Glorious Day

"One day when heaven was filled with His praises,

One day when sin was as black as could be,

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin -

Dwelt among men, my example is He!

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,

One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;

Suffering anguish, despised and rejected;

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.

One day they left Him alone in the garden,

One day He rested, from suffering free;

Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;

Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He.

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,

One day the stone rolled away from the door;

Then He arose, over death He had conquered;

Now is ascended, my Lord evermore.

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,

One day the skies with His glory will shine;

Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;

Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever;

One day He's coming - O glorious day!"

Glorious Day, John Wilbur Chapman, Charles Howard Marsh

Today was baptism Sunday, which is always a special time in service.  There is a power to worship on these days.  The celebration is firmer, more tangible.   

It's electric.  People who are a bit more reserved in worship move more freely.  Particularly as the baptisms are occurring with song.  The combination of clapping for the baptism and celebrating that bleeds over into the worship and song.   They sing louder, they clap harder.

Perhaps it's the more direct remembrance to what Jesus has done for them.  For their own baptism experience and the joy of seeing others brought into the family.  We know it makes the angels celebrate and it makes us celebrate here too.

For those of the faith, I hope your worship this morning was tangible.  Was electric.  

I hope it was something real that touched you deep down into your soul.  I hope you had a glorious day today.

Because if it wasn't, what's holding you back?

"You called my name, 

And I ran out of that grave

Out of the darkness

Into your glorious day

I needed rescue

My sin was heavy

But chains break at the weight of Your glory

I needed shelter

I was an orphan

Now You call me a citizen of heaven

When I was broken

You were my healing

Now Your love is the air that I'm breathing

I have a future

My eyes are open

'Cause when you call my name

I ran out of that grave

Out of the darkness

Into your glorious day."

Glorious Day, Ingram, Smith, Curran, Stanfill

Psalm 121 or My Help

Reading through the Psalms can be a very interesting experience for a singer or musician.  It can be very difficult to read through the actual words of the Psalms themselves instead of the many songs that have been written from them.

Case in point, yesterday I read through Psalm 121.

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains - 
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, 
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip -
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm -
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

And yet, while I see those words, in my head, the Brooklyn Tabernacle is playing.  My Help (Cometh from the Lord).

"I will lift up mine eyes to the hills
From whence cometh my help
My help cometh from the Lord
The Lord which made Heaven and Earth

He said He would not suffer thy foot
Thy foot to be moved
The Lord which keepeth thee
He will not slumber nor sleep

Oh the Lord is thy keeper
The Lord is thy shade
Upon thy right hand
Upon thy right hand

No, the sun shall not smite thee by day
Nor the moon by night
He shall preserve thy soul
Even forever more

My help, my help, my help
All of my help cometh from the Lord."

Admittedly, the King James' Version is a little closer, but still runs into issues of differences in repetition and combination.

This dichotomy can play havoc with memorization.  I run into the same problem with the Lord's Prayer, as I know it from the song and as such add the "For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever. Amen." every time.

But it is also a wonderful reminder that the words in this book are not meant to stay as black and white letters on a page.  They are meant to be woven into our lives to such a point where the recall of that sentiment can spring forth as easily as song lyrics.

So, I'll keep being amused and awed by the interplay.  And keep the Psalms and songs in my heart, to put into action.

Let the song play out.

Psalms 117 Laudate Dominum

I'm currently reading through the Psalms daily for my devotional.  And I've hit an interesting spot where the shortest chapter in the Bible and the longest chapter in the Bible are only two chapters apart. 

Psalms 117 has only two verses.  In the English Standard Version, it is only twenty-eight words long.  This is also the middle chapter of the King James version of the Bible.

"Praise the Lord, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord!"

In researching the Psalm, it seems this psalm is probably the closest example we have of a work that is reminiscent of religious music of we would recognize.  This passage is a simple processional.  Something repeated as the Levite singers and musicians would go through their formal activities in relation to the Tabernacle and the Temple.

It's part of the Hallel (Hallelujah), a grouping of six psalms that are recited as a unit on joyous occasions.  In particular, this is part of the Egyptian or Exodus Hallel, celebrating the deliverance of God's people.  This particular part of this Hallel is the most Messianic component, looking for all nations and peoples to praise the Lord.  The Hallel is also possibly the song or hymn that Jesus and his disciples sang after the Last Supper, before heading to the Mount of Olives.  Given it's position in the Exodus Hallel regarding deliverance and it's Messianic interpretations, this is very fitting.

It has been set to music by William Byrd, Johan Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Antonio Vivaldi.  It's even in an Ace of Base song.

What really struck me in research is this:  "The main body of the song consists of two, eight bar phrases that are able to be repeated over-and-over as needed." Psalm 117. www.musicofthebible.com/psalm117.htm.

So it seems, repetitive choruses are not new to contemporary Christian music; rather they existed back in the formation of our faith.  We have other examples of this as well.  The creatures around the throne are continually saying one line over and over again.  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"  I imagine it like Revelation Song.

Truthfully, I never understood this criticism.  Like in anything else, repetition is a useful tool: for emphasis, for unity, to teach, to explore and develop.  As a musician, though the words may remain the same, repeated choruses are where the harmonies can change, the volume can swell.  It's even where jazz style exploration can occur.  

I also do not buy into worship wars.  Good music is good music and good theology is good theology.  I do not care if it was written by Philip Bliss and Horatio Spafford, Bill Gaither, or TobyMac.  I do not care if it is played on an organ with a vocal wall of sound from a choir, if it is played by a small bluegrass quartet, or if the volume is cranked up to eleven with drums and guitars a-blazin.  Give me it all in the same service.  So long as it accomplishes the purpose, which is to bring glory to God on high.

Plus, there are some sentiments that deserve repeating.

"Holy, holy, holy, I want to see you"

"Your love, your love, your love changes everything"

"God you're so good"

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

"How great is our God, sing with me..."

Sing it again.

"Praise the Lord, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord!"