"We will walk and worship ever."

Hymn: “Shall We Gather at the River” – Words & Music by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)

Tune: HANSON PLACE

It’s Sunday morning again, so it seems apropos to use a hymnline like this one. Although it is in the middle of a gospel song often used in conjunction with river baptisms, it is a text about our gathering at the heavenly river – the one that flows right by the throne of God – where the saints gather to join in the final, eternal worship of him who sits on that throne.

One of my favorite places to visit in the state of Texas is San Antonio. We welcomed the 21^st Century in there on December 31, 1999... the night the technological system was to implode world was supposed to end. We’ve been there several times since we moved back to this part of the world. We enjoy the food, the history and the culture, but we LOVE the River Walk, especially when the weather is nice and it’s not all that crowded. It is made for peaceful, hand-holding strolls. When we can afford it, we stay in one of the hotels with balconies overlooking the canal; that way, we can step out the door and be on our happy way.

Walking is a good physical activity, but there’s something cathartic about placing one foot in front of the other with a rhythmic pattern that seems to free the heart and soul. For some reason, it’s even better when done along water… the beach, the lakeside, the mountain stream.

On the other side of eternity, we will have the privilege of being pedestrian in our worship… not because worship will be uninteresting or dull, but because we will accept our role as a holy pedestrian; even as we walk – in fact, in everything we do - our attention will be centered on the One with whom we will spend the rest of our days. For those of us whose main ‘button’ is worship, this is what we look most forward to.

Today can be a practice session for the nothing-but-worship life which we anticipate.

Hear an an unaccompanied singing of this hymn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JPFkuGRG4jA

"Mercy higher than the heavens, deeper than the deepest sea."

Hymn: “All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus” – Words & Music Thoro Harris (1873-1955)

Tune: HARRIS

The more I talk to friends nearer my age, I realize how many of us grew up with an uncomfortable fear of an angry God. I never heard Jonathan Edwards preach, but I think his sermon must have still been reverberating throughout many churches in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. Many of us were guilted into many (if not most) of our spiritual decision-making. I’m not exactly sure why, but it seems to be a negative common denominator for my generation of evangelicals.

When I actually came face to face with the mercy of God as revealed and demonstrated through his Son, it was as if some bright light went off in my head/heart, and maybe for the first time, I got it. The cross-event took on a different meaning, my reason for being in the kingdom had a new significance, and my outlook on all of life shifted. My opinion on God was broadened, and so was my acceptance of other kingdom people.

This higher-than-the-heavens, deeper-than-the-deepest-sea mercy is worth more of our attention. We should never lose sight of THAT feature of God, because when we do, we are blinded to the real greatness of God. I’ve said before that mercy and grace are two of my favorite attributes of God, and here I am saying it again – partly for my own benefit – to keep me from falling back into my guilt-ridden judgmental old self.

When I “talk God” with my closest comrades in the faith, I am warmed by the fact that we share a better, positive common denominator: we share the height and depth of mercy – and from that commonality springs joy… and peace that passes human understanding.

We people of God should not be known for our anger, judgmentalism, narrowness, exclusiveness – but for our mercy and acceptance… like that of the Savior to whom we claim total allegiance. Then when we stand to sing hymnlines like this one, we will mean it!

Hear This Hymn Sung by Women’s Group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L3xPrC_GMXo

"Early let us do thy favor. Early let us do thy will, blessed Lord."

Hymn: “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” – Dorothy A. Thrupp (1779-1847)

Tune: BRADBURY

Are you a morning person? I am. I tend to get a lot accomplished in the earliest part of the day. Generally speaking, I don’t sleep very well; so I am not the kind who leaps out of bed to cheerfully greet the morning! But once I’m up and have a couple of cups of freshly-ground coffee in my system, I’m probably at my best. I used to wish that choir rehearsals were first thing on Wednesday mornings instead of the last thing on Wednesday evenings!

This hymnline from a lady who was born in England at the end of the American Revolution opens the final stanza of a hymn which is loved by most all Christian congregations. It encourages us to go ahead and get on with our seeking of Christ’s favor and the doing of his will. Pleasing the blessed Lord is something we should not wait around to do.

We can look at this as a call to seek out God early on in our pilgrimage; or we might see it as a way to begin each day. First thing off the pillow, I may need to say, “I’m going to seek your favor today. I’m going to try to do your will.” We might even need to do this at the first of every hour… even the first of every minute… because we sometimes forget!

Either way, let this hymnline remind us to make our continuing relationship with Jesus a first priority in our lives – day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

Most of you probably read these early in the day; you use them as a morning devotional thought. If that’s the case, it’s not too late to start of your day seeking the favor or the One who loved us and who loves us still.

Piano Setting of this hymn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RcNLvufzbz0

"When perils o'ertake us, you will not forsake us."

Hymn: “We Praise Thee (You), O God, Our Redeemer” – Julia Cady Cory (1882-1963)

Typical Tune: KRESMER

Ever get separated from your parents when you were a child? Even now, years later, a certain chill probably went down your spine at the very remembering of such an experience.

The one that comes to mind for me was in Atlantic Mills in Knoxville where I had gone to shop with my parents. Atlantic Mills was much like our current K-Mart or a Wal-Mart, but this was in the early 1950’s before either of those came into being. It was like a bargain basement gone haywire – so much stuff to look at, so little time.

I could have used the “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it” text here, because as a preschooler I was Curious (Ronald) George. Even then, I had to figure out how everything worked. I simply could not stay close to a parent, especially in a huge store like this with aisle after aisle of things I had never seen before. Sure enough, I was prone to wander off and found myself in another aisle, holding on to the skirt of someone else’s mother!

I will never forget the terror that welled up within me… or the blood-curdling scream that came forth from my tiny vocal cords! “Where’s my mama?” I cried. “She left me here all by myself!”

That my-sheep-hear-my-voice thing kicked in, and Hedy came flying around the corner to sweep me up and assure me that she had not left me. We immediately left without buying anything. We found Daddy sitting on a bench out front… smoking, of course … totally unaware of why Mama was in a tizzy, I was weeping uncontrollably, and we were suddenly hurrying back home to Pigeon Forge.

Why is it when we are caught up in the perils of being lost that we automatically assume that we have been abandoned? I’m the one who had wandered off; my mother hadn’t even had time to miss me! But I was confident that my parents had just dropped me off there and gone out to shop for another similar model of cute little boys equipped with a charming smile and a quick wit. (!)

Anytime I come across a hymn-phrase that reminds me that God “will not forsake us,” I have a flashback to Atlantic Mills – I’m serious, folks; I really do! And I recall that I had moved into unknown territory, and that it turned out that I had not been deserted after all – and I won’t ever be abandoned by my heavenly Father. Forsaking is not in his nature. And somewhere deep inside my terrified self, I heave a sigh of great relief… and head on home.

The St. Olaf Choir Sings This Hymn

"How much I love thee, my actions will show."

"How much I love thee, my actions will show."

Hymn: “I Love Thee” – Writer unknown

Tune: I LOVE THEE

We have no idea who wrote this hymn, but it continues to be sung with some regularity in churches who still sing the sturdy texts. I like Laurie Klein’s chorus “I Love You, Lord,” but it doesn’t come at the subject with quite as much intensity or from as many directions.

This is one of those hymn-lines which needs no further discussion: it says what it needs to say and is poignant on its own. I will, of course, expound upon it… like preachers who continue to sermonize on those straight-forward scriptures.

While teaching a children’s song years ago, I discovered an easy way to remember the nine fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: the first three are one syllable (love, joy, peace), the next three are two syllables (patience, kindness, goodness), and the final grouping has three syllables each (faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

These nine attributes pretty much get at how we best express our love – how we demonstrate our commitments. (If you’ve heard me do a wedding, you’ve likely heard me use this passage.) While they are not all what an English teacher would dub “action verbs,” they all imply ways in which we act out that which is becoming our nature.

In the NIV, Paul summarizes this section with “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (v. 25)

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” said Elizabeth Barrett Browning. To refresh your memory (speaking of English teachers!), here’s that full sonnet:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

“I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach… freely, purely, with passion.” How profound is that? How appropriate to our understanding of how our actions can dramatize our love beyond the footlights of our everyday strutting and fretting our hours upon the stage.

How much do you love Christ? How can your actions show it? Take to the stage and act it out. Start today. Places everyone. Five minutes to curtain.

I cannot believe I could not find a video or audio

of this hymn online to share with you!