Westminster Confessions

Mark did a great job recollecting the time we had in VA this past Saturday: Sacred Journey » Friendly Fire. I just want to tag on a challenge to all of us that we should be careful not to become ONLY old war vets who sit in VFW halls recalling their tales (as precious as those times are), but to take the treasures of those times, the lessons learned, the talents discovered, the joys of worship and sweet fellowship and incorporate them to wherever God is planting us.

Two hymns which Andrew Osenga has combined on the Indelible Grace III album are worth reading in their original entirety.

Jesus, witih thy Church Abide
Thomas Benson Pollock, 1871

Jesus, with thy Church abide,
be her Savior, Lord, and Guide,
while on earth her faith is tried:
we beseech thee, hear us.

Keep her life and doctrine pure,
help her, patient, to endure,
trusting in thy promise sure:
we beseech thee, hear us.

All her fettered powers release
bid our strife and envy cease,
grant the heavenly gift of peace:
we beseech thee, hear us.

May she one in doctrine be,
one in truth and charity,
winning all to faith in thee:
we beseech thee, hear us.

May she guide the poor and blind,
seek the lost until she find,
and the broken hearted bind:
we beseech thee, hear us.

May her priests thy people feed,
shepherds of the flock indeed,
ready, where thou call’st, to lead:
we beseech thee, hear us.

Judge her not for work undone,
judge her not for fields unwon,
bless her works in thee begun:
we beseech thee, hear us.

All that she has lost, restore,
may her strength and zeal be more
than in brightest days of yore:
we beseech thee, hear us.

Raise her to her calling high,
let the nations far and nigh
hear thy heralds’ warning cry:
we beseech thee, hear us.

May she holy triumphs win,
overthrow the hosts of sin,
gather all the nations in,
we beseech thee, hear us.

Oft in Sorrow, Oft in Woe
by Henry White (1785-1806)

Oft in sorrow, oft in woe,
Onward, Christian, onward go:
Fight the fight, maintain the strife*
Strengthened with the Bread of life.

Onward Christians, onward go,
Join the war, and face the foe;
Faint not: Much does yet remain,
Dreary is the long campaign.

Shrink not, Christians will ye yield?
Will ye quit the painful field?
Will ye flee in danger’s hour?
Know ye not your Captain’s pow’r?

Let your drooping hearts be glad:
March in heavenly armor clad:
Fight, nor think the battle long,
Victory soon shall be your song.

Let not sorrow dim your eye,
Soon shall every tear be dry;
Let not fears your course impede,
Great your strength, if great your need.

Onward then in battle move,
More than conquerors ye shall prove;
Though opposed by many a foe,
Christian soldiers onward go.

*strife not with our brothers and sisters, but with the real enemy.

Yes, oft in sorrow, oft in woe, “Onward!” Christian, “Onward” go.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2004 at 10:34 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.