“Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art.”

Hymn: “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart” – George Croly (1780-1860)
Typical Tune: MORECAMBE

George Croly was an Irish poet, novelist, historian and Anglican priest. In spite of all his writings, this is his only hymn commonly included in Christian hymnals. I can identify!

In these hymnline posts I’ve often used the imagery of the parent bending down to lift up a child; it seems to be a common theme throughout hymnody. This one, however, seems a little more “grown up” and comes across more as a desperate plea for rescue from one’s weak estate, with full realization that the Spirit of God is strong enough to come to our aid. This might remind us of another hymnline: “I am weak, but thou art strong.”

The next line could almost be troubling: “And make me love thee as I ought to love.” We need not look at the word “make” as an activity performed against our will – like Flip Wilson’s “The Devil made me do it!” Here, it seems to me that we who are salvaged from our feebleness are asking that our response might be to love the One who bends down to free us… to save us from what seems like an inexorable, helpless condition. Perhaps we should look at it more as an artist who makes his/her media into something else – remakes clay into a vessel, paint into a portrait, sounds into music… or words into poetry which eventually becomes a hymn for congregational singing.

Admitting our weakness, crying out for recovery, allowing transformation to occur. This is a pretty good pattern for rededicating one’s life.

This Hymn Sung

“Gushing from the rock before me, lo a spring of joy I see.”

Hymn: “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” – Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915)
Tune: ALL THE WAY

The joy of the Lord rarely comes as a trickle.

While writing this second stanza of one of her best-known hymns, Fanny Crosby seems to be channeling the Children of Israel on their Exodus trek. She mentions following the meandering route and being fed the living bread – manna. Then comes this description of their situation:
    “Though my weary steps may falter,
    and my soul athirst may be,
    Gushing from the rock before me,
    lo a spring of joy I see.”

Although the pilgrimage to the Promised Land is punctuated by an arguable event (whether or not Moses followed Jehovah’s directive or whether he took credit for the miracle), this fact remains: water gushed forth from a rock and the people were satiated. Not only were they in a quest to quench their lips, their souls were also athirst.

With the herded Hebrews, we look to the Rock because we wish to be slaked of our soul’s dehydration.

This gushing is something to which we can relate in nature – Old Faithful, Niagara Falls, the Holana Blowhole on Oahu – and in man-made fountains, broken water mains, and the Bellagio Hotel. People stand in line to watch these things happen because there is such a display of might and pent-up force. Rarely, if ever have we stood in line to watch a dripping faucet or a trickling stream.

So it is for us whose inner self is a-dry. The joy of the Lord gushes forth with such potency that we can hardly take it in to its fullness.

Stand back, folks. A gushing spring of joy is on its way!

Wintley Phipps Sings This Hymn

“By morning glow or evening shade God’s watchful eye ne’er sleepeth.”

Hymn: “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above” – Johann J. Schutz (1640-1690)
Common Tune: MIT FREUDEN ZART

The effect of this hymnline will vary for some of us. If you see the ever-watchful eye of God as being protective and providing security, you will find this to be a reassuring truth. On the other hand, if you picture God as keeping an eye on you and taking note of your every mis-step, you won’t be drawn to it! I hope you fall into the former.

My favorite chorus from ELIJAH is probably “He watching over Israel slumbers not nor sleeps,” (Psalm 21:4) because I find that concept reassuring. If I call upon him at any hour, I will not hear, “I’m away from my desk right now. Please leave a message, and I will get back to you at my first convenience.” – or get an email out-of-the-office response.

I’ve never thought of God’s around-the-clock awareness of my situation to be surveillance – some corner-mounted camera system relaying images to a bank of video screens, checking up on my behavior… making a list and checking it twice. That is contrary to my concept of the loving, caring Provider/Sustainer.

However, his never-napping nature is to me a blessed re-assurance that I am never out of his sight – and though he is keeping an eye on all his children, I am confident that he has excellent peripheral vision!

Psalm 139:3 – “You know when I rise and when I lie down. You are acquainted with everything about my life.”

May that scripture and today’s hymnline be an affirmation.

Arthur Nobile, Jr. Plays This Hymn (Turn your volume down!)

Disclaimer: I have to admit that every time I sing this hymnline, I am reminded of Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's wonderful TV show from the early 1990's: EVENING SHADE.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.”

Hymn: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – Robert Robinson (1735-1790)
Typical Tunes: NETTLETON, WARRENTON

I have to admit that every time I sing this hymn, as the words “prone to wander” cross my lips, I honestly confess, “That’s me!” In spite of a life-long faith experience – pre-natal actually – I have a tendency to wander off… to go astray.

I’m glad hymn-writers toss in these little aphorisms that remind us to be up-front with God and with ourselves. I don’t necessarily need to turn to those sitting around me and admit my proclivity to drift; it is, however, in my best interest to have a “come to Jesus” (literally) about my condition.

One of the most dangerous things that can happen in one’s Christian life is when one begins to think they have arrived – that they are above the possibility of falling back into their human inclinations, leaning away from the call of God on their life.

Hopefully, none of us finds ourselves de-railed – completely off track in our relationship with the Living Christ. We may, on the other hand, be closer the edge than we want to acknowledge.

Not wandering off is an important part of following. Our predisposition may be to go off course, but our commitment is to trace the steps… the example… of the Leader.

Let this hymnline continue to remind us to fall in line behind the One who would never lead us where we should not go.

Stonebriar Community Church - Frisco, TX

“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 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 ashamed 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 mold-able to the movement of Christ within you – be more elastic than static. Have a hope-filled joyful day.

from the Mormon Tabernacle