Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 17(22) |
||
| Scripture | Theme | Hymns |
|---|---|---|
| Exodus
3:1-15 --or-- Jeremiah 15:15-21 |
The burning bush --or-- Worthy words |
501: O Thou Who Camest from
Above 539: O Spirit of the Living God 578: God of Love and God of Power |
| Psalm
105:1-6, 23-26, 45c --or-- Psalm 26:1-8 |
Praise the Lord for sending leaders --or-- I love this place! |
127: Guide Me, O Thou Great
Jehovah 679: O Splendor of God's Glory Bright |
| Matthew 16:21-28 | Christ foretells his suffering | 290: Go to Dark
Gethsemane 325: Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus |
| Romans 12:9-21 | Overcoming with good | 511: Am I a Soldier of the
Cross 525: We'll Understand It Better By and By |
Songs are unusual things. The tunes stay in our minds. The words follow us, too. Songs are sometimes used for sharing and expressing things. We might be sharing stories. These songs are called "ballads." We might be expressing moods. "The blues" is a popular form of mood music. As Christians, we have beliefs that we share and express. We sing "hymns." We sing them together, and we carry them in our hearts.
Webster defines a hymn as "a song of praise to God" or "a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service." Have you ever learned something about your beliefs from a hymn? Not just learning the hymn itself, but learning something from it? We can know words and tunes in our minds, but that is something that we have on the surface. Down deep there is something more. There is being. There is belief. There is faith. Have you ever learned something that you really believe from a hymn?
This week's featured hymn was written by Ambrose of Milan, a Christian leader who lived in the fourth century. At that time, a controversy arose within the church concerning the divinity of Christ. An interesting discussion of that conflict and Ambrose's role in it can be found at the United Methodist Reporter's website at http://umr.org/SFhym102.htm. One of the interesting things about it is that both sides of the conflict wrote and sang hymns to reinforce their theological positions. "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright" was written to underscore Christ's divinity within the triune nature of God. It carries its message in a way that we can sing together. It carries its message in a way that we can carry in our hearts. As you read the words of this hymn, look for the depth of meaning. Look for the statements of faith. Look for the beliefs that we hold as Christians.
| 1. O splendor of God's glory bright, O thou that bringest light from light; O Light of light, light's living spring, O day, all days illumining. |
2. O thou true Sun, on us thy glance let fall in royal radiance; the Spirit's sanctifying beam upon our earthly senses stream. |
| 3. The Father, too, our prayers implore, Father of glory evermore; the Father of all grace and might, to banish sin from our delight. |
4. To guide whate'er we nobly do, with love all envy to subdue; to make ill fortune turn to fair, and give us grace our wrongs to bear. |
How splendid is God's glory! We cannot avoid joyous rapture when we see and know His Light in our lives. Christ is indeed divine. Be filled with this hymn. Be filled with God's truth. Be filled with the grace and peace of Christ this week and always.
God bless you--
Lection at HymnSite.com
God bless you!
| Passages suggested are from The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Abingdon Press, 1992) copyright © by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Reprinted with permission of CCT. |