Saturday, March 3: “Faith of our Fathers”
Saturday, March 3: Faith of our Fathers Almost everybody’s favorite hymn is Faith of our Fathers. Originally intended as a Catholic hymn, Faith of our Fathers was written by Frederick William Faber in two versions: an Irish version with seven verses, and an English one with only four. Once it became more universally used, this […]
Friday, March 2: Romans 4:13-25
Friday, March 2: Romans 4:13-25 In today’s reading, we are reminded that Abraham, “the father of many nations”, did not receive God’s promises because of his adherence to the law, but rather, received these promises because of his faith alone. We, too, cannot ever earn our salvation, but rather, we are gifted it through our […]
Thursday, March 1: “Here I Am, Lord”
Thursday, March 1: Here I Am, Lord Here I Am, Lord (also known by its first line: “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky”) was written by Daniel Schutte in 1979 to be sung at a diaconate ordination. He had only four days to compose this song, as it was a last-minute request from a […]
Wednesday, February 28: Psalm 22:22-31
Wednesday, February 28: Psalm 22:22-31 All who seek the Lord will praise Him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. Psalm 22:26b The Lord is my fortress and my stronghold. This proved so true when my son had his car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury to the right frontal lobe. The frontal lobe […]
Tuesday, February 27: “Abide With Me”
Tuesday, February 27: Abide With Me The text of Abide With Me was written in 1847 by Henry Francis Lyte and set to music, most often the tune Eventide written by William H. Monk. I found it very interesting that the word “abide” did not appear in the index or the concordance of my Bible. […]
Monday, February 26: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Monday, February 26: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 We don’t often use the word “covenant” in our everyday conversations, but we do use words that have similar meanings. Definitions of a religious “covenant” are: a promise of God to bless those who obey Him or fulfill some other condition; a solemn pledge made by members of a […]
Sunday, February 25: Mark 1:9-15
Sunday, February 25: Mark 1:9-15 In this passage Mark gives us a short version of the baptism of Jesus, his affirmation by God, and his support from the Holy Spirit as he is led into the wilderness and the temptation by Satan. We too can be led by the Spirit into a wilderness or situation […]
Saturday, February 24: “Shall We Gather at the River”
Saturday, February 24: Shall We Gather at the River Shall We Gather at the River was composed by Robert Lowry, a Baptist minister who reportedly preferred to be known for his preaching rather than his hymn-writing. The idea for this hymn came to him one July afternoon in 1864 when resting after being exhausted and […]
Friday, February 23: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Friday, February 23: 1 Peter 3:18-22 We are not so special that Christ died for our sins only. He died once for all – one time – for the righteous and for the unrighteous, to bring us all to God. The author says that Noah and the other few people were saved through water. Now […]
Thursday, February 22: “Lead On, O King Eternal”
Thursday, February 22: Lead On, O King Eternal Ernest Shurtleff (1862-1917) graduated from Andover Seminary in 1887. For graduation, he penned the words to this hymn. Lead On, O King Eternal is a prayer for guidance and celebration. Let’s see how these words are relevant to today’s life: Lead on, O King eternal! The day […]