My Song is Love Unknown

Here is a most appropriate song for Resurrection Sunday. Our song leader, Gary Brumley, introduced it to our congregation this week.

MY SONG IS LOVE UNKNOWN
My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.

In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
But mine the tomb wherein He lay.

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

Words: Samuel Crossman, 1664
Tune: John Ireland, 1918 (LOVE UNKNOWN)
Public Domain

The Heart of Worship?

Imagine the following exchange: Someone walks up to you and says, "I just want to say 'thank you.'" "For what?" you reply. "For nothing...just 'thank you.'" This exchange really doesn't make sense does it? It is simply nonsense to say thank you to someone if there is nothing in view for which the thanks is being given. The act of giving thanks is dependent upon truth.

Jesus told the woman at the well (Jn 4), Christian worship is worship in Spirit and in TRUTH. As we worship God individually and corporately, that worship must be centered on God's truth and, specifically, the truth about who He is and what Has done in Christ as revealed in Scripture. Only insofar as we do this can we truly express thanks to God. It boils down to this: no truth, no thanks, no worship.

Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16 ESV). It is significant that the singing of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" is connected to letting the "word of Christ dwell"in us. Paul goes on to connect the attitude of thankfulness to this truth-filled worship.

Our church is blessed to have a very dynamic worship leader, Gary Brumley. Gary does as good a job of integrating biblical truth and quality music as anyone I know. The music portion of our worship services involve a variety of elements, including corporate Scripture reading and songs that focus on biblical truth. I am appreciative of his approach because by putting God's truth at the center of our worship, we as a congregation are encouraged to dwell deeply upon God's truth and return thanks to Him for His great person and work.

Gary has put the words of 1 Timothy 1:17 to music. I recommend that you check it out. Lyrics, sheet music, and a demo can be found on his website: http://www.newmonikermusic.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143&Itemid=124.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
The only God, eternal, immortal, invisible
Be honor and glory, honor and glory,
Forever and ever, Amen,
Forever and ever, Amen.

Lyrics: 1 Timothy 1:17
by Gary Brumley © 2009 New Moniker Music.
www.newmonikermusic.com

Grace & Peace,

Jonathan