Quick Hits (8/12/08)

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts and links for your consideration, including bits about Matt Hoskinson, The Solid Rock, homeschooling, how sanctification is like building boats, and a crazy YouTube link:
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Pray for Matt Hoskinson…and Grow with Him
Matt Hoskinson’s cancer journal has been extremely encouraging to me. Matt has been intentionally devotional, focusing more on spiritual than [...]

Utter Despair, Then Utter Triumph!

We who know the glories of Resurrection Sunday are prone to underestimate the utter despair that preceded it some 2000 years ago. As far as I can tell, while Christ’s lifeless body lay in the grave there wasn’t a single person on earth who anticipated his resurrection. As far as humanity was concerned, Christ’s life [...]

Doctrinal Precision and “Come, Thou Savior of Our Race”

One of the blogs I frequent highlighted this poem by Ambrose of Milan (originally written in Latin as Veni Redemptor Gentium) as a Christmas meditation worthy of reflection. From what I can gather, this particular version was translated into German by Martin Luther, then translated from German into English by Lutheran W. M. Reynolds. Several [...]

Carol of Joy, a Pastor, and a Poet

I’m a pastor who writes hymns on occasion. I do this because I enjoy the creative outlet; because it’s an extremely edifying exercise to turn spiritual concepts over in my mind looking for just the right word, and therefore really contemplating what a doctrine or text means; because I think having fresh expressions of biblical [...]

All Praise to Thee

The body of TCBC has enjoyed F. Bland Tucker’s All Praise to Thee. The hymn is a rich meditation on Christ’s humility and exaltation from Philippians 2. We’ve sung the text to Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Sine Nomine (often associated with For All the Saints), and it fits beautifully. I commend it to you for your [...]

His Robes for Mine

Update: The reworked text has been joined to an inspiring and original tune by Greg Habegger. A pdf of the new song and a MIDI sample can be accessed from here.
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I’ve reworked this hymn text, adding a verse focused on Christ’s vicarious life, and generally sharpening it. I encourage you to meditate on the Bible [...]

We Are Heirs of God Almighty

We introduced Stuart Townend’s new hymn We Are Heirs of God Almighty to TCBC this morning. It is a tremendous text, rejoicing in each member of the Trinity and in our relationship to them. I especially love how it connects our worship of God with our every-day obedience–worship in all of life! We [...]

Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness is a hymn I’ve only recently come to appreciate, though I’m not proud of that fact. It is teeming with biblical doctrine, and I especially appreciate this point: it celebrates both Christ’s blood which takes away our unrighteousness and His righteousness which provides for us the righteousness we lack. [...]

“And Now I Hate My Sin”

In the second of Albert N. Martin’s excellent sermons on repentance he mentions a hymn text by John Newton that I was able to find. It has some powerful lines and images describing his rebellion against God, his repentance, and his desire to serve the Savior. I’m especially struck by his description of [...]

Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting

This hymn has become a great delight for me as I have meditated upon it. I count it among my favorites. Though you may know it well, I encourage you to read it again–only think this time. Concentrate on the rich text that urges you to gaze on Christ, to find delight [...]