2 October 2007
The story is told of a young man who was preparing for a long trip. He told his friend,
"I am just about packed. I only have to put in a guidebook, a mirror, a microscope, a lamp, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a package of old letters, a few biographies, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of books I've been studying."
"But you can't get all that into your bag," said his friend.
"Oh yes I can," he replied It doesn't take much room."
With that, he placed his Bible in the corner of his suitcase and closed the lid.
IN THE BEGINNING"I am just about packed. I only have to put in a guidebook, a mirror, a microscope, a lamp, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a package of old letters, a few biographies, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of books I've been studying."
"But you can't get all that into your bag," said his friend.
"Oh yes I can," he replied It doesn't take much room."
With that, he placed his Bible in the corner of his suitcase and closed the lid.
This list of the biblical canon was set to music by jazz great, Duke Ellington. The Bible is divided into two Testaments or Covenants: the Jewish Testament, which Christians call the Old Testament; and the New Testament, with Jesus Christ as the center of the Covenant. Jewish Bibles are arranged a little differently from Christian Bibles. First of course there is no New Testament in the Jewish Bible. Because for Jews Jesus has not replaced the Torah (or Law/Teaching of Moses). The Jewish Bible, in other words, is not "old," but current. The Mosaic Law (Law of Moses) rules even today, although blood sacrifices ceased with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. For Christians, blood sacrifices ceased because Jesus was the perfect blood sacrifice, so no other was needed.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Michah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.
IN THE BEGINNING
This is part of American composer, Aaron Copland's a cappella ("in chapel style"=without instruments) setting of the first verses of Genesis, called In the Beginning (1947).
1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10: And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
I beheld the earth and lo, it was without form ad void and the Heavens and they had no light. I beheld the mountains and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo, there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld and lo the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down by the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger.
He saw an animal that liked to growl, big furry paws and he liked to howl, great big furry back and furry hair. "I think I'll call it a bear."
THE TITANIC2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10: And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
JEREMIAH and Genesis
"Intertextuality" is a key word in modern critical theory, meaning that texts refer to other texts. The Bible was the first "intertextual" book and became more so by the time of Jesus, so that almost every word Jesus spoke seemed to predict Jesus or Jesus seemed to fulfill the Jewish Scriptures. The incipit (first words) of the Gospel of John famously refers back to the first words of Genesis. Here Jeremiah mocks the words of Creation in Genesis by warning of a de-creation for the sinful people of his time:I beheld the earth and lo, it was without form ad void and the Heavens and they had no light. I beheld the mountains and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo, there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld and lo the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down by the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger.
MAN GAVE NAMES TO ALL THE ANIMALS
In the 1970s Bob Dylan became a Christian. It's not clear if he's still a Christian, but this song, about Adam naming the animals, is from his first Christian album:
Man gave names to all the animals In the beginning, in the beginning. Man gave names to all the animals In the beginning, long time ago.In the 1970s Bob Dylan became a Christian. It's not clear if he's still a Christian, but this song, about Adam naming the animals, is from his first Christian album:
He saw an animal that liked to growl, big furry paws and he liked to howl, great big furry back and furry hair. "I think I'll call it a bear."
The water was always a source of terror to the Jews, who were not a seafaring people (not good on the sea). Moreover to combat pagan sea gods, the Jews made clear "in the beginning" that God ruled the seas (Jesus will do the same when he walks on water); and in the book of Revelation, there is no sea and so no monsters of the sea. In psychological terms, there are no mental monsters (the sea=the unconscious). Here the modern terror of the sea is imagined as punishment from God for wicked (in this case, rich) people. These sentiments may sound vengeful, as do many psalms; but the idea is that God's goodness must be upheld:
God moves on the waters, April the 14th day, children. God moves on the water, everybody had to run and pray. Titanic left Southhampton and all was sport and games, but when they struck that iceberg I know their minds were changed. God moves on the waters, April the 14th day. Yes, God moves on the waters, everybody had to run and pray. Their mothers told their daughters on a pleasure trip they may go but when they struck that iceberg they haven't been seen anymore. God moves on the water, April the 14th day. Yes, God moves on the water, everybody had to run and pray.
THE CREATION
This is a brief section from the beginning of Haydn's famous oratorio, The Creation, especially memorable for its setting of the climactic word, "light." (An oratorio is a religious choral setting of a text, from the Latin "orare" meaning "to pray." [The Latin root survives in the English words "oration" and "orator."])
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
ADAM IN THE GARDEN
An early Afro-American shout (praise) song, based on a famous text in Genesis:
God called Adam, pinning [picking] up the leaves, Adam in the garden, pinning up leaves. God called Adam pinning up the leaves, Adam wouldn't answer, pinning up leaves (2)
THE JUICE OF THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Way back in old times long years before the war, when the apple tree Eve she did climb. She threw down the core that made her feel sore for Adam her husband to chaw [chew, eat]. And ever since then, all manner of men, the blind and the lame and the mute, the bankers and clerks, politicians and turks drink the juice of the forbidden fruit.
ADAM LAY YBOUNDEN
{This old English song says that Adam (that is, Man) lay bound ("ybounden") in sin for four thousand years because he ate the apple. Yet if the apple had not been eaten, the Virgin Mary ("heavenly queen"), mother of Jesus, would never have come. In this view, sin became a gift, as in the famous Latin phrase, "felix culpa," or "happy fault."}
Adam lay ybounden*, bounden* in a bond. Four thousand [*bound
winters thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, an apple that he took. As clerks* finden* written in their book. Ne* had [*writers *find *nor
the apple taken been (the apple taken been) Ne had never our lady
a-been* heavenly queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken [*had been
was, therefore we moun* singen*, Deo gracias*! [*might *sing *Thanks to God!
Adam told Eve, "Listen here to me, don't you let me catch you messing 'round that apple tree."
Yes, Adam was happy as a man could be 'til he started messing with that old apple tree. Ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, they'll do it everytime.
winters thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, an apple that he took. As clerks* finden* written in their book. Ne* had [*writers *find *nor
the apple taken been (the apple taken been) Ne had never our lady
a-been* heavenly queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken [*had been
was, therefore we moun* singen*, Deo gracias*! [*might *sing *Thanks to God!
Sacred Harp Gospel: Ocean
This is a "fuging" choral music from early America. "Fuging" refers to the "chasing" of one voice after another, so different parts of the tune are sung at the same time. Simply, this is "counterpoint," but not as smooth as in classical music. This song shows the terror of the sea, common in the Bible, as well as God's mastery over it:
This is a "fuging" choral music from early America. "Fuging" refers to the "chasing" of one voice after another, so different parts of the tune are sung at the same time. Simply, this is "counterpoint," but not as smooth as in classical music. This song shows the terror of the sea, common in the Bible, as well as God's mastery over it:
Thy works of glory, mighty Lord, that rules the boisterous [noisy] sea: who tempts the dangerous way, at Thy command the winds arise and swell the towering [big] waves. The men astonished mount the skies and sink in gaping graves.
As for me, I can see I was meant to rejoice in the round vibrant sound of my own voice. It's all so perfect and so ideal and yet I do have one tiny reservation, there's nothing handy for making conversation here in Eden.
How did I come, where am I from, what's my utlimate aim, I don't know, even so, I'm glad I came. It's all so lovely, I may just weep, I love this garden and everything that's in it. And something tells me to treasure every minute, blossoms and violets, mountains and mud, I know I'll be happy, perfectly happy here in Eden.
With every sweet and juicy luscious bite of this not forbidden fruit, you'll see your mind expand and your perceptions grow more and more acute and you can teach him plumbing and philosophy, new techniques for glazing pottery, woodcraft, first aid or economy, Madam, Adam will be overjoyed when he becomes aware of your attainments he'll beam with loving pride, and he will say "Oh Eve you're indispensable please don't leave my side. And with your nifty new-found education, he'll relish every conversation, why you'll be Adam's inspiration this way, just an apple a day, wait and see, come with me to that tree, now!
THE APPLE TREE
Written by the team of Bock and Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, The Apple Tree included three stories, one of which was about Adam and Eve. These two songs are from that musical. The first is Eve's monologue in Eden; the second is the serpent's temptation of Eve:
Written by the team of Bock and Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, The Apple Tree included three stories, one of which was about Adam and Eve. These two songs are from that musical. The first is Eve's monologue in Eden; the second is the serpent's temptation of Eve:
HERE IN EDEN
So many creatures, so many things, each one wondrous object is beautiful and striking and I see nothing that isn't to my liking, here in Eden. There's plums and peaches and pears and grapes, so ripe and juicy and utterly inviting. I find the apples especially exciting here in Eden.As for me, I can see I was meant to rejoice in the round vibrant sound of my own voice. It's all so perfect and so ideal and yet I do have one tiny reservation, there's nothing handy for making conversation here in Eden.
How did I come, where am I from, what's my utlimate aim, I don't know, even so, I'm glad I came. It's all so lovely, I may just weep, I love this garden and everything that's in it. And something tells me to treasure every minute, blossoms and violets, mountains and mud, I know I'll be happy, perfectly happy here in Eden.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Listen closely let me fill you in about the rich ripe round red rosy apples they call forbidden fruit, what I'm about to say is confidential so promise you'll be mute, because if every creature in the garden knows, they'll come round like hungry buffalos and in no time there'll be none of those precious apples left for you and me. Now in the average apple you're accustomed to skins, seed, flesh and core. But you will find that these are special apples that give you something more. Why every seed contains some information that you need to speed your education, the seeds indeed of all creation are here. Why be foolish, my dear? Come with me to that tree.With every sweet and juicy luscious bite of this not forbidden fruit, you'll see your mind expand and your perceptions grow more and more acute and you can teach him plumbing and philosophy, new techniques for glazing pottery, woodcraft, first aid or economy, Madam, Adam will be overjoyed when he becomes aware of your attainments he'll beam with loving pride, and he will say "Oh Eve you're indispensable please don't leave my side. And with your nifty new-found education, he'll relish every conversation, why you'll be Adam's inspiration this way, just an apple a day, wait and see, come with me to that tree, now!
THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE
This song shows how Bible stories have become part of popular culture.
In the garden of Eden, a long time ago There was a story I'm sure you all know, I'm sure you remember and I know you believe The story of Adam and Eve. The Bible has been the source of much humor, as well as what we now call "sexism" (blaming women). Here are two references to the Adam and Eve story in early Rock records:This song shows how Bible stories have become part of popular culture.
Adam told Eve, "Listen here to me, don't you let me catch you messing 'round that apple tree."
Yes, Adam was happy as a man could be 'til he started messing with that old apple tree. Ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, they'll do it everytime.
| Subject: Job's Songs, Week of 27 Feb 07 |
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| Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:33:08 -0800 |
Job's Songs
Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)
Let me speak, let me spit out my bitterness-- Born of grief and nights without sleep and festering flesh Do you have eyes? Can you see like mankind sees?
Why have you soured and curdled me? Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true? Once I was blessed; I was awaited like the rain Like eyes for the blind, like feet for the lame
Kings heard my words, and they sought out my company But now the janitors of Shadowland flick their brooms at me Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? that you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) I've lost all taste for life
I'm all complaints Tell me why do you starve the faithful?
Why do you crucify the saints? And you let the wicked prosper
You let their children frisk like deer And my loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near (Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening God is correcting you) Oh and look who comes to counsel my deep distress Oh, these pompous physicians
What carelessness!
(Antagonists: Oh all this ranting all this wind Filling our ears with trash) Breathtaking ignorance adding insult to injury!
They come blaming and shaming
(Antagonists: Evil doer) And shattering me
(Antagonists: This vain man wishes to seem wise A man born of asses)
Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening) Already on a bed of sighs and screams,
And still you torture me with visions You give me terrifying dreams! Better I was carried from the womb straight to the grave. I see the diggers waiting, they're leaning on their spades.
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow
Sure as the sparks ascend) Where is hope while you're wondering what went wrong? Why give me light and then this dark without a dawn?
(Antagonists: Evil is sweet in your mouth Hiding under your tongue) Show your face!
(Antagonists: What a long fall from grace) Help me understand!
What is the reason for your heavy hand?
(Antagonists: You're stumbling in shadows
You have no name now) Was it the sins of my youth? What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Oh your guilt must weigh so greatly) Everything I dread and everything I fear come true
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) Oh you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true .
JOB AND SATAN
"Well
Well, Job was the richest man, my brothr, that lived in the land of Nod. He was the only man in the mile around that kept the Comamndments of God. Well the Devil he got jealous of Job. So he came to my God one day, said, "Move your hand from around the man and I'll make him curse you to your face!"
He said there's nothing you can to turn me around. There's nothing you can do to turn me around. Because I'm done signed up, made up my mind. I'm on my way, Great God Almighty I'm on my way to Good Lord!
Then Devil laid his fingers on Job. Brother Job fell down and right weak. So he got in bed, afflicted, children. So above his head to his feet, poor Job's afraid, began to leaving Him. The number went one to five, Job is sick and won't get well. We believe that he's gonna die.
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
Well, Job's wife, she came running to him. Devil was right in her eyes. She said, "Oh, you're sick and you won't get well. Why don't you curse your God and die? Oh, Job looked straight at the woman and looked up in the sky. He said, "Woman, you sound like a foolish one, but you sure don't sound like wise!"
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
Terrible Lie
This song is from Nine Inch Nails, one of the more famous bands in the style of Industrial music. The subject of Job is clear, but in a modern idiom. I have kept the typography of the original.
hey god, why are you doing this to me? am i not living up to w
hat i'm supposed to be? why am i seething with this animosity? i think you owe me a great big apology terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie i really don't know what you mean seems like salvation comes only in my dreams i feel my hatred grow all the more extreme. can this world really be as sad as it seems? terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need someone to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need someone to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't tear it...don't tear it...don't take it, don't take it, don't... there's nothing left for me to hide i lost my ignorance, security, and pride i'm all alone in a world you must despise i believed your promises, your promises and lies terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie terrible lie you make me throw it all away my morals left to decay (terrible lie) how many you betray you've taken everything (terrible lie) my head is filled with disease my skin is begging you, please (terrible lie) i'm on my hands and knees i want so much to believe i need someone to hold on to.
Your life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse.
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed..
Yes, it's all for the best!
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
You must never feel distressed. All your wrongs will be redressed. Someone's got to be oppressed!
BLESSED BE THE NAME
You know Job was the richest man that ever lived in the land of Nod. So true! Job's servants came running. They said, "all your cattle are dead." Job's servants came running. They said, "all your cattle are dead." He said, "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh," You should say, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job's wife came to him, she had the Devil in her eye. Something I want to tell you, Job. She said, "Job, let me tell you, Job." She said "Job," she said "Job, why don't you curse your God and die." Then Job looked at her, and then he looked up in the sky ("Go away woman, now"). Woman, woman, you don't sound like my wife. Yeah, he said, "The Lord giveth (woman), the Lord taketh, well now, I want to say, blessed be the name of the Lord." Job said, "I'll wait, I'm going to wait here on the Lord." Job said, "I'll wait (sure enough now), I'm going to wait till my change does come." He said, "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord."ALL FOR THE BEST
Job on Broadway
This song is from the Broadway musical and film Godspell, based on the Gospel of St Matthew, composed by Stephen Schwarz, who later won an Oscar for Prince of Egypt ("When You Believe"). "Day by Day" was the musical's biggest hit; but "All for the Best" fits in with the JOB theme. The song begins with a man feeling sad as if under a "curse."
It's sung in a comic "soft-shoe" dance style. As in JOB, the man's wife is affected by his misery ("sighing, crying"). He suffers more than Job ("Job had nothing on you"). The next section of the song is a patter song (a fast string of words set to a tune). This makes fun of Job's "comforters" who "explain" the reason for suffering. "When you get to Heaven you'll be blessed," and "it's all for the best." Then we hear "Job" complaining how evil people live good lives: "born to live at ease, doing what they please," etc. (see JOB, Chapter 21). He refers to God's Creation: "But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for?" concluding (like Job's "comforters") "it's all for the best." Then the two melodies are sung together (as "counter-melodies"), making the song sound like babble!
Job on Broadway
This song is from the Broadway musical and film Godspell, based on the Gospel of St Matthew, composed by Stephen Schwarz, who later won an Oscar for Prince of Egypt ("When You Believe"). "Day by Day" was the musical's biggest hit; but "All for the Best" fits in with the JOB theme. The song begins with a man feeling sad as if under a "curse."
It's sung in a comic "soft-shoe" dance style. As in JOB, the man's wife is affected by his misery ("sighing, crying"). He suffers more than Job ("Job had nothing on you"). The next section of the song is a patter song (a fast string of words set to a tune). This makes fun of Job's "comforters" who "explain" the reason for suffering. "When you get to Heaven you'll be blessed," and "it's all for the best." Then we hear "Job" complaining how evil people live good lives: "born to live at ease, doing what they please," etc. (see JOB, Chapter 21). He refers to God's Creation: "But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for?" concluding (like Job's "comforters") "it's all for the best." Then the two melodies are sung together (as "counter-melodies"), making the song sound like babble!
First Melody (in soft-shoe style)
When you feel sad, or under a curseYour life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse.
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed..
Yes, it's all for the best!
Second Melody (in patter style)
Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please,Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
| Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please, Richer than the bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the street where it's sunny.. Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of this and we get the rest. But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for? You guessed! It's all for the best! | When you feel sad, or under a curse Your life is bad, your prospects are worse Your wife is sighing, crying, And your olive tree is dying, Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying And creditors weighing your purse. Your mood and your robe Are both a deep blue You'd bet that Job Had nothing on you. Don't forget that when you get to Heaven you'll be blessed! Yes, it's all for the best! |
| Subject: THE BOOK OF JOB (Listening Edit) Week of 27 Feb 07 |
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| Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:01:13 -0800 |
The Book of Job
Listening Edit Week of 27 Feb 07
JOB 1
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.Listening Edit Week of 27 Feb 07
JOB 1
6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth [avoids] evil?9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 2
1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights.
Job 3
1After this opened Job his mouth, and said,Job 10
1My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore [why] thou contendest with me. 3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?4Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as a man's days,6That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?7Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.8Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. 9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and thou hast fenced me with bones and sinews. 12Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.13All these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. 14If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.15If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction.Job 28
12Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, he searched it out.28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Job 38
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who hath laid the corner stone thereof;7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.Job 39
1Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?5Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass. 6Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.7He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.8The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.13Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. 16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.18What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.19Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? 20Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.21He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.22He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.23The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.24He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.25He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.26Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south. 27Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?28She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.29From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.30Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Job 40
2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Job 42
1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13And he had also seven sons and three daughters.15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.17So Job died, being old and full of days.
Date: Oct 29, 2007 12:56 AM
Subject: Week of 30 October 2007: SONGS for NUMBERS
ONE MINUTE
This song by the Gospel duo, Mary Mary, evokes the image of the Jews' betrayal of God in the wilderness (the Golden Calf, etc.) and the repentance that follows. As usual, it appeals to the Law, or the Way (as early Christianity was called):
Oh, hmm, hmm I know it now that I was such a fool To turn my back on you When You had given me everything I let You down, I know that's true Now I've come to realize that there There are no happy days because You're not here, I need to know if There's a chance for me again, oh!
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You
Late at night when I was all alone You held me in Your arms I strayed away only to find There was no place to hide Lord please hear me when I say I'll give my life to You Whatever I've gotta do Show me Lord and I will live for You
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You
I'm not willing to, to give up on You Knowing that You always stood right by me Until you forgive me my world won't turn So if you hear me Lord I'm saying that I'm sorry Said I'm saying that I'm sorry, I'm saying that I'm sorry, oh!
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You !
HEART AND SOUL
This contemporary Gospel song is based on the Shema ("Hear, O Israel"), from Deuteronomy (6:4-5). The singer vows to love God with his whole heart and soul: This song by the Gospel duo, Mary Mary, evokes the image of the Jews' betrayal of God in the wilderness (the Golden Calf, etc.) and the repentance that follows. As usual, it appeals to the Law, or the Way (as early Christianity was called):
Oh, hmm, hmm I know it now that I was such a fool To turn my back on you When You had given me everything I let You down, I know that's true Now I've come to realize that there There are no happy days because You're not here, I need to know if There's a chance for me again, oh!
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You
Late at night when I was all alone You held me in Your arms I strayed away only to find There was no place to hide Lord please hear me when I say I'll give my life to You Whatever I've gotta do Show me Lord and I will live for You
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You
I'm not willing to, to give up on You Knowing that You always stood right by me Until you forgive me my world won't turn So if you hear me Lord I'm saying that I'm sorry Said I'm saying that I'm sorry, I'm saying that I'm sorry, oh!
All I, all I need is one minute of Your time Five seconds of it may change Your mind Ten seconds to make You see Fifteen to say Lord I'm sorry For all the things I've done I'll take twenty more to say You're the one Nine to think it through I'll take the one to say I love You !
HEART AND SOUL
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."
With my heart and soul I wanna let you know I love you, I love you. (2x). When I first made you my choice, my heart was glad, my soul rejoiced. But tell me, how long has it been since I let you know exactly how I feel? I must apologize: time slipped away and I didn't realize. Give me just half a chance and I'll show the world how to dance. With my heart and soul I wanna let you know I love you, I love you. (2x).
Blue Monday never occurs. Every day's sweeter, with you in my world. Matter of fact, that's how it's been from the very moment I let you in. Funny how people will try to stop me from making you the center of my life. After all that you love me through giving you my heart is all I wanna do. With my heart and soul I wanna let you know I love you, I love you. (2x). Never let you go. All I have is yours, it's yours. And if I could I would give you more, you more. With my heart and soul I wanna let you know I love you, I love you. Etc.
The Shema gets its name from the first word of the Hebrew text ("Hear"):
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (6:4-5).
This text has led to three different interpretations, all of which are important in studying the Bible.
1. The first is the issue of centralization. As worship became centralized in Judah (Jerusalem) at the temple, there was worry that Jehovah would have as many personalities as local gods if worshipped outside the temple. The Levites wished to control worship in a single location. The Shema was an effort to remind Jews that there was only one Jehovah (one Lord) and one place to worship him. This theme becomes central especially in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history (Joshua, Judges, and the two books of Samuel and Kings).
2. The second reading is that the Lord ranks first among many gods (henotheism).
3. The third reading is that there is only one God (monotheism). It is this meaning that became most important.
Jesus said the Shema summed up the entire Torah (Law, Teaching):
"This is the first and greatest commandment" (Matthew: 22:38-40).
The CSNY song is based on the full Shema, which continues:
"These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; also 11:18-20 and Numbers 15:38).
This torah about the Torah (or teaching about how to teach the Law) was taken literally. Jews even today put texts from the Torah (the Law) into little boxes. On the door-frames these boxes are called mezuzah. On the left arm and forehead, these are called phylacteries (tefillin).
The song follows the Bible closely. The "road" is the wilderness. The "code" is the Law or teaching. The word "live" means "so you may live long" (Deuteronomy 11:9). To "become yourself" means to keep the image of God, in which one is created.
"The past is just a goodbye" is a theme in Numbers, where a whole generation must be killed in order to kill the past, without which there can be no change.
"Teach your children" is part of the Shema; while the "fathers' hell" suggests slavery in Egypt.
After this, the song is slanted for the Youth Culture of the Hippie generation; here the children teach their parents too.
The word "dreams" also has a Bible reference, in the Book of Joel: "Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28). The word "fix" suggests Deuteronomy: "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds" (11:18).
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN
You who are on the road must have a code t hat you can live by and so become yourself , because the past is just a goodbye. Teach your children well: their fathers' hell did slowly go by. And feed them on your dreams, the one they fix, the one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry. So just look at them and sigh and know they love you. And you, of tender years, Can't know the fears That your elders grew by. And so please help them with your youth, They seek the truth Before they can die. Teach your parents well, their children's hell will slowly go by. And feed them on your dreams : the one they fix, the one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why; i f they told you, you would cry. So just look at them and sigh a nd know they love you.THE SIX AND SEVEN BOOKS OF MOSES
Many Reggae songs are based on the Bible. This is one of them. Crediting Moses with authorship of the books in the Bible continues to this day, despite strong evidence to the contrary.
Yeah, the six and the seven books, he wrote them all. There are Genesis, and Exodus, Leviticus and Numers, Deuteronomy and Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. For the six and the seven books, he wrote them all. For the six and the seven books, yeah he wrote them all! There are Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. For the six and the seven books, he wrote them all. For the six and the seven books, yeah he wrote them all. For the six and the seven books, yeah, he wrote, wrote them all! Yeah he wrote them all! Many Reggae songs are based on the Bible. This is one of them. Crediting Moses with authorship of the books in the Bible continues to this day, despite strong evidence to the contrary.
This is from an English oratorio (The Crucifixion), quoting the typological reading of the Gospel of John 3:14-15. This is a type of music called recitative (English word=recite), halfway between singing and speaking, which usually introduces the main aria or chorus:
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, should not perish but have everlasting life.
THE PRIESTLY BLESSING
This is one of the most famous texts in the Bible and the most famous in the book of Numbers. It's recited by some Jews each day and by some Protestant Christian churches in variant form. Some scholars see a gradation of lessening degree in the three-fold blessing: for the saint, for the good, and for the sinner. Others see in the three-fold blessing a reference to the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). (Compare Ecclesiastes: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" 4:12b, and also the three theological virtues in 1 Corinthians 13.) The prayer is commonly recited with a hand formation spreading the fingers to each side, so two fingers on the left separate from two fingers on the right, supposedly to visualize verses from the Song of Songs, in traditional readings where the "lover" represents God, who "looks through the windows, through the lattice" (SS: 2:9b). Leonard Nimroy used this symbol for his character, Mr. Spock, in the Star Trek series.
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. (Repeat). The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you (repeat) and give you peace, and give you peace (repeat) and give you peace. Amen.* This is one of the most famous texts in the Bible and the most famous in the book of Numbers. It's recited by some Jews each day and by some Protestant Christian churches in variant form. Some scholars see a gradation of lessening degree in the three-fold blessing: for the saint, for the good, and for the sinner. Others see in the three-fold blessing a reference to the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). (Compare Ecclesiastes: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" 4:12b, and also the three theological virtues in 1 Corinthians 13.) The prayer is commonly recited with a hand formation spreading the fingers to each side, so two fingers on the left separate from two fingers on the right, supposedly to visualize verses from the Song of Songs, in traditional readings where the "lover" represents God, who "looks through the windows, through the lattice" (SS: 2:9b). Leonard Nimroy used this symbol for his character, Mr. Spock, in the Star Trek series.
NOTE: "Amen" means "Certainly." In the Old Testament it's commonly spoken to approve someone else's words. Jesus however uses it at the beginning of sentences he himself speaks, seeming to speak with absolute authority ("Amen I say to you," etc.). Today the word is spoken to voice agreement after the priest or minister says a prayer or comment.
JEREMIAH SONGS WEEK OF 10 APRIL 2007
The Book of Jeremiah
(Edited In-Class Listening Version)
(Edited In-Class Listening Version)
1
Commisioning (calling) and empowering are two common motifs in the prophetic literature. This is to insure his listeners that the prophet is actually speaking words of God:
1: The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah in the land of Benjamin: 4: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6: Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7: But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.Commisioning (calling) and empowering are two common motifs in the prophetic literature. This is to insure his listeners that the prophet is actually speaking words of God:
8: Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9: Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put words in thy mouth. 10: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 17: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18: For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19: And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
7
Jesus will later use the Temple Sermon as a model for his own Cleansing of the Temple. Note the stress on social justice rather than ritual, the same message of Jesus in Matthew 25.
2: Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5: For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6: If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.Jesus will later use the Temple Sermon as a model for his own Cleansing of the Temple. Note the stress on social justice rather than ritual, the same message of Jesus in Matthew 25.
9
The words of the prophet and God seem to blend and it's often difficult to tell who is speaking, except for quotation marks. This is right since the prophet is God while he speaks:
1: Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!The words of the prophet and God seem to blend and it's often difficult to tell who is speaking, except for quotation marks. This is right since the prophet is God while he speaks:
2: Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3: And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
4: Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5: And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6: Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8: Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9: Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone.
11: And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
13
A typical symbolic action: Israel is to God like (as close to God as) a linen girdle; but like the girdle, it has become soiled and not fit to wear:
1: Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it on thy loins, and put it not in water. 2: So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.A typical symbolic action: Israel is to God like (as close to God as) a linen girdle; but like the girdle, it has become soiled and not fit to wear:
3: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4: Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5: So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6: And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7: Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10: This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11: For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
14
1: The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 2: Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 3: And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.4: Because the ground is chapped, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5: Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6: And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7: O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. 8: O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9: Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied [astonished], as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
18
Another symbolic action:
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3: Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so that he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,Another symbolic action:
6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
31
One of the most important chapers for Christians, source of the phrase, "New Testament" (New Covenant).
31: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:One of the most important chapers for Christians, source of the phrase, "New Testament" (New Covenant).
33: But this shall be a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3:Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty, God in His Glory, blessed Deity.
HERE AM I
The commisioning of the prophet is a key scene in the prophet's scroll. This insures the prophet has actually been called by God to speak:
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 The commisioning of the prophet is a key scene in the prophet's scroll. This insures the prophet has actually been called by God to speak:
Here I am, oh, Lord, send me. Yes, Master, if you need me. I'll stop what i"m doing, go out for your cause. I knew you would call me if you did need me. Yes Lord If you want somebody you can count on em, rest my bones, I'll go. Won't somebody, O Lord, won't somebody, O Lord, send me. If I've polio I'll go, I'm cripple I'll go, I want you to know if I'm blind I'll go,if I'm paralyzed I'll go. Though paralyzed, I'll go just the same. I'll go, won't somebody here go. Send me!
PEACE LIKE A RIVER
"For this is what the Lord says: 'I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream.'" Isaiah 66:12Peace like a river so gently it's flowing, how sweet to my soul is this marvellous peace, sweeter and sweeter each day it is growing like billows of glory it never shall cease. Spirit, the Spirit, I am so glad (I am so happy), happy and glad, Jesus has given, Jesus has given wonderful peace, wonderful peace.
I'VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul. I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul. I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.THE RAVEN
(Edgar Allan Poe)
"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?" Jeremiah 8:22(Edgar Allan Poe)
"Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter ofEgypt, but you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you." Jeremiah 46:11
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -- prophet still, if bird or devil! --
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted --
On this home by Horror haunted -- tell me truly, I implore --
Is there -- is there balm in Gilead? -- tell me -- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."
THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD
Two diffiferent vocal styles in Afro-American performance of spirituals: one from the concert tradition, the other from Gospel:
There is a balm to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul. Sometimes I feel discouraged and I feel like I can't go on, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sinsick soul. If you can preach like Peter, if you can pray like Paul, go home and tell your neighbor he died to save us all. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sinsick soul, to heal the sinsick soul.Two diffiferent vocal styles in Afro-American performance of spirituals: one from the concert tradition, the other from Gospel:
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED
Recorded by many artists, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley's backup group, The Jordanaires (a Gospel group named, of course, after the River Jordan). RCA released a jam session of Elvis and other country artists singing this song:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Recorded by many artists, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley's backup group, The Jordanaires (a Gospel group named, of course, after the River Jordan). RCA released a jam session of Elvis and other country artists singing this song:
Jeremiah 17:7f.
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."PSALMS 1:3ff.
I shall not be, I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved, in his loving favor I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's been planted by the water, I shall not be moved. I'm on my way to Glory Land, I shall not be moved.BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
"He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth." Jeremiah 25:30Although an embarrassment to some biblical scholars, hence read allegorically, God pictured with human emotions has been justified by scholars such as Abraham Heschel, who argue that God's "divine pathos" (including anger and love) is a model for how humans must behave to insure justice on earth. In other words, by acting concerned, God becomes a model of concern, rather than passivity or indifference. This song is typical of the "divine pathos" (that is, feeling), common throughout the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). In many ways, Jesus is a development of this theme, since God not only behaves like man, but actually becomes man, thus realizing to the full the "divine pathos." Jesus then becomes an even more visible model to follow in one's daily conduct. This would include (righteous) anger as well as love:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
MARCHING TO ZION
"There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.'" Jeremiah 31.6Come, we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.
Refrain: We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Or walk the golden streets, Or walk the golden streets. Then let our songs abound, And every tear be dry; We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, To fairer worlds on high, To fairer worlds on high. (Refrain)
MARCHING TO ZION
We’re marching, marching on to Zion, That beautiful, beautiful city of Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, That beautiful (wonderful, glorious, victorious) city of God. (2)THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD
"Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other bids of prey surround and attack? Jeremiah 12:9What a beautiful thought I am thinking, Concerning a great speckled bird. And to know that my name is recorded on the pages of God's Holy Word. Desiring to lower her standard, They watch every move that she makes They long to find fault with her teachings, But really she makes no mistakes. I am glad I have learned of her meekness.I am proud that my name is on her book,For I want to be one never fearing the face of my Savior to look. When He cometh descending from heaven, On a cloud like He writes in His Word, I'll be joyfully carried to meet Him On the wings of that great speckled bird.
LAMENTATIONS
These are three settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by the Italian Renaissance composer, Giacomo Antonion Perti (1661-1756) intended for Good Friday Matins (morning, or midnight) church prayer. As usual with choral, especially Renaissance music, a little text goes a long way, since most of the singing is melismatic rather than syllabic; that is, one syllable may be set to many notes, rather than one note to each syllable. This style of course is famiiar to pop music lovers in the music music vocal stylings influenced by Gospel music, such as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, etc.(1a) De lamentatione Jeremiae prophetae.
The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah.
(1b) Jerusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
(1c) Same as (1b)
BEHOLD AND SEE
Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
MY MOTHER DIED AND LEFT ME
We begin with a rare Gospel Blues from Mississippi. We also quiz the nature of Gnosticism through several songs, one especially well known. According to the canonic Gospels, the Holy Ghost (the "Comforter" or Paraclete, as John calls him) has replaced Jesus until the Second Coming, while the Father remains above, with Jesus (the Holy Trinity of three persons in one God). Yet Gnosticism empowers each person to be Jesus (though there are different forms of Gnosticism). Instead of being a Christian one becomes a Christ. Anyway, as the German philosopher, Nietzche once observed, "The last Christian died on the cross."Among many Christians (especially Americans), Jesus is a person they speak with and walk with. This can be viewed as a Gnostic idea; Jesus says prayers should be directed to the Father. (The most famous Christian prayer is called the Our Father.)
Mother reads from the Bible, sent me to Sunday School. Now she's gone and left me, don't want to break my mother's rule. Yes, now I go down on my knees, talk to Jesus 'til I am pleased. Oh heavenly Father stand by me. Sometimes, supposed to be in company, then again I want to be alone, worried 'about my mother. Oh once had her in my home, yes, now I go down on my knees, talk to Jesus till I am pleased. O heavenly Father stand by me.
IN THE GARDEN
We know there were four Jesus's: the historical Jesus (prophet, rabbi), the crucified Jesus (God's sacrificed lamb), the Resurrection Jesus (the Jesus who appeared to some disciples and others for 40 days after his death), and the Ascension Jesus (the Jesus who sits at the right hand of God, ready to judge the world; see the Messianic Psalm 110). There is also the Parousia Jesus, the Jesus of the Second Coming. Many Americans prefer a Resurrection Jesus, apparently someone to talk to and walk with, as the following famous Gospel song shows:
I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the sound of God discloses: And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am His own and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.We know there were four Jesus's: the historical Jesus (prophet, rabbi), the crucified Jesus (God's sacrificed lamb), the Resurrection Jesus (the Jesus who appeared to some disciples and others for 40 days after his death), and the Ascension Jesus (the Jesus who sits at the right hand of God, ready to judge the world; see the Messianic Psalm 110). There is also the Parousia Jesus, the Jesus of the Second Coming. Many Americans prefer a Resurrection Jesus, apparently someone to talk to and walk with, as the following famous Gospel song shows:
GENESIS
The Gnostic idea (as also the idea in the main imagery of John's Gospel of Light) goes back to Genesis, and the light before the sun and the moon, which Gnostics try to reclaim for their own. The difference is, for John this can only be through faith in Jesus. The importance of Light is wonderfully expressed in Haydn's setting of the Genesis verse from his Creation:"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAY(S)
This is a setting of (Paul's letter to the) Philippians 4:4-7, by Henry Purcell, the greatest English composer (apart from the German-born Handel) before Edward Elgar and Benjamin Britten.
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men; the Lord is at hand. Rejoice in the Lord always, etc. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is a setting of (Paul's letter to the) Philippians 4:4-7, by Henry Purcell, the greatest English composer (apart from the German-born Handel) before Edward Elgar and Benjamin Britten.
IN THE BEGINNING
We have also studied musical settings of Bible texts through every musical style, including Renaissance, Colonial hymnody, classical hymns, bluegrass, pop, Broadway, New Age, Soul, Gospel, classical, blues, Country and Western, etc. Today we'll explore Bible settings through the music of jazz. We'll hear several jazz settings of the Christian Mass, as below: This jazz setting of the biblical canon by Duke Ellington expresses the joy in the Law so wonderfully expressed in Psalm 119:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Samuel, Kings, Kings, Chronicles, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Michah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, Peter, Peter, John, John, John, Jude, Revelation.We have also studied musical settings of Bible texts through every musical style, including Renaissance, Colonial hymnody, classical hymns, bluegrass, pop, Broadway, New Age, Soul, Gospel, classical, blues, Country and Western, etc. Today we'll explore Bible settings through the music of jazz. We'll hear several jazz settings of the Christian Mass, as below: This jazz setting of the biblical canon by Duke Ellington expresses the joy in the Law so wonderfully expressed in Psalm 119:
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father which art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. Hallowed be Thy name.THE LORD'S PRAYER (1)
Lord, way down here, in this sinful world, no-one can help us but you Lord above. Begging you Jesus, give me more grace, I need your power to help me to run this race. DAVID DANCED BEFORE THE LORD
This is the famous scene where David dances almost naked before the Ark, after which he is scolded by his wife, Micah.
David up and danced before the Lord, he danced before the Lord with all his might. David up and danced, David danced before the Lord, he danced before the Lord with all his might. Sultry timbrels, harps and cymbals ring out loud and clear, shouting singing, trumpets bringing love to every ear. David up and danced, well David danced, he danced before the Lord, he danced before the Lord with all his might.This is the famous scene where David dances almost naked before the Ark, after which he is scolded by his wife, Micah.
Vince Guaraldi, a respected jazz pianist and composer, became famous for settings of the Peanuts television specials. This is from his jazz Mass, with introductory words by an Episcopalian bishop:
Together, through the power of the ground of our being, in the bruised body and poured out blood of one who was obedient, one who cared not for his reputation, one who took the form of a servant that we may affirm and witness what it is to be part of this cause in the world. Not conforming to the world, which could be translated out of the New Testament to be not being a square. Not conforming but being transformed and transforming it.
LORD HAVE MERCY (KYRIE ELEISON)
The "Kyrie Eleison" (Lord Have Mercy) is the first part of the ordinary (basic) Mass. The words come from three psalms, the most famous of which is David's Miserere ("have mercy") after his encounter with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba (Psalm 51), one of the Seven Penitential Psalms in Christian tradition, type for all contrition:
Lord have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us. (Repeat)The "Kyrie Eleison" (Lord Have Mercy) is the first part of the ordinary (basic) Mass. The words come from three psalms, the most famous of which is David's Miserere ("have mercy") after his encounter with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba (Psalm 51), one of the Seven Penitential Psalms in Christian tradition, type for all contrition:
THEME TO GRACE
Hallelujah.NICENE CREED
This is the Anglican version of the Nicene Creed (named after the city of Nicea, where the Creed was formalized (325 CE; finalized at Chalcedon, 451), to oppose heretical (Gnostic, etc.) beliefs. A major threat to Nicene Christology was Arianism (named after Arius), which believed that Christ was "created," "not begotten," so not equal to God the Father. Other "heresies" were also opposed in this creed: Thus, "one God," "only begotten Son," the historical Jesus (who was crucified and truly suffered, not merely seemed to suffer, as Docetism taught), etc. There's a shorter creed, called the Apostles Creed, used at baptism (see below).I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from Heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen.
AGNUS DEI
Taken from the Baptist's announcement of Jesus in the Gospel of John (JOHN 1:29b). John has Jesus crucified on Passover (rather than Passover Eve, as in the Synoptics). The point is, Jesus is the sacrificed Passover Lamb. (Whether the Last Supper was a Passover Meal or not has been debated.) Once again Jesus fulfills Moses: "Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words'" (Exodus 24:8). Jesus, as the perfect blood of the perfect sacrifice, also allows the deliverance from slavery to freedom.
O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.Taken from the Baptist's announcement of Jesus in the Gospel of John (JOHN 1:29b). John has Jesus crucified on Passover (rather than Passover Eve, as in the Synoptics). The point is, Jesus is the sacrificed Passover Lamb. (Whether the Last Supper was a Passover Meal or not has been debated.) Once again Jesus fulfills Moses: "Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words'" (Exodus 24:8). Jesus, as the perfect blood of the perfect sacrifice, also allows the deliverance from slavery to freedom.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
And now as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say, Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day out daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and forever. Amen.Lalo Schrifen is most famous as a film composer (Cool Hand Luke and others). Yet he is also a jazz composer, as his setting of the Christian Mass shows:
KYRIE ELEISON (LORD HAVE MERCY)
Lord, Lord have mercy. GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God. You who take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.SANCTUS
The Sanctus comes from the vision of God, in chapter 6 (3b) of Isaiah.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.The Sanctus comes from the vision of God, in chapter 6 (3b) of Isaiah.
AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.MARY LOU'S MASS
Mary Lou Williams was a great jazz pianist who converted to Catholicism and wrote several jazz masses:
Praise the Lord.Mary Lou Williams was a great jazz pianist who converted to Catholicism and wrote several jazz masses:
THE LORD SAYS
From the same mass, comes this setting of Jeremiah 29:11-12:The Lord says, the Lord says, I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. You shall call upon me and I will hear you. And I will bring back your captivity from all places. Lord you have favored your land, you have restored the well-being of Jacob. Thank you [x].
ACT OF CONTRITION
Oh my God I detest all the sins of my life. Sorry for having offended Thee who art our Lord. I resolve with the help of Thy grace, oh, my God, never to sin again. KYRIE ELEISON (LORD, HAVE MERCY)
For our lack of faith, Lord have mercy. For our lack of hope, Lord have mercy. For our failure to care, Lord have mercy. For letting ourselves be paralyzed with fear, Christ have mercy. For our division, Christ have mercy. For our jealousies, Christ have mercy. For our hatred, Lord have mercy. For not being peacemakers, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy on our souls. Have mercy! Lord have mercy! (Repeat)GLORIA
Glory to God above all things. Peace on earth to men, loved by God. We praise You, we bless You, we thank You because You are who You are. (2) Lord, God, King, Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Lord, God, Lamb of God, Lord, Christ, Son of God. We praise You, we bless You, we thank You, because You are who You are.PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. (JOHN 14:27) Alleluia!LAZARUS
There was a selfish rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen. There also was a beggar man named Lazarus who lay at the gate of the rich man's door, full of sores and hungry, begging crumbs from the rich man's table. Even his dogs came to lick his sores. The rich man showed no pity to Lazarus' plea and scorn was Lazarus's lot. So God took pity on poor Lazarus and gave him peace. He sent his angels to carry poor Lazarus into the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried and as he burned in Hell he saw the beggar man Lazarus safe in the bosom of Abraham and he cried."Have mercy Father send Lazarus to cool my parched tongue, cause I didn't mean all the misery I caused and all the bad things I have done. Have mercy on me father, send Lazarus to cool my tongue, cause I didn't mean all the misery I caused and all the bad things I done."
But the Lord said, "Son in your time you received all the good things in life. Poor Lazarus, beggar, has seen nothing but pain and strife. Poor Lazarus is comforted and you are burning in the halls of flame and there's no way for you to cleanse your deeds for God never knew your name."
"Lazarus, Lazarus, Lazarus, cool my parched tongue cause I didn't mean all the misery I caused and all the bad things I have done. Father, Father, Father send Lazarus to my house that he may warn them about the flames and what it's all about."
Then Abraham said, "They have Moses, let them hear his cry. For if they don't repent their evil ways, they will surely die."
"Lazarus, Lazarus, Lazarus, cool my parched tongue, cause I didn't mean all the misery I caused and all the bad things I have done."
CREDO
This is the shorter Apostles Creed, supposedly from the time of the 12 apostles, but dated as late as the 4th century:
And I believe in the Father Almighty and in one God who made Heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, conceived by the Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. And on the third day he rose again, ascended into Heaven, sitting at the right hand of the father and he will come to judge the living and the dead. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy sanctifying apostolic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting. Amen.This is the shorter Apostles Creed, supposedly from the time of the 12 apostles, but dated as late as the 4th century:
HOSANNA
This, from the last of the six Hallel Psalms (113-118) is also quoted in the Gospels. This Hallel psalm was almost certainly the psalm Jesus sang with his disciples after the Last Supper, probably a Passover meal.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.This, from the last of the six Hallel Psalms (113-118) is also quoted in the Gospels. This Hallel psalm was almost certainly the psalm Jesus sang with his disciples after the Last Supper, probably a Passover meal.
AMEN
Glory to God and to Jesus Christ. Amen.THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father who art in Heaven. Hallowed by Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.LAMB OF GOD
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lord have mercy.TO HOPE!
LORD, HAVE MERCY (KYRIE)
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord have mercy.ALLELUIA
Alleluia sing! The light shines on in the darkness. A darkness that did not overcome it. Alleluia, sing!HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest! (2) Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. WHEN WE EAT THIS BREAD
When we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus until you come again in glory.
AMEN
Amen.LAMB OF GOD
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. (2) Grant us peace.GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly king, Almighty God and Father. We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Gloria, gloria! Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. You are seated on the right hand of the Father. Receive our prayer. Gloria!A JAZZ MASS
(1) Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. (2) Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest. (3) Hosanna in the highest (repeat). Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (x). Hosanna, etc. (4) Hallelujah (repeat). Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast. Hallelujah. (5) Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world have mercy on us. (x)GUIDE US (ME) O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH
We can study difference in musical styles by listening to these brief excerpts from two performances of this famous hymn; the first done by a concert choir, the second by a Southern Sacred Harp in lining hymn (response) style. Both have their individual beauties: the unison harmony of the first as well as the divided harmony of the second:
(1) Guide us O Thou Great Jehovah, guide us to the Promised Land.We can study difference in musical styles by listening to these brief excerpts from two performances of this famous hymn; the first done by a concert choir, the second by a Southern Sacred Harp in lining hymn (response) style. Both have their individual beauties: the unison harmony of the first as well as the divided harmony of the second:
(2) Guide me O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land.
CHRISUIAN APOCRYPHA:
Songs Week of 19 June 2007
Songs Week of 19 June 2007
SALOME
The story of her dance before Herod, prompting him to offer almost anything she asks, is naturally a perfect subject for erotic art. Numerous paintings have been done on this subject; while having the head of one's enemy brought in on a platter is now proverbial. Needless to say, Hollywood loves the subject too, since it's an easy excuse to include sexual display in movies on the life of Christ (such as Salome's dance in the film, King of Kings).
In 1895,
The "Dance of the Seven Veils" has become a staple of concert programs, while the opera itself is in the repertoire of opera companies all over the world.
Strauss used every musical means to dramatize Salome's sexual obsession. We'll hear her final aria, when she makes love to the head of the Baptist (picture, right).
Strauss begins this moment with an eerie repeated four-note phrase, twice followed by a percussive chord, suggesting Salome's morbid obsession. Her confused analysis of her feelings reaches a lyrical realization of them, appropriately, on the word "Liebe" ("love"), suggesting Salome can only find release from her obsession by fulfilling it. The obsession returns, but so does the lyrical moment, as Salome now rejects all inhibition: "What of that? What of that?" Her inhibitions overcome, the orchestra expresses Salome's fulfillment (her sexual release) with a climactic tutti (all instruments together) as Salome sings out in seeming sexual ecstasy: "I have kissed your mouth, John! I have kissed it!" Herod, horrified at Salome's sick passion, orders his soldiers to kill her, which they do, to the accompaniment of dissonant brass followed by a three-note pattern repeated four times to end the opera.
SALOME:
German: Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund gekusst, Jochanaan.
English: Ah! I have kissed your mouth, John.
German: Ah! Ich habe ihn gekusst, deinen Mund;
English: Ah! I have kissed it, your mouth.
German: es war ein bitterer Geschmack
English: there was a bitter taste
German: auf deinen Lippen.
English: on your lips.
German: Hat es nach Blut geschmeckt? Nein!
English: Was it the taste of blood? No!
German: Doch es schmeckte vielleicht nach Liebe,
English: Perhaps it was the taste of love,
German: Sie sagen, dass die Liebe bitter schmecke,
English: They say that love tastes bitter.
German: Allein was tut's? Was tut's?
English: But what of that? What of that?
German: Ich habe deinen Mund gekusst, Jochanaan,
English: I have your mouth kissed, John.
German: Ich habe ihn gekusst, deinen Mund.
English: I have kissed it, your mouth.
HEROD:
German: Man tote dieses Weib!
English: Kill that woman!
[On orders from Herod, soldiers kill Salome. End of opera.]
LIFE
Later in his career, Elvis Presley recorded two songs that are perfectly "Johannine," expressing St. John's themes of "light" and "love" in the darkness of Creation. This of course is familiar from the famous incipit of John's Gospel, but throughout as well. (Judas betrays Jesus at night; Jesus is "the light of the world," etc.) . John's theology contrasts light and dark and focuses on God's Love (in fact, God as Love, as we know from the 3 John letters), with the church community as the expression of that love. John's Gospel speaks of a "realized eschatology"; that is, the kingdom of God begins NOW; the "catch" is only those who love their brothers and sisters are proved to be part of that kingdom. Though there are strong Gnostic elements in John (God's light trapped in an evil world), John's letters clearly separate themselves from Gnosticism, and the Gospel itself never abandons the basic Hebrew idea that the world is Good ("for God so loved the world"). It's impossible to easily oppose Paul's Theology of the Cross and John's Theology of Love, for Paul clearly praises Love as chief of the three theological virtues (Faith, Hope, Love: but the greatest is Love). Still, John suggests, in his realized eschatology, that God has already come from above, the Light has descended into the Darkness, making a "new Creation": a new beginning, as the incipit shows. Those who are of God will choose the Light and flee the darkness, "born again" (that is, "born from above"). Paul's Theology of the Cross follows in the future, after the Creature has emptied himself of the world and allowed Christ to enter into him, in perfect faith awaiting Jesus' Second Coming. As for the songs, I am always impressed how much can be said in popular music; because in the song "Life" (the first song below) a whole Johannine theology is summed up in a few plain words (note the motifs of "life," "light," "night," and "Word"):Somewhere out in empty space, long before the human race,
Something stirred, A vast and timeless source began, Intelligence was born and then, there was the Word, Powers filled the universe, matter formed and broke the curse of nothingness, Love became an ageless soul, nature reached her highest goal and breathed the breath of Life, Everlasting Life. Well creatures came from out of sight, Daylight came from in the night, and all was good, Life became a Master plan, Love produced the perfect man that understood, The image of the Maker's Word, worshipped him with all he had but then one day, from in the depths an evil seed, grew and manufactured greed. That changed the way of life, Everlasting life. Oh the loving Power looked and saw inside the heart of man a flaw began to grow, Well, the fires of Hell began to burn, and so he sent his Chosen Son to let us know that Love had surely made us all, and hate would surely make us fall, so from the Cross, well He showed the world that dreadful day that Love could be the only way, or all is lost of Life, Everlasting life, For life is Love, And Love is Life.
IF THAT ISN'T LOVE
Written by the contemporary Gospel writer, Dottie Rambo, this song also expresses Johannine ideas (whether consciously or not is another matter). John said it best: "Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends" (JOHN 15:13). John's high Christology (Jesus comes from above; as the song says: "He left the splendor of Heaven"), with Jesus' model that the sacrifice of friendly love begins now, makes John's Gospel an example of a realized eschatology, taking place now for those who choose to be in the light rather than the darkness. The song makes clear, as in Johannine theology, that the whole universe is governed by love ("if that isn't love, then the ocasion is dry, there's no stars in the sky and the little sparrows can't fly"). This is the theme of Dante's Divine Comedy too: the love that moves the stars.
He left the splendor of Heaven, Knowing His destiny was the lonely hill of Golgotha There to lay down His life for me And if that isn't love Then the ocean is dry There's no stars in the sky And the little sparrows can't fly. Yeah if that isn't love Then Heaven's a myth. There's no feeling like this If that isn't love. Even in death He remembered The thief hanging by His side Then he spoke of love and compassion And He took him to Paradise. And if that isn't love Then the ocean is dry There's no stars in the sky And the little sparrows can't fly Yeah if that isn't love Then Heaven's a myth There's no feeling like this If that isn't love: It's got to be love!Written by the contemporary Gospel writer, Dottie Rambo, this song also expresses Johannine ideas (whether consciously or not is another matter). John said it best: "Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends" (JOHN 15:13). John's high Christology (Jesus comes from above; as the song says: "He left the splendor of Heaven"), with Jesus' model that the sacrifice of friendly love begins now, makes John's Gospel an example of a realized eschatology, taking place now for those who choose to be in the light rather than the darkness. The song makes clear, as in Johannine theology, that the whole universe is governed by love ("if that isn't love, then the ocasion is dry, there's no stars in the sky and the little sparrows can't fly"). This is the theme of Dante's Divine Comedy too: the love that moves the stars.
WONDROUS LOVE
One of the most famous Sacred Harp spirituals familiar in the American South. The song expresses the idea familiar in John, of God's "wondrous" love:
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul? What wondrous love is this, O my soul? What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of Bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?One of the most famous Sacred Harp spirituals familiar in the American South. The song expresses the idea familiar in John, of God's "wondrous" love:
COME BROTHERS AND SISTERS
We know that Daniel prayed and his prayers were heard promptly, despite the delay in God's response. The song lists others whose prayers were heard by God, such as Hannah:
Some tell us that praying and also that praising is labor that's all spent in vain; but we have such a witness that God hears with swiftness from praying we will not refrain. There was old father Noah and 10,000 more that witnessed that God heard them pray. There was Samuel and Hannah, Paul, Silas, and Peter, and Daniel and Jonah, we'll say.We know that Daniel prayed and his prayers were heard promptly, despite the delay in God's response. The song lists others whose prayers were heard by God, such as Hannah:
DEATH 'TIS A MELANCHOLY DAY (Tribulation)
A song about the hope of Resurrection for Godfearing Christians:
Death, 'tis a melancholy day to those that have no God when the poor soul is forced away to seek her last abode [home]. In vain to Heaven she lifts her eyes, but guilt, a heavy chain, still drags her downward from the skies to darkness, fire, and pain.A song about the hope of Resurrection for Godfearing Christians:
DOWN IN THE GARDEN
The melody is Stephen Foster's "Massa's in De Cold Cold Ground." The lyrics express the "low Christology" of Jesus as suffering human, "pleading" in a "mounful sound" to escape his suffering. It's an image of Jesus that John in his Gospel purposely avoids. So the Gospels must be read together to get a complete picture of Christian theology: the agony of man alone on earth, and the glory of his ultimate destiny as a child of God.Dark was the hour, Gethsemane, when through thy walks was heard the lowly man of Galilee, still pleading with the Lord. Down in the garden, hear that mournful sound; there behold the Savior weeping praying on the cold damp ground.
THE LITTLE FAMILY (Lazarus)
A nice summary of the story of Lazarus in John. The song seems to contrast Jews and Jesus. In John, the story of Lazarus, the last of Jesus' seven signs, becomes a type of Jesus' own Resurrection.
The Jews went to the sisters, put Lazarus in the tomb. They wept their hearts to comfort and drive away their gloom. But Jesus heard their tidings far in a distant land; and swiftly he did travel to join their lonely band. He rolled away the cover, he looked upon the grave; he prayed unto his Father his loving friend to save and Lazarus in full power came from the gloomy mound and in full strength and vigor he walked upon the ground.A nice summary of the story of Lazarus in John. The song seems to contrast Jews and Jesus. In John, the story of Lazarus, the last of Jesus' seven signs, becomes a type of Jesus' own Resurrection.
HOLD ON
"No one who has his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (LUKE 9:62). All of Jesus' parables and examples have the same message: the kingdom of God requires total dedication, as this song shows;
Some of these days about four o'clock, this old world's going to reel and rock. Some of these days, but I don't know when, this old world's, it's going to end. Keep your hand, keep your hand to the plough, hold on. Go away Satan, let me be, you fooled my brother but you can't fool me. Satan wears a sinful shoe if you don't mind he'll slip it on you. Keep your hand, keep your hand to the plough, hold on. Hold on, hold on, keep your hand, keep your hand to the plough, hold on."No one who has his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (LUKE 9:62). All of Jesus' parables and examples have the same message: the kingdom of God requires total dedication, as this song shows;
AMAZING GRACE
The most famous of Sacred Harp songs, from the American South. The story and phrases are from the Gospel of John. Curing the blind man was one of Jesus' "Seven Signs" in that Gospel. As usual in John, the cure was symbolic: for the blind man could not see but then could see, just like those who find God can see where before they could not.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see.The most famous of Sacred Harp songs, from the American South. The story and phrases are from the Gospel of John. Curing the blind man was one of Jesus' "Seven Signs" in that Gospel. As usual in John, the cure was symbolic: for the blind man could not see but then could see, just like those who find God can see where before they could not.
GOD MOVES ON THE WATER
A Judgment song about the sinking of the Titanic, proving that "God moves on the water"; in other words, even the sea is under God's control and all destiny comes from God. Many of Jesus' parables have a similar message of coming eschatological judgment. Thus the virgins should be ready with their lamps, the planters with their vineyard, etc. Jesus, like a good Jew, warns that it better not happen on the Sabbath, when Jews would be restricted in their movement to escape. Jesus also refers to Noah's Flood as the model of such a judgment.
A Judgment song about the sinking of the Titanic, proving that "God moves on the water"; in other words, even the sea is under God's control and all destiny comes from God. Many of Jesus' parables have a similar message of coming eschatological judgment. Thus the virgins should be ready with their lamps, the planters with their vineyard, etc. Jesus, like a good Jew, warns that it better not happen on the Sabbath, when Jews would be restricted in their movement to escape. Jesus also refers to Noah's Flood as the model of such a judgment.
HAVE PITY, LORD, ON ME
The Gospels largely focus on human failures whose lives, through God's grace, are fulfilled. This alto aria, from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, follows Peter's denial of Jesus. The violin accompaniment perfectly capture's Peter's guilty agony. At the end of John's Gospel, Jesus refers to Peter's betrayal by asking him three times if Peter loves Jesus, since Peter had denied Jesus three times. Peter is therefore reminded of his weakness as he prepares to shepherd the people:Have pity, Lord, have pity Lord, on me. O see my bitter weeping. Have pity, Lord, have pity, Lord, on me. Have pity, have pity, Lord. O see my bitter, O see my bitter weeping. Have pity, Lord, on me, O see my weeping, O see my bitter weeping.
OLD MAN'S RUBBLE
Many Pauline themes should be familiar in this song: the Devil is the Old Man (the Old Adam in Christian typology), replaced by the New Man, the Christ, making a "new Creation." Jesus refers to the Father of Lies (the Devil) in the Gospel of John. Motifs of slavery and bondage are familar in the Pauline letters (Romans, for example). The struggle to do the good but being unable to is also familiar from Romans. Other Pauline themes are "winning the fight" and "new creation." The theme of "light" is John's dominant motif, though of course it appears in the Synoptic Gospels in the brief parable of the light that advertises the kingdom of God.
Many Pauline themes should be familiar in this song: the Devil is the Old Man (the Old Adam in Christian typology), replaced by the New Man, the Christ, making a "new Creation." Jesus refers to the Father of Lies (the Devil) in the Gospel of John. Motifs of slavery and bondage are familar in the Pauline letters (Romans, for example). The struggle to do the good but being unable to is also familiar from Romans. Other Pauline themes are "winning the fight" and "new creation." The theme of "light" is John's dominant motif, though of course it appears in the Synoptic Gospels in the brief parable of the light that advertises the kingdom of God.
Are you living in an old man's rubble, Are you listening to the Father of lies? Are you walking with unnecessary burdens, Are you trying to take them upon yourself? If you are, then you're living in bondage, And you know that's bad for your spiritual health. And are you trying to live by your emotions, Are you putting your faith in what you feel and see? Then you're living just to satisfy your passions, And you better be careful 'cause you're being deceived. Are you living in an old man's rubble, Are you listening to the Father of lies? If you are then you're headed for trouble; If you listen too long you'll eventually die. (2) Are you puzzled by the way that you're behaving, Do you wonder why you do the things you do? And are you troubled by your lack of resistance, Do you feel that something's got a hold on you? Well deep within you, there's a spiritual balance; There's a voice of the darkness and a voice of the light. And just by listening, you have made a decision, 'cause the voice you hear is gonna win the fight. Are you living in an old man's rubble, Are you listening to the father of lies? If you are then you're headed for trouble; If you listen too long you'll eventually die. If you're living as a new creation, If you're listening to the father of light, Then you're living in a mighty fortress, And you're gonna be clothed in power and might. But are you living in an old man's rubble, Are you listening to the father of lies? If you are then you're headed for trouble; If you listen too long you'll eventually die. If you're living as a new creation, If you're listening to the father of light, Then you're living in a mighty fortress, And you're gonna be clothed in power and might. But are you living in an old man's rubble, Are you listening to the father of lies? If you are then you're headed for trouble; If you listen too long you'll eventually die.But if you're living as a new creation, If you're listening to the father of light, Then you're living in a mighty fortress, And you're gonna be clothed in power and might.
Oh, have you got good religion? Certainly. I want to know, chidlren, have you got, have you got good religion? Certainly. I want to know have you got good religion? Certainly. Tell tell me, have you got good religion and I know one thing. You'll just have to say, you'll just have to say, Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord. When your burdens begin to press you down, everytime your burdens press you down, you can always lean back and say, "You've been my Lily of the Valley, water when I was thirsty, and bread when I was hungry." And if somebody asks you, all you got to do is tell them, I know my name is on high. Certainly. I know my, I know my, I know my name is on high children. I know my name is on high right now. Certainly. Yeah, yeah, why don't you tell everybody, why don't you tell, tell, tell, tell, tell, why don't you tell everybody, you can just tell them, Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord. When your world may seem to be against you and your friends may be talking about you on every side trying to scandalize your name. You can always say, Lord make my enemies, if you make my enemies leave me alone, I can always stand back and tell my enemies, Lord I've been baptized, Certainly Certainly) I'd like to tell them again, I've got to tell them that I've been baptized. (Certainly.) Let me tell them, ah, certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.
call your attention to the book [Gospel] of St. John, ah, 20th chapter, the 24th through the 29th verses:
"But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, "We've seen the Lord." [Yeah]
But he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe."
And after eight days again his disciples were with him and Thomas with him. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, "Peace be unto you.
Then said he to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing."
And Thomas answered and said unto him, "My Lord and my God." Jesus said unto him, "Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hath believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believeth." Doubting Thomas. Doubting Thomas.
The passage that I have read in your hearing tonight deals with one of the post-Resurection incidents. [Amen] If you can call upon your knowledge of history and upon your powers of imagination you could picture the hostile world [yes] in which these followers of Jesus found themselves. [Yeah.]
The Jewish hierarchy have put their leader to death. He had been tried and condemned by, ah, the Jewish church, [yeah] by the Roman courts, and he had been nailed to a tree while they looked on. [Yeah] They had seen him drop his head after a terrible experience during the night of trial, scourging and crucifixion [yeah] that ended on Friday evening about 3 o'clock. They heard him say after that terrible night, "It is finished."
You know how they must have felt when they had chosen to follow him, when they had accepted him as their Messiah: the anointed of God. And now the man, ah, ah, whom they had, ah, called the Son of God was now dead and apparently disgraced. And of course you know how they must have felt. Some of them said, "Well I'm going back to fishing. I'm going back to my old job. I'm going back to my old vocation. It seems that we made a mistake." [Yeah.]
I believe Peter made the suggestion [yeah] and the others followed his lead [right on]. Thomas who was of the scientific turn of mind heard some rumors. The women had said that they had seen him and that he was alive. But others said that they were in route to Emmaus and he joined them and talked with them and while he talked their hearts burned.
Some of the rest of them reported that they had seen him. [Yeah] Lately it was said that in their secret gathering place in Jerusalem to avoid the police and to avoid arrest, an embarrassment that he had come into their meeting. But Thomas said,
"I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Obviously you're being swept by rumors or you're suffereing from hallucinations. Nobody has ever died as I saw that man die [yeah] and come back again. I was looking at them when they hung him to the tree. I was looking at them when they nailed his hands and his feet. [Yeah] I was looking when the soldier thrust a sword into his side and I heard him when he dropped his head, say 'It is finished,' and I saw them take him down from the cross and lay him in Joseph's tomb.
"I know he's dead. There's only one way that you can tell me anything different and that is I have to see it. And I'm not going to trust that. He is going to have to show me his hand and let me see the nail prints in his hand. He will have to let me look at his side and then I will have to examine his side for myself. [Yes!] I must satisfy the sense of seeing [yes sir] and of feeling before I shall be convinced. I don't believe that he's alive."
Now Thomas called Didymus, which means the Twin, ah has received a great deal of ridicule from the Christian world about his doubting position. But you know you must give some respect [oh yes] to people ah, ah, who want to know, to people who are not satisfied [yeah] with hearsay. You must give some respect [yes sir] to people who want to base their faith upon as much knowledge as they can acquire.
You see superstition, rumor, and hearsay [yeah] is not a sufficient foundation for faith. [No sir] I know that faith transcends knowlege, but you can get all the knowledge you can get before you stop. But you see Thomas was moving on facts and you see facts can carry you just so far.
It was a fact that Jesus was put to death, [yeah] that he was hanged from a tree. It was a fact that he dropped his head and died and declared it is finished. This was a fact. It was a fact that they took him down and laid him in a tomb.
All of this were facts. But that is as far as facts could go. This is a reason that Thomas couldn't go any further, because he was proceeding on the basis of facts.
You understand what I'm talking about? He, he, he his whole operation was based on empiricism, investigation and what one can find out. But you see faith, you understand what I mean, goes on beyond the grave.
I don't believe you know what I'm talking about. Faith doesn't stop at the grave. Faith didn't stop when he said it was finished. Faith didn't stop when they rolled the tomb to the door, when they rolled the stone ah to the tomb. And Faith didn't stop when the governor's seal was placed thereon.
For you see Faith goes beyond what I can see and what I know. I can't prove God. And you don't have to prove God. Somebody said, You haven't seen God, or you haven't seen Heaven and all that kind of thing. That doesn't mean anything. So who's been there? That doesn't mean anything. What you cannot prove, what you cannot see is no argument against its existence. [Yes sir. Amen]
You can't see electricity but God knows it exists. You can't see energy, but ah take all the energy out of this room tonight and all of us would be dead shortly.
Many of the forces of the universe you can't prove them, you can't see them, you can't touch them, but they do exist, they are realities. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
But Thomas were like many of you that are listening here tonight. He wanted to base his faith totally upon facts, totally upon faith [yes sir] or rather upon facts. But you see faith moves out beyond what I can touch, beyond what I can see, beyond sometimes what I can hear and even beyond what I can investigate.
I don't know where God is but I believe he liveth. [Yeah] I don't know anything about how he raised his son. I'm not concerned about whether it was bodily or spiritual. I believe that Jesus liveth tonight. I believe that he is a living reality. He is transforming you, a transforming influence in this whole world of ours.
Don't you know all of you people wouldn't be following him by the thousands and by the millions for twenty centuries if he didn't live? Don't you know all of these people who go to their graves [yeah] with his names on their lips saying death cannot make my soul afraid if God be with me there. Though I walk through the darkest shades I'll never yield to fear if he never lived tonight. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
The great impact that his name has had upon history would not have have changed the world society if he were not a livng influence. I believe he liveth. So that ah ah Thomas [yes sir] went out to meet us? And you know when you fail to meet constantly with that Christian fellowship you miss so much. You miss so much in inspiration, you miss so much in God consciousness, you miss so much in soul enrichment when you fail to felllowhip with that Christian society. [Yeah] I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
So that Thomas' great mistake was that he wasn't there. [Yes sir] And when he came in after giving voice to his doubts he eventually presented himself at one of the services. [Yes sir] And ah while they were no doubt musing and meditating about God, singing his praises, [Yeah] while they were no doubt talking about the fact of his resurrection, while they were no doubt talking about their faith in the fact that he was alive, [yeah] without a door being opened he walked in.
And thank God he can walk in here without a door being opened. [Yeah] He can walk into your life, sometimes when you unconsciously open the door, the door of your life might be opened and you don't know it he can walk in. While they were in their meeting, he walked in. Without a door or a window being opened.
And when they looked around he was standing in their midst. When they looking around, he was there in their presence. And it seemed while his address was so consoling, he knew how doubtful some of them were. And he knew how afraid some of them had been. And he knew how their faith had been tried. And he knew what a terrible ordeal they had gone through. [Yeah]
Think about how consoling his address was. Listen at him. "Peace be unto you." Oh Lord.
You know when I think about the world the world that we live in, when I think about how frustrated many of us are, when I think about how neurotic we've become, when I think about how tension-filled many of our lives are, when I think about how afraid of life so many of us are, why I think about what Jesus said to those fearing and doubting disciples. "Peace be unto you." Praise God.
You are not afraid tonight. You're not anxious tonight, and you know how to face your problems, you always hear the Word coming Down from center, saying "Peace be unto you. Oh, Lord.
Though the storm may rage around you, though the road that you are traveling may be rough, though the problems that you're faced with may be perplexing, O Lord, he still says to you, "Peace be unto you." O Lord. "Peace be unto you." Oh Lord,
Liisten to me. You know what Thomas said when he beheld the reality of Jesus Christ? You know what Thomas said when he saw his wounded hand, [yeah] when he beheld his wounded side? "My Lord and my God." Praise God."
And I'm going to close when I tell you this. O Lord. I'm not going to wait until I behold the wound in his hand. O Lord. I'm not going to wait until I behold the wound in his feet. I'm not going to wait until I have a chance to behold the wound in his side.
I'm going to acknowledge him as Lord right now every day of my lfie. Oh, Lord, won't you be my guide? Won't you be my leader? Won't you lead me from the crises arising. I've gotta stop right here. Oh Lord. Yes.
Yes. The wind is blowing near me. My faith is tried sometimes but I'm going to hold on to his unchanging hand. Yes I am.
Yeah, every day, every day, yeah, every day, every day of my life. I'm going to hold on in the midst of doubting, in the midst of the windstorm, in the midst of failure, in the midst of frustration, I'm going to hold on anyhow, oh Lord, oh yes.
For he is my Lord [yes] and he is my God. [Yes sir] He is the Lord of my life. He is [oh yes] the Lord of my Life. [Yes he is] He reigns and He liveth. [Yes he does.] He liveth.
Maybe you don't believe it but God is real tonight, [yes he is] God is real tonight.
Sometimes Satan tries to make me doubt. [Yes sir, yes sir.] He tells me that there are a lot of things I imagine [yeah] are not so. [Yeah] He tries to tell me that I'm caught up [yeah] in the grip of my traditional upbringing [yes sir] that God is not real.
But if God is not real, who is it that watches over me every night? Oh, who is it [all right] that calms the storms about me if he's not real? Tell me who is it?
Once there was a man called the prodigal son. He came to his father and said, "Father give me all of my belongings. Give me all of the goods that belong to me. I want to go out, I want to face the world, I want to see what the world is like." His father didn't want to give him those goods but his father had so great a love for his son and he gave his son his goods and his son went away into a far country, living a rowdy life, doing things that God would not like to see his children to participate in. One day the boy got hungry. One day the boy got raggedy. He didn't have any clothes to put on, he didn't have nothing. He was raggedy. He even dined with the swine. He said, "My father has many servants that have enough food to give me. I will arise and go to my father and say 'Father I'm not worthy to be called your son.'" And that man got up that day and he arised and he went to his father. Today Jesus is calling you to rise up out of sin and to walk in the holy righteous way that he set before you. And he wants to save you and help you. Will you arise and come back home. [Song] I once left home, away from God. Now I am coming on home. The path of sin too long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming now.
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia. Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia. Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia. Sing ye Heavens and earth reply, Alleluia. Lives again our glorious king, Alleluia. Where O Death is now thy sting? Alleluia. Dying once he all doth save. Alleluia. Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia.
Well Jesus was an only son As he walked up Calvary Hill, His mother Mary walking beside him In the path where his blood spilled. Jesus was an only son In the hills of Nazareth As he lay reading the Psalms of David At his mother's feet A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well For I'll be at your side That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell, Shall pierce your dreams this night." In the garden at Gethsemane He prayed for the life he'd never live He beseeched [begged] his Heavenly Father to remove The cup of death from his lips Now there's a loss that can never be replaced A destination that can never be reached A light you'll never find in another's face A sea whose distance cannot be breached Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands Whispered, "Mother, still your tears, For remember the soul of the universe willed a world and it appeared."
1: But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
2: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3: And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4: For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5: And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6: As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7: And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8: They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9: They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.
25: For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.
26: For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.
27: And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.
28: For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.
29: For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.
30: For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.
22: For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that falleth down upon the earth.
23: But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend.
24: For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it.
25: And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by thee?
26: But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.
25: How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks?
26: He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder.
27: So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day: and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to make great variety, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to finish a work:
28: The smith also sitting by the anvil, and considering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he setteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polish it perfectly:
29: So doth the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set at his work, and maketh all his work by number;
30: He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet; he applieth himself to lead it over; and he is diligent to make clean the furnace:
31: All these trust to their hands: and every one is wise in his work.
32: Without these cannot a city be inhabited: and they shall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down:
33: They shall not be sought for in publick counsel, nor sit high in the congregation: they shall not sit on the judges' seat, nor understand the sentence of judgment: they cannot declare justice and judgment; and they shall not be found where parables are spoken.
34: But they will maintain the state of the world, and [all] their desire is in the work of their craft.
16: The sun that giveth light looketh upon all things, and the work thereof is full of the glory of the Lord.
17: The Lord hath not given power to the saints to declare all his marvellous works, which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, that whatsoever is might be established for his glory.
18: He seeketh out the deep, and the heart, and considereth their crafty devices: for the Lord knoweth all that may be known, and he beholdeth the signs of the world.
19: He declareth the things that are past, and for to come, and revealeth the steps of hidden things.
20: No thought escapeth him, neither any word is hidden from him.
21: He hath garnished the excellent works of his wisdom, and he is from everlasting to everlasting: unto him may nothing be added, neither can he be diminished, and he hath no need of any counsellor.
22: Oh how desirable are all his works! and that a man may see even to a spark.
23: All these things live and remain for ever for all uses, and they are all obedient.
24: All things are double one against another: and he hath made nothing imperfect.
25: One thing establisheth the good or another: and who shall be filled with beholding his glory?
1: The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;
2: The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
3: At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
4: A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat, but the sun burneth the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dimmeth the eyes.
5: Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
27: We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.
Mary and Martha were hurrying 'cause Lazarus had just died. They ran when they saw Jesus coming and on his shoulder they cried. Jesus said, "Show me where you laid him." The sisters wondered why, but Jesus said this test is for a testimony because God's delay is not a deny.
Even with tears in your eyes count it all joy until the time, until you make it through the storm. Turn from your past, say, say good-bye, remember you were crucified with Christ. You were crucified with Christ, yeah, oh yeah so let the weak say I'm strong, I'm strong. Oh yeah. I'm strong.
Some people preach the Gospel in a mighty way. Some people serve the Lord without one word to say. But I believe you have to live it before you ever give a friend in need the Bread of Life that will surely save his soul. Lord let me be a witness in this world of darkness. Let me shine, let me shine, let me shine. Oh Heavens shine down through me, I pray that you can use me, let me shine, let me shine, let me shine. Pray again! Pray again!
A man came to Jesus and said, "What must I do to be saved from the wicked ways. I'm weary, I'm wounded. From the start of my life, I've been torn! Lord I need a change." "Nicodemus, your soul must be saved! Nicodemus, turn from your wicked ways. Nicodemus, hear me when I say, you must be born again, yes you must be born again.
I studied at the feet of a Master, Gamaliel we called him, the beauty of the Lord. I was born of the tribe of Benjamin, I was a Pharisee and I could quote from memory th Holy Torah. That day that the Nazarene was brought to trial. It was on a Sabbath eve, there was an earthquake when he died. Just another peasant preacher who came up from Galilee, blaspheming troublemaker, we let him be crucified.
And I thought that I would hear no more about him. But his friends found his tomb empty and then claimed that he rose from the dead. Then they say that he walked among them with the nail wounds in his hands, that king upon a donkey with a thorn crown on his head.
His followers kept growing in great numbers and the one that they called mocked the sins of judgment hall. And with a Greek named Stephen we knew the Gentiles had come in. I cast my vote against him, he was stoned, I saw him fall.
Then the friends of the Nazarene became united. And I became enraged and led a slaughter of their leagues. I found their secret places, they were beaten, they were chained. But some of them were scattered, justified in fearing me.
Then the Man in White appeared to me in such a blinding light. It struck me down with his brilliance it took away my sight. Then the Man in White in gentle loving tones spoke to me. And I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White.
But like the winds that blows the scattered sea, from Alexandria to Antioch their congregation grew. I went to the High Priest for letters of permission to go to other cities to see my mission through.
Six days on the hot road to Damascus and just outside the city in the middle of the day, a great unearthly light struck and overpowered me, prostrate on the hot road I was blinded where I lay.
Then I thought I heard the rushing of great waters and a multitude of angels singing sweet and heavenly. And through the sound of wind came a voice so soft and kind, meant for only me to hear, "Saul why did you persecute me."
As I lay there on the ground in my blindness, he asked me once again, and suddenly the voice I knew. So finally I managed a trembling response, "Who are you Lord?" I asked him, but I already knew.
"I am Jesus of Nazareth," the voice answered. "Arise, go to Damascus on the street called Straight. A place where you will wait for my servant, Ananias. He will open your eyes, you'll be a witness unto me."
So now I live to serve my master. As zealous in his service as I once was as his foe. And keeping his commandments given on Damascus Road, I go to all the world and I let the whole world know that the Man in White appeared to me in such a blinding light. It struck me down and with its brilliance it took away my sight. And the Man in White in gentle, loving tones spoke to me and I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White. And I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White, the Man in White.
If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
Sermon on ROMANS 8:
I call your attention here to the book of Romans, the 8th chapter, the thirty-fifth and a few of the following verses. "Who shall deliver us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep before the slaughter." Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through whom that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth or any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ, Jesus our Lord." The mature and disciplined Christian. Two Sundays ago I preached that here on Sunday morning. I thought I'd talk about that to you tonight. Who or what shall separate us from the love of God? . . . The [Roman] empire leveled all manner of persecution against the Christians. They crucified them with their heels up and their heads down, They mad e them fight wild animals, they rolled them down mountainsides in spiked barrels, they denied them certain civil privileges, they socially annihilated them. They subjected them to all forms of brutality and persecutions. But in the face of it all, Paul penned these significant lines to the very power that had dealt so ruthlessly with the people of God. Says he, "Nothing shall separate us from the love of God." [Amen] Isn't that wonderful? He says that, ah, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, terror, or even the naked sword , heights or depths, angels or principalities, powers or what have you. When he enumerated all of these things he declared nothing shall separate us from the love of God. You know, you know Paul at this point was a long ways from the experience that he had on the Damascus highway in route from Damascus to Jerusalem. He couldn't have said that immediately in the wake of that experience. You know I think the church ought to discourage people who come into the church and get holy overnight. Such people ignore the progress and the process of Christian growth and they feel that they are rooted and grounded and they say that the winds may blow and the storms may rise but nothing can move me. And just that easy, just confessed prophets. You know I'm afraid, I'm afraid that those of us who enjoy today the privilege of the freedom of religion are not aware of what it costs to secure these liberties. I'm afraid that we don't know that people gave their lives. I'm afraid that you don't realize that folk were tarred and feathered and burned. People were thrown in jail. People were put in dark dungeons. Many of whom lost their sight to secure for us the religious freedom that we enjoy today. [Oh yeah] We more or less take things for granted. We've gotten so pat about this religious freedom that we have, we, we usually ?? or we forget it if we want to. [Amen, amen] We do not realize not only the great cost involved in securing freedom of religion. We don't realize what some folk are paying today in this world to practice Christianity. I wonder if you know what I'm talking about. Don't you know my brothers and sisters I'm afraid that our Christian followers would narrow down considerably if it really cost us anything. [Amen] You see, our 20th century religion doesn't cost us too much. It doesn't cost us too much in money, it doesn't cost us too much in self denial, it doesn't cost us too much in sacrifice, cause we don't give much financially to the church and, we certainly don't suffer much, because the rain will make us cancel our obligations. A friend could stop by and we'll stay home from our course of duty. Somebody can put on a party and say we want you to be with us Sunday and we forget all about the choir or the usher boards or the deacon board sometimes and all of the other boards . This is to say we don't pay much. I wonder what would your reaction be, I wonder how faithful would you be if your life was involved to follow Christ, if your security or your job [oh yes!] or your freedom, if you knew somebody would put you in jail if you were caught worshipping God. I wonder what would your reaction would be, if you knew that you were subject to be raided by the police tonight. If you knew that you were subject to go to the penitentiary, if you knew that you were subject to be hanged until you were dead by the neck. [Amen, Amen] I said that when Paul uttered these words, he was a long way from Damascus. I'm afarid that he could not have uttafraidhese words immeidataey after Damascus. I'm aimmediatelyhe didn't enjoy this strife, I'm afraid that he wasn't this certain, I'm afraid that he wasn't resolved, I'm afraid that he was not committed to this extent that he could say nothing, oh you could quote it tonight you could repeat it tonight, but how much would you mean it? Could you look danger in the face? Could you look insecurity in the face? Could you look death in the face and say like Paul, nothing could separate you from the love of God? Too many ot us have not counted the cost. You see spiritual growth, inner growth, psychologcial growth, emotional gpsychologicalo through a process as well as spiritual growth. [Oh yes!] Nobody would elect a teenager for the president of the United States. He hasn't lived long enough, he hasn't seen enough, he hasn't felt enough, he hasn't gone through enough, he hasn't experienced enough, he doesn't understand enough, he hasn't been tried enough to make the great decisions that must be made for this great country. Two years ago J. Wilkins Jr. achieved, ah, he acquired a Ph.D at the age of 19, but even with a Ph.D I'm sure he could not have been elected to be the president of this great country. Some things experience has to teach you. Some things you have to learn by living. I wonder if you know what I'm talking about tonight. So Paul I said was a long way from Damascus when he, when he got up off the ground that day as it were after seeing a light from Heaven and hearing a voice, I'm sure he couldn't have said this, not convincingly, not with the resolution, not with the firm commitment that he uttered it now towards the evening of his life. I'm afraid that some of us who are in the church talking about how strong your are and what you could stand, that you could stand the storms, I'm afraid you couldn't stand a little whirlwind. The mother of two of the disciples of Jesus came to him one day and said to him, "Jesus," in so many words, "I udnerstand that soon you'll be seunderstand kingdom here and I want you to grant that my two sons, one will stand on your right and the other on your left. But Jesus said, as he looked down at that woman, I'm sure he saw anxiety on her face. I'm sure he saw concern for her son on her face. I'm sure that he saw sincerity registered there. But he also saw that the woman had not counted the cost and I heard him say, "Well it's not mine to give in the first place. But I wonder have you thought about this? Could your sons drink of the cup that I must drink of? Could your sons be baptized with the baptism that I must be baptized with? Too many times we want positions that we have not merited. We want to occupy places that we have not, we have not gone through enough to occupy. I wonder if you're praying with me tonight. I think that we ought to be like Job. Job said, one day, when he had lost his health, he said one day when all of his children were dead, he said one day when his wife had turned her back on him, he said one day in the midst of complete bankruptcy, he said one day when his friends accused him of unrighteousness and injustice. He turned to God and said, "I don't understand what you're doing to me, but though you slay me, yet will I trust in you." And that is to say nothing [Amen] will separate me from the love of God.
My brothers and my sisters I'm going to close by telling you this story. It is said that a woman one day went to church to a testimonial service, an old time what we call covenant meeting. Everybody was getting up telling about their experiences with God. And one lady got up and said, "I'm happy to stand before you tonight, my brothers and my sisters. Why, I'm happy to tell you that the war is over and my sons are back home. And I want to tell you that ah I went with each one of them down to the train and I saw all five of them leave me and I saw them go over or leave me going to foreign countries. And I bowed down and I told the Lord to watch over them as long as they were away. And if it was not against his will to bring them all back safely to me again and I want to stand before you today and tell you that the Lord heard my prayer and all of my sons are back home, why, they're back home safe and sound. They're back home in their good health. And none of them have lost any of their limbs. And none of them have been severely wounded in any way. Oh Lord. And I just want to stand here tonight and tell you that I thank God for all that he did for me. And I'm thankful to God for hearing my prayer. Oh lord, but then there was another lady sitting there and she'd heard many people speaking glory to god and she got up and said, "Well, I've been sitting here a long time and I've heard everybody talk, oh, Lord, but I want to tell you today that I'm thankful also. Like Sister Johnson, my son went off to the wars. Oh, Lord, I had 3 sons and I went with them down to the train. Great God Almighty! Oh, Lord. And I watched them as they went to the train and left me also for foreign countries. Oh, Lord. And every night I bowed down and told the Lord that please watch over my sons and bring them back to me safely if it wasn't against his will. Oh, Lord, but I've got to stand here to tell you, my Lord, that none of my sons came back home. Oh Lord one by one I got telegrams saying that my son was lost in action. Oh, Lord! You know it brought me down in sorrow. You know it brought me down in pain. Oh, Lord! But the Lord he gave me strength and helped to go through with it. Oh, Lord! And although my sons are gone, I'm glad to stand and say today that I thank the Lord also for what he's has done to me. Oh, Lord. My sons have gone on to the other world, but even so the Lord is still watching over me, even so the Lord is opening doors for me, even so the Lord is making ways for me, and I still thank the Lord, yes I do. Through all of the reverses and through all of the calamities that I've gone through, nothing will separate me from the love of God. Oh, Let me tell you! I've made up in my mind that nothing will separate me, oh Lord, let the clouds roll, nothing, let the thunder clap, I said nothing, let the winds blow, oh Lord, let the evening rain, I said nothing will separate me from the love of God. Let me get weak and then let me fall down, I said nothing will separate me from the love of God. He's been too good to me. Oh, yeah. Yes he has. Oh, oh Lord. Oh yeah, he's opened doors that have been closed in my face. Oh, yes, oh yes! I've been through everything. I've made up in my mind. oh, good God, oh yeah, oh yeah, yes. Nothing can separate me from the love of God.
The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3) Well, the Lord God Almighty done brought us out! (3)
There was a woman one day, there was a woman one day. She met the master at the well and he told her everything she had ever done. She went back to the city, she called on the friends around her, She said I got something to tell you. She said,
"The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3)
I wish Shadrack, Mesach, and old man Abednego, I wish they could be here. They want the wholle wide world to know. The king put them in the furance, 7 times hotter than it ought to be. But when he went down to look for them, what a sight he did see. The king said I put in three, but now I believe I see four. And the fourth one, the fourth one
the fourth one, the fourth one, the fourth one, looks very like, looks very like, looks very like the son of God, yeah.
The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3)
I wish my mother could be here. She'd tell you for me so many times we were afraid. He opened doors we couldn't see. She'd tell you that,
The Lord God Almighty done brought us out! (3) Oh, yeah! (3)
When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me. You know my soul cries out Hallelujah, oh Lord, and I thank God for saving me! Let me say it again. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me. You know my soul cries out, oh Lord, good God Almighty. And I thank God for saving.
Let me say together. When I think of the blessing of Jesus and all he's done for me. Well my soul cries out and it's all right and I thank God for saving me like this. ????
I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. The reason why I thank you: I know you been mighty good. I know you been good to me. You been better to me than I been to myself. You made me run and tell. You made me tell somebody else. Can't nobody do me like you, Lord. I said can't nobody, do me like you, Jesus. That's the reason why I know I got to thank you Jesus.
I remember one Friday when I went down on my knees. I said I wouldn't tell nobody, that something got a hold of me. That it got all in my hair. That it got all in my feet. It just made me tell the world that something got a hold of me. Can't you feel that power? (repeat)
Can't you feel it in your hair? When you go down on your knees. Don't it make it all right? I remember in the last song. I asked everybody out there. I got this question again that I want to ask you. Did you get that power? (repeat)
When you talk about the Holy Ghost. Did he get in your hair? Did he get in your walk? Did it get all in your talk? Did he make you tell somebody that you been born again? Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, you all. I'll tell you something. I said I'll go to church in a while. Come on, and go with me.
Oh, yeah, all right, God Almighty. Come on, come on.
Did you get that power? (repeat)
I come to talk about the Holy Ghost. Did it get in your hair. Did it get in your walk? Did it get all in your talk? Did it make you tell somebody that you been born again? Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, all! You know what, I said I'll go to church in a while.
I thank you Jesus! (3) Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, all.
remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked, the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what
will happen to him?" That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not if I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" The question is, "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.
Jesus dramatically tells of God's love [Yeah, Amen] and God's patience and God's long suffering and God's concern about man in this passage. [Amen]
He endeavors to show first of all the danger of self-righteousness [yeah] in the characterization of the son that stayed at home. [Yeah.] Although he stayed at home, although he did not go astray, although he did not engage in wild and riotious living [Yeah, Amen], when his brother was redeemed and was regained he was too selfish to come in and join in the banquet and celebrate the recovery of his lost brother. So that Jesus intends for us to learn in this that it is as dangerous to stay in the church and be selifsh as it is to go out but finally come back. [Yeah, Amen]
Now the theme of this passage is loss. And Jesus intended to show us that God is a God of the lost.
Now Jesus also said that was not the God of the living, ah, rather of the dead, but rather a God of the living. By that he did not mean that he turned his back on you when you die. But he rather meant that no man is dead with God. And therefore know that he cannot escape to any land where God is not. If he went into the heavens, if he went to the upmost parts of the earth, if he made his bed in Hell, behold God is there.
So God is the God of the lost. If you do not believe that he is the God of the lost, make up in your mind to come back to God. and like the father in prodigal his arms will be wide open. And the Lord will be waiting in his wide room of blessing.
Now, I said the theme of this story is loss. Jesus in this chapter tells of three things that were lost. First, he tells of lost sheep.
Secondly, he tells of lost money.
Thirdly, he tells of a lost son.
In the case of the lost sheep, the shepherd went back over his steps, and over his traveling the day, the previous day and searched in every ravine and every mountainsde and every valley until he had regained the sheep that was lost.
The woman who lost one of her coins of ten, swept in every corner [yeah] and under every bed, behind every door until she had found her lost coin.
But then there's no law of anyone having gone out to look for this lost son. You see in the case of the sheep we have the loss of property. In the case of the lost coin we have financial loss. In the case of the son we have human loss.
People go out looking to regain lost property. People search in order to regain lost money. But very few people bother themselves about trying to regain lost sons, lost dogs, lost husbands, or wives, or even lost money.
This young man, in the case of the prodigal son, became restless according to the story and became a little impatient with the discipline and order and regulations of his home.
Possibly his brother led a life that was too dull. Possibly the right rule of his father was a little irritating. Yes, he was young and the blood of youth was dancing with energy and excitment in his veins.
You understand his heart had grown alien, alien to his home. Alien to the traditional, ah, situation, ah, among his people, [yeah] alien to the things that were native to him.
The far country of excitement beckoned to him. And he went to his father and petitioned him,
"Father give me all of the goods that fall to me!"
His father did not hesitate. He immediately divided his living, you understand, and gave young man his share. And after he gave, he took his journey into that far country. Listen if you please.
He didn't go out looking for the young man. For the young man was lost.
Yes he was lost. I don't mean only so far as morals or so far as that which is spiritual is concerned. I mean he was lost to himself. [Yes!] So the record is that when he found himself in a pigpen he came to himself, which means that he was not like himself.
I wish I had somebody here to tell with me. [I say, come on!]
You see there are situations in life, let me put it this way, I think sometimes that adversity helps us to find ourselves. [All right, all right]
Some of the folk, some of the folk who are sitting there listening to me have gone to experiences and know that there are times in your life when you thought you knew it all. [Yeah!] When you thought that you could impose your way and your will on everybody. When you thought that it was right to be selfish. For you see the first law of Nature may be self first, but the first law of Grace is others first!
I wish I had somebody here. Listen if you please.
And it took a little adversity, it took a little sickness, or it took a little misfortunes, or it took a little shakeup in your life to help you to find yourself. [Yeah!]
You see this young man didn't find himself until he had gone all the way from a palace to a pigpen. [Amen!]
Follow me if you please, he took his journey into a far country.
For he was alien. Alien from God, alien from friends, alien from his surroundings, and from his native home. [Yeah, Amen] The times grew dull at home, and there was nothing at home that could satisfy him as he took his journey into a far country. Unluckily he there wasted his living or his substance in riotous living, wasted, lost, always for waste.
If you waste your money, one day you'll want it. Did you hear what I said?
If you waste your influence, if you abuse your influence, one day you'll wish you hadn't. [Amen]
If you waste your health, one day you'll want it. For in every instance losing follows waste. The record is that when this young man wasted his subtances in riotous living, when he wasted that which had been given to him, then a mighty famine arose and he began to feeling lost. A mighty famine arose.
Well you see famines are still rising. It might not have been an economic famine or it might not be an economic famine in all instances. Sometimes it is the famine of health. A famine may be going on with you in your home and in your community and nothing the same is going on with anybody else.
This young man had gone to this far country and no doubt had received a warm reception. When he came in as a prince of an Eastern rich man, with his diamond necklaces, with his gold bracelets, with his servants, with his camels and with all of his flocks, why no doubt the far country of his desire received him with open arms. [Yeah!]
But when you don't need anything you always can get anything you want. [Oh, yeah.] If you have a car anybody will let you ride. If you have money anybody will lend you some money.
But if it gets around that you're broke, the story is different. I wish somebody would follow me.
This young man dissipated not only his body, and listen if you please, he dissipated everything else that he had.
And you know there are a lot of people who think and who talk about how expensive it is to be a member of the church. I have a sad notice to you tonight, it's far more expensive to follow after the ways of the world than it is to be a child of God.
For when you get with the crowd out yonder, you're all right as long as you can help bear the load, you're all right as long as you can contribute to the pot, you're all right as long as you can, can can order everybody.
But when you get to the place when you can't do that the world is through with you. You don't believe that I'm telling you the truth, come with me somebody's else's and talk with with many, with many a young man and many a young women, and they will tell you as long as things were going well they could not sleep for the telephone. They, they had to be out every parlor.
But when they had wasted all, when the famine of health roared in their lives, the telephone doesn't ring anymore. And on visiting days the crowd of friends that they used to run with are conspicuously missing. I wish I had somebody testify with me.
Yes, sir. But listen brothers and sisters. This young man was reduced to a very shameful level for a man of his nationality. Only a Jew could tell you about how he felt about tying himself to a gentile master in these far-off days and having to work among swine.
The young man sat there, you understand, in a hog pen, he sat there, you understand full of experience and wisdom that he had gained from all his trials.
And as he sat there thinking about it, hungry and realzing that he had come from a palace down to a pigpen. And in this situation the record is, he came to himself. I wish somebody tonight that's listening to me would sit right where you are and come to yourself. [Yeah]
Oh, Lord you know Jesus told this story in order to let men know that he had faith in men. That he could not believe that man was ultimately sinful and wicked. But the ultimate end of man was to come to God.
For you see my brothers and my sisters, to do wrong is alien with man. One of these days wrongness will disappear. One of these days selfishness will be wiped out of this globe.
One of these days war will end. And one of these days peace will prevail. I don't think you know what I'm talking about.
And this young man sat there realizing that he had ended up in a pen for his folly. Oh, Lord He sat there, there among swine, with hogs all around him, oh, realizing, great God, that he had sought freedom but was lost, that he wanted freedom at the expense of law and order and discipline. Oh, Lord, and he had given up a happy home.
You ought to be able to see him sitting there thinking to himself.
"Here I am in rags, in tattered rags and I know my father has a wardrobe full of robes. Here I am with my last bracelet on and in my father's jewelry box there's a lot of jewelry. Oh, Lord! Here I am with no necklace about my neck and at my father's house there are many necklaces. And here I am hungry, yeah, and at my home there's bread and enough to spare. Oh, Lord!
I know that I've done wrong. Yeah. I know. Yeah, yes I know, I know I disobeyed my father. I know that I've been wild and that I've been reckless, yes I have.
But I'm going back home today, oh Lord, I've done wrong but I'm going home. Yes I am, I'm wild, but I'm going home. I'm hungry but I'm going home.
Yes, I am. I'm hungry, but I'm going home. Yes, answer me. I'm going to tell you. Father, yes, Father, Father, yes, Father, yes, I've been wrong, yes I have, Father, I know I disobeyed you, Yes I did. I know what I'm talking about. Forgive me. I'm not going to tell you forgive me. But I'm come back home today telling you to make me, to make me one of your servants. Oh Lord.
And that's what I'm telling you now. Lord, Lord, Lord, you just make me one of your servants. Lord, Lord! Lord! Lord! Lord! You just make me one of your servants. Anything you want me to do, tears in my eyes. Lord, Lord! Lord! Oh, Lord! Just make me one of your hired servants!
If, if when you give the best of your self, tell tender words that the Savior has come, be not dismayed, if men won't believe, he'll understand, I believe he will say, "Well, well done."
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2) I want you to know the word I heard before, John was a righteous man, He was selected and prepared for his job, by God's own hand. He was preparing for the way for the Son of God and John went into the wilderness.
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2)
O King of Kings, Kings of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. O King of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. Our Father, our Father we are asking for peace in our country, Our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in our land. Our Father, the Father we are asking for peace in our country, our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in the land.
{English} Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, give them eternal rest.
*As a language footnote, observe how the cognates there between Latin and English words: deity, impeccable, mundane, donation, sempiternal.
A man came to Jesus and said, "What must I do to be saved from the wicked ways. I'm weary, I'm wounded. From the start of my life, I've been torn! Lord I need a change." "Nicodemus, your soul must be saved! Nicodemus, turn from your wicked ways. Nicodemus, hear me when I say, you must be born again, yes you must be born again.
Oh happy day Oh happy day Oh happy happy day; Oh happy day When Jesus washed Oh when he washed When Jesus washed He washed my sins away! Oh happy day Oh happy day He taught me how He taught me Taught me how to watch He taught me how to watch and pray and we'll rejoice each and every day.
Truly this man was the son of God.
This refers to the "upper room" where Jesus has his Last Supper with his 12 apostles:
In the upper room with Jesus, standing right near his blessed feet. Daily there my sins confessing Begging for his mercy sweet. Trusting in his grace and power Seeking there his love in prayer In his kiss I feel the Spirit As I sit with Him there. Oh, it's In the upper room with Jesus, well in the upper room with my Lord, oh my Lord. Well it's in the upper room, in the upper room, it's in the upper room, yes with my Lord.
hallelujah, child.
Oh happy day Oh happy day When Jesus washed Oh when he washed When Jesus washed He washed my sins away! Oh happy day. He taught me how He taught me Taught me how to watch He taught me how to watch and pray and we'll rejoice each and every day.
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2) I want you to know the word I heard before, John was a righteous man, He was selected and prepared for a job by God's own hand. They tell me he was preparing for the way for the Son of God and John went into the wilderness. That's why I want to be like John (going into the wilderness), he let me walk (in Jerusalem) he let me talk (in Jerusalem), he let me shout (in Jerusalem), he let me walk, No more mourning, no more crying, no more dying. I say, Yeah, I say, Yeah, if I do what the Lord said do!
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do Lord do remember me (3), way beyond the blue. I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun (3) way beyond the blue. Do Lord, etc. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too (3), while He's calling you! Do Lord, etc.
It's me, it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (2) Not my father, not my mother, but it's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer; not my sister not my brother but it's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. It's me, it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (2)
we begin our New Testament studies next week, you can prepare yourself by viewing video performances of the Christian hymn, "Morning Has Broken." The hymn has an unusual history.
The verses were written in the 1930s by Eleanor Farjeon set to a Scottish-Gaelic tune. The tune has also been set to other Christian texts. Farjeon's hymn was almost forgotten until a Folk singer, Cat Stevens, had a Top Ten hit with it in the 1970s. It has since been heard all over the world. There are several videos of the song on Youtube; two of the links are below. The lyrics are included here.
The
lyrics suggest a baptism motif: a renewal of the individual after Christian baptism, a theme clearly stated in the famous incipit (beginning) of the Gospel of John, where Jesus is both Word and Light. It's also clear in (St.) Paul's understanding of baptism as a death/rebirth (the individual is buried under water, to rise again as a new person). Naturally, everything becomes new after this, as, indeed, John's famous incipit tries to show by its obvious allusion (reference) to Genesis: "In the beginning. . . ."
For the Christian, baptism is a "re-creation." Therefore, morning is like "the first morning"; a birdsong is like the first birdsong; while the person follows with "praise" for this new creation, which (as both Genesis and John's incipit say) comes from the "Word" (that is, Jesus).
The world finds "completeness" by the Word made Flesh ("where his feet pass"). The "light" (Jesus is the "light of the world," in one of the famous "I Am" sayings in John's Gospel) is the same light as "Eden saw play," because the Creation is the same, only a re-creation.
(Remember, Creation is good from the beginning; this is a fundamental principle of Jewish thought and John's Gospel cannot contradict this without losing continuity with the OT [Old Testament]. If so, Jesus cannot be the fulfillment of OT prophecy.)
Exactly what was Farjeon's intent is another issue. It might also be an Easter hymn, which would then be a communal baptism for the faithful.
Click on either or both of the links below to hear/see the video.
Neil Diamond
Cat Stevens
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning Praise for the springing fresh from the Word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.
the Lord and send me the money, I'm happy, you can be happy too if you praise the Lord and send me the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
Late one night while watching Colombo I fell asleep till a quarter past three. When just like a vision and I thought I was dreaming, I heard the voice of a man on TV.
He said, "Praise the Lord and send me the money, I'm happy, you can be happy too if you praise the Lord and send me the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
I sat straight up, reached for my checkbook, scrambling with guilt to put my big pen in my hand, I wrote out the figures of one and four zeroes, went out and mailed it with a note to that man.
I said, "Praise the Lord, I'm sending the money, I surely want to be happy like you, praise the Lord, I'm sending the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
I woke up late for work the next morning, I could not believe what I had done. I wrote a hot check for Jesus for ten thousand dollars, my bank account only had 31.
I got a second job at a gasoline station and I'm saving my money to pay what I owe. I don't get much sleep 'cause I stay up late watching all of the folks on the Lord's TV show, saying,
"Praise the Lord and send me the money, I'm so happy, you can be happy too if you praise the Lord and send me the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
"Praise the Lord, I'm sending the money!"
*Note: Columbo was a popular TV show (about an unkempt detective, starring Peter Falk) at the time this song was written.
Listen if you please, This is a gem when it comes to ah, sacred literature. This kind of testimony doesn't just accidentally occur. You can't dream upon something like this. To get off a testimony like this you've got to have had some experience with God. You got to, been got to, ah, a kind of a situation where you have to lay out upon God, throw out upon God, utterly depend upon him. [Yeah! Amen]
Listen here. The Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not lie. A personal thing, isn't it? He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth ME beside the still waters. He restoreth MY soul. You hear what I said? He restoreth MY soul. Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with ME. Isn't it so? Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort ME, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of MY enemies. Thou anointest MY head with oil, MY cup runneth over.
A very personal thing. I don't think too much of people who have no personal testimony about God and his goodness. Folks say, "Well, you know I ain't much of a talker and I can't say anything in church!" If God has meant anything in your life you ought to be willing to say anything. You ought to be able to say what God means to ME.
If the Lord means anything, let the saints of God say so. Bear with me. If David was the author of this passage, maybe it was born out of some of his experiences. Possibly at the time that he penned this particular passage, this psalm, he was sitting upon an ivory throne, Israel's first citizen, with a scepter of authority in his hands, with courtiers and ambassadors gathered before him and ??? this is the case and began to think about those things that brought him over.
Had it been his skillfulness? [Well?] Had it been his superior intelligence? Had it been his political maneuvering? Had it been his contacts? Had it been money? Had it been ?
No, Sir. It had been the Lord. So he says, the Lord has been my shepherd.
No wonder the man said through many dangerous toils and snares, I have already come [the hymn, "Amazing Grace"]. It wasn't money, it wasn't military power, it wasn't chicanery, it wasn't political strings being pulled, it was grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me on.
He's a man who had been brought by God from the obscurity of the dry barren hills of Judah to the throne of Israel. He was a man who come up from the unknown and had faced the feared giant, Goliath.
Outside in the town of Socoh at the valley of Elah, with the soldiers of Israel arrayed on one mountain and the soldiers of the Philistines arrayed on the other. This man who had been decorated for his valor and bravery was walking between the mountains, exclaiming in loud tones of profanity, exclaiming in profanity against the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
You know how he requested audience with king and how he started out with Saul's own helmet on his head, Saul's own sword in his hand, Saul's own shield on his arm. But having no experience in swinging this kind of a thing he took them back and he trusted only his sling and God.
You know the victory that he brought to Israel and when he went marching back to the capital, the women on the way composed a new song, saying that Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his ten thousands.
You know the jealousy that this aroused in Saul. And how Saul sought to kill him and how he had to run and hide. One day when there was a company of men coming in from the south, And another company closing in from the north another from the east and another from the west, and there was no escape for David, and God whispered and told David told to get busy and wound up that thing and when the soldiers got there, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not be left in want. That's what the man is talking about. I shall not want in companionship because the Lord is my companion. I shall not want for guidance for the Lord is my Guide. I shall not want for protection for the Lord protects him.
I don't know you if you know what I'm talking about. The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. The lord is my shepherd. Listen if you please.
Why he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He doesn't leave me to lie in barren hillsides. No, sir, he green pastures, by the grasp of his grace, and why I can even tell my soul is satisfied, until I'm full. And when I've feasted to my satisfaction he lets me lie down in a plain: green pastures, green pastures.
That's why I don't like people talking about I'm a Christian and trying to be all pitiful. NO, no, this thing is nothing piteous. I'm a child of a king. And my Father says, The world is mine and the fullness thereof belongs to me. Gold and silver are mine! And I have ten thousand weapons in my hand. Yes I carry them!
He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Yes, he does. He leads me beside the still waters, the still waters.
They tell me that this part of the verse was inspired by an occurrence that ah, that constantly or frequently occured with respect to shepherd and their sheep in Palestine. It is said that they often, when the sheep went down to the steep valley, the waves were billowing. Sheep being of a timid nature, would leave without
Shepherds to guide the from the mainstream. And then let the sheep run over and then at the end of the stream, dig a pool and let the water from the main stream run out and run to the trench and into the pool. And the water in the pool was called still water.
Though the waves were gushing out there, though the white caps were kissing one another from the surface of the water, The water in the pool was still intact. I think that's what God does for us who have faith in him. Sometimes life's bilious sea is too restless for our pitied souls to drink.
But God has a way of opening up a or two and letting our souls drink to our soul's satisfaction. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about tonight.
Yes he does, he opens up a private pool for my soul. And not only that, he restores my soul.
"Soul" is pretty hard to define. Nobody can really sum up wholly. I think as close as you can come to the power of God.
The soul has been defined as being one's ability to sympathize, one's ability to be considerate, one's ability to be considerate and compassionate. One's ability to be unselfish.
Isn't it so? So that if you lost your ability to sympathize with others, if you are only interested in your own welfare, if you are inconsiderate of anybody but yourself, you have lost your soul.
And David sees to have found himself on one occasion and then he went to God and he traded in him a clean heart and removed a right spirit within him and then restored his soul.
I wish you knew what I was talking about tonight. Restored his soul. Isn't it so? NO wonder then he said, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. He leadeth me.
It is said, that Dr. Chu, the great Chinese Christian [oh, yeah!], one day he was standing out on a hill, overlooking a little city in China where he was born. It is said that the Japanese
planes when China was at war flew over and bombed the homes of his buddies, bombed the bank where he had his last dime, bombed the school of his childhood, bombed the hospital where many of his friends and where many of his neighbors were, bombed everything and when everything had gone up in flames and smoke, thought that he had a little testimony in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and opened at the same passage, the 23rd psalm. And when everything was gone he began reading, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, yes he does, he leadeth me in paths of righteousness. You know, my brothers and my sisters, don't you know I would lose my way but for the fact that the Lord leads me.
Well, you see the way of righteousnes is a narrow way [oh, yeah!] the way of truth is a narrow way, the way of love is a narrow way, the way of justice is a narrow way, [well!] certainly the way of righteousness is a narrow way. [Yeah!]
And I believe that almost any of us would lose our way f it wasn't for God. [Yeah!] But that the reason why I don't lose my way always is that the Lord leads me.
For the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pasture. He leadeth me by the still waters. He restored my soul.
I don't believe you know what I'm talking about tonight. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. Oh, Lord, He holds my hand although I might go astray. Oh, LOrd, I pick the road to destruction. But the Lord, he holds my hand.
Oh, Lord, I don't know if you know what I'm talking about tonight. But in the highways and byways of life, I like to feel that the Lord is leading me. On the streets of Detroit or wherever I go, I like to feel that He's leading me, leading me around the bend, leading me around the pitfalls, leading me, yeah leading me. I don't know if you know what I mean tonight, but the Lord is leading me.
And now you hear me say not only that! Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you know some people feel that this is when you die. Oh, Lord! But I'm not only in death's shadows when I die, sometimes in the midst of life, I'm in the shadow of death.
Oh Lord, the only reason why that I don't lose heart, the only reason why I don't give up, my Lord, the Lord and his prayers is by my side. . Oh Lord, I don't have to worry. I don't have to be in no hurry.
Somebody might say, well, don't you know the valley is dangerous. And don't you know it's fraught with death. And if you got to go through, you ought to hurry and go on through. I tell people, No! I'm in no hurry. I take time to walk, I take my time. No reason to hurry. No, no. The Lord is by my side. He's by my side. I've seen the enemies. Oh, Lord, and when enemies have said that predicted that I'm through, and when enemies have said that he's finished. Oh lord, He doesn't have anything, he can see me eating, he can see bread on my table. He put the and the menu of love on my table. He put the menu of peace on my table. He put on the menu even of contentment and satisfaction and everything all around me. Unless I got a prayer he put it right on my head.
The Lord is, the Lord is, the Lord is, the Lord is, He's mine tonight. I don't know if He's yours. I don't know how you feel about it, but the Lord is my Shepherd. And I say the Lord, the lord takes me to green pastures, the Lord takes me to valleys green, the Lord, the Lord takes me down by the still waters. The lord, the Lord, the Lord.
I resolve tonight that I'm going to stay in the house of the Lord forever.
The influence of Gospel music on Elvis' rock 'n' roll style is shown in this 1955 interview:
8: Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9: Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put words in thy mouth. 10: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 17: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18: For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19: And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
2: Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3: And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
4: Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5: And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6: Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8: Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9: Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone.
11: And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
3: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4: Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5: So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6: And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7: Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10: This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11: For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
4: Because the ground is chapped, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5: Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6: And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7: O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. 8: O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9: Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied [astonished], as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
33: But this shall be a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty, God in His Glory, blessed Deity.
Here I am, oh, Lord, send me. Yes, Master, if you need me. I'll stop what i"m doing, go out for your cause. I knew you would call me if you did need me. Yes Lord If you want somebody you can count on em, rest my bones, I'll go. Won't somebody, O Lord, won't somebody, O Lord, send me. If I've polio I'll go, I'm cripple I'll go, I want you to know if I'm blind I'll go,if I'm paralyzed I'll go. Though paralyzed, I'll go just the same. I'll go, won't somebody here go. Send me!
Peace like a river so gently it's flowing, how sweet to my soul is this marvellous peace, sweeter and sweeter each day it is growing like billows of glory it never shall cease. Spirit, the Spirit, I am so glad (I am so happy), happy and glad, Jesus has given, Jesus has given wonderful peace, wonderful peace.
"Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter ofEgypt, but you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you." Jeremiah 46:11
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -- prophet still, if bird or devil! --
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted --
On this home by Horror haunted -- tell me truly, I implore --
Is there -- is there balm in Gilead? -- tell me -- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."
Although an embarrassment to some biblical scholars, hence read allegorically, God pictured with human emotions has been justified by scholars such as Abraham Heschel, who argue that God's "divine pathos" (including anger and love) is a model for how humans must behave to insure justice on earth. In other words, by acting concerned, God becomes a model of concern, rather than passivity or indifference. This song is typical of the "divine pathos" (that is, feeling), common throughout the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). In many ways, Jesus is a development of this theme, since God not only behaves like man, but actually becomes man, thus realizing to the full the "divine pathos." Jesus then becomes an even more visible model to follow in one's daily conduct. This would include (righteous) anger as well as love:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
Come, we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.
Refrain: We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Or walk the golden streets, Or walk the golden streets. Then let our songs abound, And every tear be dry; We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, To fairer worlds on high, To fairer worlds on high. (Refrain)
What a beautiful thought I am thinking, Concerning a great speckled bird. And to know that my name is recorded on the pages of God's Holy Word. Desiring to lower her standard, They watch every move that she makes They long to find fault with her teachings, But really she makes no mistakes. I am glad I have learned of her meekness.I am proud that my name is on her book,For I want to be one never fearing the face of my Savior to look. When He cometh descending from heaven, On a cloud like He writes in His Word, I'll be joyfully carried to meet Him On the wings of that great speckled bird.
(1a) De lamentatione Jeremiae prophetae.
The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah.
(1b) Jerusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
(1c) Same as (1b)
(2) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40:4)
(3) And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)
(4) Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14)
(5) O thou that tellest good tiding to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voie with strength; lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! Arise shine, for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9, 60:1)
(6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the goverment shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
(8) Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword, his truth is marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah, his truth is marching on.
(9) Oh well,
I’m tired and so weary But I must go alone Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes Well the morning's so bright And the lamb is a light And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There'll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me Well the bear will be gentle And the wolves will be tame And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes And the beasts from the wild Shall be led by a child And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There'll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.
A nineteenth century hymn performed in Bluegrass style. "Beulah" is God's new name for Israel, now "married" to God and no longer divorced, as in the Exile:
(10) I am dwelling on a mountain where the golden sunlight gleams, over a land whose wondrous beauty far exceeds my fondest dreams. Where the air is pure ethereal, laden with the breath of flowers, they are blooming by the fountain, 'neath the amaranthine bowers. I can see far down the mountain where I wandered weary years, often hindered on my journey by the ghosts of doubts and fears. Broken vows and disappointments thicklly sprinkled over the way, but the spirit led unerring to the land I hold today. It's the distant land of Beulah, blessed blessed land of light, where the flowers bloom forever and the sun is always bright.
(11) I'm kind of homesick for a country to where I've never been before. No sad goodbye will there be spoken, time won't matter anymore. Beulah Land, I'm longing for you and some day on thee I'll stand and there my home shall be eternal, Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.
(7) Oh bless the Lord my soul! His praise to thee proclaim! And all that is within me join, To bless His holy name! Oh yeah! Oh bless the Lord my soul! His mercies bear in mind! Forget not all His benefits, The Lord, to thee, is kind. He will not always chide He will with patience wait His wrath is ever slow to rise Oh bless the Lord And ready to abate And ready to abate Oh yeah! Oh bless the lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! He pardons all thy sins Prolongs thy feeble breath He healeths thine infirmities And ransoms thee from death He clothes thee with his love Upholds thee with his truth And like an eagle he renews The vigor of thy youth Then bless His holy name Whose grace hath made thee whole Whose love and kindness crowns Thy days
Oh bless the lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord, bless the lord My soul! Bless the lord my soul!
(10) On the willows, there we hung up our lives. For our captors there required of us songs and our tormentors' mirth. On the willows, there we hung up our lives. For our captors there required of us songs and our tormentor's mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion. Sing us one of the songs of Zion." But how can we sing--sing the Lord's songs in a foreign land?
So, let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight. Oh, Far-I. Sing it aloud! We got to sing it together, Everyone of us!
By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down and there we wept, when we remembered Zion. When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land? When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
(14) Rejoice rejoice Good tidings I bring you Hear ye a message to you my friend Voices cry invoke your angels When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread no So blow away your bluesy feeling Spirits say take the world off your shoulder One foot in the grave is a foolish step to take (dancer) Who sow in tears shall reap in joy Wise man doctrines assure your safety No more stumbling block back stabbers get down To the righteous revealed The secret of the scriptures The wicked dem portion is vanity Disciples of Lucifer In your hands lie your destination The book of true life you hold the key Mystical powers to you unfold Seek ye the half that has never been told Get behind me Satan (in dis ya Armageddon) I've got chant CHORUS: Chant a psalm a day
Reach you in a vision yeh come on Come walkies down easy street
Attract the angels in dreams and your prayers Remember the three holy children Remember the visions of Daniel Remember the magic of Moses so Dash away your bluesy feeling Spirits say take the world off your shoulder One foot in the grave my friend A foolish step to take
When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread (2) Got to be wise yes yes in dis ya Iwa Woe betide for the wicked Disciples of Lucifer Get behind me Satan I got to chant CHORUS: Chant a psalm a day Moses he did chant chant Samson he did chant chant Elijah he did chant chant I want the whole a we fe chant chant Solomon he did chant chant His father King David chant chant John the Baptist chant chant. . . .
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
SONGS WEEK OF 27 MARCH 2007
PSALMS
(1) As the Hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God.
(3) My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent; if they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause, We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil, my son, walk not in the way with them." PROVERBS
(4) Who crieth "Woe"? Who? "Alas!" Who hath contention? Who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine." (PROVERBS 23:29f.)
(5) The woman folly is riotous: She is thoughtlessnes and knowing nothing. And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city to call to them that pass by, who go right on their ways. "Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither; And as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." (PROVERBS 9:13f.)
(6) When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; Yea, thou shalt lie down and they sleep shall be sweet. PROVERBS 3:24
(7) The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more with the perfect day. PROVERBS 4:18
(8) As in water in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. PROVERBS 27:19
There are no accidents in the Bible; redactions (edits) were carefully planned for coherence and scope. It seems very likely that the role of woman was carefully revised in order to balance the negative image of Eve in Genesis (though even she can be seen in a positive light of inquiry rather than disobedience). Regardless, Wisdom was personified as a woman in Proverbs; indeed, with God at the beginning of Creation. Moreover, women as mothers teach the Torah or Law (not just fathers): "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching" (1:8). Lemuel's chapter (31) was taught by his mother and includes a famous encomium (praise) to a good wife, thus restoring women to dignity she perhaps lost in Genesis. (The evil woman is now called Folly, lacking not the good sense of Man but the good sense of Lady Wisdom.) Jesus will advance woman's role in the New Testament. At the same time Jesus, as the Son, replaces Lady Wisdom, as Paul calls Jesus "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24); while the famous incipit (beginning) of John's Gospel leaves no doubt, where Jesus, as the Word (Wisdom) sits with God "in the beginning," thus forever changing how Christians read the Jewish Genesis.
(9) A woman of valour, who can find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, And he hath no lack of gain. PROVERBS 31:10:31f.
The genitive form is used as a superlative in biblical language. Thus King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Song of Songs ("best song"). This is the American composer, William Billings' setting of verses from the Song of Songs.
the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valleys. As the Lily among the thorns, so is my Love among the Daughters. As the Appletree among the trees of the Wood, so is my Beloved amng the Sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight. And his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the Banqueting House. His Banner over me was Love. Stay me with Flagons, Comfort me with Apples, for I am sick of Love. I charge you, o ye Daughers of Jeruslaem, by the Roes and by the Hinds of the Field, that you stir not up nor Awake my love till he please. The voice of my Beloved, Behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills, my Beloved spake and said unto me, rise up, my Love, my fair one, and come away, for Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love is strong as death. Jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals there are oals of foire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot qunech love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. For love is strong as death, if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upn thine arm, for love is strong as death.
Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide. Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide, Thyself from my petition do not hide!
Take heed to me! Hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee, hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee, hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee! Take heed to me, take heed to me!
Without Thee all is dark, I have no guide, I have no guide, no guide, without Thee all is dark, I have no guide, I have no guide.
Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide, Thyself from my petition do not hide! Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Hear my prayer, O God incline Thine ear. The enemy shouteth, The godless come fast! Iniquity, hatred, up on me they cast! The wicked oppress me, Ah where shall I fly? Perplexed and bewildered, O God, hear my cry, O God hear my cry! O God hear my cry, perplexed and bewildered, O God hear my cry! O God, O God, hear my cry!
The enemy shouteth, the godless come fast, perplexed and bewildered O God, hear my cry! O God hear my cry, perplexed and bewildered, O God, hear my cry. O God, hear my cry, O God hear my cry, O God, hear my cry! O God hear my cry!
My heart is sorely pained within my breast. My soul with deathly terror is oppressed. Trembling and fearfulness upon me fall, with horror overwhelmed, Lord, hear me call, Lord, hear me call! With horror overwhelmed, Lord, hear me call!
O for the wings, for the wings of a dove! Far away, far away would I rove! O for the wings, for the wings of a dove! Far away, far away, far away, far away would I rove!
Simply, the beautiful is an aesthetic experience based on order and charm. It addresses the understanding; it can be enjoyed in human terms.
["Aesthetic" means "feeling." So the dentist gives us an "an-asethetic" in order to take feeling away while work is done on our teeth.]
A comedy about marriage would be called beautiful; a murder mystery is also beautiful, even if scary.
But the sublime is an experience based on disorder, terror, and awe. It does not seem to address man in his routine life, based on order and limits.
Yet it is a feeling, so an "aesthetic" response. It is our response to a violent thunderstorm; or when we look up at mountain peaks; or when we think of the large universe and how small we are in it or the billions of years that have come before us.
All these experiences are sublime. We feel awe, littleness, terror.
Art can be sublime if it imitates Nature when she is sublime, as in the romantic paintings that show mountain peaks or power storms.
Greek tragedy is sublime because the effect is one of terror in the face of how little and weak man is. In these plays we see noble and decent people crushed to nothing. For some reason, we feel better facing this.
The most famous tragedy in the Western world is the Jesus Passion. In fact the Gospel of Mark originally ends on just this feeling of the sublime, with fear and terror. Mark's final words (in the original text) are: "They were afraid."
Shakespeare's King Lear is the most sublime tragedy in English literature. Its climax is a power storm when Lear, a former king betrayed by his family, stands naked and almost alone, mad with rage at what has happened to him.
American writer neatly summed up the tragic theme in his novel, Islands in the Stream: "Man is persecuted. Man has his robe of dignity plucked at and destroyed."
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is an example of the sublime in music. Job is an example of the sublime in the Bible: gone is the comfortable assurance of a good God, though Job never loses belief in God.
Rather Job's reaction to his suffering is terror and a loss of human scale or values: the universe no longer seems orderly, subject to human measure. It and God seem beyond understanding. God, as Job says (12:10), has the whole world in his hands. But what kind of hands are they?
Yet the sublime in Job is not just about undeserved suffering. It's also in the powerful images of a Nature beyond human understanding, that can only be wondered at, especially shown in the images of powerful beasts in the final chapters of the book and elsewhere.
The greatness of the book of Job is in refusing easy answers to the terror one may feel in the face of a universe that seems beyond human values as well as human measure. It's a tribute to the Bible redactors (editors) that it (like Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs) was kept in the final edit of the book, insuring that such an experience would not be silenced or denied.
To demonstrate the difference between the beautiful and the sublime we'll hear two pieces based on part of the Latin mass, to the words: "Dona nobis pacem" ("Give us peace"). (Note the related English words: donation, pacific, Pacific Ocean, pacify, pact, peace, etc.)
The first version, a popular Church hymn, shows the beautiful. The text as sung is complete here: "Dona nobis pacem," repeated continuously. The musical setting is confident of the peace it asks for, as Job was when he prayed before his suffering.
The next example is the final section of the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God") from Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass). It uses the same text, repeated continuously: "Dona nobis pacem" ("Give us peace").
But
what a difference in effect! The Church hymn is comforting; the Beethoven setting is terrifying. The Church setting requests and expects peace; the Beethoven setting, like Job, questions whether peace will ever come even as the chorus pleads for it.
For his sublime effect, Beethoven uses a powerful timpani pattern to interrupt the hope of peace promised by the text. The timpani speaks of war and suffering, not peace.
The chorus returns, with a repeated but frantic cry of "pacem" (peace), almost a demand rather than a plea. There is a moment of quiet.
The timpani pattern returns, more softly now. The chorus repeats the text again. The timpani pattern returns again, softly, like a painful memory or a warning of future strife.
Finally, the choir returns again, now louder, with more confidence. But Beethoven's mass ends on a doubtful note, asking for a peace it does not expect may ever come.
He's got the whole world in his hands, He's got the big round water in his hands. He's got the wide water in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the wind and the rain in his hands, he's got the moon and the stars in his hands, he's got the wind and the rain his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the gambling man right in his hands, he's got the lying man right in his hands, he's got the crapshoot man in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got you and me, brother, in his hands, he's got you and me, sister, his hands, he's got you and me, brother, in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got everybody in his hands, he's got everybody in his hands, he's got everybody here right in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands.
Let me speak, let me spit out my bitterness-- Born of grief and nights without sleep and festering flesh Do you have eyes? Can you see like mankind sees?
Why have you soured and curdled me? Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true? Once I was blessed; I was awaited like the rain Like eyes for the blind, like feet for the lame
Kings heard my words, and they sought out my company But now the janitors of Shadowland flick their brooms at me Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? that you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) I've lost all taste for life
I'm all complaints Tell me why do you starve the faithful?
Why do you crucify the saints? And you let the wicked prosper
You let their children frisk like deer And my loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near (Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening God is correcting you) Oh and look who comes to counsel my deep distress Oh, these pompous physicians
What carelessness!
(Antagonists: Oh all this ranting all this wind Filling our ears with trash) Breathtaking ignorance adding insult to injury!
They come blaming and shaming
(Antagonists: Evil doer) And shattering me
(Antagonists: This vain man wishes to seem wise A man born of asses)
Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening) Already on a bed of sighs and screams,
And still you torture me with visions You give me terrifying dreams! Better I was carried from the womb straight to the grave. I see the diggers waiting, they're leaning on their spades.
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow
Sure as the sparks ascend) Where is hope while you're wondering what went wrong? Why give me light and then this dark without a dawn?
(Antagonists: Evil is sweet in your mouth Hiding under your tongue) Show your face!
(Antagonists: What a long fall from grace) Help me understand!
What is the reason for your heavy hand?
(Antagonists: You're stumbling in shadows
You have no name now) Was it the sins of my youth? What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Oh your guilt must weigh so greatly) Everything I dread and everything I fear come true
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) Oh you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true .
"Well
I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way Good Lord.
Well, Job was the richest man, my brothr, that lived in the land of Nod. He was the only man in the mile around that kept the Comamndments of God. Well the Devil he got jealous of Job. So he came to my God one day, said, "Move your hand from around the man and I'll make him curse you to your face!"
He said there's nothing you can to turn me around. There's nothing you can do to turn me around. Because I'm done signed up, made up my mind. I'm on my way, Great God Almighty I'm on my way to Good Lord!
Then Devil laid his fingers on Job. Brother Job fell down and right weak. So he got in bed, afflicted, children. So above his head to his feet, poor Job's afraid, began to leaving Him. The number went one to five, Job is sick and won't get well. We believe that he's gonna die.
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
Well, Job's wife, she came running to him. Devil was right in her eyes. She said, "Oh, you're sick and you won't get well. Why don't you curse your God and die? Oh, Job looked straight at the woman and looked up in the sky. He said, "Woman, you sound like a foolish one, but you sure don't sound like wise!"
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
CERTAINLY LORD
"Certainly" (or "verily, "truly," etc.) is the English translation of the Hebrew "Amen," normally spoken terminally in response or conclusion. Jesus commonly used it to begin rather than conclude a statement, suggesting his supreme authority. The song is typical of the response singing of Afro-American churches, but also familiar (with different music) in Roman Catholic chant. Note the reference to "Lily of the Valley" (SONG OF SONGS) and the motifs of water and bread familiar from the Gospels (baptism; the Samaritan woman at the well, to whom Jesus gives everlasting water; the feeding of the mulititudes; the eternal manna from Heaven in John; the Eucharist (Last Supper, Lord's Supper). Oh, have you got good religion? Certainly. I want to know, chidlren, have you got, have you got good religion? Certainly. I want to know have you got good religion? Certainly. Tell tell me, have you got good religion and I know one thing. You'll just have to say, you'll just have to say, Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord. When your burdens begin to press you down, everytime your burdens press you down, you can always lean back and say, "You've been my Lily of the Valley, water when I was thirsty, and bread when I was hungry." And if somebody asks you, all you got to do is tell them, I know my name is on high. Certainly. I know my, I know my, I know my name is on high children. I know my name is on high right now. Certainly. Yeah, yeah, why don't you tell everybody, why don't you tell, tell, tell, tell, tell, why don't you tell everybody, you can just tell them, Certainly, certainly, certainly Lord. When your world may seem to be against you and your friends may be talking about you on every side trying to scandalize your name. You can always say, Lord make my enemies, if you make my enemies leave me alone, I can always stand back and tell my enemies, Lord I've been baptized, Certainly Certainly) I'd like to tell them again, I've got to tell them that I've been baptized. (Certainly.) Let me tell them, ah, certainly, certainly, certainly Lord.
EXCEPT I SHALL SEE IN HIS HAND THE PRINT OF THE NAIL
{Sermon}
We{Sermon}
"But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, "We've seen the Lord." [Yeah]
But he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe."
And after eight days again his disciples were with him and Thomas with him. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, "Peace be unto you.
Then said he to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing."
And Thomas answered and said unto him, "My Lord and my God." Jesus said unto him, "Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hath believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believeth." Doubting Thomas. Doubting Thomas.
The passage that I have read in your hearing tonight deals with one of the post-Resurection incidents. [Amen] If you can call upon your knowledge of history and upon your powers of imagination you could picture the hostile world [yes] in which these followers of Jesus found themselves. [Yeah.]
The Jewish hierarchy have put their leader to death. He had been tried and condemned by, ah, the Jewish church, [yeah] by the Roman courts, and he had been nailed to a tree while they looked on. [Yeah] They had seen him drop his head after a terrible experience during the night of trial, scourging and crucifixion [yeah] that ended on Friday evening about 3 o'clock. They heard him say after that terrible night, "It is finished."
You know how they must have felt when they had chosen to follow him, when they had accepted him as their Messiah: the anointed of God. And now the man, ah, ah, whom they had, ah, called the Son of God was now dead and apparently disgraced. And of course you know how they must have felt. Some of them said, "Well I'm going back to fishing. I'm going back to my old job. I'm going back to my old vocation. It seems that we made a mistake." [Yeah.]
I believe Peter made the suggestion [yeah] and the others followed his lead [right on]. Thomas who was of the scientific turn of mind heard some rumors. The women had said that they had seen him and that he was alive. But others said that they were in route to Emmaus and he joined them and talked with them and while he talked their hearts burned.
Some of the rest of them reported that they had seen him. [Yeah] Lately it was said that in their secret gathering place in Jerusalem to avoid the police and to avoid arrest, an embarrassment that he had come into their meeting. But Thomas said,
"I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Obviously you're being swept by rumors or you're suffereing from hallucinations. Nobody has ever died as I saw that man die [yeah] and come back again. I was looking at them when they hung him to the tree. I was looking at them when they nailed his hands and his feet. [Yeah] I was looking when the soldier thrust a sword into his side and I heard him when he dropped his head, say 'It is finished,' and I saw them take him down from the cross and lay him in Joseph's tomb.
"I know he's dead. There's only one way that you can tell me anything different and that is I have to see it. And I'm not going to trust that. He is going to have to show me his hand and let me see the nail prints in his hand. He will have to let me look at his side and then I will have to examine his side for myself. [Yes!] I must satisfy the sense of seeing [yes sir] and of feeling before I shall be convinced. I don't believe that he's alive."
Now Thomas called Didymus, which means the Twin, ah has received a great deal of ridicule from the Christian world about his doubting position. But you know you must give some respect [oh yes] to people ah, ah, who want to know, to people who are not satisfied [yeah] with hearsay. You must give some respect [yes sir] to people who want to base their faith upon as much knowledge as they can acquire.
You see superstition, rumor, and hearsay [yeah] is not a sufficient foundation for faith. [No sir] I know that faith transcends knowlege, but you can get all the knowledge you can get before you stop. But you see Thomas was moving on facts and you see facts can carry you just so far.
It was a fact that Jesus was put to death, [yeah] that he was hanged from a tree. It was a fact that he dropped his head and died and declared it is finished. This was a fact. It was a fact that they took him down and laid him in a tomb.
All of this were facts. But that is as far as facts could go. This is a reason that Thomas couldn't go any further, because he was proceeding on the basis of facts.
You understand what I'm talking about? He, he, he his whole operation was based on empiricism, investigation and what one can find out. But you see faith, you understand what I mean, goes on beyond the grave.
I don't believe you know what I'm talking about. Faith doesn't stop at the grave. Faith didn't stop when he said it was finished. Faith didn't stop when they rolled the tomb to the door, when they rolled the stone ah to the tomb. And Faith didn't stop when the governor's seal was placed thereon.
For you see Faith goes beyond what I can see and what I know. I can't prove God. And you don't have to prove God. Somebody said, You haven't seen God, or you haven't seen Heaven and all that kind of thing. That doesn't mean anything. So who's been there? That doesn't mean anything. What you cannot prove, what you cannot see is no argument against its existence. [Yes sir. Amen]
You can't see electricity but God knows it exists. You can't see energy, but ah take all the energy out of this room tonight and all of us would be dead shortly.
Many of the forces of the universe you can't prove them, you can't see them, you can't touch them, but they do exist, they are realities. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
But Thomas were like many of you that are listening here tonight. He wanted to base his faith totally upon facts, totally upon faith [yes sir] or rather upon facts. But you see faith moves out beyond what I can touch, beyond what I can see, beyond sometimes what I can hear and even beyond what I can investigate.
I don't know where God is but I believe he liveth. [Yeah] I don't know anything about how he raised his son. I'm not concerned about whether it was bodily or spiritual. I believe that Jesus liveth tonight. I believe that he is a living reality. He is transforming you, a transforming influence in this whole world of ours.
Don't you know all of you people wouldn't be following him by the thousands and by the millions for twenty centuries if he didn't live? Don't you know all of these people who go to their graves [yeah] with his names on their lips saying death cannot make my soul afraid if God be with me there. Though I walk through the darkest shades I'll never yield to fear if he never lived tonight. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
The great impact that his name has had upon history would not have have changed the world society if he were not a livng influence. I believe he liveth. So that ah ah Thomas [yes sir] went out to meet us? And you know when you fail to meet constantly with that Christian fellowship you miss so much. You miss so much in inspiration, you miss so much in God consciousness, you miss so much in soul enrichment when you fail to felllowhip with that Christian society. [Yeah] I don't believe you know what I'm talking about.
So that Thomas' great mistake was that he wasn't there. [Yes sir] And when he came in after giving voice to his doubts he eventually presented himself at one of the services. [Yes sir] And ah while they were no doubt musing and meditating about God, singing his praises, [Yeah] while they were no doubt talking about the fact of his resurrection, while they were no doubt talking about their faith in the fact that he was alive, [yeah] without a door being opened he walked in.
And thank God he can walk in here without a door being opened. [Yeah] He can walk into your life, sometimes when you unconsciously open the door, the door of your life might be opened and you don't know it he can walk in. While they were in their meeting, he walked in. Without a door or a window being opened.
And when they looked around he was standing in their midst. When they looking around, he was there in their presence. And it seemed while his address was so consoling, he knew how doubtful some of them were. And he knew how afraid some of them had been. And he knew how their faith had been tried. And he knew what a terrible ordeal they had gone through. [Yeah]
Think about how consoling his address was. Listen at him. "Peace be unto you." Oh Lord.
You know when I think about the world the world that we live in, when I think about how frustrated many of us are, when I think about how neurotic we've become, when I think about how tension-filled many of our lives are, when I think about how afraid of life so many of us are, why I think about what Jesus said to those fearing and doubting disciples. "Peace be unto you." Praise God.
You are not afraid tonight. You're not anxious tonight, and you know how to face your problems, you always hear the Word coming Down from center, saying "Peace be unto you. Oh, Lord.
Though the storm may rage around you, though the road that you are traveling may be rough, though the problems that you're faced with may be perplexing, O Lord, he still says to you, "Peace be unto you." O Lord. "Peace be unto you." Oh Lord,
Liisten to me. You know what Thomas said when he beheld the reality of Jesus Christ? You know what Thomas said when he saw his wounded hand, [yeah] when he beheld his wounded side? "My Lord and my God." Praise God."
And I'm going to close when I tell you this. O Lord. I'm not going to wait until I behold the wound in his hand. O Lord. I'm not going to wait until I behold the wound in his feet. I'm not going to wait until I have a chance to behold the wound in his side.
I'm going to acknowledge him as Lord right now every day of my lfie. Oh, Lord, won't you be my guide? Won't you be my leader? Won't you lead me from the crises arising. I've gotta stop right here. Oh Lord. Yes.
Yes. The wind is blowing near me. My faith is tried sometimes but I'm going to hold on to his unchanging hand. Yes I am.
Yeah, every day, every day, yeah, every day, every day of my life. I'm going to hold on in the midst of doubting, in the midst of the windstorm, in the midst of failure, in the midst of frustration, I'm going to hold on anyhow, oh Lord, oh yes.
For he is my Lord [yes] and he is my God. [Yes sir] He is the Lord of my life. He is [oh yes] the Lord of my Life. [Yes he is] He reigns and He liveth. [Yes he does.] He liveth.
Maybe you don't believe it but God is real tonight, [yes he is] God is real tonight.
Sometimes Satan tries to make me doubt. [Yes sir, yes sir.] He tells me that there are a lot of things I imagine [yeah] are not so. [Yeah] He tries to tell me that I'm caught up [yeah] in the grip of my traditional upbringing [yes sir] that God is not real.
But if God is not real, who is it that watches over me every night? Oh, who is it [all right] that calms the storms about me if he's not real? Tell me who is it?
APOCRYPHA
Songs Week of 5 June 2007
THE PRODIGAL SON
Little Richard was one of the first Rock and Roll artists, but a plane scare turned him to religion and he temporarily gave up Rock for Gospel and preaching, as in this sermonette on Jesus' parable on the Prodigal Son:The Apocrypha are works not originally in Hebrew, hence considered of doubtful divine inspiration. But they were in the Greek Bible used by Jews in Alexandria and the Catholic church accepted them as canonical, calling them deuterocanonical (belonging to the "Second Canon"). Protestant churches omitted them or placed them in a separate part of the Bible, for their wisdom, not their doctrine (some doctrine, like prayers for the dead, supported Catholic belief against Protestant belief). Why they were named Apocrypha is unclear, but probably because it was advised these texts be "hidden" from other books in the Bible. But in terms of language style, as well as philosophical and theological ideas, these books are equal to any book in the Bible, as shown by their canonicity in Catholic Bibles.
Songs Week of 5 June 2007
THE PRODIGAL SON
Once there was a man called the prodigal son. He came to his father and said, "Father give me all of my belongings. Give me all of the goods that belong to me. I want to go out, I want to face the world, I want to see what the world is like." His father didn't want to give him those goods but his father had so great a love for his son and he gave his son his goods and his son went away into a far country, living a rowdy life, doing things that God would not like to see his children to participate in. One day the boy got hungry. One day the boy got raggedy. He didn't have any clothes to put on, he didn't have nothing. He was raggedy. He even dined with the swine. He said, "My father has many servants that have enough food to give me. I will arise and go to my father and say 'Father I'm not worthy to be called your son.'" And that man got up that day and he arised and he went to his father. Today Jesus is calling you to rise up out of sin and to walk in the holy righteous way that he set before you. And he wants to save you and help you. Will you arise and come back home. [Song] I once left home, away from God. Now I am coming on home. The path of sin too long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming now.
LET US BREAK BREAD TOGETHER
Let us break bread together on our knees, when I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun (2), oh, Lord, have mercy on me. Let us drink wine together on our knees (2) when I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, oh Lord have mercy on me. Let us praise God together on our knees (2), when I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, oh, Lord have mercy on me.This song celebrates the Eucharist (Holy Communion, or Lord's Supper). The bread represents the Heavenly manna of life (as in Jesus' "I Am" saying in John); the wine is Jesus' blood; while there is an unusual reference to the "sun," similar to syncretistic influences in late Hebrew religion the classical prophets railed against (surviving in the Samson story). The prophet Malachi predicts a "sun of righteousness" in the final chapter of his prophecy (last in the Christian Old Testament) and that text may have suggested Christmas Day in December:
CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY
A famous Easter Day hymn by Charles Wesley, quoting Paul's famous lines in 1 Corinthians 15:55: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" itself taken from Hosea 13:14. The Resurrection was the earliest kerygma (preaching) of the church, around which the Gospels grew:Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia. Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia. Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia. Sing ye Heavens and earth reply, Alleluia. Lives again our glorious king, Alleluia. Where O Death is now thy sting? Alleluia. Dying once he all doth save. Alleluia. Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia.
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ was a man that traveled through the land, a hard-working man and brave. He said to the rich, "Give your goods to the poor," so they laid Jesus Christ in his grave. Yes Jesus was a man a carpenter by hand, his followers true and brave, one dirty coward called Judas Iscariot has laid poor Jesus in his grave. He went to the preacher, he went to the sheriff, told them all the same, "Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor," so they laid Jesus Christ in his grave. When Jesus comes to town, the working folks around believed what he did say, the bankers and the preachers they nailed him on the cross and they laid Jesus Christ in his grave. Now the working people followed him around, singing and shouting gay. But the cops and the soldiers nailed him in the air and they laid Jesus Christ in his grave. Well the people held their breath when they heard about his death, everybody wondered why. It was the landlord and the soldiers that he hired that nailed Jesus Christ in the sky. This song was made in New York City of rich mans and preachers and slaves. If Jesus was to preach like he preached in Galilee they would lay Jesus Christ in his grave. Yes Jesus was a man and a carpenter by hand, his followers true and brave. One dirty coward called Judas Iscariot has laid poor Jesus in his grave. Each person has their own Jesus. Folk singer, Woody Guthrie turns Jesus into a social unionizer in this ballad. Note that Mark calls Jesus a carpenter, while Matthew, aiming for a higher christology, calls Jesus the "son of a carpenter"!
JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON
Rock superstar Bruce Springsteen penned this song about Jesus with strong "Johannine" traces. The words "love," "light" "only son," and "Word" ("he willed a world") all come from John's Gospel and 3 letters:Well Jesus was an only son As he walked up Calvary Hill, His mother Mary walking beside him In the path where his blood spilled. Jesus was an only son In the hills of Nazareth As he lay reading the Psalms of David At his mother's feet A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well For I'll be at your side That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell, Shall pierce your dreams this night." In the garden at Gethsemane He prayed for the life he'd never live He beseeched [begged] his Heavenly Father to remove The cup of death from his lips Now there's a loss that can never be replaced A destination that can never be reached A light you'll never find in another's face A sea whose distance cannot be breached Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands Whispered, "Mother, still your tears, For remember the soul of the universe willed a world and it appeared."
WITHOUT LOVE
Contemporary Gospel song based on Paul's famous Hymn to Love from 1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues of angels and have not love I'm only a resounding noise. If I have the gift of knowledge and if my faith moves mountains high but have not love, I am nothing. And though I know the one who holds the stars in the heavens in the palm of his hand and if I give all I possess to the poor and the helpless I still gain nothing without love, without love. Christian true love is always kind, love does not envy, never brags, is never proud, slow to wrath, it keeps no records of wrongs against friends but forgives. We all could use for-forgiveness. Though I know who holds the world, the stars in the heavens in the palm of his hand, if I give all I possess to the poor and the helpless I still gain nothing without love. Love never fails, love is true, love is the only thing that can always change you. Love is patient, love is kind, love is the only reason the world survives. Love never fails, love is true, love is the only thing that can always change you. Love is patient, love is kind, love is the only reason the world survives. Though I know the one who holds the stars in the heavens in the palm of his hand, and if I give all I possess to the poor and the helpless I still gain nothing without love.Contemporary Gospel song based on Paul's famous Hymn to Love from 1 Corinthians 13:
Wisdom of Solomon
Most of the Apocrypha were written about 200 hundred years before and 100 years in the common (Christian) era, hence are called "intertestamental." They are vital for an understanding of the period between the Old and New Testaments, placing Jesus in a larger context, such as ideas regarding resurrection, expiatory (surrogate) suffering, etc. such as we see in verses below. We also see the stress on Wisdom almost as a person, such as we find in John's Gospel (and previously in Proverbs 8). Chapter 3 was extremely important for early Christians. Vv. 11:24ff. repeat the basic Hebrew idea of the goodness of creation, since it comes from God:1
1: Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart) and in simplicity of heart seek him.
2: For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself unto such as do not distrust him.
3: For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise.
4: For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.
5: For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in.
6: For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7: For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice.
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2: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3: And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4: For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5: And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6: As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7: And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8: They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9: They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.
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24: For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.25: For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.
26: For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.
27: And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.
28: For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.
29: For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.
30: For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.
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21: For thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; and who may withstand the power of thine arm?22: For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that falleth down upon the earth.
23: But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend.
24: For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it.
25: And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by thee?
26: But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.
SIRACH
The high importance of Sirach is shown in its other name, Ecclesiasticus, meaning church book (not to be confused with the canonical "Ecclesiastes"). Lest students be confused, Ecclesiasticus is canonical too, according to the Catholic church, where it's known as "deuterocanonical" (of the second canon). However, Protestant churches consider the book (like other deuterocanonical books) important as teaching but not as doctrine; for, not being in Hebrew, it is not certainly the Word of God. Students should study the following verses for their poetic precision; as in all Hebrew poetry, poetic effect is achieved by means other than rhyme or meter (regular rhythm); instead much of the poetic effect of Hebrew verses come from a precise and concrete use of words or, in this case, hyponymy (the use of family-related words); for example: plow, oxen, goad, bullocks are all related.
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24: The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure: and he that hath little business shall become wise.25: How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks?
26: He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder.
27: So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day: and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to make great variety, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to finish a work:
28: The smith also sitting by the anvil, and considering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he setteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polish it perfectly:
29: So doth the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set at his work, and maketh all his work by number;
30: He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet; he applieth himself to lead it over; and he is diligent to make clean the furnace:
31: All these trust to their hands: and every one is wise in his work.
32: Without these cannot a city be inhabited: and they shall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down:
33: They shall not be sought for in publick counsel, nor sit high in the congregation: they shall not sit on the judges' seat, nor understand the sentence of judgment: they cannot declare justice and judgment; and they shall not be found where parables are spoken.
34: But they will maintain the state of the world, and [all] their desire is in the work of their craft.
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15: I will now remember the works of the Lord, and declare the things that I have seen: In the words of the Lord are his works.16: The sun that giveth light looketh upon all things, and the work thereof is full of the glory of the Lord.
17: The Lord hath not given power to the saints to declare all his marvellous works, which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, that whatsoever is might be established for his glory.
18: He seeketh out the deep, and the heart, and considereth their crafty devices: for the Lord knoweth all that may be known, and he beholdeth the signs of the world.
19: He declareth the things that are past, and for to come, and revealeth the steps of hidden things.
20: No thought escapeth him, neither any word is hidden from him.
21: He hath garnished the excellent works of his wisdom, and he is from everlasting to everlasting: unto him may nothing be added, neither can he be diminished, and he hath no need of any counsellor.
22: Oh how desirable are all his works! and that a man may see even to a spark.
23: All these things live and remain for ever for all uses, and they are all obedient.
24: All things are double one against another: and he hath made nothing imperfect.
25: One thing establisheth the good or another: and who shall be filled with beholding his glory?
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2: The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
3: At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
4: A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat, but the sun burneth the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dimmeth the eyes.
5: Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
27: We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.
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1: Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.
2: The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning.
3: Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, men renowned for their power, giving counsel by their understanding, and declaring prophecies:
4: Leaders of the people by their counsels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wise and eloquent are their instructions:
5: Such as found out musical tunes, and recited verses in writing:
6: Rich men furnished with ability, living peaceably in their habitations:
7: All these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.
8: There be of them, that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported.
9: And some there be, which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born; and their children after them.
10: But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten.
11: With their seed shall continually remain a good inheritance, and their children are within the covenant.
12: Their seed standeth fast, and their children for their sakes.
13: Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out.
14: Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.
15: The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will show forth their praise.
COWBOY CAMP MEETING
A rare cowboy Gospel song:
Gather 'round me children, get your Bibles out Get your prayer bones ready, gonna tell ya about How to love one another till you almost shout Start the livin' by the Book of Life I mean it Hallelujah Hallelujah (tell me brother) Hallelujah, brother Tell me about the Book of Life. There's a Matthew, a Timothy, a Jude and a John And a Zephaniah, a Zachariah and a Philemon They all got the word, but you must read on 'bout Goliath and the Book of Life, Yes siree . . . hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah hallelujah brother Tell me about Goliath too. Little David slew that giant so tall prove right less might for big and small he'll play his harp as I recall way up in the sky. He's gonna play (cowboy camp meeting) Play (cowboy camp meeting) Play (cowboy camp meeting) Play on the golden harp Up in the sky Way up in the sky (up in the sky) Way up in the sky Yes he'll play (Cowboy camp meeting) Hallelujah brother yes siree yes sirree Way up in the sky Way up in the sky Way up in the sky (cowboy camp meeting) way up in the sky Away up in the sky Away up in the sky.A rare cowboy Gospel song:
GOD'S DELAY IS NOT A DENY
This Gospel song refers to the famous story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John. Note that the two women "hurry" but Jesus takes his time:Mary and Martha were hurrying 'cause Lazarus had just died. They ran when they saw Jesus coming and on his shoulder they cried. Jesus said, "Show me where you laid him." The sisters wondered why, but Jesus said this test is for a testimony because God's delay is not a deny.
CRUCIFIED IN CHRIST
This contemporary Gospel song refers to St. Paul's Theology of the Cross, which Paul sees as glory and freedom rather than shame, since the Old Self is crucified allowing the New Self (in Christ) to live:Even with tears in your eyes count it all joy until the time, until you make it through the storm. Turn from your past, say, say good-bye, remember you were crucified with Christ. You were crucified with Christ, yeah, oh yeah so let the weak say I'm strong, I'm strong. Oh yeah. I'm strong.
LET ME BE A WITNESS
Bluegrass Gospel based on ideas in the Gospel of John: "The light shines in the darkness" (1:5) and one of the "I Am" verses ("I am the Bread of Life," 6:25ff.). This "light" theme in John may also have Gnostic relationship. The "shine" motif comes from Isaiah through Jesus' brief parable about the City on a Hill:Some people preach the Gospel in a mighty way. Some people serve the Lord without one word to say. But I believe you have to live it before you ever give a friend in need the Bread of Life that will surely save his soul. Lord let me be a witness in this world of darkness. Let me shine, let me shine, let me shine. Oh Heavens shine down through me, I pray that you can use me, let me shine, let me shine, let me shine. Pray again! Pray again!
NICODEMUS
Another Gospel song based on John 3: the story of the Pharisee named Nicodemus. This is the source of the common phrase, "born again," as in "born again Christian."A man came to Jesus and said, "What must I do to be saved from the wicked ways. I'm weary, I'm wounded. From the start of my life, I've been torn! Lord I need a change." "Nicodemus, your soul must be saved! Nicodemus, turn from your wicked ways. Nicodemus, hear me when I say, you must be born again, yes you must be born again.
THE MAN IN WHITE
The "man in white" is Jesus, but the song is about St. Paul. Much of this is a summary of the book of Acts, by the Country singer, Johnny Cash. "Gamaliel" was Paul's Hebrew teacher (Acts 22:3, 26:4). It was Paul's deep education in Hebrew scriptures that allowed him, a Jew, to use those scriptures so well to start a new religion. In many ways, Paul is the most important figure in the history of Christianity. Though Jesus revised Hebrew thought, Paul started a new religion.I studied at the feet of a Master, Gamaliel we called him, the beauty of the Lord. I was born of the tribe of Benjamin, I was a Pharisee and I could quote from memory th Holy Torah. That day that the Nazarene was brought to trial. It was on a Sabbath eve, there was an earthquake when he died. Just another peasant preacher who came up from Galilee, blaspheming troublemaker, we let him be crucified.
And I thought that I would hear no more about him. But his friends found his tomb empty and then claimed that he rose from the dead. Then they say that he walked among them with the nail wounds in his hands, that king upon a donkey with a thorn crown on his head.
His followers kept growing in great numbers and the one that they called mocked the sins of judgment hall. And with a Greek named Stephen we knew the Gentiles had come in. I cast my vote against him, he was stoned, I saw him fall.
Then the friends of the Nazarene became united. And I became enraged and led a slaughter of their leagues. I found their secret places, they were beaten, they were chained. But some of them were scattered, justified in fearing me.
Then the Man in White appeared to me in such a blinding light. It struck me down with his brilliance it took away my sight. Then the Man in White in gentle loving tones spoke to me. And I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White.
But like the winds that blows the scattered sea, from Alexandria to Antioch their congregation grew. I went to the High Priest for letters of permission to go to other cities to see my mission through.
Six days on the hot road to Damascus and just outside the city in the middle of the day, a great unearthly light struck and overpowered me, prostrate on the hot road I was blinded where I lay.
Then I thought I heard the rushing of great waters and a multitude of angels singing sweet and heavenly. And through the sound of wind came a voice so soft and kind, meant for only me to hear, "Saul why did you persecute me."
As I lay there on the ground in my blindness, he asked me once again, and suddenly the voice I knew. So finally I managed a trembling response, "Who are you Lord?" I asked him, but I already knew.
"I am Jesus of Nazareth," the voice answered. "Arise, go to Damascus on the street called Straight. A place where you will wait for my servant, Ananias. He will open your eyes, you'll be a witness unto me."
So now I live to serve my master. As zealous in his service as I once was as his foe. And keeping his commandments given on Damascus Road, I go to all the world and I let the whole world know that the Man in White appeared to me in such a blinding light. It struck me down and with its brilliance it took away my sight. And the Man in White in gentle, loving tones spoke to me and I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White. And I was blinded so that I might see the Man in White, the Man in White.
HANDEL AND THE APOCRYPHA
"To him I bend the knee," said Beethoven about the German composer, Handel. Residing in England, Handel wrote three oratorios (in English!) on Apocryhphal writings. Alexander Balus is named after the Syrian king during the Maccabean period, of only historical interest. But we'll listen to a great Syrian chorus and the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra's lament on love from this oratorio (as in today's Hollywood cinema, Handel needed a love interest!). When following an oratorio, "melismatic" setting of the text must be taken into account: that is, the text is repeated, or many notes are used for one word, as the composer is inspired. In this way, a verse may take up to 5 or 10 minutes of music.YE HAPPY NATIONS ROUND
(Syrian Chorus)
Ye happy nations round, loudly triumph, your voices raise! In choral symphony resound great Alexander's praise.(Syrian Chorus)
SUBTLE LOVE
(Cleopatra's Lament)
Subtle love, with fancy viewing, rapt'rous joys on joys ensuing plays around my captive heart, my captive heart, subtle love, p-l-a-y-s, rapt'rous joys on joys ensuing plays around my captive heart.(Cleopatra's Lament)
JUDAS MACCABEUS
Wise men, flattering, may deceive us with their vain, mysterious art. Magic charms can ne'er relieve us, nor can heal the wounded heart. The subject of monotheism and idolatry concerned the Hebrews from the beginning (two commandments deal with them). The prophets, especially Isaiah, waxed satiric in their mockery of stone or wooden idols; while the Maccabean struggles in the 2d century BCE focused on battling Hellenistic idols, as in Handel's chorus, from the oratorio, Judas Maccabeus, below. This history is of vital importance and is the focus of two of the Apocrypha (1 and 2 Maccabees). In brief, the Syrian, Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the Jewish temple in 167 by placing foreign gods in it (Daniel and Jesus refer to the "Abomination"), including a pig; Mattahias and his sons (Judas, Simon, Jonathan) fought to purify the temple, achieved in 164 BCE, now celebrated as Chanukah (the Jewish Feast of Lights). Handel's choruses below address this issue in a populist style typical of Handel's British career, possibly making him the forerunner of the Broadway musical. Yet "Father of Heaven" (about the Festival of Lights, now called Chanukah) touches that noble melodic vein so characteristic of the composer, most famously in the Largo:
WISE MEN FLATTERING
WE NEVER WILL BOW DOWN
Never, never bow we down, to the rude stock or sculptured stone. But ever worship Israel's God, ever obedient to his awful nod. FATHER OF HEAVEN
Father of Heave'n! from Thy eternal throne, look with an eye of blessing down, while we prepare with holy rites to solemnize the feast of lights.SEE THE CONQUERING HERO
This chorus, honoring Judas Maccabeus after a victory, became one of Handel's greatest hits. He used it again in another oratorio, Joshua. Beethoven later used it as a theme for cello and piano variations. It is famous today as the tune for a Christmas song, "Zion's Daughter":
See the conquering hero comes! Sound the trumpets, beat the drums, sports prepare, the laurel bring, songs of triumph to him sing!This chorus, honoring Judas Maccabeus after a victory, became one of Handel's greatest hits. He used it again in another oratorio, Joshua. Beethoven later used it as a theme for cello and piano variations. It is famous today as the tune for a Christmas song, "Zion's Daughter":
JUDITH
Judith is another Handel oratorio based on the Apocrypha. In the following aria, one of Judith's would be paramours explains his lust, despite his age. "Grot" is literary for "grotto" (crypt or hiding place).
Judith is another Handel oratorio based on the Apocrypha. In the following aria, one of Judith's would be paramours explains his lust, despite his age. "Grot" is literary for "grotto" (crypt or hiding place).
IN VAIN WOULD AGE
In vain would age his ice bespread to numb each gay desire, though seventy winters hoar my head my heart is still on fire. By mossy fount and grot I rove and gently murmur songs of love. (2)AWAY, AWAY!
In this trio we hear Judith and her would be paramours expressing themselves. Note the contrast between the two old lechers: one plaintive, the other aggressive:
JUDITH: Away, away! Ye tempt me both in vain! FIRST ELDER: Yet stay, yet stay, and hear my lovesick strain! SECOND ELDER: I scorn to entreat when by force I may gain relief to my sorrows and easy to my pain!In this trio we hear Judith and her would be paramours expressing themselves. Note the contrast between the two old lechers: one plaintive, the other aggressive:
IF GOD BE FOR US
This cry, from ROMANS 8:31, was set by Handel for his Messiah, but later deleted by him and now omitted from most recordings. Yet it's a beautiful melody worthy of revival:If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
MUHAMMAD ALI QUOTES ROMANS
Though now a Muslim, Muhammad Ali was obviously raised on the Bible, since he quoted Romans 8:31 in the ring after knocking out Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight championship in 1964:
I must be the greatest! I'm champion of the world. I talk to God every day. If God is with me can't nobody be against us!Though now a Muslim, Muhammad Ali was obviously raised on the Bible, since he quoted Romans 8:31 in the ring after knocking out Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight championship in 1964:
NEARER MY GOD TO THEE
One of the most famous hymns, this was written about Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:20ff.) and his Ladder dream. This hymn was supposedly sung during the sinking of the ship, Titanic. Note the use of the Pauline Theology of the Cross:
Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee, even though it be a cross that raiseth me. Still all my song shall be nearer my God to Thee nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee!One of the most famous hymns, this was written about Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:20ff.) and his Ladder dream. This hymn was supposedly sung during the sinking of the ship, Titanic. Note the use of the Pauline Theology of the Cross:
LET HIM IN
A Gospel song about letting Jesus into one's heart. In Christianity, Jesus becomes the mediator, making God a personal experience, hence fulfilling his name in Matthew, Emmanuel ("God is with us," from Isaiah). The Holy Ghost makes Jesus' Spirit permanent on earth, despite his resurrection and ascension into Heaven, now at the right hand of God, as Judge in full power and glory, typical of Hebrew reversal: the Suffering Servant becomes the Judge of all the Earth). In Paul's Theology of the Cross, salvation in Jesus is at the cost of our own selves (as Paul says, "not I, but Jesus"). In John's (Johannine) theology, the Christian imitates fully God's love ("God is love"):
Open the window, open the door, give your heart to Jesus let him have control, he'll free your soul, he'll cleanse your sin, open up your heart and let the Savior come in. Ah let him come in, let him come on in, yeah, you just hike up the window, open up the door and let him come in. Yeah, let him come on in child.A Gospel song about letting Jesus into one's heart. In Christianity, Jesus becomes the mediator, making God a personal experience, hence fulfilling his name in Matthew, Emmanuel ("God is with us," from Isaiah). The Holy Ghost makes Jesus' Spirit permanent on earth, despite his resurrection and ascension into Heaven, now at the right hand of God, as Judge in full power and glory, typical of Hebrew reversal: the Suffering Servant becomes the Judge of all the Earth). In Paul's Theology of the Cross, salvation in Jesus is at the cost of our own selves (as Paul says, "not I, but Jesus"). In John's (Johannine) theology, the Christian imitates fully God's love ("God is love"):
GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY
Rock originator, Little Richard claims to have gotten his trademark holler from Marion Williams, who sang the above song. You can judge for yourself:
Good golly Miss Molly, sure likes to ball!Rock originator, Little Richard claims to have gotten his trademark holler from Marion Williams, who sang the above song. You can judge for yourself:
RAPTURE
The Rapture refers to Jesus' Parousia (Second Coming) and the rising of the dead at the same time, as written in 1 Thessalonians, 4:16: "[T]he Lord himself will come down from heaven . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first." This assured the first Christians when Jesus' Second Coming did not occur as expected.
I want, I want, I want to go there, yes I do, with Jesus, with Jesus when he comes back in the Rapture for me. Will you go back, will you go back with Jesus, with Jesus, oh when he comes back in the Rapture for me. Will you all be spotless without a wrinkle or a blemish, will you be ready to go back with Jesus when he comes in the middle of the air? We'll meet, we'll meet up there in the Rapture with Jesus, in the Rapture, with Jesus, in the Rapture, in the Rapture, we're going to be in the Rapture resting with Jesus, we're going to be in the Rapture when he comes back in the Rapture for me. We'll meet, yes we will, we're going to meet up there. There will be no more crying. God's going to wipe away our tears. We're going to meet up there.The Rapture refers to Jesus' Parousia (Second Coming) and the rising of the dead at the same time, as written in 1 Thessalonians, 4:16: "[T]he Lord himself will come down from heaven . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first." This assured the first Christians when Jesus' Second Coming did not occur as expected. THE GOOD SAMARITAN
I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked, the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not if I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" The question is, "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.Sermon on ROMANS 8:
My brothers and my sisters I'm going to close by telling you this story. It is said that a woman one day went to church to a testimonial service, an old time what we call covenant meeting. Everybody was getting up telling about their experiences with God. And one lady got up and said, "I'm happy to stand before you tonight, my brothers and my sisters. Why, I'm happy to tell you that the war is over and my sons are back home. And I want to tell you that ah I went with each one of them down to the train and I saw all five of them leave me and I saw them go over or leave me going to foreign countries. And I bowed down and I told the Lord to watch over them as long as they were away. And if it was not against his will to bring them all back safely to me again and I want to stand before you today and tell you that the Lord heard my prayer and all of my sons are back home, why, they're back home safe and sound. They're back home in their good health. And none of them have lost any of their limbs. And none of them have been severely wounded in any way. Oh Lord. And I just want to stand here tonight and tell you that I thank God for all that he did for me. And I'm thankful to God for hearing my prayer. Oh lord, but then there was another lady sitting there and she'd heard many people speaking glory to god and she got up and said, "Well, I've been sitting here a long time and I've heard everybody talk, oh, Lord, but I want to tell you today that I'm thankful also. Like Sister Johnson, my son went off to the wars. Oh, Lord, I had 3 sons and I went with them down to the train. Great God Almighty! Oh, Lord. And I watched them as they went to the train and left me also for foreign countries. Oh, Lord. And every night I bowed down and told the Lord that please watch over my sons and bring them back to me safely if it wasn't against his will. Oh, Lord, but I've got to stand here to tell you, my Lord, that none of my sons came back home. Oh Lord one by one I got telegrams saying that my son was lost in action. Oh, Lord! You know it brought me down in sorrow. You know it brought me down in pain. Oh, Lord! But the Lord he gave me strength and helped to go through with it. Oh, Lord! And although my sons are gone, I'm glad to stand and say today that I thank the Lord also for what he's has done to me. Oh, Lord. My sons have gone on to the other world, but even so the Lord is still watching over me, even so the Lord is opening doors for me, even so the Lord is making ways for me, and I still thank the Lord, yes I do. Through all of the reverses and through all of the calamities that I've gone through, nothing will separate me from the love of God. Oh, Let me tell you! I've made up in my mind that nothing will separate me, oh Lord, let the clouds roll, nothing, let the thunder clap, I said nothing, let the winds blow, oh Lord, let the evening rain, I said nothing will separate me from the love of God. Let me get weak and then let me fall down, I said nothing will separate me from the love of God. He's been too good to me. Oh, yeah. Yes he has. Oh, oh Lord. Oh yeah, he's opened doors that have been closed in my face. Oh, yes, oh yes! I've been through everything. I've made up in my mind. oh, good God, oh yeah, oh yeah, yes. Nothing can separate me from the love of God.
MISA CRIOLLA
For those interested, there are segments of the popular Misa Criolla available on youtube (click on youtube). This 1964 musical version of the mass uses a Castillian text and native South American (Andean) tunes. Jose Carreras sung on a popular recording of this piece.I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH
Week of 29 May 2007
Sermon on the Book of Revelation
Week of 29 May 2007
Sermon on the Book of Revelation
I call your attention to the book of Revelations. The first verse through a portion of the fifth verse:
"And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth. For the first Heaven and the first earth were passed away [all right] and there was no more sea.
"And I John saw the holy city, the New Jersualsem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride of God for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself will dwell with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all things from their eyes. [All right] And there shall be no more death, neither shall there be sorrow or crying and neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. [Yes sir] And he that sat upon the throne said, "Behold I make all things new." [Yeah.]
The writer of this book was known to the early church as John. [Yeah.] We're not quite critically clear which John. Some say John the Apostle but this is unlikely. Because by the time that this book was written, John the disciple or apostle was more than likely dead. [Right]
But then there were many Johns. And possibly in the church at Alexandria, ah, ah, is possibly the place from which this John came. Now he was a prisoner at the time of the writing. [All right]
It was necessary being a prisoner to employ a code type of writing [yeah], a style of writing that arose during the intertestamental period [yeah, yes sir] called apocalyptic writing, meaning code.
We find this type of writing in the book of Daniel, in Ezekiel, and in many of the apocryphal books. The writer knew that the people to whom he addressed this letter understood and were conversant [all right] with the style of writing that he employed.
Now it was necessary to employ this type of writing because the letter had to pass censorship. [Yes] It had to be cleared [yeah] by Roman officials. [Yeah]
Consequently he called Rome Babylon; he called the emperor the Great Dragon; he called unfolding history a seal or a scroll sealed with seven seals. He called the church a woman in travail and pain fleeing before the dragon.
He called Jesus the Lamb. [Yeah] And he called ah certain eras through which we would pass, the church would pass he called them horses.
To put them in order, he talks about the red horse, meaning war and bloodshed. And then the succeeding era he calls the black horse, meaning famine and pestilence. He called the next horse a pale horse, meaning wholesale death. He calls a final horse, the white horse, meaning ultimate victory for the church.
And now as he addresses himself to the task of getting this letter of encouragement and challenging letter to the people who have committed themselves to the Christian idea, he tells them in graphic details about the calamities, where the skies will crack like glass, the clouds would roll up like scrolls,[all right, all right] the mountains would be stiffened, and while men would be crying, it seems that at the end of it a mighty calm ensues.
Then he said, "I saw a new Heaven and a new earth." For in these trials and tribulations, in all of this pain, in all of the sufferings, the old Heaven had passed away.
And now I think that this is challenging to us. [Yes] For I believe we have lived in a time when we see emerging a new Heaven and a new Earth. Well you see when a man gets a new Earth he has to have a new Heaven. Because you see our Heaven, our concept of Heaven is largely influenced by our experiences on the earth. We have no other way to think about it. When we think about Heaven since we dont know the language we have to talk about earthly things. we have to talk about streets and gates and rivers and flowers and trees, all these things, you see, because we have no way to describe them. I don't believe you're praying with me.
Listen, ah, I recall the late Dr. Batemen who pastored the First Baptist church in Memphis, Tennesee some years ago, he came out and preached [all right] to one of the black chuches and when he got through preaching at the end he commented,
"I want to hear the choir sing, I like to hear colored people sing, and when I get to Heaven I'm going to go out in the colored section to hear the colored folks sing."
He talked about the white part of heaven having golden streets and pearly gates but he said even out in the colored section you have asphalt and concrete streets in Heaven. [oh yes]
What, what am I saying? I'm saying that the late Dr. Batemen was influenced by the society that produced him. He had observed in his ugly experience that there was segregation, there was separation. That the white people lived in one section and the colored people lived in another.
Therefore I say [yeah] when a man, when a man gets a new earth he's got to get a new Heaven. Because you see the old concepts are outmoded. You don't hear me.
I saw a new Heaven and I see one today. Because I'm watching a new earth disclose itself, yes I am. [Yes sir] I have observed that that all clouds are rolling up like scrolls. I have observed that all mountains [yes sir] that used to separate, all mountains that used to divide, I have observed that all [unclear] scribes are melting like lead. You don't hear me. I see a new Heaven because I'm witnessing the emergence of a new earth.
And listen. I saw a new Heaven. I believe you've seen it. I believe you're watching it disclosing, a new Heaven and a new Earth.
Then he said another significant thing I think. There will be no more sea. There will be no more sea. What exactly was he talking about? The sea separated him from his loved ones.
He was a state prisoner. He was out in the Adrian sea on an island and it was on the Lord's day [yeah] and he could not enjoy the fellowship [yeah] with those that he loved and with those who had elected to follow him or follow Jesus.
The sea stood between him and his loved ones. [Amen] But in God's new world there will be no more sea. There will be no more separation. There will be no more segregation. There will be no more barriers. I don't believe you're praying with me. [Amen]
He saw a holy city: [yeah] a new Jerusalem.[Uh-huh] They said that the old city of Jerusalem was a holy city but it wasn't quite so holy. They killed and persecuted the prophets. [Yeah; all right] They exploited them. They oppressed the poor there. But in God's emerging new way [yeah] there will be a new Jersualem. For the old Jerusalem did not qualify to be the capital of God's new world.
I saw a new Jersualem [all right] coming down from God out of Heaven, adorning a bride to meet her husband.
Then he talked about a God-centered society. In the center of God's new world there he would be among his people and they would know him, they would recognize him.
That is to say they would know holiness or wholeness. They would know goodness, they would know justice, they would know love, they would know peace. [Oh yeah] War would be abandoned and the poor would be accepted [yes sir] and recognized and given their fair share of whatever the social order yields.
I don't believe you're praying with me. [Yes sir] He heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, "Behold a tabernacle of God is with men, he will dwell among them and they shall be his people and God himself [yes sir] will be with them and be their God."
And then another very significant thing he said, he will wipe all tears away. [oh yeah] You know, as we study the circumstances of our society, men and women, boys and girls have all kinds of reasons to share tears.
I recall one of our late great leaders, Dr.Underwoord who talked about tears on one occasion, saying he did not know where tears came from, that he could locate the fountain of blood and he could locate all other things about the body but he couldn't locate tears.
He only know, he only knew that when a man got, or a woman got a certain atitude and when they felt sorrow from some mysterious place, [yeah] tears would come.
Or I can think of a thousand reasons that men have a right to cry, [yes sir] that women have a right to cry. Ah, mothers and fathers have a right to weep over the disappointment that is brought into their lives by their children. You know what I mean. They built all kinds of hopes and they made all kinds of plans and they dreamed of their children doing better than they did and enjoy things that they never enjoyed in their own childhood. Oh Lord. And then that girl or that boy rises up to bring sorrow to their hearts, disappointments and frustration to their dreams. Oh Lord.
Sometimes you have to cry. Oh Lord, their women have to cry sometimes as well as men. They dreamed of blissful marriages, and they've dreamed of ideal husbands, and they've dreamed of ideal wives, and they married and find out that not only is there no love involved, not even right thinking and right feeling.
No wonder, some time we have to cry. You don't all hear me. Oh Lord, and then we run into all kinds of misfortunes, all kinds of bad luck, all kinds of disappointment that makes us often wring our hands and cry.
Oh Lord, but John said, and I'm nearly through, that in God's new world there'd be no more tears oh Lord and then no more sorrow but then there's another thing: no more sickness.
Everytime I see the hospital as I pass, everytime I go home, everytime I see the doctor in the sickness, everytime everytime everytime I see the drugstore's shelf crowded with medical antitodes, it makes me know that we live in a world of sickness and not only medicines, and not only physical, but also misery, oh Lord!
But He is God, He is God, He is God, a new world, there'll be no more sorrow, no more weeping, no more pain oh Lord, oh yeah, I'm looking for that home, I'm going to have security in that land. Do you hear me? Yeah, Oh well, oh well, well. Well, well, well one of these days, one of these days I'll walk those golden streets. Yes sir.
"And I John saw the holy city, the New Jersualsem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride of God for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself will dwell with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all things from their eyes. [All right] And there shall be no more death, neither shall there be sorrow or crying and neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. [Yes sir] And he that sat upon the throne said, "Behold I make all things new." [Yeah.]
The writer of this book was known to the early church as John. [Yeah.] We're not quite critically clear which John. Some say John the Apostle but this is unlikely. Because by the time that this book was written, John the disciple or apostle was more than likely dead. [Right]
But then there were many Johns. And possibly in the church at Alexandria, ah, ah, is possibly the place from which this John came. Now he was a prisoner at the time of the writing. [All right]
It was necessary being a prisoner to employ a code type of writing [yeah], a style of writing that arose during the intertestamental period [yeah, yes sir] called apocalyptic writing, meaning code.
We find this type of writing in the book of Daniel, in Ezekiel, and in many of the apocryphal books. The writer knew that the people to whom he addressed this letter understood and were conversant [all right] with the style of writing that he employed.
Now it was necessary to employ this type of writing because the letter had to pass censorship. [Yes] It had to be cleared [yeah] by Roman officials. [Yeah]
Consequently he called Rome Babylon; he called the emperor the Great Dragon; he called unfolding history a seal or a scroll sealed with seven seals. He called the church a woman in travail and pain fleeing before the dragon.
He called Jesus the Lamb. [Yeah] And he called ah certain eras through which we would pass, the church would pass he called them horses.
To put them in order, he talks about the red horse, meaning war and bloodshed. And then the succeeding era he calls the black horse, meaning famine and pestilence. He called the next horse a pale horse, meaning wholesale death. He calls a final horse, the white horse, meaning ultimate victory for the church.
And now as he addresses himself to the task of getting this letter of encouragement and challenging letter to the people who have committed themselves to the Christian idea, he tells them in graphic details about the calamities, where the skies will crack like glass, the clouds would roll up like scrolls,[all right, all right] the mountains would be stiffened, and while men would be crying, it seems that at the end of it a mighty calm ensues.
Then he said, "I saw a new Heaven and a new earth." For in these trials and tribulations, in all of this pain, in all of the sufferings, the old Heaven had passed away.
And now I think that this is challenging to us. [Yes] For I believe we have lived in a time when we see emerging a new Heaven and a new Earth. Well you see when a man gets a new Earth he has to have a new Heaven. Because you see our Heaven, our concept of Heaven is largely influenced by our experiences on the earth. We have no other way to think about it. When we think about Heaven since we dont know the language we have to talk about earthly things. we have to talk about streets and gates and rivers and flowers and trees, all these things, you see, because we have no way to describe them. I don't believe you're praying with me.
Listen, ah, I recall the late Dr. Batemen who pastored the First Baptist church in Memphis, Tennesee some years ago, he came out and preached [all right] to one of the black chuches and when he got through preaching at the end he commented,
"I want to hear the choir sing, I like to hear colored people sing, and when I get to Heaven I'm going to go out in the colored section to hear the colored folks sing."
He talked about the white part of heaven having golden streets and pearly gates but he said even out in the colored section you have asphalt and concrete streets in Heaven. [oh yes]
What, what am I saying? I'm saying that the late Dr. Batemen was influenced by the society that produced him. He had observed in his ugly experience that there was segregation, there was separation. That the white people lived in one section and the colored people lived in another.
Therefore I say [yeah] when a man, when a man gets a new earth he's got to get a new Heaven. Because you see the old concepts are outmoded. You don't hear me.
I saw a new Heaven and I see one today. Because I'm watching a new earth disclose itself, yes I am. [Yes sir] I have observed that that all clouds are rolling up like scrolls. I have observed that all mountains [yes sir] that used to separate, all mountains that used to divide, I have observed that all [unclear] scribes are melting like lead. You don't hear me. I see a new Heaven because I'm witnessing the emergence of a new earth.
And listen. I saw a new Heaven. I believe you've seen it. I believe you're watching it disclosing, a new Heaven and a new Earth.
Then he said another significant thing I think. There will be no more sea. There will be no more sea. What exactly was he talking about? The sea separated him from his loved ones.
He was a state prisoner. He was out in the Adrian sea on an island and it was on the Lord's day [yeah] and he could not enjoy the fellowship [yeah] with those that he loved and with those who had elected to follow him or follow Jesus.
The sea stood between him and his loved ones. [Amen] But in God's new world there will be no more sea. There will be no more separation. There will be no more segregation. There will be no more barriers. I don't believe you're praying with me. [Amen]
He saw a holy city: [yeah] a new Jerusalem.[Uh-huh] They said that the old city of Jerusalem was a holy city but it wasn't quite so holy. They killed and persecuted the prophets. [Yeah; all right] They exploited them. They oppressed the poor there. But in God's emerging new way [yeah] there will be a new Jersualem. For the old Jerusalem did not qualify to be the capital of God's new world.
I saw a new Jersualem [all right] coming down from God out of Heaven, adorning a bride to meet her husband.
Then he talked about a God-centered society. In the center of God's new world there he would be among his people and they would know him, they would recognize him.
That is to say they would know holiness or wholeness. They would know goodness, they would know justice, they would know love, they would know peace. [Oh yeah] War would be abandoned and the poor would be accepted [yes sir] and recognized and given their fair share of whatever the social order yields.
I don't believe you're praying with me. [Yes sir] He heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, "Behold a tabernacle of God is with men, he will dwell among them and they shall be his people and God himself [yes sir] will be with them and be their God."
And then another very significant thing he said, he will wipe all tears away. [oh yeah] You know, as we study the circumstances of our society, men and women, boys and girls have all kinds of reasons to share tears.
I recall one of our late great leaders, Dr.Underwoord who talked about tears on one occasion, saying he did not know where tears came from, that he could locate the fountain of blood and he could locate all other things about the body but he couldn't locate tears.
He only know, he only knew that when a man got, or a woman got a certain atitude and when they felt sorrow from some mysterious place, [yeah] tears would come.
Or I can think of a thousand reasons that men have a right to cry, [yes sir] that women have a right to cry. Ah, mothers and fathers have a right to weep over the disappointment that is brought into their lives by their children. You know what I mean. They built all kinds of hopes and they made all kinds of plans and they dreamed of their children doing better than they did and enjoy things that they never enjoyed in their own childhood. Oh Lord. And then that girl or that boy rises up to bring sorrow to their hearts, disappointments and frustration to their dreams. Oh Lord.
Sometimes you have to cry. Oh Lord, their women have to cry sometimes as well as men. They dreamed of blissful marriages, and they've dreamed of ideal husbands, and they've dreamed of ideal wives, and they married and find out that not only is there no love involved, not even right thinking and right feeling.
No wonder, some time we have to cry. You don't all hear me. Oh Lord, and then we run into all kinds of misfortunes, all kinds of bad luck, all kinds of disappointment that makes us often wring our hands and cry.
Oh Lord, but John said, and I'm nearly through, that in God's new world there'd be no more tears oh Lord and then no more sorrow but then there's another thing: no more sickness.
Everytime I see the hospital as I pass, everytime I go home, everytime I see the doctor in the sickness, everytime everytime everytime I see the drugstore's shelf crowded with medical antitodes, it makes me know that we live in a world of sickness and not only medicines, and not only physical, but also misery, oh Lord!
But He is God, He is God, He is God, a new world, there'll be no more sorrow, no more weeping, no more pain oh Lord, oh yeah, I'm looking for that home, I'm going to have security in that land. Do you hear me? Yeah, Oh well, oh well, well. Well, well, well one of these days, one of these days I'll walk those golden streets. Yes sir.
THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT
The influence of the book of Daniel on Christian thinking was huge (Jesus borrowed the "Son of Man" title from there). Note that Christ is identified as the fourth man inside the furnace with the three Jewish youths. The other reference is to John's Gospel.
Let us all say Amen Say it again. Say it one more time. We can brag tonight because we know that the Lord we serve is able. Whatever we need he sees that we have the things in life to sustain us. >From day to day if we but look up and call him, He's always by our side. We read our Bible and we remember Shadrack, Mesach, and Abednego. And if they could be here tonight, they'd tell you,The influence of the book of Daniel on Christian thinking was huge (Jesus borrowed the "Son of Man" title from there). Note that Christ is identified as the fourth man inside the furnace with the three Jewish youths. The other reference is to John's Gospel.
The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3) Well, the Lord God Almighty done brought us out! (3)
There was a woman one day, there was a woman one day. She met the master at the well and he told her everything she had ever done. She went back to the city, she called on the friends around her, She said I got something to tell you. She said,
"The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3)
I wish Shadrack, Mesach, and old man Abednego, I wish they could be here. They want the wholle wide world to know. The king put them in the furance, 7 times hotter than it ought to be. But when he went down to look for them, what a sight he did see. The king said I put in three, but now I believe I see four. And the fourth one, the fourth one
the fourth one, the fourth one, the fourth one, looks very like, looks very like, looks very like the son of God, yeah.
The Lord Almighty done brought us out! (3)
I wish my mother could be here. She'd tell you for me so many times we were afraid. He opened doors we couldn't see. She'd tell you that,
The Lord God Almighty done brought us out! (3) Oh, yeah! (3)
AMEN
This traditional setting is of the single word, "Amen," which means "Certainly." Though commonly used at the end of Hebrew texts, Jesus uses it usually at the beginning of a sentence to stress the authority of what he says, though sometimes it's translated into English as "Certainly" or "Verily," as in "Verily I say to you," etc.
AMEN
From the classical tradition we move to Afro-American Gospel style. This song sums up Jesus' story from Luke's Gospel:
This traditional setting is of the single word, "Amen," which means "Certainly." Though commonly used at the end of Hebrew texts, Jesus uses it usually at the beginning of a sentence to stress the authority of what he says, though sometimes it's translated into English as "Certainly" or "Verily," as in "Verily I say to you," etc.
AMEN
From the classical tradition we move to Afro-American Gospel style. This song sums up Jesus' story from Luke's Gospel:
Amen, Amen, etc. Sing it over! See the little baby wrapped in a manger on Christmas morning. See him in the Temple talking with the elders, tomorrow there's wisdom. Amen, etc. Down at the Jordan, John was baptizing and saving all sinners. See him at the seaside talking with the fishermen and making disciples. Amen, etc. Keep on pushing now.
JESUS PAID THE DEBT
Song focused on Jesus' expiatory (sacrificial) death, ending all sacrifices (hence the Cleansing of the Temple in all 4 Gospels):
I was a wanderer far away from God I had sorrow in my bosom and my way was mighty hard then I heard that Gospel story how he came down from his throne in Glory. He paid the debt, I know he paid the debt for you and me. He paid the debt, Jesus paid the debt, he paid the debt, he paid the debt, I know he paid the debt for you and me. You know he stretched out on the tree and died on lonely Calvary that's why I know Jesus paid the debt for you and me.Song focused on Jesus' expiatory (sacrificial) death, ending all sacrifices (hence the Cleansing of the Temple in all 4 Gospels):
JOHN THE REVELATOR
Two songs on the book of Revelation. The first song slightly suggests what is called a Parousia Christology: that is, Jesus will reveal his power as Messiah only after the Parousia (the Second Coming). But as we know, the Christological event was continually pushed backward in the Gospels, first to the Baptism, then the Nativity, and finally (in John) to the beginning of time:
Two songs on the book of Revelation. The first song slightly suggests what is called a Parousia Christology: that is, Jesus will reveal his power as Messiah only after the Parousia (the Second Coming). But as we know, the Christological event was continually pushed backward in the Gospels, first to the Baptism, then the Nativity, and finally (in John) to the beginning of time:
Tell me who was that writing? Oh, John the Revelator. (2) Well what was he writing? He wrote the Book of Revelation, and he write it in the Book of the Seven seals. {Repeat}
Well old man Isaiah he spoke about the coming of the Messiah before that he left for home right on high. Then Matthew's Gospel said I heard a man crying, Jesus was born, he surely must die. They clothed my Lord in the Gospel robe then led Him on down to the judgment hall. "We caught that little fellow!" the high priest said. They whipped my Lord until the break of day. Well John said I gazed over Calvary hill, he said, Heard a rumbling like the chariot wheels, hey John what do you mean? Cruel men were whipping Him still. {Repeat refrain}
Oh John said I gazed over Calvary hill, he said, Heard a rumbling like the chariot wheels, hey John what do you mean? Gabriels' got a trumpet, gonna blast it so loud, the saints are gonna ride up to Heaven on the clouds. The stars from above, they're always coming down, the dead are gonna move from beneath that little ground. The sea is gonna boil and cause a mighty flood, the moon's gonna drip away in twelve lines of blood. But John said, I gazed over Calvary's hill, he said he heard the rumbling like a chariot's wheels. Hey John what do you mean? The sight's to the blind, the dumb is gonna talk, the lame's got his bed, he's going to pick it up and walk. But old brother John put down the golden pen, but please don't you write no more to dying little men. {Repeat refrain}
Well old man Isaiah he spoke about the coming of the Messiah before that he left for home right on high. Then Matthew's Gospel said I heard a man crying, Jesus was born, he surely must die. They clothed my Lord in the Gospel robe then led Him on down to the judgment hall. "We caught that little fellow!" the high priest said. They whipped my Lord until the break of day. Well John said I gazed over Calvary hill, he said, Heard a rumbling like the chariot wheels, hey John what do you mean? Cruel men were whipping Him still. {Repeat refrain}
Oh John said I gazed over Calvary hill, he said, Heard a rumbling like the chariot wheels, hey John what do you mean? Gabriels' got a trumpet, gonna blast it so loud, the saints are gonna ride up to Heaven on the clouds. The stars from above, they're always coming down, the dead are gonna move from beneath that little ground. The sea is gonna boil and cause a mighty flood, the moon's gonna drip away in twelve lines of blood. But John said, I gazed over Calvary's hill, he said he heard the rumbling like a chariot's wheels. Hey John what do you mean? The sight's to the blind, the dumb is gonna talk, the lame's got his bed, he's going to pick it up and walk. But old brother John put down the golden pen, but please don't you write no more to dying little men. {Repeat refrain}
I, JOHN
This is a fairly close rendering of the opening and closing chapters of the Book of Revelation:
Oh well, I, John, he saw a mighty number a way up in the middle of the air I, John he saw mighty number Way in the middle of the air. God Almighty! Well I, John, he saw a mighty number Way up in the middle of the air Well there were three gates in the east And there were three gates in the west (let me tell you about) Three gates in the north, hallelujah there were Three gates in the south And that makes twelve gates to the city four square wide John, well I John saw a might number where? way up in the middle of the air Well John declared that he saw a man He held twelve bright stars in his right hand Well his eyes flashed fire like the burning sun Old John got scared and he wanted to run Well he wanted to run but his feet wouldn't go Cause he felt the Gospel cutting like a two-edged sword And he heard a voice that said John, you take a look And read what you see and then you write it in a book He saw twelve angels in the east And there were twelve angels in the west Hallelujah brother, Twelve angels in the north, well Twelve angels in the south That's a total of forty-eight angels to the city, four square wide. Hallelujah, God Almighty! You know that I, John, he saw a mighty number, where? Well in the middle of the air. You know that I John he saw a mighty number, where? Well in the middle of the air. This is a fairly close rendering of the opening and closing chapters of the Book of Revelation:
I'LL SHINE FOR YOU
Light symbolism typical of the Gospels ("city on a hill," the virgins' lamps, and the "Light of the World" of John's Gospel):
Don't give up, the fight has just begun for you. [Make that perfectly clear] Don't you try to do it on your own, make God's love shine for you. Yeah. The son shine for you. You know that I just want to shine for you, I'll shine for you. (2) He gave his life for your soul, you won't lose, you won't lose. The Light of the world, the light to guide your way, it's true, the sun shine on you.Light symbolism typical of the Gospels ("city on a hill," the virgins' lamps, and the "Light of the World" of John's Gospel):
WALK IN THE LIGHT
Well we will walk (talk) in that beautiful light, come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright, shine bright shine light by day by night, with Jesus the Light of the World.PETER DON'T BE AFRAID
From the first, Christianity chose the world's failures to be its spokesmen:
Jesus said, Oh Peter, Peter don't be afraid. (3) Walk on the water, Peter. One more thing Jesus said: I am Mary's baby, Peter don't be afraid. (3) Walk on the water, Peter, Peter don't be afraid. Jesus said this, Peter you denied me, but don't be afraid.From the first, Christianity chose the world's failures to be its spokesmen:
BORN AGAIN
The idea of being "born again" appears in John and gave the name to revivalist Christians ("born again Christians"):
Lord I've been born again, Lord I've sure been born again. Do you know that I've been, I've been baptized in my soul, I feel that's the reason I've been born again. Oh you know Jesus my Lord I sure do love your name. Your name is all that I love my Lord And if you hadn't died my soul wouldn't have been saved, that's the reason I've been born again.The idea of being "born again" appears in John and gave the name to revivalist Christians ("born again Christians"):
NO MORE NIGHT
Based on the book of Revelation:
The earth is here, earth and Heaven pass away. It's not a dream God will make all things new that day. Gone is the place from which I stumbled and fell, evil is banished to eternal Hell. No more nights, no more pain, no more tears, never crying again and praises to the great I Am we will live in the light of the risen Lamb.Based on the book of Revelation:
DON'T LET YOUR LIGHT GROW DIM
Some more light imagery linked to Jesus:
Don't let your light grow dim, let it shine for him, don't be discouraged when the clouds roll in, you must spend time in his presence once again. Moses went up the mountain at the Lord's command, so he could write the Testament for the Laws of man, after 40 days and nights without a drink or meal his face shone as a light so bright a veil could not conceal. Don't let your light grow dim, let it shine for him, don't be discouraged when the clouds roll in, you must spend time in his presence once again.Some more light imagery linked to Jesus:
EVERY KNEE SHALL BEND
In Isaiah 45, it is God to whom every knee shall bend; Paul repeats this idea in Romans. But by the time of Philippians, it is Jesus to whom every knee will bend:
Oh every knee has got to bow, every knee surely must bow (2) out on the land, out on the sea, makes no difference where you may be, every knee has got to bow, every knee surely must bow. Every knee has got to bow.In Isaiah 45, it is God to whom every knee shall bend; Paul repeats this idea in Romans. But by the time of Philippians, it is Jesus to whom every knee will bend:
POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST
Now follows three Pentecostal Gospel songs in honor of the Holy Ghost (also known as Holy Spirit):
Oh Lord, Oh Lord hear my plea, I'm crying o Lord I want the power of the Holy Ghost to fall on me.Now follows three Pentecostal Gospel songs in honor of the Holy Ghost (also known as Holy Spirit):
THE GOODNESS OF JESUS
This is an example of a singing sermon common in the "sanctified" (holy) churches in the south, which is "gospel" in both senses (text and music). When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me. You know my soul cries out Hallelujah, oh Lord, and I thank God for saving me! Let me say it again. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me. You know my soul cries out, oh Lord, good God Almighty. And I thank God for saving.
Let me say together. When I think of the blessing of Jesus and all he's done for me. Well my soul cries out and it's all right and I thank God for saving me like this. ????
I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. The reason why I thank you: I know you been mighty good. I know you been good to me. You been better to me than I been to myself. You made me run and tell. You made me tell somebody else. Can't nobody do me like you, Lord. I said can't nobody, do me like you, Jesus. That's the reason why I know I got to thank you Jesus.
I remember one Friday when I went down on my knees. I said I wouldn't tell nobody, that something got a hold of me. That it got all in my hair. That it got all in my feet. It just made me tell the world that something got a hold of me. Can't you feel that power? (repeat)
Can't you feel it in your hair? When you go down on your knees. Don't it make it all right? I remember in the last song. I asked everybody out there. I got this question again that I want to ask you. Did you get that power? (repeat)
When you talk about the Holy Ghost. Did he get in your hair? Did he get in your walk? Did it get all in your talk? Did he make you tell somebody that you been born again? Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, you all. I'll tell you something. I said I'll go to church in a while. Come on, and go with me.
Oh, yeah, all right, God Almighty. Come on, come on.
Did you get that power? (repeat)
I come to talk about the Holy Ghost. Did it get in your hair. Did it get in your walk? Did it get all in your talk? Did it make you tell somebody that you been born again? Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, all! You know what, I said I'll go to church in a while.
I thank you Jesus! (3) Ain't it all right? Wait a minute, all.
HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit, come on in the room, bless my soul. Somebody in the building needs you, come on in the room, bless my soul. We can't do nothing Lord, come on in the room, we can't do nothing Lord until you come on in the room. Bless my soul! Yeah, we need your power, come on in the room, the Holy Ghost power, yes, we need your power, come on in the room, bless my soul, Lord I need you to bless my soul. We need a fire, come on in the room, yeah, we need the fire, come on Lord, I want you to bless, bless my soul. Yeah, come on down Jesus, come on, yeah! We need you right now to come into the room, bless my soul, bless my soul, I need, oh yeah, bless my soul, I've been waiting a long time, bless my soul! Yeah, yeah, bless my soul, can't nobody help me but you Jesus!COME AND DINE
The image of a Banquet as a communion meal with God goes back to Isaiah and appears in several of Jesus' parables. Food becomes a type of satisfaction of spiritual hunger, as in the Holy Communion. This bluegrass Gospel song also refers to Jesus' post-Resurrection appearances, where food is a central item:
Jesus has a table spread where the saints of God are fed. He invites his Chosen People to come and dine, with the manna he will feed and supplies our every need, oh it's sweet to sup with Jesus all the time. Come and dine the Master calls us, come and dine, you may feast at Jesus' table all the time, he who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine, to the hungry calleth now. The disciples came to land, thus obeying Christ's command, for the Master calleth them to come and dine, there they found their hearts' desire, breading fish upon the fire, thus he satisfies the hungry every time. Soon the Lamb will take his Bride to be ever by his side, all the host of Heaven will assembled be, oh 'twill be a glorious sight all the saints in spotless white, and with Jesus they will feast eternally. Come and dine the Master calls you, come and dine, you may feast at Jesus' table all the time, he who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine, to the hungry calleth now.The image of a Banquet as a communion meal with God goes back to Isaiah and appears in several of Jesus' parables. Food becomes a type of satisfaction of spiritual hunger, as in the Holy Communion. This bluegrass Gospel song also refers to Jesus' post-Resurrection appearances, where food is a central item:
YE MAN OF GALILEE
The reference is to the parables of the Ten Virgins, only five of whom kept their lamps with enough burning oil:
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing? Gazing in the Heavens up above? This Jesus who left will come in like manner, to receive the ones redeemed by his blood. He led his disciples out to Bethany, he lifted up his hands and bless them there. He told them to go to Jerusalem to tarry, till the mighty spirit of God filled the air. He said watch and pray and always be ready, you know not the hour he may come. So trim up your lamps and always keep them burning, For ye are the bride of God's son. Ye men of Galilee, were standing here gazing, gazing in the Heavens up above to see the ones redeemed by his blood.The reference is to the parables of the Ten Virgins, only five of whom kept their lamps with enough burning oil:
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
I ON THE JERICHO ROAD
In a traditional allegorical interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan (each person or object standing for an idea), the Jericho Road is Life's road; the person traveling is Everyman, wounded by sins caused by this world. The Samaritan is Jesus; the two coins he gives are Faith and Love; the inn is the Church, which gives safety to the sinner, who waits for the Samaritan's return: that is, for the Second Coming of Jesus (the "Parousia"). The following famous song makes the link plain:
As you travel along on the Jericho Road, does the road seem all wrong and heavy your load? Just bring it to Christ, your sins all confess, on the Jericho Road, your heart he will bless. On the Jericho Road there's room for just two, no more and no less, just Jesus and you. Each burden he'll bear (each burden he'll bear), each sorrow he'll share (each sorrow he'll share), there's never a care (there's never a care), for Jesus is there.In a traditional allegorical interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan (each person or object standing for an idea), the Jericho Road is Life's road; the person traveling is Everyman, wounded by sins caused by this world. The Samaritan is Jesus; the two coins he gives are Faith and Love; the inn is the Church, which gives safety to the sinner, who waits for the Samaritan's return: that is, for the Second Coming of Jesus (the "Parousia"). The following famous song makes the link plain:
T H E G O S P E L S:
Songs Week of 22 May 2007
BETHLEHEM
Two Nativity songs by the American Colonial composer, William Billings:
While shepherds watch their flocks by night all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around. The angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around.Two Nativity songs by the American Colonial composer, William Billings:
EMANUEL FOR CHRISTMAS
As shepherds in Jewry were guarding their sheep, promiscuously seated , estranged from sleep; an angel from Heaven presented to view, and thus he accosted the trembling few. "Dispel all your sorrows and banish your fears, for Jesus your Savior in Jewry appears." "Hosanna," the angels in ecstasy cry, "Hosanna," the wondering shepherds reply. Salvation, redemption are centered in one, all glory to God for the birth of the Son. Then shepherds adieu we commend you to God go visit the Son in his humble abode.SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
The idea of a Devil emerged gradually in the intertestamental period (the two hundred years between the closing of the Old Testament and the founding of the New in the first century). In the OT, the Devil (the Satan) was in the service of God; but as frustrations emerged in establishing God's kingdom, the Devil became an independent power, now in control of the world, since he offers Jesus the world as one of the Temptations. By the time of Revelation, the Devil became identified with the serpent who tempted Eve in Genesis. The rest is history. The Devil remains one of the pervasive images in Western culture, but he may be only a projection of our evil impulses, as the Rolling Stones make clear in one of their most notorious songs. The song, from Beggars Banquet, is six minutes long, so we'll quote only a few verses:
Please allow me to introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste I've been around for a long, long year Stole many a man's soul and faith, I was around when Jesus Christ Had his moment of doubt and pain Made damn sure that Pilate Washed his hands and sealed his fate. I watched with glee While your kings and queens Fought for ten decades For the gods they made I shouted out, "Who killed the Kennedys?" When after all It was you and me Let me please introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste And I laid traps for troubadours Who get killed before they reached Bombay Pleased to meet you Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby.The idea of a Devil emerged gradually in the intertestamental period (the two hundred years between the closing of the Old Testament and the founding of the New in the first century). In the OT, the Devil (the Satan) was in the service of God; but as frustrations emerged in establishing God's kingdom, the Devil became an independent power, now in control of the world, since he offers Jesus the world as one of the Temptations. By the time of Revelation, the Devil became identified with the serpent who tempted Eve in Genesis. The rest is history. The Devil remains one of the pervasive images in Western culture, but he may be only a projection of our evil impulses, as the Rolling Stones make clear in one of their most notorious songs. The song, from Beggars Banquet, is six minutes long, so we'll quote only a few verses:
THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME
Many Gospel songs become pop hits, with changed lyrics, as the Rolling Stones version of this song shows. The song is typical of the eschatological message of Jesus in the Gospels, regarding the coming End and Judgment:
This may, this may be the last, this may, this may be the last time, children. this may, this may be the last time, may be the last time, I don't know.Many Gospel songs become pop hits, with changed lyrics, as the Rolling Stones version of this song shows. The song is typical of the eschatological message of Jesus in the Gospels, regarding the coming End and Judgment:
THE LAST TIME
This may be the last time (3) may be the last time I don't know.TRAMP ON THE STREET
This song retells the story of the Lazarus in pop song format, with a nod to the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:
Only a tramp was Lazarus by day, he who lay down at the rich man's gate. He begged for the crumbs from the rich man to eat, he was only a tramp found dead the street. He was some other's darling, he was some other's son, once he was fair, once he was young. Some other wanted her darling to see, but they left him to die like a tramp on the street. Jesus who died on Calvary's tree, he shared his life blood for you and for me. They pierced his side and then his feet then they left him to die like a tramp on the street. He was Mary's own darling, he was God's chosen Son, once he was fair and once he was young. Mary, she rocked him, her darling to sleep, but they left Him to die like a tramp on the street. If Jesus should come and knock on your door for a place to come in for some bread from your store, would you welcome him in or turn him away, then God will deny you on that great Judgment Day.This song retells the story of the Lazarus in pop song format, with a nod to the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:
DO LORD
If one trusts Matthew 25, only those who clothe the naked, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and give justice to the oppressed will be remembered by Jesus in the next life:
Do Lord, oh do Lord remember me (3), way beyond the blue. I've got a home in Glory Land that outshines the sun (3), way beyond the blue horizon. Do Lord, oh do Lord remember me (3), way beyond the blue. I took Jesus as my Savior you take him too (3), while he's calling you. Do Lord, oh do Lord remember me (3), way beyond the blue.If one trusts Matthew 25, only those who clothe the naked, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and give justice to the oppressed will be remembered by Jesus in the next life:
PRODIGAL SON
The Rolling Stones based their version of this song about Luke's Prodigal Son on an older Blues version:
Well a poor boy took his father's bread and started down the road Started down the road Took all he had and started down the road Going out in this world, where God only knows And that'll be the way to get along Well poor boy spent all he had, famine come in the land Famine come in the land Spent all he had and famine come in the land Said, "I believe I'll go and hire me to some man" And that'll be the way I'll get along Well, man said, "I'll give you a job for to feed my swine For to feed my swine I'll give you a job for to feed my swine" Boy stood there and hung his head and cried `Cause that is no way to get along Said, "I believe I'll ride, believe I'll go back home Believe I'll go back home Believe I'll ride, believe I'll go back home Or down the road as far as I can go" And that'll be the way to get along Well, father said, "See my son coming home to me Coming home to me" Father ran and fell down on his knees Said, "Sing and praise, Lord have mercy on me" Mercy Oh poor boy stood there, hung his head and cried Hung his head and cried Poor boy stood and hung his head and cried Said, "Father will you look on me as a child?" Yeah Well father said, "Eldest son, kill the fatted calf, Call the family round Kill that calf and call the family round My son was lost but now he is found 'Cause that's the way for us to get along."The Rolling Stones based their version of this song about Luke's Prodigal Son on an older Blues version:
THE PRODIGAL SON: Sermon
I don't believe that there is a greater love story in all of the Bible or in any literature printed, be it secular or sacred. There isn't a greater love story than the story of the Prodigal Son.Jesus dramatically tells of God's love [Yeah, Amen] and God's patience and God's long suffering and God's concern about man in this passage. [Amen]
He endeavors to show first of all the danger of self-righteousness [yeah] in the characterization of the son that stayed at home. [Yeah.] Although he stayed at home, although he did not go astray, although he did not engage in wild and riotious living [Yeah, Amen], when his brother was redeemed and was regained he was too selfish to come in and join in the banquet and celebrate the recovery of his lost brother. So that Jesus intends for us to learn in this that it is as dangerous to stay in the church and be selifsh as it is to go out but finally come back. [Yeah, Amen]
Now the theme of this passage is loss. And Jesus intended to show us that God is a God of the lost.
Now Jesus also said that was not the God of the living, ah, rather of the dead, but rather a God of the living. By that he did not mean that he turned his back on you when you die. But he rather meant that no man is dead with God. And therefore know that he cannot escape to any land where God is not. If he went into the heavens, if he went to the upmost parts of the earth, if he made his bed in Hell, behold God is there.
So God is the God of the lost. If you do not believe that he is the God of the lost, make up in your mind to come back to God. and like the father in prodigal his arms will be wide open. And the Lord will be waiting in his wide room of blessing.
Now, I said the theme of this story is loss. Jesus in this chapter tells of three things that were lost. First, he tells of lost sheep.
Secondly, he tells of lost money.
Thirdly, he tells of a lost son.
In the case of the lost sheep, the shepherd went back over his steps, and over his traveling the day, the previous day and searched in every ravine and every mountainsde and every valley until he had regained the sheep that was lost.
The woman who lost one of her coins of ten, swept in every corner [yeah] and under every bed, behind every door until she had found her lost coin.
But then there's no law of anyone having gone out to look for this lost son. You see in the case of the sheep we have the loss of property. In the case of the lost coin we have financial loss. In the case of the son we have human loss.
People go out looking to regain lost property. People search in order to regain lost money. But very few people bother themselves about trying to regain lost sons, lost dogs, lost husbands, or wives, or even lost money.
This young man, in the case of the prodigal son, became restless according to the story and became a little impatient with the discipline and order and regulations of his home.
Possibly his brother led a life that was too dull. Possibly the right rule of his father was a little irritating. Yes, he was young and the blood of youth was dancing with energy and excitment in his veins.
You understand his heart had grown alien, alien to his home. Alien to the traditional, ah, situation, ah, among his people, [yeah] alien to the things that were native to him.
The far country of excitement beckoned to him. And he went to his father and petitioned him,
"Father give me all of the goods that fall to me!"
His father did not hesitate. He immediately divided his living, you understand, and gave young man his share. And after he gave, he took his journey into that far country. Listen if you please.
He didn't go out looking for the young man. For the young man was lost.
Yes he was lost. I don't mean only so far as morals or so far as that which is spiritual is concerned. I mean he was lost to himself. [Yes!] So the record is that when he found himself in a pigpen he came to himself, which means that he was not like himself.
I wish I had somebody here to tell with me. [I say, come on!]
You see there are situations in life, let me put it this way, I think sometimes that adversity helps us to find ourselves. [All right, all right]
Some of the folk, some of the folk who are sitting there listening to me have gone to experiences and know that there are times in your life when you thought you knew it all. [Yeah!] When you thought that you could impose your way and your will on everybody. When you thought that it was right to be selfish. For you see the first law of Nature may be self first, but the first law of Grace is others first!
I wish I had somebody here. Listen if you please.
And it took a little adversity, it took a little sickness, or it took a little misfortunes, or it took a little shakeup in your life to help you to find yourself. [Yeah!]
You see this young man didn't find himself until he had gone all the way from a palace to a pigpen. [Amen!]
Follow me if you please, he took his journey into a far country.
For he was alien. Alien from God, alien from friends, alien from his surroundings, and from his native home. [Yeah, Amen] The times grew dull at home, and there was nothing at home that could satisfy him as he took his journey into a far country. Unluckily he there wasted his living or his substance in riotous living, wasted, lost, always for waste.
If you waste your money, one day you'll want it. Did you hear what I said?
If you waste your influence, if you abuse your influence, one day you'll wish you hadn't. [Amen]
If you waste your health, one day you'll want it. For in every instance losing follows waste. The record is that when this young man wasted his subtances in riotous living, when he wasted that which had been given to him, then a mighty famine arose and he began to feeling lost. A mighty famine arose.
Well you see famines are still rising. It might not have been an economic famine or it might not be an economic famine in all instances. Sometimes it is the famine of health. A famine may be going on with you in your home and in your community and nothing the same is going on with anybody else.
This young man had gone to this far country and no doubt had received a warm reception. When he came in as a prince of an Eastern rich man, with his diamond necklaces, with his gold bracelets, with his servants, with his camels and with all of his flocks, why no doubt the far country of his desire received him with open arms. [Yeah!]
But when you don't need anything you always can get anything you want. [Oh, yeah.] If you have a car anybody will let you ride. If you have money anybody will lend you some money.
But if it gets around that you're broke, the story is different. I wish somebody would follow me.
This young man dissipated not only his body, and listen if you please, he dissipated everything else that he had.
And you know there are a lot of people who think and who talk about how expensive it is to be a member of the church. I have a sad notice to you tonight, it's far more expensive to follow after the ways of the world than it is to be a child of God.
For when you get with the crowd out yonder, you're all right as long as you can help bear the load, you're all right as long as you can contribute to the pot, you're all right as long as you can, can can order everybody.
But when you get to the place when you can't do that the world is through with you. You don't believe that I'm telling you the truth, come with me somebody's else's and talk with with many, with many a young man and many a young women, and they will tell you as long as things were going well they could not sleep for the telephone. They, they had to be out every parlor.
But when they had wasted all, when the famine of health roared in their lives, the telephone doesn't ring anymore. And on visiting days the crowd of friends that they used to run with are conspicuously missing. I wish I had somebody testify with me.
Yes, sir. But listen brothers and sisters. This young man was reduced to a very shameful level for a man of his nationality. Only a Jew could tell you about how he felt about tying himself to a gentile master in these far-off days and having to work among swine.
The young man sat there, you understand, in a hog pen, he sat there, you understand full of experience and wisdom that he had gained from all his trials.
And as he sat there thinking about it, hungry and realzing that he had come from a palace down to a pigpen. And in this situation the record is, he came to himself. I wish somebody tonight that's listening to me would sit right where you are and come to yourself. [Yeah]
Oh, Lord you know Jesus told this story in order to let men know that he had faith in men. That he could not believe that man was ultimately sinful and wicked. But the ultimate end of man was to come to God.
For you see my brothers and my sisters, to do wrong is alien with man. One of these days wrongness will disappear. One of these days selfishness will be wiped out of this globe.
One of these days war will end. And one of these days peace will prevail. I don't think you know what I'm talking about.
And this young man sat there realizing that he had ended up in a pen for his folly. Oh, Lord He sat there, there among swine, with hogs all around him, oh, realizing, great God, that he had sought freedom but was lost, that he wanted freedom at the expense of law and order and discipline. Oh, Lord, and he had given up a happy home.
You ought to be able to see him sitting there thinking to himself.
"Here I am in rags, in tattered rags and I know my father has a wardrobe full of robes. Here I am with my last bracelet on and in my father's jewelry box there's a lot of jewelry. Oh, Lord! Here I am with no necklace about my neck and at my father's house there are many necklaces. And here I am hungry, yeah, and at my home there's bread and enough to spare. Oh, Lord!
I know that I've done wrong. Yeah. I know. Yeah, yes I know, I know I disobeyed my father. I know that I've been wild and that I've been reckless, yes I have.
But I'm going back home today, oh Lord, I've done wrong but I'm going home. Yes I am, I'm wild, but I'm going home. I'm hungry but I'm going home.
Yes, I am. I'm hungry, but I'm going home. Yes, answer me. I'm going to tell you. Father, yes, Father, Father, yes, Father, yes, I've been wrong, yes I have, Father, I know I disobeyed you, Yes I did. I know what I'm talking about. Forgive me. I'm not going to tell you forgive me. But I'm come back home today telling you to make me, to make me one of your servants. Oh Lord.
And that's what I'm telling you now. Lord, Lord, Lord, you just make me one of your servants. Lord, Lord! Lord! Lord! Lord! You just make me one of your servants. Anything you want me to do, tears in my eyes. Lord, Lord! Lord! Oh, Lord! Just make me one of your hired servants!
C. L. FRANKLIN'S DAUGHTER
I say with pride that Aretha is not only my daughter, Aretha is just a stone singer. All you have to do is have something in here and the ability to hear and the ability to feel and you will know that Aretha is still a Gospel singer:
(a) You make me feel, you make me feel you make me feel like a natural woman. (b) What a friend we have in Jesus, all, all our sins and griefs to bear, oh yeah, oh what a privilege yeah it is to carry everything to God in prayer.I say with pride that Aretha is not only my daughter, Aretha is just a stone singer. All you have to do is have something in here and the ability to hear and the ability to feel and you will know that Aretha is still a Gospel singer:
HE'LL UNDERSTAND AND SAY WELL DONE
This comes from the Parable of the Talents (Matthew: 25:23), which, like most of Jesus' parables, have an eschatological point: namely that the end is coming soon and each person will receive reward of punishment:If, if when you give the best of your self, tell tender words that the Savior has come, be not dismayed, if men won't believe, he'll understand, I believe he will say, "Well, well done."
WHAT DID JOHN DO?
This Gospel song takes up the issue of priority between John and Jesus, an issue that Luke tries to resolve by making John a relative of Jesus, though no other Gospel mentions such a relationship and elsewhere John seems to be unaware who Jesus is:Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2) I want you to know the word I heard before, John was a righteous man, He was selected and prepared for his job, by God's own hand. He was preparing for the way for the Son of God and John went into the wilderness.
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2)
KING OF KINGS
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is one of the most popular South African groups and they recorded with Paul Simon on two albums (including the classic Graceland). Simon in turn produced one of their albums. This prayer follows Jesus' model in Matthew and Luke (the "Our Father"). Note that in Jesus' prayer, the key phrase is "Thy will [not our will!] be done"! Jesus died because God's will, not Jesus', was done. So Jesus' unasnwered prayer was really answered, if the Lord's Prayer is used as a model:O King of Kings, Kings of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. O King of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. Our Father, our Father we are asking for peace in our country, Our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in our land. Our Father, the Father we are asking for peace in our country, our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in the land.
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
A famous Gospel song based on verses in the Gospel of John:
In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not true he would have told me so. He has gone away to live in that bright city, he's preparing me a mansion that I know.A famous Gospel song based on verses in the Gospel of John:
WORKING ON A BUILDING
Bluegrass Gospel based on the parable of the House Builder:
If I were a sinner, well I tell you what I would do. I'd quit my sinning and work on a building. I'm working on a building (3) for my Lord. It's a Holy Ghost building (3), for my Lord, for my Lord.Bluegrass Gospel based on the parable of the House Builder:
TALK ABOUT SUFFERING
Talk about suffering here below and let's keep a-loving Jesus. Talk about suffering here below and let's keep a-following Jesus. The Gospel train is coming, now don't you want to go and leave this world of sorrow and troubles here below.WERE YOU THERE?
A famous spiritual we'll hear in Bluegrass and Spiritual style:
Were you there when they crucified my Lord (2)? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they pierced him in the side? (2) Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble.A famous spiritual we'll hear in Bluegrass and Spiritual style:
SERMONETTE
I was asked by a person today. Are you absolutely sure that you're going to Heaven? I said, "I'm absolutely sure. Not because of anything I've done. I've sinned. I'm going to Heaven because of what Christ did on that cross and because of the fact that God raised him from the dead.WHEN JESUS WEPT
According to Christian dogma, Jesus was "true God of true God," but also entirely human while on earth. If Jesus were not God, his sacrifice could not be enough. If Jesus were not man, his suffering could not have atoned, nor could he have been a model for humankind. So Jesus quoted Scripture wrong; he hesitated; he wished to escape suffering, like anyone else. He also wept for Lazarus in the Gospel of John. This beautiful choral piece was one of William Billings' "hits" in Colonial America:
When Jesus wept a falling tear, in mercy flowed on the ground, when Jesus groaned a trembling fear seized all our guilty world around.According to Christian dogma, Jesus was "true God of true God," but also entirely human while on earth. If Jesus were not God, his sacrifice could not be enough. If Jesus were not man, his suffering could not have atoned, nor could he have been a model for humankind. So Jesus quoted Scripture wrong; he hesitated; he wished to escape suffering, like anyone else. He also wept for Lazarus in the Gospel of John. This beautiful choral piece was one of William Billings' "hits" in Colonial America:
I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM
Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers took a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, "Hail King of the Jews!" Then they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again and said to them, "Behold I bring him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in him." They led Christ to Calvary and he spoke not one word, just the cries of loud sinners were all my Savior heard. Then they pierced him so deeply in his side, until the blood came streaming down and that's how Jesus purchased my salvation and I find no fault in him.SLEEPERS WAKE
This chorale, or hymn (based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins), from a Bach cantata, is one of Bach's most famous tunes. Actually, Bach did not write the hymn but only the lilting countermelody; but that's the "hook" of the song, what people remember most:
Midnight's passed, the hour is nearing, and in the east the dark is disappearing, a new and brighter dawn will come.This chorale, or hymn (based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins), from a Bach cantata, is one of Bach's most famous tunes. Actually, Bach did not write the hymn but only the lilting countermelody; but that's the "hook" of the song, what people remember most:
AGNUS DEI
The Agnus Dei is taken from the Gospel of John, when John the Baptist names Jesus the "Lamb of God." As part of the Catholic mass, this has been set to music by countless composers. Andrew Lloyd-Webber (Cats, Evita, Phantom of the Opera) set it to music in his Requiem mass for his father, as part of the Pie Jesu, which became a hit:AGNUS DEI (PIE JESU)
{Latin} Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi dona eis requiem sempiternam.{English} Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, give them eternal rest.
*As a language footnote, observe how the cognates there between Latin and English words: deity, impeccable, mundane, donation, sempiternal.
NICODEMUS
In the Gospel of John, Jesus teaches the Pharisee Nicodemus how a grown man can be born a second time. " In terms of "Form Criticism," this story may be another attempt to separate the new Christians from the older Jewish religion. "Born again" has become part of the language:A man came to Jesus and said, "What must I do to be saved from the wicked ways. I'm weary, I'm wounded. From the start of my life, I've been torn! Lord I need a change." "Nicodemus, your soul must be saved! Nicodemus, turn from your wicked ways. Nicodemus, hear me when I say, you must be born again, yes you must be born again.
OH HAPPY DAY
The "happy day" refers to finding Jesus. This song became a huge hit in the pop market in the 1960s:Oh happy day Oh happy day Oh happy happy day; Oh happy day When Jesus washed Oh when he washed When Jesus washed He washed my sins away! Oh happy day Oh happy day He taught me how He taught me Taught me how to watch He taught me how to watch and pray and we'll rejoice each and every day.
CENTURIAN on GOD
In the biblical epic, The Greatest Story Ever Told, John Wayne has a cameo playing the Roman soldier who affirms Jesus' divinity:Truly this man was the son of God.
Matthew, 2: Songs
Week of 15 May 2007
This Little Light of Mine
Jesus was a Rabbi (Jewish teacher), hence (like Paul later) well educated in the Jewish law. Almost everything Jesus said came from somewhere in "Scripture" (today we call it the Old Testament). In Matthew 5:14ff. Jesus refers to a city on a hill and the light of the world. One of these metaphors comes from Isaiah 2:1ff (also Micah 4:1ff. in the same words): "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. . . . Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord." Jesus must also have been thinking of Isaiah 60:1ff.: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. . . . Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. . . . And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and
incense. . . ." Light becomes the main motif in the Fourth Gospel (John). The Nativity addition, in Matthew, must have been based on this text too, telling of kings bearing gifts (myrrh, gold, frankincense) to the new Light of the World. The following Gospel song was later adapted for a Rock 'n' Roll record.
This Little Light of Mine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine! (3) Let it shine (3)! Shine and shine and shine, I'm going to let it shine! (3) My God came to me, I'm going to let it shine! (3)
PEACE, BE STILL
"Master, the tempest is raging! Oh, the billows are tossing high! The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness. No shelter or hope is nigh [near]. Carest thou not that we perish? Oh, how can thou lie asleep? It seems like each moment so madly is threatening oh, a grave, a grave, a grave in the angry, angry deep! Get up, Jesus, because the winds and the waves shall obey thy will: Peace, be still, peace be still, peace be still, peace be still.Week of 15 May 2007
This Little Light of Mine
Jesus was a Rabbi (Jewish teacher), hence (like Paul later) well educated in the Jewish law. Almost everything Jesus said came from somewhere in "Scripture" (today we call it the Old Testament). In Matthew 5:14ff. Jesus refers to a city on a hill and the light of the world. One of these metaphors comes from Isaiah 2:1ff (also Micah 4:1ff. in the same words): "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. . . . Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord." Jesus must also have been thinking of Isaiah 60:1ff.: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. . . . Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. . . . And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and
incense. . . ." Light becomes the main motif in the Fourth Gospel (John). The Nativity addition, in Matthew, must have been based on this text too, telling of kings bearing gifts (myrrh, gold, frankincense) to the new Light of the World. The following Gospel song was later adapted for a Rock 'n' Roll record.
This Little Light of Mine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine! (3) Let it shine (3)! Shine and shine and shine, I'm going to let it shine! (3) My God came to me, I'm going to let it shine! (3)
PEACE, BE STILL
This gospel song, like the text (Matthew 8:23-27), goes back to Genesis, where God makes the sea and calls it "good," as in Psalm 89: "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them" (v. 9). In the same Psalm, God promises David, "I will set his right hand over the sea" (v. 25). The main point is that God commands the sea; by commanding the sea, Jesus shows he is God:
TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT
Sam Cooke's self-penned, "Touch the Hem of His Garment" is an example of how gospel songs are taken straight from the Bible, in this case the story of the woman who can't stop her bleeding (Matthew 9:20-22): "Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak I will be healed.'" (The reference is to the fringes or tassels commanded by NUMBERS 15:38f. Jesus, as a Jew, would have observed that command.) Like many Gospel singers, Cooke left Gospel and is credited with inventing what we now call Soul music:
Oh,
there was a woman in the Bible days. She
had been sick, sick so very long. But she heard that Jesus was passing by, so she joined the gathering throng. and while she was pushing her way through, someone asked her, "What are you trying to do?" She said, "If I could just touch the hem of his garment I know I'll be made whole." She cried, "Oh, Lord, oh, Lord," [and] said, "If I could just touch the hem of his garment, I know I'll be made whole."
Oh, she spent her money here and there, until she had no, had no more to spare. The doctors they done all they could, but their medicine would do no good. When she touched him, the Savior didn't see, but still he turned around and cried, "Somebody touched me." She said, "It was I who just want to touch the hem of your garment. I know I'll be made whole right now." She stood there, cryng "Oh, oh, I know, Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord." [She] said, "If I could just touch the hem of your garment, I know I'll be made whole right now."
IN THE UPPER ROOMOh, she spent her money here and there, until she had no, had no more to spare. The doctors they done all they could, but their medicine would do no good. When she touched him, the Savior didn't see, but still he turned around and cried, "Somebody touched me." She said, "It was I who just want to touch the hem of your garment. I know I'll be made whole right now." She stood there, cryng "Oh, oh, I know, Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord." [She] said, "If I could just touch the hem of your garment, I know I'll be made whole right now."
This refers to the "upper room" where Jesus has his Last Supper with his 12 apostles:
hallelujah, child.
GETHSEMANE
The Garden of Gethsemane is the place where Jesus begged God to take his cup of suffering away (Matthew 26:36ff.) It's significant that the two most famous prayers in the New Testament, by its two leading preachers (Jesus and Paul) were both unanswered! (Paul prayed three times to have his "thorn in the flesh" removed [scholars are uncertain what this way], but he learned that in his weakness was his strength. Jesus, of course, asked to be spared, but was denied his request:
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus suffered there. The sweat became his blood they say, he spent the night in prayer. They whipped him up the mountain, made him carry his cross, he died to save the sinning man he died to save the lost. Who shall wear his garment divided in four parts, who shall wear the Savior's robe, we shall all cast lots. They gambled over the Savior's cloak, oh what a shame when Jesus was hanging on the cross they thought it was all a game. I wonder how the soldiers felt when the night turned black as night? Do you think they went and hid and trembled with fright. Who shall wear his garment divided in four parts, who shall wear the Savior's robe, we shall all cast lots. Do you think that they felt sorry for the wrong that they had done when they learned the Jew they crucified was God's own chosen son? My Savior was a humble man who did no wrong they say, now we call Easter morning when the angel rolled the stone away. Who shall wear his garments divided in four parts, who shall wear the Savior's robe? We shall all cast lots.The Garden of Gethsemane is the place where Jesus begged God to take his cup of suffering away (Matthew 26:36ff.) It's significant that the two most famous prayers in the New Testament, by its two leading preachers (Jesus and Paul) were both unanswered! (Paul prayed three times to have his "thorn in the flesh" removed [scholars are uncertain what this way], but he learned that in his weakness was his strength. Jesus, of course, asked to be spared, but was denied his request:
I only want to say if there is a way take this cup away from me for I don't want to taste its poison, feel it burning, I have change, I'm not sure as when we started. Then I was inspired, now I'm sad and tired, listen surely I've exceeded expectations, tried for three years, seems like thirty, could you ask as much from any other man?
GETHSEMANE
CAN'T NO GRAVE HOLD MY BODY DOWN
Christology is the study of the nature of Jesus as shown in the Gospels. The moment when Jesus is considered "son of God" is called the "christological moment." It's clear from a reading of the Gospels and Paul's letters that the christological moment occurred only at the Resurrection: this was the first "kerygma" or preaching about Jesus. In other words, Jesus did not become "son of God" until that moment. Up until then he was only an ordinary man. This is known as a two-step christology. But later Gospel writers backdated the christological moment. We can see this at work in the Transfiguration scene; then earlier to Jesus' adult baptism ("This is my son in whom I am well pleased"). Then, in the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke, the christological moment begins at birth. Finally, in the Fourth Gospel (John) the christological moment begins with God, as shown in the famous incipit (beginning) of that Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word" (that is, Jesus was at the very beginning with God).
It was early one morning just about the break of day, angels came from glory and rolled the stone away, when the women came along child and found that their Savior was gone. Can't no grave hold my body down (3) when that first trumpet sounds yes I'm going to get up out of the ground. Can't no grave hold my body down.OH HAPPY DAY
The "happy day" refers to being accepted by Jesus. This song became a huge hit in the pop market in the 1960s:Oh happy day Oh happy day When Jesus washed Oh when he washed When Jesus washed He washed my sins away! Oh happy day. He taught me how He taught me Taught me how to watch He taught me how to watch and pray and we'll rejoice each and every day.
HE'LL UNDERSTAND AND SAY WELL DONE
This comes from the Parable of the Talents, (Matthew: 25:23), which, like most of Jesus' parables, have an eschatological point: namely that the end is coming soon and each person will receive reward of punishment:
If, if when you give the best of your self, tell tender words that the Savior has come, be not dismayed, if men won't believe, he'll understand, I believe he will say, "Well, well done." Oh when I come to the end of my journey, weary of life and battle that's been won, I've been carrying, I've been carrying the stamp of the Cross of Redemption. He'll, he'll understand and I believe he's going to say, "Well, you come a long way, but your work is well done!"This comes from the Parable of the Talents, (Matthew: 25:23), which, like most of Jesus' parables, have an eschatological point: namely that the end is coming soon and each person will receive reward of punishment:
WHAT DID JOHN DO?
This Gospel song takes up the issue of priority between John and Jesus, an issue that Luke tries to resolve by making John a cousin of Jesus, though no other Gospel mentions such a relationship and elsewhere John seems to be unaware who Jesus is:
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2) I want you to know the word I heard before, John was a righteous man, He was selected and prepared for his job, by God's own hand.. He was preparing for the way for the Son of God and John went into the wilderness.This Gospel song takes up the issue of priority between John and Jesus, an issue that Luke tries to resolve by making John a cousin of Jesus, though no other Gospel mentions such a relationship and elsewhere John seems to be unaware who Jesus is:
Tell me what did John do (he went into the wilderness), what did John do (he stayed out in the wilderness), what did John do (he went into the wilderness), he had to do what the Lord said do. (2) I want you to know the word I heard before, John was a righteous man, He was selected and prepared for a job by God's own hand. They tell me he was preparing for the way for the Son of God and John went into the wilderness. That's why I want to be like John (going into the wilderness), he let me walk (in Jerusalem) he let me talk (in Jerusalem), he let me shout (in Jerusalem), he let me walk, No more mourning, no more crying, no more dying. I say, Yeah, I say, Yeah, if I do what the Lord said do!
THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME
Though the issue of eschatology (the last things: Judgment, etc.) in Jesus' parables has been debated, form critics have shown the strong eschatological message in almost all of Jesus' parables (stories that, though in one sense teach a moral, in another [probably Jesus' original] sense teach that the end is near). This Gospel song has a traditional eschatological theme:
This may, this may be the last time, this may, this may be the last time, children, this may, this may be my last time, maybe my last time, I don't know. In the morning, hard up, sick in soul, then in came Jesus to end my worldly woes. This may, this may be my last time, this may be my last time children, this may be the last time, maybe my last time, I don't know. Maybe in the morning, I don't really know, maybe in the midnight. I don't know how soon. This may, this may be the last time, this may, this may be the last time, children, this may, this may be my last time, maybe my last time, I don't know.Though the issue of eschatology (the last things: Judgment, etc.) in Jesus' parables has been debated, form critics have shown the strong eschatological message in almost all of Jesus' parables (stories that, though in one sense teach a moral, in another [probably Jesus' original] sense teach that the end is near). This Gospel song has a traditional eschatological theme:
THE LAST TIME
During the crossover era, many Gospel songs became Soul or Rock songs, sometimes with slight changes in lyrics (for example, "Baby" instead of "Jesus"). Ray Charles ("I Got a Savior" became "I Got a Woman") was the first to do this and others followed. Of course this is not new. Many of Bach's chorales (hymns) were based on pop tunes by other composers (Hans Hassler, etc.). Chuck Berry recorded "This Little Light of Mine" as "This Little Love of Mine (I'm Going to Make It Shine)." The Rolling Stones had their first Top Ten hit record with a song based on the Staple Singers' arrangement of the traditional Gospel song, "This May Be the Last Time" (see above song):
Well, I told you once and I told you twice, but you never listen to my advice. You don't try very hard to please me, with what you know it should be easy. Well this could be the last time, this could be the last time, maybe the last time I don't know.During the crossover era, many Gospel songs became Soul or Rock songs, sometimes with slight changes in lyrics (for example, "Baby" instead of "Jesus"). Ray Charles ("I Got a Savior" became "I Got a Woman") was the first to do this and others followed. Of course this is not new. Many of Bach's chorales (hymns) were based on pop tunes by other composers (Hans Hassler, etc.). Chuck Berry recorded "This Little Light of Mine" as "This Little Love of Mine (I'm Going to Make It Shine)." The Rolling Stones had their first Top Ten hit record with a song based on the Staple Singers' arrangement of the traditional Gospel song, "This May Be the Last Time" (see above song):
KING OF KINGS
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is one of the most popular South African groups and they recorded with Paul Simon on two albums (including the classic Graceland). Simon in turn produced one of their albums. This prayer follows Jesus' model in Matthew and Luke (the "Our Father"):
O King of Kings, Kings of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. O King of Kings, before you, Father, I've been asking for peace in the rest of our country. Our Father, our Father we are asking for peace in our country, Our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in our land. Our Father, the Father we are asking for peace in our country, our Father, our father, we are asking for peace in the land.Ladysmith Black Mambazo is one of the most popular South African groups and they recorded with Paul Simon on two albums (including the classic Graceland). Simon in turn produced one of their albums. This prayer follows Jesus' model in Matthew and Luke (the "Our Father"):
DO LORD
Jesus' parables (stories with similes ["like"] and metaphors) must be read in context for their full meaning. Thus in the parable of the Home Builders, the stress is on showing the "fruit" of the Law, not on the Law itself: "A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can an evil tree bear good fruit." Thus Paul's Theology of Faith cannot be separated from James' Theology of Works (not that Paul ever intended to, but readers such as Martin Luther read him like this & even discredited the Letter of James for this reason). The same point is made in Matt: 25 when Jesus discusses the Last Judgment: 7:19ff.: Faith without works is dead.Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do Lord do remember me (3), way beyond the blue. I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun (3) way beyond the blue. Do Lord, etc. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too (3), while He's calling you! Do Lord, etc.
STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER
Jesus prayed often, though his final prayer (in Gethsemane) was unanswered. As an example (model), Jesus makes it clear that all are in need of prayer. For other references, see Matthew 21:22 and 26:41: "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."It's me, it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (2) Not my father, not my mother, but it's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer; not my sister not my brother but it's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. It's me, it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (2)
MORNING HAS BROKEN
As we begin our New Testament studies next week, you can prepare yourself by viewing video performances of the Christian hymn, "Morning Has Broken." The hymn has an unusual history. The verses were written in the 1930s by Eleanor Farjeon set to a Scottish-Gaelic tune. The tune has also been set to other Christian texts. Farjeon's hymn was almost forgotten until a Folk singer, Cat Stevens, had a Top Ten hit with it in the 1970s. It has since been heard all over the world. There are several videos of the song on Youtube; two of the links are below. The lyrics are included here.
The
lyrics suggest a baptism motif: a renewal of the individual after Christian baptism, a theme clearly stated in the famous incipit (beginning) of the Gospel of John, where Jesus is both Word and Light. It's also clear in (St.) Paul's understanding of baptism as a death/rebirth (the individual is buried under water, to rise again as a new person). Naturally, everything becomes new after this, as, indeed, John's famous incipit tries to show by its obvious allusion (reference) to Genesis: "In the beginning. . . ."For the Christian, baptism is a "re-creation." Therefore, morning is like "the first morning"; a birdsong is like the first birdsong; while the person follows with "praise" for this new creation, which (as both Genesis and John's incipit say) comes from the "Word" (that is, Jesus).
The world finds "completeness" by the Word made Flesh ("where his feet pass"). The "light" (Jesus is the "light of the world," in one of the famous "I Am" sayings in John's Gospel) is the same light as "Eden saw play," because the Creation is the same, only a re-creation.
(Remember, Creation is good from the beginning; this is a fundamental principle of Jewish thought and John's Gospel cannot contradict this without losing continuity with the OT [Old Testament]. If so, Jesus cannot be the fulfillment of OT prophecy.)
Exactly what was Farjeon's intent is another issue. It might also be an Easter hymn, which would then be a communal baptism for the faithful.
Click on either or both of the links below to hear/see the video.
Neil Diamond
Cat Stevens
Morning Has Broken
Morning has broken, like the first morning Blackbird has spoken, like the first birdPraise for the singing, praise for the morning Praise for the springing fresh from the Word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.
PRAISE THE LORD
(AND SEND ME THE MONEY)
This is what the Lord my God says: 'Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the Lord, I am rich!'"
(ZECHARIAH 11:4-5a)
"Praise(AND SEND ME THE MONEY)
This is what the Lord my God says: 'Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the Lord, I am rich!'"
(ZECHARIAH 11:4-5a)
Late one night while watching Colombo I fell asleep till a quarter past three. When just like a vision and I thought I was dreaming, I heard the voice of a man on TV.
He said, "Praise the Lord and send me the money, I'm happy, you can be happy too if you praise the Lord and send me the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
I sat straight up, reached for my checkbook, scrambling with guilt to put my big pen in my hand, I wrote out the figures of one and four zeroes, went out and mailed it with a note to that man.
I said, "Praise the Lord, I'm sending the money, I surely want to be happy like you, praise the Lord, I'm sending the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
I woke up late for work the next morning, I could not believe what I had done. I wrote a hot check for Jesus for ten thousand dollars, my bank account only had 31.
I got a second job at a gasoline station and I'm saving my money to pay what I owe. I don't get much sleep 'cause I stay up late watching all of the folks on the Lord's TV show, saying,
"Praise the Lord and send me the money, I'm so happy, you can be happy too if you praise the Lord and send me the money, that's what Jesus wants you to do!"
"Praise the Lord, I'm sending the money!"
*Note: Columbo was a popular TV show (about an unkempt detective, starring Peter Falk) at the time this song was written.
*A SERMON*
Sermons are usually based on pericopes (that is, cut-out texts) from the Bible, whether one verse, or, as in this case, an entire psalm, the famous twenty-third psalm. We'll hear part of this sermon to give you an example of how a sermon is presented. I transcribed the text myself, with a few uncertain words.
THE 23rd PSALM
. . . But there's something about this passage that seem to portray that its author was a man who knew something about a shepherd and sheep, knew something about the shepherd's attitude toward the sheep. And then something about how the sheep rely upon the shepherd.Listen if you please, This is a gem when it comes to ah, sacred literature. This kind of testimony doesn't just accidentally occur. You can't dream upon something like this. To get off a testimony like this you've got to have had some experience with God. You got to, been got to, ah, a kind of a situation where you have to lay out upon God, throw out upon God, utterly depend upon him. [Yeah! Amen]
Listen here. The Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not lie. A personal thing, isn't it? He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth ME beside the still waters. He restoreth MY soul. You hear what I said? He restoreth MY soul. Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with ME. Isn't it so? Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort ME, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of MY enemies. Thou anointest MY head with oil, MY cup runneth over.
A very personal thing. I don't think too much of people who have no personal testimony about God and his goodness. Folks say, "Well, you know I ain't much of a talker and I can't say anything in church!" If God has meant anything in your life you ought to be willing to say anything. You ought to be able to say what God means to ME.
If the Lord means anything, let the saints of God say so. Bear with me. If David was the author of this passage, maybe it was born out of some of his experiences. Possibly at the time that he penned this particular passage, this psalm, he was sitting upon an ivory throne, Israel's first citizen, with a scepter of authority in his hands, with courtiers and ambassadors gathered before him and ??? this is the case and began to think about those things that brought him over.
Had it been his skillfulness? [Well?] Had it been his superior intelligence? Had it been his political maneuvering? Had it been his contacts? Had it been money? Had it been ?
No, Sir. It had been the Lord. So he says, the Lord has been my shepherd.
No wonder the man said through many dangerous toils and snares, I have already come [the hymn, "Amazing Grace"]. It wasn't money, it wasn't military power, it wasn't chicanery, it wasn't political strings being pulled, it was grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me on.
He's a man who had been brought by God from the obscurity of the dry barren hills of Judah to the throne of Israel. He was a man who come up from the unknown and had faced the feared giant, Goliath.
Outside in the town of Socoh at the valley of Elah, with the soldiers of Israel arrayed on one mountain and the soldiers of the Philistines arrayed on the other. This man who had been decorated for his valor and bravery was walking between the mountains, exclaiming in loud tones of profanity, exclaiming in profanity against the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
You know how he requested audience with king and how he started out with Saul's own helmet on his head, Saul's own sword in his hand, Saul's own shield on his arm. But having no experience in swinging this kind of a thing he took them back and he trusted only his sling and God.
You know the victory that he brought to Israel and when he went marching back to the capital, the women on the way composed a new song, saying that Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his ten thousands.
You know the jealousy that this aroused in Saul. And how Saul sought to kill him and how he had to run and hide. One day when there was a company of men coming in from the south, And another company closing in from the north another from the east and another from the west, and there was no escape for David, and God whispered and told David told to get busy and wound up that thing and when the soldiers got there, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not be left in want. That's what the man is talking about. I shall not want in companionship because the Lord is my companion. I shall not want for guidance for the Lord is my Guide. I shall not want for protection for the Lord protects him.
I don't know you if you know what I'm talking about. The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. The lord is my shepherd. Listen if you please.
Why he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He doesn't leave me to lie in barren hillsides. No, sir, he green pastures, by the grasp of his grace, and why I can even tell my soul is satisfied, until I'm full. And when I've feasted to my satisfaction he lets me lie down in a plain: green pastures, green pastures.
That's why I don't like people talking about I'm a Christian and trying to be all pitiful. NO, no, this thing is nothing piteous. I'm a child of a king. And my Father says, The world is mine and the fullness thereof belongs to me. Gold and silver are mine! And I have ten thousand weapons in my hand. Yes I carry them!
He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Yes, he does. He leads me beside the still waters, the still waters.
They tell me that this part of the verse was inspired by an occurrence that ah, that constantly or frequently occured with respect to shepherd and their sheep in Palestine. It is said that they often, when the sheep went down to the steep valley, the waves were billowing. Sheep being of a timid nature, would leave without
Shepherds to guide the from the mainstream. And then let the sheep run over and then at the end of the stream, dig a pool and let the water from the main stream run out and run to the trench and into the pool. And the water in the pool was called still water.
Though the waves were gushing out there, though the white caps were kissing one another from the surface of the water, The water in the pool was still intact. I think that's what God does for us who have faith in him. Sometimes life's bilious sea is too restless for our pitied souls to drink.
But God has a way of opening up a or two and letting our souls drink to our soul's satisfaction. I don't believe you know what I'm talking about tonight.
Yes he does, he opens up a private pool for my soul. And not only that, he restores my soul.
"Soul" is pretty hard to define. Nobody can really sum up wholly. I think as close as you can come to the power of God.
The soul has been defined as being one's ability to sympathize, one's ability to be considerate, one's ability to be considerate and compassionate. One's ability to be unselfish.
Isn't it so? So that if you lost your ability to sympathize with others, if you are only interested in your own welfare, if you are inconsiderate of anybody but yourself, you have lost your soul.
And David sees to have found himself on one occasion and then he went to God and he traded in him a clean heart and removed a right spirit within him and then restored his soul.
I wish you knew what I was talking about tonight. Restored his soul. Isn't it so? NO wonder then he said, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. He leadeth me.
It is said, that Dr. Chu, the great Chinese Christian [oh, yeah!], one day he was standing out on a hill, overlooking a little city in China where he was born. It is said that the Japanese
planes when China was at war flew over and bombed the homes of his buddies, bombed the bank where he had his last dime, bombed the school of his childhood, bombed the hospital where many of his friends and where many of his neighbors were, bombed everything and when everything had gone up in flames and smoke, thought that he had a little testimony in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and opened at the same passage, the 23rd psalm. And when everything was gone he began reading, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, yes he does, he leadeth me in paths of righteousness. You know, my brothers and my sisters, don't you know I would lose my way but for the fact that the Lord leads me.
Well, you see the way of righteousnes is a narrow way [oh, yeah!] the way of truth is a narrow way, the way of love is a narrow way, the way of justice is a narrow way, [well!] certainly the way of righteousness is a narrow way. [Yeah!]
And I believe that almost any of us would lose our way f it wasn't for God. [Yeah!] But that the reason why I don't lose my way always is that the Lord leads me.
For the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pasture. He leadeth me by the still waters. He restored my soul.
I don't believe you know what I'm talking about tonight. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. Oh, Lord, He holds my hand although I might go astray. Oh, LOrd, I pick the road to destruction. But the Lord, he holds my hand.
Oh, Lord, I don't know if you know what I'm talking about tonight. But in the highways and byways of life, I like to feel that the Lord is leading me. On the streets of Detroit or wherever I go, I like to feel that He's leading me, leading me around the bend, leading me around the pitfalls, leading me, yeah leading me. I don't know if you know what I mean tonight, but the Lord is leading me.
And now you hear me say not only that! Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you know some people feel that this is when you die. Oh, Lord! But I'm not only in death's shadows when I die, sometimes in the midst of life, I'm in the shadow of death.
Oh Lord, the only reason why that I don't lose heart, the only reason why I don't give up, my Lord, the Lord and his prayers is by my side. . Oh Lord, I don't have to worry. I don't have to be in no hurry.
Somebody might say, well, don't you know the valley is dangerous. And don't you know it's fraught with death. And if you got to go through, you ought to hurry and go on through. I tell people, No! I'm in no hurry. I take time to walk, I take my time. No reason to hurry. No, no. The Lord is by my side. He's by my side. I've seen the enemies. Oh, Lord, and when enemies have said that predicted that I'm through, and when enemies have said that he's finished. Oh lord, He doesn't have anything, he can see me eating, he can see bread on my table. He put the and the menu of love on my table. He put the menu of peace on my table. He put on the menu even of contentment and satisfaction and everything all around me. Unless I got a prayer he put it right on my head.
The Lord is, the Lord is, the Lord is, the Lord is, He's mine tonight. I don't know if He's yours. I don't know how you feel about it, but the Lord is my Shepherd. And I say the Lord, the lord takes me to green pastures, the Lord takes me to valleys green, the Lord, the Lord takes me down by the still waters. The lord, the Lord, the Lord.
I resolve tonight that I'm going to stay in the house of the Lord forever.
Songs Week of 17 April 2007
(1a) De lamentatione Jeremiae prophetae.
The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah.
(1b) Jerusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
(1c) Same as (1b)
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." LAMENTATIONS 3:22
Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 130:5-6
"The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him." LAMENTATIONS 3:24
coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog, your sons and daughters. Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation.Come, the New Jerusalem. Silver cities rise, the morning lights the streets that meet them, and sirens call them on with a song. It's asking for the taking. Trembling, shaking. Oh, my heart is aching. We're coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog, your sons and daughters. We the great and small stand on a star and blaze a trail of desire through the darkening dawn. It's asking for the taking. Come run with me now, the sky is the color of blue you've never even seen in the eyes of your lover. Oh, my heart is aching. We're coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog,your sons and daughters. [guitar] It's asking for the taking. Trembling, shaking. Oh, my heart is aching. We're coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog, your sons and daughters. Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation. Come, the New Jerusalem
A famous gospel song, now rarely performed. It is based on Ezekiel 37: LAMENTATIONS
The Lamentations are a main part of Passion ritual in Christianity, sung the week before Easter. (For this reason, though ranked with the Writings in Jewish Bibles, the book is grouped as one of Five Major Prophets in Christian Bibles.) As usual with Renaissance music, a little text goes a long way, since most of the singing is melismatic rather than syllabic; that is, one syllable is set to many notes, rather than one syllable to one note. This style is still common in Gospel music and pop vocal stylings influenced by Gospel music, such as that of Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, etc.(1a) De lamentatione Jeremiae prophetae.
The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah.
(1b) Jerusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
(1c) Same as (1b)
BEHOLD AND SEE
Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." LAMENTATIONS 3:22
Great is Thy faithfulness O Thou my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be. Great is They faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided, great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.
WAIT ON THE LORDIsaiah 40:31, Psalm 130:5-6
"The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him." LAMENTATIONS 3:24
Oh, He's my Rock, He's my sword and shield. He's my wheel in the middle of the wheel, He's my Lily of the Valley. He's my bride and all that shines. It doesn't matter what you say, I've got a Rock to go down to my knees and pray. I'll wait for the Lord until He comes. You know that the beggar says she saw him as she lay on down to pray. He came riding through the elements, you know His glory filled the air. He had a rainbow, oh, a rainbow around his shoulders. You know he had a ??? in His hand. You know I'll wait on the Lord. I've got a Rock to wait on. I'm going to be like old man Job, I'm going to wait until my change has come. You may knock me down, oh but I'll rise upon ????, my friends may forsaken me, oh but I got to wait on the Lord until He comes!
E Z E K I E L
The book of Ezekiel is one of the strangest books in the Bible and Ezekiel the strangest prophet. Yet the book's influence is obvious especially in the later apocalyptic literature. Apocalpyse (revelation) replaced prophecy as "the Chosen People" lost hope that God would save them in this world. Therefore visions of an end-of-the-world battle became popular, ending with the Christian book of Revelation more than 500 years later. Ezekiel may or may not have been the first prophet to prophesy outside of Jerusalem (Israel), since it's not clear if he was actually in Babylon or this was a later addition. Regardless, Ezekiel sees the Spirit of God leave the Temple, because it has been defiled. The Spirit of God is now in Babylon. This is a fine theodicy; because it explains how Jerusalem/Judah could be defeated by the Babylonians (God is no longer in the city!). Also it puts the blame on the Israelites for apostasy or turning against God (the Babylonians are just God's tool). Finally it justifies, to his audience, how Ezekiel could hear the word of God in Babylon. Many symbolic actions and allegories occur in the book. Ezekiel is forced to lie on each side for a set number of days, to symbolize the fall of Assyria first and then the fall of Babylon (the numbers though are not clear). He is shaven bald, to show the destruction of the Southern Kingdom. His hair is scattered to show the Diaspora (dispersion) of the Jews. Some hair is saved to show the Remnant (Holy Remainder). His wife dies but he cannot mourn, to show the fate of the Jews in defeat. He draws a picture of Jerusalem on a brick and then, like a child at play, pretends to lay siege against it to show that God himself is allowing the city to be destroyed. His tongue is tied for a while, though it's not clear if this is literal or just a way to show that every word he speaks comes from God. He tells a story of two whores, who represent the Northern and Southern kingdoms and how they prostituted themselves to their male lovers (namely, how they formed political alliances). They even paid tribute (money). So Exekiel mocks their whoring: because usually the whore receives money, rather than pays money! He boils flesh in a pot, showing how the citizens of Israel (the rusty pot) will be killed in the Babylonian seige. Yet finally Ezekiel imagines a restoration: Israel's enemies will be killed and the Israelites revived in the famous Valley of Dry Bones prophesy (also read as an allegory of Resurection). Apparently the Jews from all over the world will return to Israel. But first there will be a cosmic battle between God and a ruler named Gog of Magog (it's not clear who this king and kingdom are). Once this battle is finished, there will be a Great Banquet, where Jews will eat the flesh of all Israel's enemies (the point really is that the powerful fatten themselves for the slaughter, as in the Letter of James). Finally, the Temple is restored and Ezekiel sees God return to the Temple just like he saw him leave earlier in the book. Ezekiel's blueprint plan of the Temple was imitated in the Christian book of Revelation, but the Second Temple built after the end of the Babylonian Exile (515 BCE) was not built on that model. It's believed Ezekiel's Temple was an apocalyptic vision of a Temple to be built at the end of time, as shown in the book of Revelation.
Shall we gather at the river where bright angel feet have trod, with its crystal tide forever, flowing by the throne of God. Yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river, gather with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of God.
I, JOHN
The book of Ezekiel ends like the book of Revelation, with a description of a heavenly temple, called the "New Jerusalem" in Revelation. Both temples are described as having 12 gates, 3 on each side (north, east, west, south).
Oh well, I, John, he saw a mighty number! Where? In the middle of the air. I, John, he saw a mighty number. Where? In the middle of the air. Well I John he saw a mighty number! Where? In the middle of the air. Well there were three gates in the east And there were three gates in the west (Let me tell you about) Three gates in the north Three gates in the south (makes a total of) twelve gates to the city all square wide Hallelujah. The book of Ezekiel ends like the book of Revelation, with a description of a heavenly temple, called the "New Jerusalem" in Revelation. Both temples are described as having 12 gates, 3 on each side (north, east, west, south).
SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER
Both Ezekiel and Revelation end with a description of a heavenly river, as a sea of life, making a new Eden (Paradise). The river flows from the Temple in Ezekiel and from the Heavenly Throne in Revelation. This Gospel song is one of the most famous and has been featured in numerous Westerns (cowboy movies).Shall we gather at the river where bright angel feet have trod, with its crystal tide forever, flowing by the throne of God. Yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river, gather with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of God.
Let The River Run
Carly Simon won the Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar for this song based on the River motif in Ezekiel and Revelation. The song is from the movie, Working Girl (1988). As in Revelation, Simon mentions the New Jerusalem:
We're Carly Simon won the Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar for this song based on the River motif in Ezekiel and Revelation. The song is from the movie, Working Girl (1988). As in Revelation, Simon mentions the New Jerusalem:
The Valley of Dry Bones
"And he said unto me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord God, thou knowest.' Again he said unto me, 'Prophesy upon these bones. . . .' So I prophesied, as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And, behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." (Ezekiel 37:3-7).
DRY BONES
Ezekiel cried them dry bones (3), "Now hear the word of the Lord." Ezekiel connected them dry bones (3), now hear the word of the lord. Well the toe bones connected to your foot bone, your foot bone's connected to your heel bone connected to the ankle (knee, thigh, hip, back, shoulder, neck, head) now hear the word of the Lord. Them bones gonna walk around (3) now hear the word of the Lord. Just connect them bones, them dry bones, now hear the word of the Lord (3). Well your head bone's connected from your neck bone (neck, shoulder, back, hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, heel, foot, toe bone), now hear the word of the Lord. Them bones, them dry bones (3), now hear the word of the Lord. (Repeat). Now hear the word of the Lord.
Breathe On Us Again
This hymn was sung at the Christian Revival in Washington, D.C. in October, 1997. It was named, "Stand in the Gap," after Ezekiel 22:30: "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap [hole] for the land's sake, so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
The title refers to another Ezekiel text, the "Valley of Dry Bones": "I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live" (37:5). This refers to Genesis: "and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (2:7). The revival of the dead bones in the Ezekiel text is the source of the religious terms, "revivalism" and "revival movements," common throughout Christian history, in reaction against routine worship. Ezekiel's revival of the dry bones is open to two a "Zionist" reading (the return of the Jews to Jerusalem) or a Christian reading of Resurrection, as promised by Jesus:
The title refers to another Ezekiel text, the "Valley of Dry Bones": "I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live" (37:5). This refers to Genesis: "and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (2:7). The revival of the dead bones in the Ezekiel text is the source of the religious terms, "revivalism" and "revival movements," common throughout Christian history, in reaction against routine worship. Ezekiel's revival of the dry bones is open to two a "Zionist" reading (the return of the Jews to Jerusalem) or a Christian reading of Resurrection, as promised by Jesus:
O Lord, hear. O Lord forgive us. We have lost the hour of you. Have mercy, have mercy. O Lord, cleanse our hearts, which are divided. Stir the faith that we once knew. We're thirsty, we're thirsty. O Lord, restore the Church that bears your name. O Spirit, send a revival to this nation. Breathe on us again. Breathe on us again. O Lord, restore the Church that bears your name. O Spirit, send a revival to this nation. Breathe on us again. Breathe on us again.
1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd. . . .
Listen to the lambs, all a-crying (3) all a-crying. (3) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and carry the young lambs in his bosom and carry the young lambs in his bosom.
Listen to the lambs, all a-crying all a-crying. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and carry the young lambs in his bosom and carry the young lambs in his bosom.
Swing Down, Sweet ChariotEzekiel 34
(Listening Text)
This chapter influenced ideas in the New Testament, and Jesus refers to it (John 10). He also refers to it in his famous remark about sheep disguised as wolves: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (Matthew 7:15). The Ezekiel text has echoes of the famous Psalm 23 ("The Lord Is My Shepherd").(Listening Text)
1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd. . . .
Listen to the Lambs
Based on Ezekiel 34 (itself based on Jeremiah 23:1), with its messianic image of a Good Shepherd, later used by Jesus: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . I am the good shepherd: I know my sheep and my sheep know me (John: 10:11-14). Listen to the lambs, all a-crying (3) all a-crying. (3) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and carry the young lambs in his bosom and carry the young lambs in his bosom.
Listen to the lambs, all a-crying all a-crying. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and carry the young lambs in his bosom and carry the young lambs in his bosom.
EZEKIEL SAW THE WHEEL
Though the book itself is considered odd by many readers, the book's images are some of the most commonly quoted from the Bible, especially in Gospel songs. It has also had obvious influence on the book of Revelation. In popular culture, Ezekiel's Heavenly Chariot has been the source of UFO (Flying Saucer) speculation; while there is a whole cult in Jewish mysticism that focuses on the Chariot symbolism. Gospel songs interpret the wheel in the middle of the wheel as God's grace and man's faith, as this song shows:
Well I tell you! Ezekiel saw the wheel way up in the middle of the air. (4) And the big wheel runs by faith and the little wheel runs by the grace of God: a wheel in a wheel way up in the middle of the air. Though the book itself is considered odd by many readers, the book's images are some of the most commonly quoted from the Bible, especially in Gospel songs. It has also had obvious influence on the book of Revelation. In popular culture, Ezekiel's Heavenly Chariot has been the source of UFO (Flying Saucer) speculation; while there is a whole cult in Jewish mysticism that focuses on the Chariot symbolism. Gospel songs interpret the wheel in the middle of the wheel as God's grace and man's faith, as this song shows:
The influence of Gospel music on Elvis' rock 'n' roll style is shown in this 1955 interview:
Interviewer: "Say, something about your unique style. Where did you get the idea for this?"
Elvis: "I just landed upon it accidentally. I, ah, I'm a pretty close follower of religious quartets. And they do a lot of rock and rhythm screechings. And so that's where I got the idea from: religious quartets."
Why don't you swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride. Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride. Rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy. Well I've got a home on the other side. (2) Well, well, well, well, well, well. . . . Ezekiel went down in the middle of a field. He saw an angel working on a chariot wheel. Wasn't so particular 'bout the chariot wheel. Just wanted to see how a chariot feel. Why don't you swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride. Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride. Rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy. Well I've got a home on the other side. Well, well, well. . . . Ezekiel went down and he got on board. Chariot went a-bumping on down the road. Zeke [Ezekiel] wasn't so particular 'bout the bumping of the road. Just wanted to lay down his heavy load. Why don't you swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride. Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride. Rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy. Well I've got a home on the other side. Well I got a father in the Promised Land. Ain't no more stopping till I shake his hand. Rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy. I've got a home on the other side. Why don't you swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride. Swing down chariot, stop and let me ride. Rock me Lord, rock me Lord, calm and easy. Well I've got a home on the other side. Elvis: "I just landed upon it accidentally. I, ah, I'm a pretty close follower of religious quartets. And they do a lot of rock and rhythm screechings. And so that's where I got the idea from: religious quartets."
SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
"I will bless them and the places surroundig my hill. I will send down showers in season: there will be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26. The theme of Revival again.There shall be showers of blessing: This is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing, Sent from the Savior above. Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need: Mercy drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead. There shall be showers of blessing, Precious reviving again; Over the hills and the valleys, Sound of abundance of rain.
JEREMIAH SONGS WEEK OF 10 APRIL 2007
The Book of Jeremiah
(Edited In-Class Listening Version)
(Edited In-Class Listening Version)
1
Commisioning (calling) and empowering are two common motifs in the prophetic literature. This is to insure his listeners that the prophet is actually speaking words of God:
1: The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah in the land of Benjamin: 4: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6: Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7: But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.Commisioning (calling) and empowering are two common motifs in the prophetic literature. This is to insure his listeners that the prophet is actually speaking words of God:
8: Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9: Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put words in thy mouth. 10: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 17: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18: For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19: And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
7
Jesus will later use the Temple Sermon as a model for his own Cleansing of the Temple. Note the stress on social justice rather than ritual, the same message of Jesus in Matthew 25.
2: Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5: For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6: If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.Jesus will later use the Temple Sermon as a model for his own Cleansing of the Temple. Note the stress on social justice rather than ritual, the same message of Jesus in Matthew 25.
9
The words of the prophet and God seem to blend and it's often difficult to tell who is speaking, except for quotation marks. This is right since the prophet is God while he speaks:
1: Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!The words of the prophet and God seem to blend and it's often difficult to tell who is speaking, except for quotation marks. This is right since the prophet is God while he speaks:
2: Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3: And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
4: Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5: And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6: Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8: Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9: Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone.
11: And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
13
A typical symbolic action: Israel is to God like (as close to God as) a linen girdle; but like the girdle, it has become soiled and not fit to wear:
1: Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it on thy loins, and put it not in water. 2: So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.A typical symbolic action: Israel is to God like (as close to God as) a linen girdle; but like the girdle, it has become soiled and not fit to wear:
3: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4: Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5: So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6: And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7: Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10: This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11: For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
14
1: The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 2: Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 3: And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.4: Because the ground is chapped, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5: Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6: And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7: O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. 8: O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9: Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied [astonished], as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
18
Another symbolic action:
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3: Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so that he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,Another symbolic action:
6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
31
One of the most important chapers for Christians, source of the phrase, "New Testament" (New Covenant).
31: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:One of the most important chapers for Christians, source of the phrase, "New Testament" (New Covenant).
33: But this shall be a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3:Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty, God in His Glory, blessed Deity.
HERE AM I
The commisioning of the prophet is a key scene in the prophet's scroll. This insures the prophet has actually been called by God to speak:
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 The commisioning of the prophet is a key scene in the prophet's scroll. This insures the prophet has actually been called by God to speak:
Here I am, oh, Lord, send me. Yes, Master, if you need me. I'll stop what i"m doing, go out for your cause. I knew you would call me if you did need me. Yes Lord If you want somebody you can count on em, rest my bones, I'll go. Won't somebody, O Lord, won't somebody, O Lord, send me. If I've polio I'll go, I'm cripple I'll go, I want you to know if I'm blind I'll go,if I'm paralyzed I'll go. Though paralyzed, I'll go just the same. I'll go, won't somebody here go. Send me!
PEACE LIKE A RIVER
"For this is what the Lord says: 'I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream.'" Isaiah 66:12Peace like a river so gently it's flowing, how sweet to my soul is this marvellous peace, sweeter and sweeter each day it is growing like billows of glory it never shall cease. Spirit, the Spirit, I am so glad (I am so happy), happy and glad, Jesus has given, Jesus has given wonderful peace, wonderful peace.
I'VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul. I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul. I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.THE RAVEN
(Edgar Allan Poe)
"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?" Jeremiah 8:22(Edgar Allan Poe)
"Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter ofEgypt, but you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you." Jeremiah 46:11
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -- prophet still, if bird or devil! --
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted --
On this home by Horror haunted -- tell me truly, I implore --
Is there -- is there balm in Gilead? -- tell me -- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."
THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD
Two diffiferent vocal styles in Afro-American performance of spirituals: one from the concert tradition, the other from Gospel:
There is a balm to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul. Sometimes I feel discouraged and I feel like I can't go on, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sinsick soul. If you can preach like Peter, if you can pray like Paul, go home and tell your neighbor he died to save us all. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sinsick soul, to heal the sinsick soul.Two diffiferent vocal styles in Afro-American performance of spirituals: one from the concert tradition, the other from Gospel:
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED
Recorded by many artists, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley's backup group, The Jordanaires (a Gospel group named, of course, after the River Jordan). RCA released a jam session of Elvis and other country artists singing this song:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Recorded by many artists, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley's backup group, The Jordanaires (a Gospel group named, of course, after the River Jordan). RCA released a jam session of Elvis and other country artists singing this song:
Jeremiah 17:7f.
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."PSALMS 1:3ff.
I shall not be, I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved, in his loving favor I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's been planted by the water, I shall not be moved. I'm on my way to Glory Land, I shall not be moved.BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
"He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth." Jeremiah 25:30Although an embarrassment to some biblical scholars, hence read allegorically, God pictured with human emotions has been justified by scholars such as Abraham Heschel, who argue that God's "divine pathos" (including anger and love) is a model for how humans must behave to insure justice on earth. In other words, by acting concerned, God becomes a model of concern, rather than passivity or indifference. This song is typical of the "divine pathos" (that is, feeling), common throughout the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). In many ways, Jesus is a development of this theme, since God not only behaves like man, but actually becomes man, thus realizing to the full the "divine pathos." Jesus then becomes an even more visible model to follow in one's daily conduct. This would include (righteous) anger as well as love:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
MARCHING TO ZION
"There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.'" Jeremiah 31.6Come, we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.
Refrain: We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Or walk the golden streets, Or walk the golden streets. Then let our songs abound, And every tear be dry; We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, To fairer worlds on high, To fairer worlds on high. (Refrain)
MARCHING TO ZION
We’re marching, marching on to Zion, That beautiful, beautiful city of Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, That beautiful (wonderful, glorious, victorious) city of God. (2)THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD
"Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other bids of prey surround and attack? Jeremiah 12:9What a beautiful thought I am thinking, Concerning a great speckled bird. And to know that my name is recorded on the pages of God's Holy Word. Desiring to lower her standard, They watch every move that she makes They long to find fault with her teachings, But really she makes no mistakes. I am glad I have learned of her meekness.I am proud that my name is on her book,For I want to be one never fearing the face of my Savior to look. When He cometh descending from heaven, On a cloud like He writes in His Word, I'll be joyfully carried to meet Him On the wings of that great speckled bird.
LAMENTATIONS
These are three settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by the Italian Renaissance composer, Giacomo Antonion Perti (1661-1756) intended for Good Friday Matins (morning, or midnight) church prayer. As usual with choral, especially Renaissance music, a little text goes a long way, since most of the singing is melismatic rather than syllabic; that is, one syllable may be set to many notes, rather than one note to each syllable. This style of course is famiiar to pop music lovers in the music music vocal stylings influenced by Gospel music, such as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, etc.(1a) De lamentatione Jeremiae prophetae.
The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah.
(1b) Jerusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
(1c) Same as (1b)
BEHOLD AND SEE
Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow. Handel set one verse from the Lamentations (1:12) in his oratorio, The Messiah, since Lamentations is traditionally read by Christians as an allegory of Jesus' suffering:
Isaiah: Songs Week of 27 March 2007
(1) Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comforably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1ff.)Isaiah 
is one of the three major prophets for Jews and one of the key OT texts for Christians, who have sometimes called it the "Fifth Gospel," because of its Messianic prophecies linked to Jesus and the image of the Suffering Servant, also linked to Jesus, though Jews identify that servant with either the Jewish people or Isaiah himself.
Because of its importance for Christians, the German composer, now in England, set mostly verses from Isaiah for his masterpiece, The Messiah. Below are these settings. We'll hear them in Black adaptions and also the original:
These chapters cover about 200 years, too many for one man to live through. Nonetheless, even though not written by one man named Isaiah, they almost certainly belong to an "Isaian" school of prophets; and motifs, for example, from First Isaiah appear in Third Isaiah, etc. (The motif of "comfort," for example, appears as early as First Isaiah, though this motif is not developed until Third Isaiah.)
Every student should immediately recognize the motif of "comfort" in Third Isaiah, beginning with chapter 40. Imagine how a mother would speak to a child who has been scolded for failing all her exams, but after a serious automobile accident, and you can get an idea of what's going on here, in the first days of the Babylonian Exile.
The second part of these verses is later used in the New Testament to refer to John the Baptist, who also spoke of "the way of t he Lord." Keep in mind the Exodus imagery here (the Exodus is always the foundational event of Jewish history); since the return from the Babylonian Captivity was viewed as a Second Exodus: just as God made a straight path for the Israelites through the Red Sea, so now Isaiah promises a straight path back to Jerusalem:
is one of the three major prophets for Jews and one of the key OT texts for Christians, who have sometimes called it the "Fifth Gospel," because of its Messianic prophecies linked to Jesus and the image of the Suffering Servant, also linked to Jesus, though Jews identify that servant with either the Jewish people or Isaiah himself.Because of its importance for Christians, the German composer, now in England, set mostly verses from Isaiah for his masterpiece, The Messiah. Below are these settings. We'll hear them in Black adaptions and also the original:
COMFORT YE
Handel begins his oratorio with the first words of Second Isaiah, words of comfort, during the Exile. Isaiah is often divided into three parts, roughly timed to the days before the Exile (First Isaiah, 1-39); during the Exile (Second Isaiah, 40-55), and after the Exile or near the end of the Exile (Third Isaiah, 56-66).These chapters cover about 200 years, too many for one man to live through. Nonetheless, even though not written by one man named Isaiah, they almost certainly belong to an "Isaian" school of prophets; and motifs, for example, from First Isaiah appear in Third Isaiah, etc. (The motif of "comfort," for example, appears as early as First Isaiah, though this motif is not developed until Third Isaiah.)
Every student should immediately recognize the motif of "comfort" in Third Isaiah, beginning with chapter 40. Imagine how a mother would speak to a child who has been scolded for failing all her exams, but after a serious automobile accident, and you can get an idea of what's going on here, in the first days of the Babylonian Exile.
The second part of these verses is later used in the New Testament to refer to John the Baptist, who also spoke of "the way of t he Lord." Keep in mind the Exodus imagery here (the Exodus is always the foundational event of Jewish history); since the return from the Babylonian Captivity was viewed as a Second Exodus: just as God made a straight path for the Israelites through the Red Sea, so now Isaiah promises a straight path back to Jerusalem:
(2) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40:4)
(3) And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)
(4) Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14)
(5) O thou that tellest good tiding to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voie with strength; lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah: Behold your God! Arise shine, for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9, 60:1)
(6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the goverment shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE
(7) I'm going to lay my burden down by the river and study war no more. Well I ain't gonna study war no more. Well I'm going to put on my long white robe down by the riverside, I ain't gonna study war no more.This is one of the more famous Afro-American spirituals, taken from Isaiah's prophecy of peace. These verses are repeated in the minor prophet, Micah, and it's not clear who borrowed from whom or whether they both borrowed from the same source. There have been countless recordings of this song, with its two simple refrains. In one of the glorious accidents of 20th century music, a tape recorder was running while four country singers casually sang their favorite songs. They were not any singers: their names were Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. This was one of the songs they sang during that taped session.
THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
This hymn, with lyrics by Julia Ward Howe, is very famous and borrows from the bloody God of Battle in Isaiah 63:2: "Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?"(8) Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword, his truth is marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah, his truth is marching on.
PEACE IN THE VALLEY
A very famous gospel song by Thomas Dorsey, recorded by almost every country and gospel singer, the lyrics are partly based on Isaiah 11:6ff. Elvis' recording, released on an EP (extended play record, with three other songs) was the first Gospel EP to sell a million copies:(9) Oh well,
I’m tired and so weary But I must go alone Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes Well the morning's so bright And the lamb is a light And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There'll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me Well the bear will be gentle And the wolves will be tame And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes And the beasts from the wild Shall be led by a child And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There'll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.LAND OF BEULAH
"No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married." (Isaiah 62:4) Haphzibah="my delight is in her" Beulah="married"A nineteenth century hymn performed in Bluegrass style. "Beulah" is God's new name for Israel, now "married" to God and no longer divorced, as in the Exile:
(10) I am dwelling on a mountain where the golden sunlight gleams, over a land whose wondrous beauty far exceeds my fondest dreams. Where the air is pure ethereal, laden with the breath of flowers, they are blooming by the fountain, 'neath the amaranthine bowers. I can see far down the mountain where I wandered weary years, often hindered on my journey by the ghosts of doubts and fears. Broken vows and disappointments thicklly sprinkled over the way, but the spirit led unerring to the land I hold today. It's the distant land of Beulah, blessed blessed land of light, where the flowers bloom forever and the sun is always bright.
BEULAH LAND
Another song on the same theme:(11) I'm kind of homesick for a country to where I've never been before. No sad goodbye will there be spoken, time won't matter anymore. Beulah Land, I'm longing for you and some day on thee I'll stand and there my home shall be eternal, Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.
WHO IS THIS THAT COMETH FROM EDOM?
(12) Who is this, who is this that cometh from Edom, it's my God from Bozrah, who is he and what is his name? His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty, Mighty, Mighty God. The eighteenth century American composer, William Billings, is generally considered the first professional American composer. His music was very popular in Colonial America but was unsophisticated and suffered a deline until its rediscovery by important 20th century composers. The lyric fuses Old and New Testament ideas, linking the Battle God of the Old Testament with the Suffering God of the New Testament. This is only part of the song, which features lines from Isaiah 63. "Edom" is the national name for Jacob's brother, Esau. God has just punished Edom, a chronic rival to Israel. "Bozrah" was the capital of Edom. Verses from Isaiah 9:6b follow.
Songs Week of 13 March 2007
THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PSALM 20
Psalms were meant to be sung. Psalm 66 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!" Many hymns set psalms to rhymed verse. This is a musical setting of Psalm 20:
(1) May he answer you in the day of your trouble and may he set you safely on high. May he send help from his sanctuary and may he grant you your heart's desire. Oh Lord, we praise your name and praise it for all to see. This is our prayer. you give us victory. Some folks use weapons, some people use armies, but we will boast in the name of the Lord. Oh, Lord we sing for joy for you is all the victory. Oh Lord we praise your name and raise it high for all to see. Oh Lord my God this is our prayer. Oh Lord up high in Heaven you give us victory. May he answer you in the day of your trouble and may he set you safely on high. May he send help from his sanctuary and may he grant you your heart's desire. Oh Lord, we sing for joy for yours alone is the victory. Oh Lord above, this is our prayer. Oh Lord from highest heaven you give us victory.Psalms were meant to be sung. Psalm 66 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!" Many hymns set psalms to rhymed verse. This is a musical setting of Psalm 20:
PSALM 22
The Psalms have comforted people for thousands of years because nowhere else in literature is there such a plain cry of pain and distress. This is especially true of the Lament psalms, which cry for help, usually showing people completely cut off from all help except God. The Lament psalms make up the largest number in the Psalter (book of Psalms). Number 22 is one of the most famous Lament psalms, also an important Messianic psalm. On the cross, Jesus quotes the first verse in the gospels of Mark and Matthew. There are other references to the crucifixion in the psalm and the end has Messianic meaning for Christians, who believe that Jesus, the Messiah, will unite all nations. In fact, taken out of context (the ending of the Psalm), Jesus' words may sound like a cry of despair. But in view of the final lines, Jesus' words have more triumphal meaning. Here is part of an Anglican chant setting of this psalm:
(2) My God, my God, look upon me, why hast thou forsaken me and are so far from my help and from the words of my complaint?
Here is a recitation (spoken version) of this Psalm, complete:
(3) 1: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2: O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3: But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4: Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5: They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7: All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, 8: He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9: But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10: I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. 11: Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12: Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13: They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15: My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17: I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18: They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19: But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20: Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21: Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22: I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23: Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24: For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25: My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26: The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27: All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28: For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. 29: All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30: A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31: They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.The Psalms have comforted people for thousands of years because nowhere else in literature is there such a plain cry of pain and distress. This is especially true of the Lament psalms, which cry for help, usually showing people completely cut off from all help except God. The Lament psalms make up the largest number in the Psalter (book of Psalms). Number 22 is one of the most famous Lament psalms, also an important Messianic psalm. On the cross, Jesus quotes the first verse in the gospels of Mark and Matthew. There are other references to the crucifixion in the psalm and the end has Messianic meaning for Christians, who believe that Jesus, the Messiah, will unite all nations. In fact, taken out of context (the ending of the Psalm), Jesus' words may sound like a cry of despair. But in view of the final lines, Jesus' words have more triumphal meaning. Here is part of an Anglican chant setting of this psalm:
(2) My God, my God, look upon me, why hast thou forsaken me and are so far from my help and from the words of my complaint?
Here is a recitation (spoken version) of this Psalm, complete:
Psalm 23
(4) 1: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.PSALM 23: HYMN
A hymn is a church song in rhymed stanzas, sometimes adapting the psalms in rhymed form, as here. In order to rhyme of keep the meter (rhythm) sometimes transposed phrases are necessary. Thus, "He makes me down to lie" instead of "He makes me lie down" or "pastures green" instead of "green pastures."
(5) The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; He leadeth me The quiet waters by. My soul He doth restore again; And me to walk doth make Within the paths of righteousness, Even for His own Name’s sake. Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, Yet will I fear no ill; For Thou art with me; and Thy rod And staff my comfort still. My table Thou hast furnishèd In presence of my foes; My head Thou dost with oil anoint, And my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me; And in God’s house forevermore My dwelling place shall be.A hymn is a church song in rhymed stanzas, sometimes adapting the psalms in rhymed form, as here. In order to rhyme of keep the meter (rhythm) sometimes transposed phrases are necessary. Thus, "He makes me down to lie" instead of "He makes me lie down" or "pastures green" instead of "green pastures."
PSALM 103
A gospel setting of Psalm 103:
(6) Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. He has done great things. He has done great things. He has done great things, bless his holy name. He has done great things (so many great things). He has done great things (so many great things). He has done great things, bless his holy name. I will bless the Lord, oh my soul and everything that is within me, bless his holy name. I will bless the Lord, oh my soul and everything that is within me, bless his holy name.A gospel setting of Psalm 103:
PSALM 103
This adaptation of one of the "ascent" psalms is from the Broadway and film musical, Godspell. An "ascent" psalm (120-34) was a psalm composed for the journey to the temple in Jerusalem.(7) Oh bless the Lord my soul! His praise to thee proclaim! And all that is within me join, To bless His holy name! Oh yeah! Oh bless the Lord my soul! His mercies bear in mind! Forget not all His benefits, The Lord, to thee, is kind. He will not always chide He will with patience wait His wrath is ever slow to rise Oh bless the Lord And ready to abate And ready to abate Oh yeah! Oh bless the lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! He pardons all thy sins Prolongs thy feeble breath He healeths thine infirmities And ransoms thee from death He clothes thee with his love Upholds thee with his truth And like an eagle he renews The vigor of thy youth Then bless His holy name Whose grace hath made thee whole Whose love and kindness crowns Thy days
Oh bless the lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord, bless the lord My soul! Bless the lord my soul!
Psalm 122
A gospel setting of Psalm 122:
(8) I was glad, I was glad, I was glad, I was glad when they said unto me (I was glad), I was glad when they said unto me, I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." I rejoiced, I rejoiced, I rejoiced, I rejoiced when they said unto me (I rejoiced), I rejoiced when they said unto me, I rejoiced when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." Amen.A gospel setting of Psalm 122:
Psalm 137
One of the most famous "imprecatory" (curse) psalms, though of course it's also a lament psalm.
(9) By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.One of the most famous "imprecatory" (curse) psalms, though of course it's also a lament psalm.
On the Willows
This is a setting of Psalm 137 from the Broadway/film musical, Godspell.(10) On the willows, there we hung up our lives. For our captors there required of us songs and our tormentors' mirth. On the willows, there we hung up our lives. For our captors there required of us songs and our tormentor's mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion. Sing us one of the songs of Zion." But how can we sing--sing the Lord's songs in a foreign land?
PSALM 137
Rastafarianism is an Afro-centered movement that "recovers" or re-uses the Bible to protest social power and injustice. It is famous because of Jamaican Reggae music. Rasta salvation history is traced (through Solomon and Sheba) to the tribe of Judah. In the song, "Rivers of Babylon," by the Melodians, the "strange land" is Jamaica. Psalm 137 is followed closely, but famous lines from Psalm 19 are also used: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight" (v. 14). "Alpha" refers to Ras Tafari (Prince Tafari, later Emperor of Ethiopia), believed to be Jesus Christ, and from whom Rastafarianism gets its name. (In Revelation, Jesus is the "Alpha and Omega" or "beginning and end" [1:8, 22:13]. "Alpha" and "Omega" are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, thus the beginning and the end.) "Far-I" is wordplay on Ras Tafari's name and "I," linking "God" and "I" (Rastas use "I" instead of "me"):RIVERS OF BABYLON
(11) By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion. When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land? When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land? Sing it aloud! Sing the song of freedom, brothers! Sing the song of freedom, brothers! We gonna talk about it! We gonna jump and shout it! So, let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight. Oh, Far-I.So, let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight. Oh, Far-I. Sing it aloud! We got to sing it together, Everyone of us!
By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down and there we wept, when we remembered Zion. When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land? When the wicked carried us away in captivity--required from us a song. How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
CHORUS OF THE HEBREW SLAVES
(12) This is part of Italian opera composer, Guiseppe Verdi's setting of the same Psalm, from his opera, Nabucco. Somehow the melody sounds too sweet for the text. No lyrics are given.PSALM 100
(13) All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with love, His praise forth tell; Come ye before Him and rejoice. Know that Lord is God indeed; Without our aid He did us make; We are His folk, He doth us feed, And for His sheep He doth us take. O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto; Praise, laud, and bless His Name always, For it is seemly so to do.This is a traditional hymn setting of Psalm 100, with usual transposed phrases. Thus, "Him serve with love" instead of "Serve him with love."
CHANT A PSALM
The Reggae group, Steel Pulse, advises to chant a psalm a day:(14) Rejoice rejoice Good tidings I bring you Hear ye a message to you my friend Voices cry invoke your angels When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread no So blow away your bluesy feeling Spirits say take the world off your shoulder One foot in the grave is a foolish step to take (dancer) Who sow in tears shall reap in joy Wise man doctrines assure your safety No more stumbling block back stabbers get down To the righteous revealed The secret of the scriptures The wicked dem portion is vanity Disciples of Lucifer In your hands lie your destination The book of true life you hold the key Mystical powers to you unfold Seek ye the half that has never been told Get behind me Satan (in dis ya Armageddon) I've got chant CHORUS: Chant a psalm a day
Reach you in a vision yeh come on Come walkies down easy street
Attract the angels in dreams and your prayers Remember the three holy children Remember the visions of Daniel Remember the magic of Moses so Dash away your bluesy feeling Spirits say take the world off your shoulder One foot in the grave my friend A foolish step to take
When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread (2) Got to be wise yes yes in dis ya Iwa Woe betide for the wicked Disciples of Lucifer Get behind me Satan I got to chant CHORUS: Chant a psalm a day Moses he did chant chant Samson he did chant chant Elijah he did chant chant I want the whole a we fe chant chant Solomon he did chant chant His father King David chant chant John the Baptist chant chant. . . .
LISTENING TEXTS Week of 20 March 2007
from PROVERBS
(12) Where thee is no vision the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. A servant will not be corrected by words, for though he understand, he will not answer. Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, "Who is the Lord"? Or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain.from ECCLESIASTES
I.
(13) Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.II.
(14) Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
from SONG OF SONGS
(16) Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. The Song of Songs has been read allegorically from the beginning. Ancient Jewish tradition read it as a love poem between God and Israel. Christians such as Bernard of Clairveaux, who wrote volumes on the opening chapters before he died, read it as a love song between Jesus (the Lover) and the Church (the Bride) or between Jesus (the Lover) and the Christian individual (Beloved). Let's take a look at the opening verses from a Christian point of view:
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
Now from a Christian point of view the Christian is surrendering to Jesus. Jesus' love is sweeter than wine. The name of Jesus (as when one calls Jesus in distress) is a soothing ointment. So the virgins (the pure women) love him. The sinner asks Jesus to claim her as his own (she is separate from Jesus in her sin). Jesus as King accepts her into his chambers, his Church (the community of the Faithful). She and others rejoice. Only the good ("upright") love Jesus. Yet no one is righteous, not one, before Jesus. So the sinner feels shame in her sin ("look not upon me"). The sinner is "black" (dirtied with sin) but still good, for God (Jesus) hates the sin but loves the sinner. The sinner lives on a sinful earth, with other children of a sinful mother, Eve, who share evil emotions, such as anger. She suffers from it (the sun blackens with sin). Since Genesis, all are born in sin and made for toil. So this sinner must toil in sin, but neglects her own spiritual health (her vineyard). She wants eternal rest and asks whom her soul loves most of all, her Shepherd (Jesus), how to find it ("thou makest thy flock to rest at noon"; cf. Psalm 23: "He makest me to lie down"). For why should she reject eternal salvation ("as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions")? And so on.
Thus in Gospel songs, Jesus is referred to as the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon (Song of Songs 2:1), as in the following:
(15) I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see, all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble He's my stay. He tells me every care of Him to roll. He's the Lily of the Valley, the bright and morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
In the following famous verses, the Christian sinner (and all sin in the eyes of God) asks that she be taken into Jesus forever (a "seal" in his heart and on his arm, suggesting Power). Her love for Jesus will conquer even death, as Jesus has promised in the Resurrection. Her zealous love for Jesus (zealous=jealous) will conquer the grave (as St. Paul writes, in view of the promise of Resurrection, "O Death where is thy sting, thy victory O grave?"). It's an all-consuming fire (read the mystical writings of Christian saints) that not even the eternal enemy, the Sea, can conquer (in Revelation, there is no Sea; the Flood was God's first punishment in Genesis). Jesus is worth the world (as the final verse shows), and as Jesus' says: "For what profits a man to gain the world but lose his soul?"
Still most scholars now generally agree that Song of Songs is simply a collection of erotic verses a Redactor arranged with some coherence and even storyline. Some see three characters (the lovers and Solomon); others see only two (Solomon is a metaphor of the Lover, the king of lovers, as all lovers are to their beloveds):
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
Now from a Christian point of view the Christian is surrendering to Jesus. Jesus' love is sweeter than wine. The name of Jesus (as when one calls Jesus in distress) is a soothing ointment. So the virgins (the pure women) love him. The sinner asks Jesus to claim her as his own (she is separate from Jesus in her sin). Jesus as King accepts her into his chambers, his Church (the community of the Faithful). She and others rejoice. Only the good ("upright") love Jesus. Yet no one is righteous, not one, before Jesus. So the sinner feels shame in her sin ("look not upon me"). The sinner is "black" (dirtied with sin) but still good, for God (Jesus) hates the sin but loves the sinner. The sinner lives on a sinful earth, with other children of a sinful mother, Eve, who share evil emotions, such as anger. She suffers from it (the sun blackens with sin). Since Genesis, all are born in sin and made for toil. So this sinner must toil in sin, but neglects her own spiritual health (her vineyard). She wants eternal rest and asks whom her soul loves most of all, her Shepherd (Jesus), how to find it ("thou makest thy flock to rest at noon"; cf. Psalm 23: "He makest me to lie down"). For why should she reject eternal salvation ("as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions")? And so on.
Thus in Gospel songs, Jesus is referred to as the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon (Song of Songs 2:1), as in the following:
(15) I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see, all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble He's my stay. He tells me every care of Him to roll. He's the Lily of the Valley, the bright and morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
In the following famous verses, the Christian sinner (and all sin in the eyes of God) asks that she be taken into Jesus forever (a "seal" in his heart and on his arm, suggesting Power). Her love for Jesus will conquer even death, as Jesus has promised in the Resurrection. Her zealous love for Jesus (zealous=jealous) will conquer the grave (as St. Paul writes, in view of the promise of Resurrection, "O Death where is thy sting, thy victory O grave?"). It's an all-consuming fire (read the mystical writings of Christian saints) that not even the eternal enemy, the Sea, can conquer (in Revelation, there is no Sea; the Flood was God's first punishment in Genesis). Jesus is worth the world (as the final verse shows), and as Jesus' says: "For what profits a man to gain the world but lose his soul?"
Still most scholars now generally agree that Song of Songs is simply a collection of erotic verses a Redactor arranged with some coherence and even storyline. Some see three characters (the lovers and Solomon); others see only two (Solomon is a metaphor of the Lover, the king of lovers, as all lovers are to their beloveds):
SONGS WEEK OF 27 MARCH 2007
PSALMS
Psalm 42
This is the famous incipit (beginning) of Psalm 42 (first psalm of Book II), set to music by William Billings, the eighteenth century American composer whom some call the Father of American music. We'll hear his complete setting of a text from Song of Songs.(1) As the Hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God.
PROVERBS
The following are various musical settings of texts from the book of Proverbs:
(2) Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wind when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup. PROVERBS 23:29f.The following are various musical settings of texts from the book of Proverbs:
(3) My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent; if they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause, We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil, my son, walk not in the way with them." PROVERBS
(4) Who crieth "Woe"? Who? "Alas!" Who hath contention? Who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine." (PROVERBS 23:29f.)
(5) The woman folly is riotous: She is thoughtlessnes and knowing nothing. And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city to call to them that pass by, who go right on their ways. "Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither; And as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." (PROVERBS 9:13f.)
(6) When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; Yea, thou shalt lie down and they sleep shall be sweet. PROVERBS 3:24
(7) The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more with the perfect day. PROVERBS 4:18
(8) As in water in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. PROVERBS 27:19
There are no accidents in the Bible; redactions (edits) were carefully planned for coherence and scope. It seems very likely that the role of woman was carefully revised in order to balance the negative image of Eve in Genesis (though even she can be seen in a positive light of inquiry rather than disobedience). Regardless, Wisdom was personified as a woman in Proverbs; indeed, with God at the beginning of Creation. Moreover, women as mothers teach the Torah or Law (not just fathers): "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching" (1:8). Lemuel's chapter (31) was taught by his mother and includes a famous encomium (praise) to a good wife, thus restoring women to dignity she perhaps lost in Genesis. (The evil woman is now called Folly, lacking not the good sense of Man but the good sense of Lady Wisdom.) Jesus will advance woman's role in the New Testament. At the same time Jesus, as the Son, replaces Lady Wisdom, as Paul calls Jesus "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24); while the famous incipit (beginning) of John's Gospel leaves no doubt, where Jesus, as the Word (Wisdom) sits with God "in the beginning," thus forever changing how Christians read the Jewish Genesis.
(9) A woman of valour, who can find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, And he hath no lack of gain. PROVERBS 31:10:31f.
ECCLESIASTES
The famous
verses that begin Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes were set to music by folksinger, Pete Seeger and charted in the Top Ten in a recording by the Folk-Rock band, The Byrds. Seeger added a peace message at the end of the song. The meaning of the verses fits in with the so-called "Preacher's" message in his book, that nobody can see the whole picture of life like God can, so the best thing in life is to know what to do when the season is right. For example, there's a time to woo your lover and a time to break up. Wisdom means adapting to circumstances as they change. "Nothing can be added" or "taken" from "everything God does" (3:14b). Yet God "has made everything beautiful in its time" (v.11), which is all we can know. Thus we must understand each "season" and act appropriate to it; like knowing when to wear heavy clothes in winter and remove them in spring.
The famous
TURN, TURN, TURN
(9) To everything, turn, turn, turn There is a season, turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones together A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace A time to refrain from embracing A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time of love, a time of hate A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late
SONG OF SONGSThe genitive form is used as a superlative in biblical language. Thus King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Song of Songs ("best song"). This is the American composer, William Billings' setting of verses from the Song of Songs.
I AM THE ROSE OF SHARON
(10) I am SONG OF SONGS
This is part of a large orchestral setting of the Song of Songs in a late Romantic idiom (familiar today in Hollywood movie scores):
(11) Arise my love my fair one, and come away. Sweet is thy voice and they countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.This is part of a large orchestral setting of the Song of Songs in a late Romantic idiom (familiar today in Hollywood movie scores):
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love is strong as death. Jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals there are oals of foire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot qunech love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. For love is strong as death, if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upn thine arm, for love is strong as death.
HEAR MY PRAYER
This is a slightly edited version of a popular concert aria by the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (famous for his Wedding March). It is based on the first verses of Psalm 55 (vv. 1-6), also set by the Hungarian composer, Zoltan Koday.Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide. Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide, Thyself from my petition do not hide!
Take heed to me! Hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee, hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee, hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee! Take heed to me, take heed to me!
Without Thee all is dark, I have no guide, I have no guide, no guide, without Thee all is dark, I have no guide, I have no guide.
Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Thyself from my petition do not hide, Thyself from my petition do not hide! Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear! Hear my prayer, O God incline Thine ear. The enemy shouteth, The godless come fast! Iniquity, hatred, up on me they cast! The wicked oppress me, Ah where shall I fly? Perplexed and bewildered, O God, hear my cry, O God hear my cry! O God hear my cry, perplexed and bewildered, O God hear my cry! O God, O God, hear my cry!
The enemy shouteth, the godless come fast, perplexed and bewildered O God, hear my cry! O God hear my cry, perplexed and bewildered, O God, hear my cry. O God, hear my cry, O God hear my cry, O God, hear my cry! O God hear my cry!
My heart is sorely pained within my breast. My soul with deathly terror is oppressed. Trembling and fearfulness upon me fall, with horror overwhelmed, Lord, hear me call, Lord, hear me call! With horror overwhelmed, Lord, hear me call!
O for the wings, for the wings of a dove! Far away, far away would I rove! O for the wings, for the wings of a dove! Far away, far away, far away, far away would I rove!
Some Words on the Beautiful and the Sublime in Relation to Job
I shall soon email your Class Edit with commentary. In the meantime, a few words on the beautiful and the sublime regarding the book of Job, the better to enjoy the poetry of that book: Simply, the beautiful is an aesthetic experience based on order and charm. It addresses the understanding; it can be enjoyed in human terms.
["Aesthetic" means "feeling." So the dentist gives us an "an-asethetic" in order to take feeling away while work is done on our teeth.]
A comedy about marriage would be called beautiful; a murder mystery is also beautiful, even if scary.
But the sublime is an experience based on disorder, terror, and awe. It does not seem to address man in his routine life, based on order and limits.Yet it is a feeling, so an "aesthetic" response. It is our response to a violent thunderstorm; or when we look up at mountain peaks; or when we think of the large universe and how small we are in it or the billions of years that have come before us.
All these experiences are sublime. We feel awe, littleness, terror.
Art can be sublime if it imitates Nature when she is sublime, as in the romantic paintings that show mountain peaks or power storms.
Greek tragedy is sublime because the effect is one of terror in the face of how little and weak man is. In these plays we see noble and decent people crushed to nothing. For some reason, we feel better facing this.
The most famous tragedy in the Western world is the Jesus Passion. In fact the Gospel of Mark originally ends on just this feeling of the sublime, with fear and terror. Mark's final words (in the original text) are: "They were afraid."
Shakespeare's King Lear is the most sublime tragedy in English literature. Its climax is a power storm when Lear, a former king betrayed by his family, stands naked and almost alone, mad with rage at what has happened to him.
American writer neatly summed up the tragic theme in his novel, Islands in the Stream: "Man is persecuted. Man has his robe of dignity plucked at and destroyed."
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is an example of the sublime in music. Job is an example of the sublime in the Bible: gone is the comfortable assurance of a good God, though Job never loses belief in God.
Yet the sublime in Job is not just about undeserved suffering. It's also in the powerful images of a Nature beyond human understanding, that can only be wondered at, especially shown in the images of powerful beasts in the final chapters of the book and elsewhere.
The greatness of the book of Job is in refusing easy answers to the terror one may feel in the face of a universe that seems beyond human values as well as human measure. It's a tribute to the Bible redactors (editors) that it (like Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs) was kept in the final edit of the book, insuring that such an experience would not be silenced or denied.
To demonstrate the difference between the beautiful and the sublime we'll hear two pieces based on part of the Latin mass, to the words: "Dona nobis pacem" ("Give us peace"). (Note the related English words: donation, pacific, Pacific Ocean, pacify, pact, peace, etc.)
The first version, a popular Church hymn, shows the beautiful. The text as sung is complete here: "Dona nobis pacem," repeated continuously. The musical setting is confident of the peace it asks for, as Job was when he prayed before his suffering.
The next example is the final section of the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God") from Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass). It uses the same text, repeated continuously: "Dona nobis pacem" ("Give us peace").
But
For his sublime effect, Beethoven uses a powerful timpani pattern to interrupt the hope of peace promised by the text. The timpani speaks of war and suffering, not peace.
The chorus returns, with a repeated but frantic cry of "pacem" (peace), almost a demand rather than a plea. There is a moment of quiet.
The timpani pattern returns, more softly now. The chorus repeats the text again. The timpani pattern returns again, softly, like a painful memory or a warning of future strife.
Finally, the choir returns again, now louder, with more confidence. But Beethoven's mass ends on a doubtful note, asking for a peace it does not expect may ever come.
HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS
This is a famous Afro-American spiritual probably based on Job 12:10: "In his hand is the life of every crature and the breath of all mankind."He's got the whole world in his hands, He's got the big round water in his hands. He's got the wide water in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the wind and the rain in his hands, he's got the moon and the stars in his hands, he's got the wind and the rain his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the gambling man right in his hands, he's got the lying man right in his hands, he's got the crapshoot man in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the little bitsy baby in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got you and me, brother, in his hands, he's got you and me, sister, his hands, he's got you and me, brother, in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got everybody in his hands, he's got everybody in his hands, he's got everybody here right in his hands, he's got the whole world in his hands.
Job's Songs
Sire of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)
Let me speak, let me spit out my bitterness-- Born of grief and nights without sleep and festering flesh Do you have eyes? Can you see like mankind sees?
Why have you soured and curdled me? Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true? Once I was blessed; I was awaited like the rain Like eyes for the blind, like feet for the lame
Kings heard my words, and they sought out my company But now the janitors of Shadowland flick their brooms at me Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? that you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) I've lost all taste for life
I'm all complaints Tell me why do you starve the faithful?
Why do you crucify the saints? And you let the wicked prosper
You let their children frisk like deer And my loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near (Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening God is correcting you) Oh and look who comes to counsel my deep distress Oh, these pompous physicians
What carelessness!
(Antagonists: Oh all this ranting all this wind Filling our ears with trash) Breathtaking ignorance adding insult to injury!
They come blaming and shaming
(Antagonists: Evil doer) And shattering me
(Antagonists: This vain man wishes to seem wise A man born of asses)
Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening) Already on a bed of sighs and screams,
And still you torture me with visions You give me terrifying dreams! Better I was carried from the womb straight to the grave. I see the diggers waiting, they're leaning on their spades.
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow
Sure as the sparks ascend) Where is hope while you're wondering what went wrong? Why give me light and then this dark without a dawn?
(Antagonists: Evil is sweet in your mouth Hiding under your tongue) Show your face!
(Antagonists: What a long fall from grace) Help me understand!
What is the reason for your heavy hand?
(Antagonists: You're stumbling in shadows
You have no name now) Was it the sins of my youth? What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?
(Antagonists: Oh your guilt must weigh so greatly) Everything I dread and everything I fear come true
(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow) Oh you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true .
JOB AND SATAN
"Well
Well, Job was the richest man, my brothr, that lived in the land of Nod. He was the only man in the mile around that kept the Comamndments of God. Well the Devil he got jealous of Job. So he came to my God one day, said, "Move your hand from around the man and I'll make him curse you to your face!"
He said there's nothing you can to turn me around. There's nothing you can do to turn me around. Because I'm done signed up, made up my mind. I'm on my way, Great God Almighty I'm on my way to Good Lord!
Then Devil laid his fingers on Job. Brother Job fell down and right weak. So he got in bed, afflicted, children. So above his head to his feet, poor Job's afraid, began to leaving Him. The number went one to five, Job is sick and won't get well. We believe that he's gonna die.
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
Well, Job's wife, she came running to him. Devil was right in her eyes. She said, "Oh, you're sick and you won't get well. Why don't you curse your God and die? Oh, Job looked straight at the woman and looked up in the sky. He said, "Woman, you sound like a foolish one, but you sure don't sound like wise!"
He said, "Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land! Well I'm on my way to Canaan Land. If you don't go, my journey' o'er. I'm on my way, I'm on my way to Good Lord."
Terrible Lie
This song is from Nine Inch Nails, one of the more famous bands in the style of Industrial music. The subject of Job is clear, but in a modern idiom. I have kept the typography of the original.
hey god, why are you doing this to me? am i not living up to w
hat i'm supposed to be? why am i seething with this animosity? i think you owe me a great big apology terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie i really don't know what you mean seems like salvation comes only in my dreams i feel my hatred grow all the more extreme. can this world really be as sad as it seems? terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't take it away from me; i need someone to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need someone to hold on to don't tear it away from me; i need you to hold on to don't tear it...don't tear it...don't take it, don't take it, don't... there's nothing left for me to hide i lost my ignorance, security, and pride i'm all alone in a world you must despise i believed your promises, your promises and lies terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie...terrible lie terrible lie you make me throw it all away my morals left to decay (terrible lie) how many you betray you've taken everything (terrible lie) my head is filled with disease my skin is begging you, please (terrible lie) i'm on my hands and knees i want so much to believe i need someone to hold on to.
Your life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse.
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed..
Yes, it's all for the best!
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
You must never feel distressed. All your wrongs will be redressed. Someone's got to be oppressed!
6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth [avoids] evil?9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights.
12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13And he had also seven sons and three daughters.15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.17So Job died, being old and full of days.
BLESSED BE THE NAME
You know Job was the richest man that ever lived in the land of Nod. So true! Job's servants came running. They said, "all your cattle are dead." Job's servants came running. They said, "all your cattle are dead." He said, "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh," You should say, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job's wife came to him, she had the Devil in her eye. Something I want to tell you, Job. She said, "Job, let me tell you, Job." She said "Job," she said "Job, why don't you curse your God and die." Then Job looked at her, and then he looked up in the sky ("Go away woman, now"). Woman, woman, you don't sound like my wife. Yeah, he said, "The Lord giveth (woman), the Lord taketh, well now, I want to say, blessed be the name of the Lord." Job said, "I'll wait, I'm going to wait here on the Lord." Job said, "I'll wait (sure enough now), I'm going to wait till my change does come." He said, "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord."ALL FOR THE BEST
Job on Broadway
This song i
s from the Broadway musical and film Godspell, based on the Gospel of St Matthew, composed by Stephen Schwarz, who later won an Oscar for Prince of Egypt ("When You Believe"). "Day by Day" was the musical's biggest hit; but "All for the Best" fits in with the JOB theme. The song begins with a man feeling sad as if under a "curse."
It's sung in a comic "soft-shoe" dance style. As in JOB, the man's wife is affected by his misery ("sighing, crying"). He suffers more than Job ("Job had nothing on you"). The next section of the song is a patter song (a fast string of words set to a tune). This makes fun of Job's "comforters" who "explain" the reason for suffering. "When you get to Heaven you'll be blessed," and "it's all for the best." Then we hear "Job" complaining how evil people live good lives: "born to live at ease, doing what they please," etc. (see JOB, Chapter 21). He refers to God's Creation: "But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for?" concluding (like Job's "comforters") "it's all for the best." Then the two melodies are sung together (as "counter-melodies"), making the song sound like babble!
Job on Broadway
This song i
It's sung in a comic "soft-shoe" dance style. As in JOB, the man's wife is affected by his misery ("sighing, crying"). He suffers more than Job ("Job had nothing on you"). The next section of the song is a patter song (a fast string of words set to a tune). This makes fun of Job's "comforters" who "explain" the reason for suffering. "When you get to Heaven you'll be blessed," and "it's all for the best." Then we hear "Job" complaining how evil people live good lives: "born to live at ease, doing what they please," etc. (see JOB, Chapter 21). He refers to God's Creation: "But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for?" concluding (like Job's "comforters") "it's all for the best." Then the two melodies are sung together (as "counter-melodies"), making the song sound like babble!
First Melody (in soft-shoe style)
When you feel sad, or under a curseYour life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse.
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed..
Yes, it's all for the best!
Second Melody (in patter style)
Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please,Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
| Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please, Richer than the bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the street where it's sunny.. Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of this and we get the rest. But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for? You guessed! It's all for the best! | When you feel sad, or under a curse Your life is bad, your prospects are worse Your wife is sighing, crying, And your olive tree is dying, Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying And creditors weighing your purse. Your mood and your robe Are both a deep blue You'd bet that Job Had nothing on you. Don't forget that when you get to Heaven you'll be blessed! Yes, it's all for the best! |
The Book of Job
Listening Edit Week of 27 Feb 07
JOB 1
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.Listening Edit Week of 27 Feb 07
JOB 1
6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth [avoids] evil?9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 2
1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights.
Job 3
1After this opened Job his mouth, and said,Job 10
1My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore [why] thou contendest with me. 3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?4Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as a man's days,6That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?7Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.8Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. 9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and thou hast fenced me with bones and sinews. 12Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.13All these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. 14If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.15If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction.Job 28
12Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, he searched it out.28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Job 38
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who hath laid the corner stone thereof;7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.Job 39
1Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?5Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass. 6Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.7He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.8The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.13Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. 16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.18What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.19Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? 20Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.21He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.22He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.23The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.24He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.25He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.26Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south. 27Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?28She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.29From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.30Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Job 40
2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Job 42
1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13And he had also seven sons and three daughters.15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.17So Job died, being old and full of days.
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