May

Meditation:

Scribe on May 19th, 2009

[A meditation from PauseforPrayer on Twitter]

The trivial round,
the common task,
will furnish all we ought to ask:

room to deny ourselves;

a road to bring us daily nearer God.

Tags: Meditation, Twitter Poetry

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May

14

It Is Well…

Scribe on May 14th, 2009

This is one of the love-hate songs that shows up (mostly in funerals (’ve found) that really depends on who is singing and how badly they can carry a tune as to whether it’s “love” or “hate.”

I’ve liked it all my life (even as a service song - it showed up a lot in Sunday Night Baptist services and it’s a great one for candle light services when you really get down to the nitty-gritty with God, through music.

Today, I’m just all up and down with fevers that have been bothering me all week and I’d rather not run into the office to share with my team, just in case it’s something contageous. I told Bill and the Boss in email today that I was chugging water and OJ and V8 so much that I might turn into either an orange grove or a ‘mater patch!

And around lunch time, I just NEEDED to hear me some Jesus music from back in The Day, back when I was influenced to be the man - the minister that I am today, and something-or-other just went right along the way (forgive all my southron talk today: I’m feeling my roots!)

Another great tradition of Southern Gospel music (and often Southern Hymnody) is the “Recitation.” That’s a … recitation right before the song begins that can be a poem, a Testimony (if you don’t know what a Testimony is email me!) or a short tale that matches the content of the song. And then sing away!

It Is Well With My Soul was written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford, and the context is based on Psalm 143:1

O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.

In this beautiful version by Wintley Phipps. I’m always drawn up and inspired by his recitation about how when life is so very bad and so down, we still grow as living, spiritual beings:

It is in the quiet crucible
of your personal private sufferings,

that your noblest dreams are born.

…And God’s greatest gifts are given
in conpensation
for what you’ve been through.

It is Well With My Soul - Lyrics

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
- Refrain:
  It is well, with my soul,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.