DOES LOOKING BACK AT '22 AND FORWARD TO '23 CONVINCE US WE NEED A SACRED ASSEMBLY? (PART 6 OF 6)

Courtesy of Abolish Human Abortion, Ames, Iowa, 2016

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly." Joel 2:15

In 2018, I read The Benedict Option, where Rod Dreher was warning of a coming flood and that we needed to build our Christian community.

In 2021, I read Live Not By Lies, where Rod Dreher interviewed several Christians who survived the Soviet Regime, in which all said the current climate in the U.S. was identical to when the Communists took over.

Now, in late 2022, I'm in the middle of Letter to the American Church, where Eric Metaxas is saying that the American Church is at the same place the German Church was in the early 1930's when Hitler rose to power. He stated some, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, say the danger, while most did nothing.

A good friend of mine for 30 years unfriended me on Facebook in early 2021 because I committed the unpardonable sin: I voted for Trump in 2020. He considered Trump a threat to our democracy. He didn't want to hear that I was concerned by voting out Trump we could open the door for someone worse. And now, I'm pretty certain that we opened the door and that someone worse - or an ally of those worse than Trump in Congress - entered.

In other words, I do not trust our government. I do not trust our media to tell us the truth. And does it help my mood that I had recently finished another book pointing out that Christ is calling us to repent and to return to the five solas? That is, Scripture alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, to the glory of God alone?

Becky heard a pastor say that persecution of Christians can happen quickly, both in suddenness and in it being soon. Metaxas wrote that Hitler changed things in Germany quickly. I hope they're wrong, but I'm not expecting them to be.

What is the answer? Should Christians be developing strong communities/churches not unlike a monastic brotherhood? Should we be doing what we can to stop evil from rising to power? Should we be most concerned with turning from any idols in our heart or from complacency (which Zephaniah 1:12 describes as believing God will neither do evil or good) or from trusting in men and the word of men than in God and in the Word of God (the Bible)?

I am writing this on December 23rd, and setting it to be posted on December 31st at 6am EST (though the website might post it 3 hours earlier). Today at 12noon, Northside Baptist Church is praying in the New Year for two hours. I'm planning on being there.

No, not a cheerful blog to end 2022. But do we need to be encouraged 2023 will be better? Or do we need to be awakened that 2023 could be worse, and we either need to do something or be prepared for dark times? 

 

 

LOOKING NO LONGER BACK AT '22 BUT FORWARD TO '23 (PART 5 OF 6)

 

Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, TN

So what am I looking forward to in '23? 

Well, for one thing Becky and I will be celebrating our 40th Anniversary. I'm also looking forward to judging at the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communication Association) Regional touRnament in May. And you could say in October I'm celebrating my Sgt. Pepper Birthday. 

What about music? Can I dream here? My dream concert would be to hear a festival including Divine Martyr, Worhol, True Revival, Reclaim the Day, Daniel Band, Undefeated, and Theody. Now, some (or all) of them might be at the Kingdom Come Festival. Or should I form my own festival? Though at the Senior apartments I'm in, my taste might be a little too high decibel. But I am watching to see who will be at Kingdom Come this year! Or maybe the cooler Pitt Fest (cooler because it's in October rather than June). 

How about books? I'm at the point where I'll still keep my non-fiction goal I had the last two years: one book a month. Currently, I've not been spending as much time with fiction, so I'll go conservative and also set it at 12. Can I have permission to re-evaluate and possible increase it in June?

One other thing I'm considering is strengthening some Facebook groups I've started but are mostly dormant. These are, in alphabetic order (you expect something different?) with links to the group included:

1. Colossians 3:16 Musicians Exhorting And Teaching Through Song. I started this to discuss music and encourage, especially artists that wanted to use their musical talents to not just reach the lost but also build up the believers. 33 members. But I haven't posted, and the only activity is one artist promoting his program on occasion. 
2. Holding Up The Song Leader's Arms - Prayer For Christian Musicians. Started so we can regularly  pray for musicians. It has 11 members. Haven't taken the time to keep it up - the most recent post was May, 2020.  
3. Jeff's Christian Book Reading Challenge. 29 members in this one, but the most active, thanks to yours truly. I post my reviews and my fiction and non-fiction lists there. I also do post on occassion. One author also sometimes posts deals on her books. The purpose was to be an encouragement to read and maybe to get discussion going on certain books.
   

This past year I've been considering the future of this blog. The main issue was wondering if God has called me to keep this up or if I'm wasting too much time I should be doing other things. Conclusion? I do not have indication to not continue this blog. So I will keep up my normal schedule of trying to post each Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and occasionally more. I'll also keep up with book reviews, interviews, and other topical blogs (sometimes a series, sometimes a stand alone). I am going to try something new for some of my interviews that I hope would be easier on the interviewees. Additionally, I'll be setting the time to post the blogs from 6AM to 9AM starting Jan. 1. Why? Because I think when I set it for 6AM it posts at 3AM. (If you prefer me keeping it the way it is, could you let me know?)

May I make the following requests?

• PLEASE pray for me this blog, and the above Facebook groups.  I need God's guidance. Sometimes, I'll need His encouragement. No, God doesn't need this blog. But there are times I could be discouraged and wonder if I should continue.
  
• If anybody is at all interested in doing guest blogs, please let me know. I have a couple of times suggested it. So far, there's only been one guest blog, and that's because I posted something Becky wrote. I'd love to have guest blogs.
• Going back up to the Facebook groups, I would welcome other administrators/moderators. On the prayer group, I'd love for someone to volunteer to post weekly and suggest artists they know for prayer.

Thanks for reading. I have one more blog left for tomorrow.

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE NON-FICTION BOOKS (PART 4 OF 6)

 

You ever notice how they save the biggest (or assumed biggest) for last? In tennis, the final match is the men's finals, in ice skating it's the women's. Well, as I mentioned yesterday, the question is which is the highlight of the year? My favorite fiction? Or my favorite non-fiction? If you asked me, it's the non-fiction books, especially Christian books.

This year, I will be giving my top dozen (for a change, the same number as my top fiction). I read 20 non-fiction books, which includes three I've previously read. As last year, I questioned whether I should count them in among the others I read for the first time, and as last year, I decided to mention them separately. These are:

1. Isaac Watts: His Thought and Life by Graham Benyon. Are you aware that Watts, besides being a great hymn writer, was a pastor, an apologist, and author of a book on logic and of catechisms? If this isn't my all time favorite biography, it's in the top three.
2. Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies by Tod Miles. The most creative and entertaining apologetics book I've read. Miles looks at seven false teachings (Miles calls them bad ideas) about Jesus, and compares them with seven superheroes.  
3. When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians by Todd Nettleton. I first read this 40 day devotional book last year, and did so again this year. Todd Nettleton had the privilege of interviewing persecuted Christains with Voice of the Martyrs, and shares some challenging stories.

Did you notice that I made the titles links? Well, since I had reviewed all the books I'm mentioning this year (except for one or two that I'll be sharing the reviews of the first week of 2003), I thought I'd give the link to those reviews if you want more info on any of those books.

Now to the list, which again is in alphabetic order.

1. Caesar and the Church: A Biblical Study of Government and Church by Anthony Forsythe. Short and excellent book dealing with Church, State, and Delegated Authority.
2. Christ's Call to Reform the Church: Timeless Demands From the Lord to His people by John MacArthur. We think that we Christians have God's blessing, but have we earned His rebuke? MacArthur deals with Jesus' messages to the 7 churches where the common theme is to "Repent", as well as reminding about the importance of the five Solas of the Reformation. (Title without link; look for the review on this very web-page on Tuesday, January 3, 2023).
   
3. Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Jonathan Leeman.  One common question is whether a Christian needs to regularly attend church. This book does a great job on the importance of not just attending church but committing to a local congregation for mutual ministry.
4. Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Matt Smethurst. I read this book to learn more about leadership. This definitely was an inspiration to me.
5. Embracing the Race: 40 Devotionals for the Runner's Soul by Lisa Harris. This was a very encouraging devotional. Even though I'm not a runner, it was an inspiration. Don't be surprised if you see this book (and When Faith is Forbidden, mentioned above) included as a re-read next year.
   
6. The Grand Canyon: A Different Perspective by Tom Vail. Great pictures in this book, and good arguments by the main author and other contributors on why the millions-of-years-of-erosion theory of the forming of this Arizona wonder is definitely not the only and maybe not even the best explanation. 
7. Lennon, Dylan, Alice, & Jesus: The Spiritual Biography of Rock and Roll by Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill. This is a very interesting book dealing with the Spiritual Development of people in rock and roll from the '50's to present. Some are short segments, some artists have a chapter devoted to them.
8. Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas. The framework of this book is that the American Church is in the same place the German Church was in the early 1930's when Hitler rose to power. Metaxas encourages us to stand up against the evil we face as Dietrich Bonhoeffer did in Germany, like William Wilberforce did against international slavery, and like Reagan boldly saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Title without link: I would like to encourage you to read the view which will be posted Thursday, January 5, 2023. More often than not, the blog review is identical to the one on Amazon/Good Reads/Indianapolis Public Library, but sometimes I'll go more in detail on my blog, and that's my plan with this review.)
   
9. Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Andy Johnson. How do we get involved with the Great Commission? This book gives some excellent ideas on reaching the lost through the local church.
   
10. Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by John Onwuchekwa. There are a lot of good books on prayer, but this volume focuses on corporate prayer within the church, a much needed topic. By the way, this is the fourth of four 9 Marks books I read this year to make this list.
    
11. Thanksgiving: An Investigation of a Pauline Theme (New Studies in Biblical Theology) by David W. Pao. This was one of four books of the series I read this year. Each of them were great in intellectual development, but this was the most uplifting. 
12. When God Calls A Writer: Moving Past Insecurity to Write With Confidence by Deanne Welsh. Definitely an encouraging book for a writer who needs a push.

Have you read any of these books this year? Any catch your interest? 

Don't forget - next week I'll be giving the full reviews of the two books I don't have links for their review. I consider both books important, and they'll be posted Tuesday and Thursday.

  .   

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE NOVELS (PART 3 OF 6)

Thanks to Nancy Mehl for sharing this.

 

I always wonder which is the attraction that the drums are rolling for me to announce: my fiction list, or my non-fiction list? If you want to tell me your favorite, please let me know! But in ignorance, I'll assume you're more excited about which non-fiction books influenced me this year, and start with fiction.

Last September, I did a blog giving the list of fiction authors I've read the most by. If there's any movement that might be of interest, I'll update it. And there has this year!

RANK    AUTHOR           #OF BOOKS    PREV. RANK

    1         Agatha Christie               23                    1

    2        Donna Fletcher Crow    19                    2 (Tie)

    3        Nancy Mehl                     17                    2 (Tie)

    4        Allistair MacLean            15                    2 (Tie) 

    5        Randy Singer                     14                    5

    6        James Blish                         13                    6

    7        Kerry Nietz                        11                     8

    8        Ian Fleming                        10                    7

    9        Jodie Bailey                          9                    16 (Tie)

   10        Stephen King                       8                     9

The top 6 didn't really change excepting the tie for second no longer being a tie. But Kerry Nietz has moved ahead of Ian Fleming. Also, Jodie Bailey has joined the list, jumping from a tie for 16th to 9th place. Impressive, but not quite as much as it sounds - when I made my list last year, I had read five books by her, and I read a 6th one last year and 3 this year. The reason she jumped as high was because of a 5 way tie for 11th at 6 books each.

I consider having read 5 novels by an author a milestone. Sharon Dunn made that mark, and Jessica Patch flew past it, moving from me having read three up to seven, putting her in a tie for 11th with Jill Williamson (10th place last year, with 7 read).

Other stats - I read 26 novels by 17 authors: 15 were women, and 6 were by authors I had not previously read.

One other point. I've read three stories that are top notch stories. I gave the authors five star reviews. Yet I did not enjoy them for various reasons - One was too melancholy, one was too creepy, and one was a little too weird. Yet I'm continuing in the series of one, am seriously considering the same in the second, and while giving up on the third series, I'm still reading a lot by the author.

Going to this list - I'll be listing my 12 favorites, and as usual, it's in alphabetic order by title. If I have read more than one in a series during a year, I might combine all from that series or count them as separate, depending on several factors, such as if I like one noticeably more or less than the others, or if it's a series with different authors. 

1. Bitter Truth (A Green Dory Mystery Book 3) by Janet Sketchley. I had been looking forward to this book, and it was worth the wait. This mystery kept you guessing, leading to the surprising (and bitter) truth.
   
2. Captured at Chrstmas Jodie Bailey. Perfect story for me to have read at Christmas time (never mind it was released in '21 and it's the last full novel I read in '22). Did I ever tell you Jodie Bailey is one of my favorite authors? If you read this book, you won't blame me.
   
3. Cold Case Takedown (Cold Case Investigators Part 1) by Jessica Patch. Great blend of mystery and suspense in uncovering this cold case involving high school football and how football can almost become a religion. Jessica does a great job of having characters stand out, and heroine Georgia Maxwell is one of my favorite Love Inspired Suspense leads.
   
4.  Dead Fall (Quantico Files Book 2) by Nancy Mehl. As usual, this was a top-notch thriller, but it definitely is my favorite of her series. Partly due to Kaley Quinn of Mehl's previous series being part of the cast, partly due to one of the best villians I've read. Note - if you haven't read this, I'd advise reading the three books of Kaley Quinn Profiler and the first book of this series first.
5. Deadly Cargo (Alaska K-9 Unit, Vol. 5) by Jodie Bailey. This was the 7th book I've read by Jodie Bailey, and the first that was part of a K-9 series. I definitely enjoyed the romance between bush pilot Jessica Jefferson and State Trooper Will Stryker. This book also had a good mystery going as to who is causing all the trouble.
6. Exposing a Killer by Laurie Alice Eakes. When I read the plot for this story, I had an image of what to expect, dealing with rival detectives. This novel did not meet the image, but it was just as enjoyable. This is a Love Inspired Suspense, by the way.
   
7. Rhats! and Rhats Too! (The Muto Chronicles vol. 1 and 2) by Kerry Nietz. Are you familiar with the Takomo Universe stories? I'm not really familiar with it, and the first book I read in this universe (by a different author) failed to grab me. But these stories (involving mutos, which resemble human sized rats) are very enjoyable. I especially enjoy the development of the friendship between the narrator, a muto named Frohlic, and Abs, a fellow muto he meets on a space scavenging trip.
   
8. To Dust You Shall Return (Lord Danvers Investigates, Book 3) by Donna Fletcher Crow. This series looks at true crimes from the Victorian era, with some comic relief by the Dowager Duchess. The crime story definitely was a top-notch mystery. I'm looking forward to catching up with this series next year.
   
9. Under Surveilance by Jodie Bailey. This book has characters from previous stories by Bailey, but there is no need to read them in order. Bailey has earned a place among my favorite authors (did you notice this is the third Bailey book on this list?). Great plot, great characters, and a very strong faith story, which is the norm for Bailey.
   
10. Wilderness Defender (Alaska K-9 Unit, Vol. 2) by Maggie K. Black. I've mentioned favorite heroes and heroines, but who is my favorite dog of the year? Hands down, Stormie the Irish wolf hound, who can take on a threatening thug or cuddle up with a calico kitten. Add to that a story about poachers trying to capture blue bear cubs, and definitely an exciting story.
11. Wolf Soldier (Lightraider Academy Vol. 1) by James R. Hannibal. This book is based on a role playing game designed to be a discipleship tool. Definitely an exciting fantasy story.
    
12. Yuletide Cold Case Cover-up (Cold Case Investigators, part 3) by Jessica Patch. This is an exciting conclusion to the series, and one that also includes one of my favorite heroines, Poppy Holliday. Excellent mystery as she tries to discover, with her partner Rhett Wallace's help, who killed her sister.

Well, tomorrow, I'll be looking at non-fiction!

 

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE SONGS (PART 2 OF 6)

 

Reclaim The Day, from Get To The Point Festival. Left to right - WVIU bassist of the year Logan Morehouse, drummer Tristan Harris, lead vocalist Becca Sugg, and WVIU lead guitarist of the year Marcus Sugg. Did this band have any songs on my 15 favorite songs of '22? If so, how many?

Those of you familiar with my blogs and posts know I give lists on both fiction and non-fiction books. But how about music? 

To be honest, our budget for new books and records is usually zero, so I make use of the library for my reading. I regularly get CDs from there as well, but most of the time it's classical with some music like Yanni, and for the purpose of relaxing at night (which is why I don't check out Stryper). It's recently I started listening to more recent music on Spotify (and I also plan on listening some next year to WVIU and Silent Witness Radio (click here if you missed my interview with Gothdad of SWR).

So this year, I'll list my 15 favorite songs from this past year. With my books, I don't claim my favorites were all written that year, but rather were read that year (which allows Agatha Christie and Allistair MacLean to compete against Kerry Nietz, Nancy Mehl, and Donna Fletcher Crow). The music, I'm trying to deal with '22 songs, though a '21 song might sneak in there. (For example, one of my favorite songs came out last year as a single, but was on a EP and won the WVIU award for best rock song this year, so it qualifies).

Part of the reason of these lists is to encourage the artists included, but I want to be a good dad and not show favortism, so I pick a number (often, 10 is too limited so I make sure I expand it to include all my strong favorites), and then list the entries alphabetically by title. After all, I don't want an author or musician to think, "Oh, I'm #10 on a list of 10? I just barely missed it."

Before I start, I'll state that all of these songs can be found on Spotify. There are some artists who are yet to be on Spotify that I really enjoy (e.g. True Revival Band) or have a single out this year that didn't get on Spotify yet (e.g. Worhol) that I'd love to have on the list, or a song I heard live that's not recorded yet (speaking specifically of "Relief" by Tempus Unum). Hope to see them next year!

I'll admit I haven't seen the lyrics for most of these songs, so some of those comments will be more about style. But I really enjoy each song on the list. So are you ready? (And again, the numbers don't relate to ranking.)

1. "Captain Rescue Me" by Hubbards Marsh. Hubbards Marsh consists of my good friends Gary Wixtrom and his wife Amy Shreve. Amy has several excellent albums out as well. (By the way, I'd love to interview Gary and/or Amy for the blog.) This is probably one of the mellower songs on this list.
   
2. "Fear" by Divine Martyr. I absolutely love this song, which deservedly got nominated for best rock song in the WVIU awards.
   
3. "Framing My Perception" by Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh (aka GFM Band). Some of this band's songs are a little too hardcore for me, but I especially enjoy this song. GFM consist of three sisters, for those who haven't read my interview with them.
   
4. "Future" by Undefeated. A good rock song by another family group (two sisters and a brother; definitely want to get to hear them!).
   
5. "Give Me Faith" by Becca Sugg. Becca is lead vocalist and guitarist for Reclaim The Day (pictured above), which also has other entries on this list. I think this is a song that technically is a '21 song, but I'm counting it because I just discovered it a week or two ago.
6. "God of Revival" by Forsaken Hero. I love the title of the song, and I absolutely loved the song. When I interviewed Casey Price, I learned this was a cover of a Bethel music song, but I like this version better than the original. This also got a nomination for the WVIU awards (Another band I want to hear live.)
   
7. "Mystique" by Divine Martyr. This is a unique entry on the list because it's the only instrumental. 
8. "Remnant" by Ignescent. The title definitely got my attention, because I think the American Church too often forgets God usually works through the remnant. This hard rock song is as good as the title.
9. "Send Down The Fire" by Beth Hall. This is one of two songs by Beth on Spotify, the other being a Christmas song. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from her.
10. "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day. I fell in love with this song when I first heard it. This song was the winner for Best Rock Song in the WVIU awards.
11. "Testimony" by Hush Harbor. This song blew me away first time I heard it, and I had the privilege of hearing them do this song at the Get To The Point Festival.
12. "Truth" by Divine Martyr. Yes, the third and most recent Divine Martyr song on this list. And would you mind if I mentioned it's my favorite by them? One night last week, as I was lying half asleep, this song was going through my brain (with Bruckner's 6th symphony, 1st movement alternating with it).
13. "World Gone Mad" by Upstanding Gents. This band's music reminds me of Lifesavors and Altar Boys from the '80's. 
14. "You Chose Me" by Toni LaShaun. The most uplifting song I heard this year. Thus, I wasn't surprised when it won the award for "Songs that remind us of our purpose."
    
15. "Yours Alone" by Reclaim the Day. If you count Becca's solo song, Reclaim the Day tied Divine Martyr with most entries for this year's inaugural list.

But what will be on my list this coming year? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

LOOKING BACK AT '22 (PART 1 OF 6)

Remember this photo? Remember who this band is? And can you guess who is not part of the band?

 

Another year over with! (Almost!) So let me end the year with 8 consecutive blogs, starting yesterday.

Today's blog will have three parts:

1. I will look at my next to the last blog of last year and compare my goals with reality.
2. I will give hopefully brief opinions (anybody really expect that?) on this past year.
3. I'll give you an outline for the week of blogs.

A year ago, I told you my reading goals (a duplicate of my goal for '21): Reading one non-fiction and two fiction books a month (respectively 12 and 24) during the year. The goals were met and exceeded: 19 non-fiction and 27 fiction (not counting 3 graphic superhero novels).

On the non-fiction end, I planned on reading four more 9-Marks books: Done! I mentioned the New Studies In Biblical Theology series: I read four of those. I did reread three books: Graham Benyon's bio on Isaac Watts, Todd Nettleton's 40-day devotional When Faith is Forbidden and Todd Miles fun apologetics book Superheroes Can't Save You. 

As far as fiction, I mentioned reading more Love Inspired Supspense each year, reading 9, 11, and 18 the previous three years. Last year, I'm down for 17, one less than last year. As expected, I read books by Donna Fletcher Crow (3), Nancy Mehl (2), Kerry Nietz (2), and Janet Sketchley.

I had a goal to attend either the Kingdom Come Festival or the Pitt Fest this year, and get to hear Reclaim The Day. No, I didn't make it to either of those festivals, but I did get to Get To The Point Festival and got to hear Reclaim The Day there, as well as Inarticulate Bones which was also on my list. That concert also made me a confirmed Divine Martyr fan. I didn't make it to a NCFCA tourney last year, partly to signing up for a contest I thought was on-line and found out it was in person and had to cancel. 😭

How about the ministry opportunities Becky and I were talking about? Still talking about them. Any steps on publication? Only reading a book titled When God Calls A Writer. I also wrote the series I had planned to for the blog.

Speaking of this blog, I had great interviews again. I'm debating about mentioning any because they all were good. Four really stand out though: Libertarians Kerry Baldwin and Russell Brooksbank, author Carol Berubee, and singer/producer Jim Worthing (I really enjoy the interviews that get into theology). But I also invite you to look at the archives on the right to find any you've missed.

My thoughts of this year? It's been a sad year for several reasons. Several friends went home to be with the Lord. In a six week period, I was off work almost two weeks due to illness (one week with COVID, and most of another with flu/bronchitis). Missing some of my typical events like judging NCFCA contests or the live nativity scene at a nearby church. The political situation. But Becky and I are headed to our 40th Anniversary! I'm blessed at Northside Baptist, including a Bible study and a bi-monthly men's prayer breakfast.

How was that for brief?

What? This week's blogs? It started with part 25 of my hymn series yesterday, and will end Sunday (New Year's Day) with part 26. Today, I looked back at '22. Tuesday through Thursday will be respectively my favorite songs, fiction, and non-fiction books. Friday, I'll look ahead to '23, and I have a blog on my heart for New Year's Eve. 

P.S. In case you didn't remember, the band is Divine Martyr. Pictured right to left is drummer Mark McKowen, vocalist/celloist Olivia Guelle, guitarist Jason Hyde, bassist Woody Hughes, and non-band-member/DM fan/blog writer Jeff Reynolds.

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 21 OF 22: HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING (MERRY CHRISTMAS)

 

"All of Creation Worships" by Jeff Reynolds

Hark! the herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth and mercy mild - 

God and sinners reconciled!"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, 

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th'angelic host proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem."

 Hark! the herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King!"

 

Christ, by highest heav'n adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord:

Late in time behold Him come, 

Offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail th'incarnate Deity!

Pleased as man with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

 Hark! the herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King!"

 

Hail the heav'nborn Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings, 

Ris'n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by, 

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

 Hark! the herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King!"

 

Come, Desire of Nations, come!

Fix in us Thy humble home;

Rise, the woman's conq'ring seed, 

Bruise in us the serpent's head.

Adam's likeness now efface,

Stamp in thine image in its place;

Second Adam from above, 

Reinstate us in Thy love.

 Hark! the herald angels sing, 

"Glory to the newborn King!"

 

NOTES ON HYMN

• First off, Merry Christmas! Or for you guys, Joseph Christmas! 
• How many of you following have read through the first three verses, and then pause to see a fourth you've never seen before? Growing up with the Worship & Service Hymnal, I only knew the first three.  But then I attended a church whose hymnal (Praise! Our Songs and Hymns) included the fourth verse. Cyberhymnal includes a fifth.
• This is another hymn written by Charles Wesley. I had a Calvinist joke that Wesley believed you had to earn your salvation so he made the music for this song hard to sing. Uh, not Wesley's fault. I don't know what tune they sang this to during Charles' lifetime, but he died before the composer to this song was born. That composer? Felix Mendelssohn. And do you expect Classical composers to write easy songs to sing? By the way, Mendelssohn was raised Lutheran and also composed the Reformation symphony.
• By the way, my favorite hymn word writer is Charles Wesley. My favorite classical composer is Mendelssohn. No wonder I love this song.
• This song's meter is a 7,7,7,7 double. One interesting thing? Another Wesley song, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" has a 7,7,7,7 meter, which adds a lot of "Alleluia"s ot it. So you could sing "Christ The Lord is Risen Today" to Mendelssohn's tune, dropping the alleluias and using two verses for each round. Or you can sing "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" to the tune of "Christ the Lord is Risen Today, with the alleluias and doubling the verse number. 
  

 

 

BOOK REVIEW - A CASE FOR PAULINE DISPENSATIONALISM: DEFINING PAUL'S GOSPEL AND MISSION BY CAROL BERUBEE

 What is Pauline Dispensationalism? Why the emphasis on Paul? Isn't there just one Gospel? Or is Paul's gospel different from Jesus', Peter's, John's, etc.?

I have been introduced to the concept of Pauline Dispensationalism, but Carol Berubee's book has helped me understand it better. This book clearly defines both Dispensationalism and the Pauline emphasis. Each chapter ends with a segment titled "Going Deeper," which looks at related but side issues like the authorship of Hebrews and tongues.

For those not familiar with the terms, Dispensationalism is the view that while salvation was always by grace through faith, God worked in different ages in different ways. The primary distinction made is between Israel before the cross and the Church afterward. The Pauline emphasis is based on the fact that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, which most Christians are, and so his letters have more weight on us than do the letters of Peter, James, and John, who wrote to Jewish audiences.

Berubee starts off with hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation) and then takes several chapters following God's dealings from Genesis through Acts. She then deals with differences and distinctions between Paul's ministry and that of Jesus' earthly ministry and that of the twelve.

There are some of her conclusions, particularly on side issues, that I disagree with. However, Berubee does a thorough job of presenting her case for Pauline Dispensationalism, and I would recommend the book.

BOOK REVIEW - THE BOOK OF ISAIAH AND GOD'S KINGDOM: A THEMATIC-THEOLOGICAL APPROACH BY ANDREW ABERNATHY

What should we expect when the Kingdom of God comes on earth? How does the Old Testament promises of a Davidic King and a theocracy relate to the New Testament?

The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom by Andrew Abernathy is the fifth book I've read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. This is a great intellectual book dealing with the subject, but I found it a stimulating challenge to keep up with the flow. 

One major issue in looking at Isaiah as a whole is the debate on how many Isaiahs wrote the book of Isaiah. As is usual in this series, Abernathy acknowledges the difference of opinion without alienating any of the options. 

The main point of the book is that God is the King of the earth, presented with different emphases in three sections of Isaiah (1-39, 40-55, and 56-66). While the focus is on Isaiah, Abernathy also deals with how the text fits with the rest of the Canon.

If you're ready to wrestle with deep waters of theological thinking, this book is what you're looking for.

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 20 OF 22: COME, THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS

Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis. Note at the base of the tree are shoebox gifts. We donate these to the Metropolitan Baptist Center every Christmas, which they take to women's shelters for their children (each box has the gender and age range listed).

Come, Thou long expected Jesus, 

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us, 

Let us find our rest in Thee.

 

Israel's strength and consolation, 

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation, 

Joy of every longing heart.

 

Born Thy people to deliver, 

Born a child and yet a king.

Born to reign in us forever, 

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. 

By Thine own eternal Spirit 

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit, 

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

NOTES ON HYMN

• This is an Advent hymn. By now, I think you all might know the difference between an Advent song and a Christmas song? I had chose 5 songs I wanted to use for the Advent and Christmas seasons, and putting them with the weeks seemed natural for most of them. This one is not as obvious with the theme "Adevent of Love", but it definitely fits.
  
• The tune of this song is Hyfrydol, written by Rowland Huw Pritchard. Hyfrydol is the only thing Cyberhymnal lists Pritchard writing, which I find hard to believe because of how good that tune is. The Worship & Service Hymnal included three songs besides this one with the tune, the best known of those I'd guess to be "Our Great Savior" (with the chorus, "Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a Friend!"). Additionally, it suggests this tune as an alternate for Charles Wesley's "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," and Elton Trueblood suggested this tune for a song he wrote he called "Baptism By Fire" which is printed in his excellent book "The Incindiery Fellowship." (I learned about the book when the Baptist Hymnal 1991 set the lyrics to a different tune and used the first line "God Whose Purpose Is To Kindle" as the title.
• The lyrics to this song are written by Charles Wesley. It's not unusual to see hymns with Wesley's words have music composed by musicians not yet born when Wesley died. 
• One question I have for Mr. Wesley is how many verses this song has. There are only two verses to this song, but was Wesley's original thought for a pair of verses to be set to a 8,7,8,7 Doubled tune, or a quartet set to 8,7,8,7? Honestly, looking at the words, it gives me an impression it was written with four verses. Yet combining the verses to this tune produces a beautiful song.
• Final comment: I will admit I have questions on whether Christmas trees should be on a church's platform. However, in the case of the one at Arlington Avenue Baptist Church (above photo), it also serves as a reminder of preparing shoe-box gifts for the Baptist Center where they are distributed to the children of mothers in rescue shelters. This fits Advent of Love, does it not?
  

BOOK REVIEW - RHATS TOO! (TAKAMO UNIVIERSE; THE MUTO CHRONICLES #2) BY KERRY NIETZ

 

Where did Frohlic's large family (all mutos have large families) disappear to? He barely survived his previous smuggling trip in space; did he really want to join his friend Abs for another one? Especially when facing ants and spiders that are bigger than you?

I absolutely loved Rhats Too!, the full length sequel to Kerry Nietz' novella surpisingly titled Rhats. In this edition, our muto (a cross between a human and a, believe it or not, rat) hero finds his family missing from his home, with a feisty, flirty female with a gun there instead. He also is invited by his friend Abs to join his crew another smuggling trip... along with the feisty, flirty female.

There is plenty of sci-fi action in this book, as well as surprises here and there. My favorite part is the friendship between Frohlic and Abs. 

If you like sci-fi, this is an excellent book to read. I highly recommend it.

DOES LIFE BEGIN AT 40 FOR MY FAVORITE ALBUMS?

Something hit me. In one of the Facebook Groups I'm in - The Daniel Band, for those who are curious - I saw a T-shirt pointing out this year is the 40th anniversary of the release of their debut album "On Rock."

I haven't paid as much attention as I should, I guess, to anniversaries of favorite albums - particularly, the Christian albums. In fact, some Larry Norman albums have hit the half-century mark (since I'm not a Larry fan, I missed it); Some of my other favorites (e.g. "With Footnotes" by 2nd Chapter of Acts and "What A Day" by Phil Keaggy) are closing in on that mark.

However, one thing about 1982 is that it stands out as having plenty of great albums. For example, an '82 LP not on my list of favorites happens to be the first gold record in CCM: "Age to Age" by Amy Grant. Some will say there are other albums that deserve to be on my list, and I won't argue except to say, "They're not my favorites." 

I also heard several great groups in concert, and I'm including them as well, mainly because most had not released an album. So allow me to give them in alphabetic order.

1. Anthem the Rock Band "Cuttin'Thru'". Great hard rock album (what would you expect from a group that identifies itself as "the Rock Band?") Many great songs on the project: "Cheap Thrill", "Free You," "Winners," "Don't Be Deceived" (a great song based on Galatians 6:1-8), and "Morning Star."
    
2. Daniel Band, "On Rock" (cover above). Another metal project. I heard them on the radio in '81, when Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa aired their live concerts on KYMS. At that time, I thought they were too hard for me. My mind changed hearing them a year later with songs like "He's The Creator," "I'm Sorry," "Free From Sin," "Undercover Christian" (with a killer keyboard intro), "Never Again," and "Spiritual Game" (a song that desperately needs someone to cover it and get it heard again!).
   
   
    
3. Joe English, "Held Accountable". Before becoming a Christian, Joe English played drums for a group you might have heard of - does "Paul McCartney and Wings" sound familiar? Joe released some great Christian music, and this is an example, starting with "Best Thing", ending with "The Best Is Yet To Come", and great songs in between such as "We Live When We Die," "First Love," "Voice Of Triumph," "Wake Up," and the awesome jam "Thief in the Night." Note - part of Joe's band was a keyboardist who also did some singing who later joined some obscure band called "Petra" - have you ever heard of John Lawry?
   
   
4. Farrell & Farrell, "Let The Whole World Know." A year previously, I went on a date (before I met Becky) to a music night at Knott's Berry Farm. One group she wanted to hear was Farrell & Farrell. I didn't have much of an impression before the concert; after the concert, I was a definite fan. And I enjoyed their live album (even though it was, unlike a lot of live albums, only one page). It included great songs like "All You Need" (look that song up on You Tube if you never heard it; definitely an unforgettable, though dated, song), "Boundless Love", "Make Me Ready," "Homesick Soldier," and the title track. In addition, two songs - "No Need" and "You Keep Me Holding On" were both superior to the studio version.
   
   
   
   
5. Richie Furay, "Seasons of Change." Some of you may recognize the name of the former member of the bands Poco and Buffalo Springfield. Now, he's a pastor. The pastor's heart is reflected in this project on songs like the title track, "Hallelujah," "Endless Flight," "My Lord and My God," "Rise Up, "For The Prize," and "Through It All."
    
6. Gabriel Band. This band formed, performed several times (including at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa), and disbanded in one year, but they are still one of my favorite bands. A reason for their disbanding was the music was so good it distracted from the lyrics. It included vocalist Ken Riley and guitarist Doug Doyle (who formed Common Bond), as well as keyboardist Pete Lomakin who later joined Idle Cure. You'll probably never get to hear songs like "He Is Lord," "The Step," "Shine The Light," "The Crusade Song", "Undercover Christian," "Spare Time," "Stand and Deliver" (where yours truly made a small contribution to the lyrics), "Share His Love," and "Stand on His Promise."
   
   
   
7. Jeff Johnson and Sandy Simpson, "Through the Door." Definitely one of the most unique albums in Christian music history, let alone 1982 (in case the cover isn't a clue). The artists take turns singing on this concept album with songs like "The Golden Key," "Stuck On Mars" (with a clever ending fitting for vinyl days about getting stuck), "The Jupiter Effect," "Someday, Sunday," and "Winding Road."
   
   
   
   
   
8. Malcolm & the Mirrors, "Red Alert." Some of you may ask if this refers to Malcolm Wild of Malcolm Alwyn, and you're right. The music has nothing in common. Good alternative project with songs like the title track, "Gotta Give," "Paint Your Windows Right," "Where Did All The Love Go," "Can't Live Without Him" (previously released on the compilation project "Back To The Rock"), "She's Gonna Go Through Changes," "Love Your Love," "Look Up! (His Coming Is Near)," and "Alright By Me."
   
   
   
   
9. Michael and Stormie Omartian, "Mainstream." Michael is a well known producer (including the Imperials, Debbie Boone, Benny Hester, Steve Camp, Rod Stewart, and Donna Summer among others) and loaned his keyboard skills to artists like 2nd Chapter of Acts. I had the honor of hearing them at a Knotts music festival, where they shared the stage with Sheila Walsh, Phil Keaggy, and Isaac Air Freight. The great songs include the title track, "The Calling," "Man Out Of Time," "Praise His Name and See It Happen," "Give It Up" (one song that always brings a smile to my face), "Believing In The Best For You," and "It Is Done."
    
10. Omega Band. I heard them over the air twice that year on KYMS, the first time opening for Sweet Comfort Band, and later for Undercover. I only know five songs by them, but four of them were great: "Heroes Always Die," "Gambling Man," "Right On Time," and "Jesus Is Lord."
     
11. Sonsong. Becky and I went to hear Benny Hester at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, and Sonsong opened for him. After the concert, it was "Benny who?" Again, a list of songs you'll never hear (unless they're performing in the Kingdom), but they had songs like "Without Faith," "You Got To Trust Him With Your Life," "Ostensible Christian," "Jonah," "Rich Christians" and "Two Eyes."
    
    
    
12. Tamarack. Unique entry here. They had released an album the previous year, two of the songs also appearing on the above mentioned "Back To The Rock" compilation, including the awesome "Here I Am." On the album, the six piece band included three vocalists: keyboardist Rob Watson, Cathy Spurr (her husband Dave also played drums) and Debbie McNeil. When I heard them a year after the album's release, Rob was gone, and the new keyboardist didn't do vocals. When they performed, they only did one song from their LP, "High Horse" (written by awesome guitarist Wayne Brasel). Later, I guess the group broke up and the Spurrs and McNeil reformed as "Spurr McNeil" and released a song called "Wounded Healer" - they performed that song.
     
13. Tobias. I also heard them at Hart Park in California (Undercover, Tamarack, and Gabriel Band also played there that summer). Again no album, so you won't get to here great songs like "Who Do You Think Made The World," "Split," and "The Lord's Reign."
    
    
    
    
14. Undercover (self-titled). What can you say about an album where the first song has a chorus saying, "You'll have to excuse us, we're in love with Jesus?" This is actually my favorite project by them, which follow "Excuse Us" with great alternative tunes like "Heal Me," "Francine," "Turn Your Head," "It's Official," "Look It Up," "Daddy-O," "Stop," "He's In Love With You," and "He Gives We Have."
    
    
    
    
15. Sheila Walsh, "Future Eyes." Another album that blew me away. On it was songs like the title track, "Here With Me," "Burn On" (the only song from this project that was on her greatest hits, far from the only song that deserved it), "Love In My Life," "You're So Important To Me," "Fear Of Silence", and "Mona Lisa." (I heard her in concert five times, and the last two songs were never performed; still awesome songs).

Did you enjoy that? Maybe you can look forward to next year's 40th birthday crowd!

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 19 OF 22: JOY TO THE WORLD (ADVENT OF, YOU GUESSED IT, JOY)

At Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN

Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Let earth receive her King!

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing!

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ!

Let field and flood, rock hill and plain

Repeat the sounding joy!

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The wonders of His righteousness 

And wonders of His love.

NOTES ON THE HYMN

• I know. I didn't do the repetitions of the last line of each verse. Sorry.
• One of the best known songs of the Christmas season, but this actually is an advent hymn. In fact, it's based on Psalm 98 and is focused on the 2nd Advent (Christ's return) rather the 1st Advent (Christ's birth). 
  
• The third week of Advent is the Advent of Joy. So I spent a lot of time trying to decide which song would be most appropriate. A who tenth of a second. 
• I started this series with a Watts song. Time for another one. The only other author I had repeated was Charles Wesley. 
• By the way, did you know the music was written by George Frederick Handel? (I just saw a picture of him; to me, he looks like he'd fit in a hard rock band.) The music was adapted from the Messiah.
• The meter is the common meter (8,6,8,6). By the way, the other Watts song in my series - "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" - is also common meter. So