It’s been a real trip down memory lane. I grew up in an “old fashioned” kind of church where we sang hymns out of a hymnal every Sunday. Looking at these familiar songs has transported me to a time far-away when I remember the world as a nicer place.
In many ways it’s been just what the doctor ordered in these turbulent times.
These great songs proclaim so much truth! It has been rewarding to spend time in them and be reminded of the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
These hymns take me again and again to a place of remembering who I am in Christ and what God has done for me. I see Jesus sacrifice through so many different perspectives, each reminding me of His wondrous love. And God’s sovereignty is celebrated over and over again. He is stronger than the world and any foe that would try to attack me.
I love these old hymns. I’ve selected 52 hymns to be a part of a new book that will be coming out shortly, focusing on the strong spiritual truth that their familiar words teach us.
Of the big list, there are two that, for me, stand out head and shoulders above the rest. It was hard to not give them special treatment. They are dear to me, and I cherish the message they convey and the truth they represent.
You could ask my family, and they would immediately (and correctly) say that my favorite hymns are:
- The Old Rugged Cross
- In The Garden
Yes, they are 2 songs about the Crucifixion and Resurrection. That’s probably not a surprise. Calvary is where the world was turned around, upside down and inside out. When the Son of God accepted the penalty for my sin, and covered me in His righteousness.
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
That one song expresses my entire hope. The penalty for my sins has been paid, and God sees Jesus when He looks at me.
Nothing is more wonderful.
In the Garden is such a comforting song to me. I think of how special it must have been to the disciples to have met their resurrected Lord. But really how special that one moment was for Mary, her own individual time with Jesus. She didn’t have to share Him with anyone. He was all hers.
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.
That just hits me right in the heart. I dream of the day when I will get to meet Him face to face. I wonder if I will get such a moment as that. It’s worth my entire life to anticipate that one moment.
I tear up just remembering the lyrics for those two great hymns. I’m a bit of a blubbery mess right now sitting here typing out these words.
Are there hymns that are significant for you? Would you reply and share your favorite hymn and what it means to you?
In other News
Earlier this year, I was approached by one of the editors at Mysterious Ways. It’s a magazine published by Guideposts that focuses on mysterious and miraculous occurrences that happen to people today. One of the features in every edition is called “The Big Question”. In that section the editors ask a Big Question of some experts and print their answers.
The big question was: “What’s the difference between Miracles and Magic?”
Normally I think of “magic” as really “illusions” or misdirection. But as I thought back through some Bible stories, it seemed clear that there were people doing magic, or something like that. And I’m sure that there are people today who do things I couldn’t explain… so I had to put on my thinking cap.
My answer came out like this:
“Supernatural power lies at the core of both miracles and magic. To distinguish between them, we must answer the question: whose power, whose purpose and whose glory? Consider Aaron and Pharaoh’s magicians. Through Aaron, God performed miracles to redeem His people and declare His name among the nations. The magicians attempted to imitate God’s power to maintain Pharaoh’s standard of living and build their own prestige.”
If you subscribe to Mysterious Ways, you can see the entire feature on page 32 of the Apr/May 2020 edition. If you don’t subscribe, you can see all the answers that they published here on their website. Yes, I’m pleased to be the first one (but I had nothing to do with that).
I was asked to give my answer to this question because the editors saw my book Faith & Miracles and thought I would have a meaningful take on the question. I’m proud of that book and think it has a powerful message about how God moves in our lives and what He wants to accomplish as He performs miracles. It might not be what you expect.
It was an honor to be recognized by the editors at Guideposts.
Understanding the Bible
The next time I write, I hope to be back to the series on Understanding the Bible – Cover to Cover. If you aren’t familiar with that series, I’ve just finished walking through the entire Old Testament, showing how God’s story is being told.
If you want to get ready for next time, I have all the articles posted on my website. I encourage you to look at them if you missed one or if you are just hearing about them. I think it’s a really good story and a lot of interesting information about the Bible.
God bless you and don’t forget to reply and tell me what your favorite hymn is and why!
Dennis
