often named for a city or place of significance to the
writer. That is the case here: Hoffman’s hometown is Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania.
We’re back to a good old gospel song today. Those of us who cut
our musical/spiritual teeth on songs like this find ourselves singing them as
prayers (aloud or silently), especially just when we need him most. That need
may be to share some great, good news – and we run through the hallway joyfully
saying, “Who can I tell? Who can I tell?” At other times the need may be just the
opposite: we are so weighed down that we don’t know with whom we can share such
a burden, and we whisper into our chest, “Who can I possibly tell?” That’s the
kind of situation out of which this text emerges, emphasizing the trials,
burdens, distress, troubles, temptation, and evil allurement. And each downcast
stanza is followed by the closing words of the refrain: Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
We’ve all been there, done that… and have found it to be one
of the great truths of our hymnody.
Any time we congregate, we need to be reminded that those
people we are about to meet down at the church house are also people who are
(hopefully) willing to help us bear our burdens. They are there to be Christ for us… and we for them.
We meet together as a church family for many reasons – primarily worship
of the Everliving One. But let’s not overlook this burden-bearing ministry.
After all, anything considered a ministry in the church should be a place where
we step in and do what Christ would do if he were still among us in the flesh.
Since he is not, he has called us and empowered us by his Spirit to fill the
gap.
When you start to do any renovation on a building, you
have to be careful not to remove a load-bearing wall. Those around you in your church family serve as this load-bearing wall, giving you necessary support. Be careful not to remove them from your life by keeping those burdens to yourself without sharing the load. After all, it comes down to this: none of us can bear our burdens
alone.
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