"All the reach of heavenly art, all the pow'r of music bring."

"All the reach of heavenly art, all the pow'r of music bring."
Hymn: “Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above” – Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Common Tune: AMSTERDAM

Leave it to Charles Wesley to write a hymnline like this one… nestled within other great statements about who God is, what God does, and what God deserves. THIS line deals with the latter.

I’m teaching an Introduction to the Fine Arts class at Dallas Baptist University, and I absolutely love where my semi-retirement has taken me: into a college-level classroom on a Christian campus to talk about one of great passions – art! One of the things I emphasize with these students is that all art forms CAN be used to honor God. This hymnline supports that argument – that all the farthest reaches of heaven-given artfulness (or talent) can be called upon to praise the Lord who reigns above and keeps his court below.

My students think I’m just way too passionate about the arts. At every chapter, they hear me say, “Now this may be my favorite art form!” I AM passionate about the arts because they are lasting examples of creativity – God’s creative energy passing through the hearts, minds, feet, hands and mouths of his created ones.

Music is a powerful art. It is common to every race and every culture. Wesley encourages us to apply that innate power of music to the unbridled praise of God.

Today’s hymnline ends with the modifying phrase, “… the music of the heart.” In order for music or any art form to be acceptable worship, it must come from the innermost depth of who we are. It must be a sincere, humble offertory. It must not be a self-aggrandizing display of one’s talent.

Many of us enjoy and appreciate the arts. Humanity's creative expression through the arts is one of the ways we are made in the image of God. It behooves us then to offer them back to God to honor him. I think he enjoys it when we do.

“All the reach of heavenly art, all the pow’r of music bring.” And I say, “Bring it on!”

Jakarta Oratorio Children’s Choir Sings a Setting of This Text


The AMSTERDAM Tune Sung by a Frequently-Breathing Soloist

"In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear."

Hymn: “In Heavenly Love Abiding” – Anna L Waring
Various Tunes – most common in the U.S. is NYLAND

This is my wife Carlita's favorite hymn, and it opens with these phrases:
    In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear;
    For safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here.

It’s a hymn about spiritual stability. When surrounded by and supported by the deep, deep love of Jesus, no matter how many storms rage about us, we have no reason to fear. There is a certain safety factor which is unsurpassed by another other shelter in the time of storm.

Our lives go through so many changes. Every paradigm seems to be shifting – and some of those paradigms have been our way of life, way of worship, way of doing things for all our years. But even when caught up in the squall of constant adjustments, we can be confident that this love of God has not and will not change… and neither will our relationship with God.

We can abide confidently in him as he abides in us… as branches – offshoots – of who God is, producing fruit in every season, even the tempestuous ones.

Lots of public buildings now have a sign on the outside that reads “Safety Zone.”  Those have been designated for people who are living their lives in fear of someone who may want to do them harm. We all desire a place we can count on – a hiding place. For those of us who seek him, God becomes for us that kind of refuge… our safety zone.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it, and they are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Need a place to hide out for a while? Start running away from your troubles; run instead toward that strong tower.


A Choir Sings the Familiar NYLAND Tune

"Shadows around me, shadows above me never conceal my Savior and Guide."

Hymn: “Heavenly Sunlight” – H. J. Zelley (1859-1942)
Tune: SUNLIGHT

You may not be familiar with the Schubert song “The Erl King” based on a poem by Goethe. But for me, it’s an image that comes up when I read this hymnline. The basic story is of a father racing through the woods on horseback with his dying, hallucinating son; it’s more complicated than that, but you can Google it and get the details! It’s not a Christian story; rather it stems from German folklore.

Anyway, as the shadows and darkness surround him, the boy keeps crying out, “My father! My father!” The horse gallops, the darkness becomes greater, and still the child begs his father to help him out of the agony of his sickness.

There are times when we are surrounded by great cloud of witnesses, and we are rejuvenated and empowered to face whatever comes our way. At other times, we may find ourselves encompassed by nothing but shadows and darkness trying their best it seems to rob us of our joy, our calling, our mission… even our life. The horse gallops, the darkness becomes greater.

But THIS song (unlike the Schubert) reminds me that even the darkness cannot hide God from view. See Psalm 139:12. Today’s hymnline tells me this about my dark days: “Shadows around me, shadows above me never conceal my Savior and Guide (because) He is the light. In him is no darkness.” I love it when kernels of truth and beauty are hidden in the middle of these toe-tapping gospel songs that we sometimes set aside as “fluff.”

Having one of those shadows-all-around-me kind of days… or weeks? Don’t let the gloom obscure the face of your Savior who wants to carry you past the dark vale into the light of a new, more productive day.

Hear the Gaither Gang Sing This Great Gospel Song

"The favor he shows and the joy he bestows are for them who will trust and obey."

Hymn: “Trust and Obey” – John H. Sammis (1846-1919)
Tune: TRUST AND OBEY

This is sort of staple hymn for evangelical churches… those who sing hymns-as-written and those who sing updated settings. That common usage is probably attributable to the simplicity of the text… and the different ways it approaches the subject of obedience that springs from trust.

I have heard many say that this hymn’s title pretty much sums up what becoming a follower of Jesus means: trust AND obey. That all-important conjunction makes a huge difference. You’ve probably seen those Ford commercials that spoof “bed or breakfast” and “nuts or bolts.” In every case, the people involved say they prefer “and”! It seems that is also what God prefers!

Today’s hymnline indicates some of what is in store for those who obediently trust God: on them God pours out his favor (approval) and a joy available through no other source. That approval or endorsement of God is high on most of our lists; we want to be pleasing in his sight – we want to stand unashamed in his presence. We seek the joy that becomes our strength, our undergirding, our overflowing fountain; we need look no further than God in Christ Jesus.

As this hymnwriter puts it, the favor and joy are not extended to those who are distrustful and disobedient – but only those who trust and obey, who walk with the Lord in the light of his Word. Available to all, but not acknowledged by all.

Join the couples in those Ford commercials: trust AND obey is to be preferred over trust OR obey any day!

Chelsea Moon Sings This Hymn a la Bluegrass!

Gary Chapman Talks about and Sings This Hymn

"Ask ye what great thing I know?"

Hymn: “Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know” – Johann C. Schwedler (1672-1730
Common Tune: HENDON

I rarely use the first line of a hymn as the hymnline for the day, but today I am!

You know the old jokes about how if when questioned in Sunday School, a child doesn’t know the answer, it’s usually a pretty safe bet he/she can reply, “Jesus” – and have a pretty good chance at being correct.

This hymn is basically a series of questions to which the answer IS “Jesus”! In fact, it’s “Jesus Christ, the crucified (One).”

Here are some of the questions:
- Do you ask what is the greatest thing I know?
- Do you wonder what delights and stirs me so deeply?
- What is the high reward I win by following this faithful path?
- Whose name do you think I glory in?
- What the strong foundation of my faith?
- What awakens my lips to sing?
- Who is the center of my life (life in life)?
- Who will ultimately be the death of death?
- On whose right will I be seated along with all the host of saints who have gone ahead of me into the glorious rest?

It’s almost like a catechism. Questions are posed and correct, learned answers are repeated. Quite honestly, for the true follower of Christ, this IS the answer to all these questions. Fortunately, unlike the formal catechism, the answers don’t change… only the questions do!

The final stanza is one long answer:
     This is that great thing I know!
     This delights and stirs me so:
     Faith in him who died to save,
     Him who triumphed o’er the grave:
     Jesus Christ, the Crucified!

Go back and read through the list again, and see if you can honestly answer “Jesus… the One who was crucified for me.” It might reveal an area of your own faith walk that could use some work. I won’t ask which ones YOU struggled over if you won’t ask ME!