Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies

 Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies

Charles Wesley’s poetry resonates in the soul. This song was in my head when I woke up. I can’t find an online recording that I love, though the men’s chorus in the version above does a good job. 

Christ, whose glory fills the skies, Christ, the true, the only light,                                                              Sun of righteousness arise, triumph o’er the shades of night;                                                               Dayspring from on high, be near, Daystar in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn unaccompanied by thee;                                                                         Joyless is the day’s return till thy mercy’s beams I see;                                                                               Till they inward light impart, cheer my eyes and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine; pierce the gloom of sin and grief;                                                                      Fill me, Radiancy divine, scatter all my unbelief;                                                                                      More and more thyself display, shining to the perfect day.

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

 I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

This version is sweet in its simplicity though a little static vocally. The text is included with the video so one can sing along.

The author and composer, Kathleen Armstrong Thomerson, is an accomplished American organist born in 1934. I think she will be best remembered for this song which does not lend itself to virtuoso organ playing. It pulls my spirit in a good direction when I sing it, whether it is with a congregation or just humming around the house. 

If you want to learn more about the song and the composer, there is some interesting information here.

This song can be used for Advent, Epiphany, or general use. I am reminded of Revelation 21:23, referring to the New Jerusalem, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of the Lord is its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”

O Come, Divine Messiah

 O Come, Divine Messiah

There has never been a time in my life that I have seen so much suffering in families due to children struggling with mental or physical illness. The precious little girl who has had repeated surgeries for brain cancer. The families with teenagers hell-bent to do self-harm. The adult son who prefers living on the streets to taking his head meds. The unborn baby with a frightening growth showing up on sonograms. When I listen to this song, I think of them and long for the day when “hope shall sing its triumph, and sadness flee away.”

I love the version linked above and love that the nuns sing “Sweet Savior, haste!” But most versions have the text pasted below.

O come, divine Messiah;

The world in silence waits the day

When hope shall sing its triumph

And sadness flee away.

Dear Savior, haste!

Come, come to earth.

Dispel the night and show your face,

and bid us hail the dawn of grace.

O come, divine Messiah;

the world in silence awaits

the day when hope shall sing its triumph

and sadness flee away.

O Christ, whom nations sigh for,

Whom priest and prophet long foretold,

Come, break the captive's fetters,

Redeem the long-lost fold.

You come in peace and meekness

And lowly will your cradle be;

All clothed in human weakness

Shall we your God-head see.

Pellegrin, M. l'abbé (Simon-Joseph). (1663-1745)

People, Look East

People, Look East

 This Advent song is an antidote to the melancholy that is sometimes encouraged among Christians during this season. It is a time to look up in anticipation, to remind ourselves that Christ has come and will come again. Examining ourselves, asking forgiveness for our sins, longing for God to move in our lives and throughout the world, praying for His kingdom come, His will be done…these are ongoing disciplines that know no season. 

Advent should vibrate with the energy of expectation. Slip some Christmas carols in among the Advent ones - He has come! He will come again! Prepare ye the way of the Lord! 

Advent 2022

 “Sometimes you need to sing your way into the truth.” Sara Hagerty, quoted in Adore.

Advent is a time to show up and sing your way into the truth whether you feel like it or not. The words of Isaiah 40 are a perfect way to begin:

“Comfort ye, my people…” from Handel’s Messiah

Do you feel comforted? Encouraged to look up and anticipate God working? I tend to when I hear the beginning of this. I know the entire Messiah was composed to be performed at Easter, but this bit is a perfect beginning to Advent, don’t you think?

More of The Blessing

Recordings of “The Blessing” have continued to pop up as communities of Christians all over the world have recorded virtual choir versions.

 Christianity Today has a thoughtful article about how the text is translated into different languages. We tend to overuse the word “blessing” in English; “Be blessed,” “bless your heart,” various hashtags, etc. Our worship and knowledge of God can be deepened by hearing how He is praised in other languages. The article contains a link to over 100 Youtube versions of “The Blessing.”

Blessed by “The Blessing”

A dialect from the Philippines translates the word “blessing” to “caused to be pierced by words causing grace.” How lovely; how sobering.

To Be a Pilgrim

This is an obvious post and long overdue. The title of this blog comes from this song!

To Be a Pilgrim - Maddy Prior

Don’t you love the exuberance of the Renaissance instruments? I used to cover a Maddy Prior version of “Poor Little Jesus” that I’ll post sometime. She is a fun singer.

This is the only hymn John Bunyan wrote. Wikipedia has two versions of the lyrics listed - Bunyan’s original and the 1904 version that is probably more familiar. The original text is more fanciful and forceful at the same time. Bunyan spent time in jail for his beliefs...he understood firsthand how discouragement and “dismal stories” meant to deter a Christian could end up strengthening him. May it be so with us!

John Bunyan's Original Version	1906 The English HymnalVersion
1. Who would true valour see,	1. He who would valiant be
Let him come hither;	′Gainst all disaster,
One here will constant be,	Let him in constancy
Come wind, come weather	Follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement	There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent	Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent	His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.	To be a pilgrim.
2. Whoso beset him round	2. Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,	With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound;	Do but themselves confound——
His strength the more is.	His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright,	No foes shall stay his might,
He’ll with a giant fight,	Though he with giants fight:
But he will have a right	He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.	To be a pilgrim.
3.  Hobgoblin, nor foul fiend[,]	3. Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Can daunt his spirit;	Us with thy Spirit,
He knows he at the end	We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.	Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away,	Then fancies flee away!
He’ll fear not what men say,	I’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labour night and day	I’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.[4]	To be a pilgrim.[5]