“I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away.”

“I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away.”

Hymn: “’Whosoever” Meaneth Me” – Words and Music by J. Edwin McConnell (1892-1954)
Tune: McCONNELL


How long has it been since you sang this old gospel song? For me, it’s been a while… probably years!

I know that as a kid growing up in First Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge, I never understood the title or the recurring text of the refrain. I remember translating the word meaneth as something bad I did… as in, I was really mean today. I honestly thought we were singing “Who’s so ever mean as me!” Even when I could read, it took me a while to figure out what the hymn was about.

In the old King James Version of scripture, Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” McConnell was actually saying “Whosoever” refers to me. All those ‘-eth’ words in the KJV were just confusing – still are!

However, I got the opening line of this old toe-tapping favorite of the country church: I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away. That’s pretty straight-forward; even a little boy in the Beginner Department understood that much – and so does this long-time qualifier for AARP discounts!

Remember how that cloud lingered over Joe Btfsplk in the comic strip L’il Abner? He was for a time America’s iconic jinxed individual… with an unpronounceable last name! That guy could have used a good dose of today’s hymn line!


Joe Btfsplk finally captured his cloud in a jar and for a short time had a pretty normal, happy life. I don’t recall his singing of this hymn line, but he could have. For the first time in his comic-strip life, he was happy, he could see the sun, the cloud had disappeared.

I’m happy most days. How about you? I hope you are, too. However, when the clouds block out the sun – and I’m not speaking meteorologically here – perhaps we need to find a good Mason jar, capture the hovering cloud, and tighten the lid. (I suddenly had a flashback to chasing down lightning bugs – fireflies – as a kid! Am I waxing nostalgic today, or what?!)

Cynthia Clawson – my very favorite hymn singer – recorded a song a few years ago on her River of Memories album on a text by Gloria Gaither. It has rung in my mind so many times when the clouds have overspread the sky and billows round me roll. Here is part of the text:


It won’t rain always.
The clouds will soon be gone
The sun that they've been hiding
Has been there all along.

Some of us are standing in the shadows when we should be stepping in the light.

 Weather-wise, it is a beautiful unclouded day in Texas! I’m sitting here on the back porch typing on my laptop, enjoying the morning – and I am happy today, and the sun shines bright. The clouds have been rolled away.

Grab a Mason jar and join me!

 

Hear a Quartet Sing This Hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=m4WY4791fGU

Hear Gary Chapman Sing This Hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rb4_3N3ErEA

Hear Cynthia Clawson Sing “It Won’t Rain Always”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dNXn-yAmxao

“Assist me to proclaim.”

 “Assist me to proclaim.”

Hymn: “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” – Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Typical Tune: AZMON


On any given Sunday, all around the world, preachers will preach, choirs will sing, praise teams will produce music, prayers will be lifted aloud, teachers will lead small-group Bible studies, someone will hear the gospel for the first time. And none of these can do it alone; they all need the some assistance. 

Our gracious Master intends to be the Helper of those who proclaim the gospel in church buildings great and small, ornate and simple, long-established or store-front. The danger – yea, even the scary part - is when folks stand before others to expound on the tenets of the faith without first asking God’s backing – his undergirding… his assistance.

 The Broadway Show Les Miserables features a wonderful song “On My Own.” It is one of many show-stopping melodies. Some of us who serve as worship leaders join Eponine’s sentiment and think we can do this sacred task on our own… that our talents and perhaps our education will carry us through. Under our own power, we are powerlessly ineffective. The right words may be spoken, the exact notes may be sung to the proper rhythms – but they become as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. They become full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

 Just because someone shakes your hand and says, “Good job today,” doesn’t mean a whole lot to any of us when we realize that we have gone it alone—on our own.

 In public worship and in personal evangelism… at every turn in life’s road, we need to constantly be calling out for assistance, crying out for help as we proclaim the goodness of God.  Don’t wait until you are in hopeless distress to send up an S.O.S.

  Today and every day: My gracious Master and my God, assist me.

 

Listen to an Arrangement from Coral Ridge Presbyterian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=C1YPmQibTRw

“O hope of every contrite heart! O joy of all the meek!”

 

“O hope of every contrite heart! O joy of all the meek!”


Hymn: “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee” – 12th Century Latin Hymn
(Translated by Edward Caswall -1814-1878)
Typical Tunes: ST. AGNES

This hymn is all about Jesus; from first to last, he is central. Here, he is the hope of the contrite and the joy of the meek. Let’s try to understand those two fairly misunderstood words – contrite and meek – so that we don’t miss out on the hope and joy.

Although the contrite person is one who is sorry for what they’ve done, its use here and other places in Christian writings goes a bit deeper. Although found only four or five times in Scripture, the call to being repentant flows throughout Holy Writ. It goes beyond regretting single sinful actions; it is being truly aware that without Christ, we are hopeless because Christ’s mission was/is to save us from our sinful condition. When we recognize our condition in light of his holiness and perfection, we are truly contrite… ashamed… ultimately sorry. Then the sinful void is filled with hope, and Jesus becomes “the hope of every contrite heart.”

Meek is not a synonym for “weak.” You’ve heard that before, but I’m here to remind you! While at its core, the meek person is a humble person, more pertinent to those of us who are about growing in our faith need to aim for the deeper meaning: submission. The meek are those who are compliant to the will of God, whose lives are ultimately shaped by the hand of the Almighty. This submissive posture will likely manifest itself in the gentle, mild-mannered behavior and attitude most commonly associated with meekness because Jesus is in fact “the joy of all the meek.”

Need a little hope and joy today? Recall the sorry state from which you have been redeemed and make yourself pliable to the molding hands of Christ – be more elastic than static. Have a hope-filled joyful day.

 

from the Mormon Tabernacle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqUZd5hYLKk

 

 

“Hide me, O my Savior, hide till the storm of life is past.”

 

"Hide me, O my Savior, hide till the storm of life is past.”

Hymn: “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” – Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tunes: MARTYN, REFUGE

This is a plea for Christ to cover us or tuck us away near to the heart of God during a rough patch… a difficult stretch… possibly a more-than-we-can-handle day.

I remember vividly a preacher at a national conference of church musicians telling a room full of worship-planners that we should never sing this hymn again because it encourages us to hide instead of fighting - taking a stand or being “out there” - taking on the world as it comes. I remember my brain screaming, “What?! Is this guy serious?” He may have been a famous pulpiteer with a large following, but on that one, he was wrong.

There are days we need to be covered, drawn nearer, shadowed ‘neath the wings of the Almighty. The storm of life may be as simple as feeling inadequate or insignificant; it may be a family or worldwide tragedy; it may be a prognosis. Whatever it is, we seek refuge in the cleft of the Rock of Ages.

An old southern gospel song that I cherish to this day is “Where Could I Go But to the Lord?” Along with today’s Wesley hymnline and many others like it from scripture and from hymnal-pages, we get the answer to that toe-tapping question: nowhere.

I am not ashamed to tell you that with Corrie Ten Boom, I often cry out to God for a hiding place where my attention is drawn from the momentary or long-term thunder storm or tornadic activity in which I find myself – drawn instead to the hope and eventual joy with which I emerge to forge ahead, at least until the next down pour. I don’t think that makes me less brave; I think it makes me more reliant on the Source of any spiritual bravery I might muster to outlive the storm.

Rock of Ages, let me hide in thee once again… and again, and again. I have nowhere else to go. Amen.

 

[This artwork was used in a STAT magazine article to demonstrate how younger Navajo people have been protective of their elders during the COVID-19 epidemic.]

Hear Fernando Ortega Sing This Hymn (REFUGE tune) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffUsrMJAxeQ

“Out of life’s storms and into thy calm, out of distress to jubilant psalm, Jesus, I come to thee.”

 “Out of life’s storms and into thy calm, out of distress to jubilant psalm, Jesus, I come to thee.”


Hymn: “Out of My Bondage, Sorrow and Night” – William T. Sleeper (1819-1904)
Tune: JESUS, I COME

A couple of storm-tossed Bible stories come to mind here: Jonah’s voyage inside the giant fish, and Jesus’ calming the sea. A hymn or two cross our minds as well: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,” and “Master, the tempest is raging; the billows are tossing high.” We study and sing much about turbulence turning to tranquility. There is a good reason for that.

There are few days which do not bring with them a certain amount of disruption, perhaps to the point of upheaval. I feel the earth move under my feet… and there’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on. We want to cry out, “There’s a storm a’ comin’, Auntie Em!” In the midst of those uprisings, monumental and/or minuscule, we are often thrown off course, tossed about or capsized by it all.

Out of whatever it is that disquiets us, we come to Jesus for calm. In all truth, it is not until the post-storm serenity has settled in that we breathe a sigh of relief and utter at least one sincere “Thank you, Jesus” before we move ahead with our day.

My favorite slant on this hymnline comes in the second phrase, indicating that out of distress comes song. For those of us who are musically bent… or have praise leanings… we get that phrase, we chew on it, we ponder it, we agree with it wholeheartedly. Who has not risen from the real or imagined ashes with a song of praise – a psalm, if you will - on their lips? Few, if any. And for most of us, that musical expression may well be one of the great hymns or a fragment thereof.

Basking in calmness seems incomplete unless out of the steadied situation rises the steady beat.

The song you hear may not be “Here I come to save the day!” But it may well be “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed.” Your response may not be “I did it my way,” but “To God be the glory, great things he hath done” yet again and again!

You may go down fighting, but always come up singing!

 

Enjoy the richness of hearing this hymn sung in Dutch... proof that you don’t need the words to understand the strength of the message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odnQNEUTroQ

“Praise with elation! Praise ev’ry morning, God’s recreation of the new day!”

“Praise with elation! Praise ev’ry morning, God’s recreation of the new day!”

Hymn: “Morning Has Broken” – Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)
Tune: BUNESSAN

Elation is one of those super-superlative words: it’s a word we reserve for true excitement… probably about as excited as we can get! So this early morning praise should be done with exhilaration and enthusiasm. [You know that enthusiasm has at its root “theos”; so it originally meant excited about God!] The assigning of worthiness should be unbridled… nothing held back.

I’ve always wondered if the next line is about God’s re-creating a new day for us to enjoy… or if it means that his providing a fresh start for his creation is a form of recreation… like we use the word for something we do in our spare time to re-energize ourselves. I think it could mean either one, and I’m not sure anyone ever pegged down the English author of children’s stories and plays to find out.

On some days I hear it as re-creation… on others, I think of it as recreation. Either way, God is to be praised for providing us with yet another morning – a start-over point.

My favorite moment from the movie version of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is when the cast realizes they have not handled the Messiah appropriately and begins to board the bus as they sing, “Could we start again please?” Each fresh morning is God’s answer to that question: “Yes, you may.”

From Lamentations 3:22-23 – “The Lord treats us with great loving-kindness, and it is new every morning.”

https://youtu.be/3xkp8aIpYLw

 

 

“Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side.”

 “Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side.”

Hymn: “Be Still, My Soul” – Katharina von Schlegel (1752)
Tune: FINLANDIA (Sibelius)

From first to last, this is probably one of THE pithiest hymn texts. It seems as if every phrase is rife with good theology. Grab your hymnal and read through all the stanzas. Please “bear patiently” as we visit this first line.

The theme of this hymn is much like the well-beloved “It Is Well with My Soul” text; it does, however, approach the soul-wellness from several different angles. Like our annual wellness visit to the doctor, we might use it as a check-up of benchmarks.

How many times a week do I say to myself, “Just calm down. Take it easy. Don’t over-react. Keep your cool.” In other words, I have to re-convince my soul to be still. Usually I do this to avoid some unnecessary conflict or outburst. Often this inner-self conversation occurs in traffic!

I need to move beyond the first phrase of this hymnline to remember that I am not alone – that God is on my side. I’ve heard people say that God does not take sides. I think, on the other hand, that God is on everybody’s side... and mine is the one that matters when struggles arise.

“Fear not. The Lord is with you.” This blessed assurance appears often in scripture – so many times that it must be a message God is trying to get through to us! “The Lord is with you.” “The Lord is on your side.” “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Our souls can be stilled by comforting statements like these.

For the next few days, I’m going to repeat this hymnline as needed. It might well be just the prescription the Doctor ordered for my un-ordered life. Join me in that.

“Be still, souls. The Lord is on our side.”


Hear David Archuleta Sing This Hymn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6xHdlLIMEk

 

 

“Fully absolved through these I am.”

 

 “Fully absolved through these I am.”

Hymn: “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” – Nicolaus L. von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)
[Translated by John Wesley]
Common Tunes: ST. CRISPIN, GERMANY


Count Zinzendorf was a German Moravian who wrote several hymns. This one and “Jesus, Still Lead On” are probably his two most famous. He also wrote “Christian Hearts, in Love United” and “O Thou to Whose All-Searching Sight.”

Here, he makes a simple, forthright statement of our redeemed condition: We have been fully absolved “through these”: the blood and righteousness of Jesus. Here is the full hymnline:
            Fully absolved through these I am
            From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

We Protestants shy away from the use of the term “absolution” because it has been connected with the Roman Catholic Church since the 13th Century. In that tradition, the priest pronounces the penitent one – the sinner – forgiven. By its basic definition, however, it is the act of forgiving someone for wrongs done. We would understand this to be a pronouncement from the High Priest – Christ himself.

FULL absolution… complete pardon…total remission… amnesty without strings attached. In the modern court system, we use the word “exoneration” to express this act.

When I stand and sing with boldness, “Fully absolved through these I am,” there a definite sense of assurance in my voice and in my spirit. It could almost be followed by “no doubt about it.”

May we never lose sight of the significance of the fact that we are absolutely absolved.



This Hymn Sung to the ST. CRISPIN Tune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU23M_vSdkU

“Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope.”

 

 “Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope.”

Hymn: “I Am Thine, O Lord” – Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
Tune: I AM THINE

“Why so downcast, O my soul?” asks the Psalmist. (42:5) In the lives of biblical heroes like Elijah and Jonah, we find them in this moping stage. This state-of-being is not something new.

In today’s culture, most people seem to walk looking down; have you noticed that? The heads-up, confident gait is rare. Even when not texting, folks seem to be more concerned with their immediate path than where they are headed. I admit that after a couple of falls, tripping over an un-level paver in the sidewalk is not something I look forward to!

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether or not our inner-selves… our souls… are downcast? Are we concentrating on the problems that might arise? Are we afraid we might trip up? Are we already up to our knees – or necks – in difficulty?

In almost every hymn by Fanny Crosby, the blind poet throws in a “seeing” analogy. This use of “look” is the one she uses here.

Like the hymn “My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” this phrase calls us to “turn (y)our eyes upon Jesus” with a great sense of hope – to return to a more confident faith-walk, no longer watching our feet, but looking ahead for the “footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow,” believing that they will never lead us where we should not go.

The line appropriately completes itself like this: “Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in thine.”  We are rarely lost on life's path if our intentions are truly lost in God's will.

Chin down? Chin up? Soul down? Soul up? These are reasonable questions to ask as we walk through life. Like in most things, the up-side seems preferable, don’t you think?

Listen to a Celtic Setting of This Hymn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIBWJ3I5l2w&list=RDTIBWJ3I5l2w