Showing posts with label light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label light. Show all posts

Sunday, June 1, 2025

Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise

 [posted in this month of Father's Day]

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, 
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, 
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. 
Suburban Phoenix, AZ
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might. 
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above;
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. 

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small; 
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all. 
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, 
And wither and perish; but naught changeth Thee.
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, 
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight.
All praise we would render, O help us to see:
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.
--Walter C. Smith, D.D., 1867  

Rev. Smith was born in Aberdeen Scotland in 1824.  He studied theology in Edinburgh and held several pastorates.  In 1876, he became a minister in the Free Kirk [Church] of Scotland. This is a conservative Presbyterian denomination that resisted merging with other Presbyterian groups in Scotland. 

This hymn is the only poetry of Smith's still in common usage.  It does not speak clearly to the central teaching of Christianity, Christ dying for humanity's sin. But its words inspire Christians enough to continue including it in hymnals.


Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Awake My Heart with Gladness

                                                             
Awake, my heart, with gladness, 
See what today is done; 
Now, after gloom and sadness
Comes forth the glorious Sun. 
My Savior there was laid 
Where our bed must be made 
When to the realms of light 
Our spirit wings its flight. 
The foe in triumph shouted 
When Christ lay in the tomb
But, lo, he now is routed, 
His boast is turned to gloom. 
For Christ again is free; 
In glorious victory He 
Who is strong to save 
Has triumphed o'er the grave. 
This is a sight that gladdens; 
What peace it doth impart! 
Now nothing ever saddens 
The joy within my heart. 
No gloom shall ever shake, 
No foe shall ever take, 
The hope which God's own Son 
In love for me hath won. 

Now hell, its prince, the devil 
Of all their powers are shorn; 
Now I am safe from evil
And sin I laugh to scorn. 
Grim Death with all his might 
Cannot my soul affright; 
He is a powerless form, 
Howe'er he rave and storm. 

The world against me rageth 
Its fury I disdain; 
Though bitter war it wageth 
Its work is all in vain. 
My heart from care is free, 
No trouble troubles me. 
Misfortune now is play 
And night is bright as day

Now I will cling forever 
To Christ, my Savior true; 
My Lord will leave me never, 
Whate'er He passeth through. 
He rends Death's iron chain
He breaks through sin and pain, 
He shatters hell's dark thrall, 
I follow Him through all. 

To halls of heavenly splendor 
With Him I penetrate; 
And trouble ne'er may hinder 
Nor make me hesitate. 
Let tempests rage at will
My Savior shields me still; 
He grants abiding peace 
And bids all tumult cease. 

He brings me to the portal 
That leads to bliss untold, 
Whereon this rhyme immortal 
Is found in script of gold: 
"Who there My cross hath shared* 
Finds here a crown prepared; 
Who there with Me hath died 
Shall here be glorified." 
--Paul Gerhardt 1648 ("Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden"); translated John Kelly, 1867

*Matthew 16:24-26 & Revelation 2:10

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Fum Fum Fum

 
On December 25th** sing
Fum, fum, fum*.
On December 25th sing
Fum, fum, fum.
He is born of God's pure love,       
The Son of God, the Son of God;
He is born of Virgin Mary
On this night so cold** and dreary.
Fum, fum, fum.

     
Birds of every forest grove sing
Fum, fum, fum. 
Birds of every forest grove sing
Fum, fum, fum. 
All your fledglings on the bough,
Oh, leave them now, oh, leave them now;
For to make a downy cover
For our Jesus, round Him hover.
Fum, fum, fum.  

Shining stars from heav'n above, sing
Fum, fum, fum. 
Shining stars from heav'n above, sing
Fum, fum, fum. 
Oh, come rejoice, oh, come rejoice;
Come and light the night's obscureness
With your light and dazzling pureness.
Fum, fum, fum.    
--Traditional Spanish Catalan carol (one of many translations)  

*"Fum" [pronounced "foom"], an imitation of strumming guitars and other stringed instruments; possibly also suggesting the rocking of the cradle.
**We don't know what date or time of year Jesus was born.  (Some modern writers assert it was in August, due to supposed clues in the text, but this is not known for sure.)  This date was chosen to give people who converted to Christianity an opportunity to carry on old light festivals with new meanings.  Many carols reflect their European settings far more than the realities of 1st century Bethlehem.


Wednesday, November 1, 2023

For All the Saints


All Saints Day is November 1st.  It is a day to remember those who have departed the world before us and are in Christ's presence forever.  

My favorite departed saint to remember is my maternal grandmother, whose photos you will find scattered throughout.  In Lutheran thinking (following how the Bible uses the term), all Christians are "saints" because Christ has made us holy by saving us. We don't live it out perfectly (sadly, we often don't live it out well at all), but Christ is the Perfect One, the Holy One who makes us that way in God's eyes. 

For all the saints 
Who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith 
Before the world confessed;
Thy name, O Jesus, 
Be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

















Thou wast their Rock, 
Their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain 
In the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, 
Their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia
!

O blest communion, 
Fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, 
They in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, 
For all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


But then there breaks 
A still more glorious day:
The saints triumphant 
Rise in bright array;
The King of Glory 
Passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


From earth's wide bounds, 
From ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl 
Streams in the countless host,
in praise of Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia, Alleluia!  --William Walsham How, 1864

W.W. How was born in 1823 in England and died in 1897 in Ireland.  He was an Anglican priest who rose to be a bishop.  



Saturday, July 1, 2023

Old Glory at Another National Park

 
Old Glory at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Take this link to discover past postings of the US flag in scenic places.  Happy 4th of July!

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Songs of Thankfulness & Praise

 
Happy New Year!  This is being posted in recognition of the upcoming Festival of Epiphany, the coming of the Wise Men, on January 6th.  Epiphany is a full season, and this hymn has many verses to reflect this.  I am only posting some more pertinent to the Wise Men and to things in nature.

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise:
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar.
Branch of royal David's stem  
In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to Thee addressed, 
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heav'ns shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine:
All will see His glorious sign.
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed, 
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in They holy Word--
Grace to imitate Thee now
And be pure, as pure art Thou,
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
--Christopher Wordsworth, 1862








Friday, July 1, 2022

Glorious Old Glory

 
Here are some fairly recent photos of the US Flag flying around the Big Lake area in eastern Arizona:



















Here's an older 4th of July posting, showing the flag in various scenic places across the United States:   Natural Wonders of America

Friday, April 1, 2022

An Easter Carol

               
                Spring bursts to-day,
For Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.
nature rejoicing, colored pencil art, Dollar Tree coloring book

                Flash forth, thou Sun,The rain is over and gone, its work is done.                Winter is past,Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.


                Bud, Fig and Vine,Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine*.                Break forth this mornIn roses, thou but yesterday a Thorn**.                Uplift thy head,pure white Lily through the Winter dead.                Beside your damsLeap and rejoice, you merry-making Lambs.                All Herds and FlocksRejoice, all Beasts of thickets and of rocks.                Sing, Creatures, sing,Angels and Men and Birds and everything.                All notes of DovesFill all our world: this is the time of loves.    

                                                 -Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1894)

  

*Habakkuk chapter 3
**Compares the flowerless rose, all thorns "just yesterday", to the contrast between Good Friday, when the Lord died, to the blossom of His resurrection on Easter.


Friday, April 2, 2021

Easter Week

 

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices;
Fields and gardens hail the spring;
Shaughs* and woodlands ring with voices,
While the wild birds build and sing.


You, to whom your Maker granted
Powers to those sweet birds unknown,
Use the craft by God implanted;
Use the reason not your own.
Here, while heaven and earth rejoices,
Each his Easter tribute bring-
Work of fingers, chant of voices,
Like the birds who build and sing.

--Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)

*archaic term for small woods, thicket





Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Ego Eimi

 

ἐγώ εἰμι

Jesus says: 

"I AM the world's Light             (John 8:12)
Who outshines eternal night."

"I AM the Good Shepherd        (John 10:14)
And the door for the sheep:      (John 10:7, 9)
The sheep hear My word
And within may safely sleep."

"I AM the Bread of Life;          (John 6)
The Way, the Truth and the Life;    (John 14:6)
The Resurrection and the Life."   (John 11:25)

"I AM the True Vine
And you are the branches--        (John 15: 1,5)
Without what is Mine,
You do only what man does."

εἰμι ἐγώ

Paul answers for all of us:
"Christ Jesus came into the world for sinners,
First of whom am I."      (I Timothy 1:15)

ἐγώ εἰμι

Jesus says:
"Before Abraham was, I AM."  (John 8:58)

"I AM" in Hebrew