Hymns in Hard Places
What would it mean to write hymns that speak specifically to the concerns, challenges, and temptations of your church? Not the global church or the church in general, mind you, but your own local church? What themes would be most important to those people? What truths might they have trouble believing and what doctrines might they have trouble applying to their lives? What temptations do they face that may not be addressed even in the wealth of Christian hymns that have stood the test of time and speak their precious truths?
These were the kinds of question that came to my mind as I listened to Hymns in Hard Places, the new collection of hymns by 20schemes Music. These were the kinds of question that came to my mind as I stood and worshipped with two local churches in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sang these songs under the leadership of the people they were written by and in fellowship with the people they were written for—churches situated in Scotland’s schemes (i.e. working-class housing estates or projects).
The album begins with a faithful rendition of Psalm 77, then turns to “Come Weary Souls,” a song that encourages those who have sinned to trust in the promise of God’s forgiveness: “There is no more guilt, / There is no more shame / Come like a child, believe and abide / Find rest in the Saviours name.” The next song, “Flee from Sin / Run to Jesus” brings comfort to those who find themselves struggling with old patterns of sin and addiction. “There’s a refuge from every lustful thought / From old habits enticing me away / When I fear my addictions won’t be overcome / There is hope through Christ’s resurrection day.”
The album continues with “We Long for that Day.” In a church context in which many members have experienced abuse and other forms of injustice, this song brings hope grounded in Christ’s return and the coming of final judgment. “God will judge this world so full of evil / and bring each work of darkness into light / on that day His enemies will tremble / When the King returns in glorious might / Finally oppression will be over / Secret acts of cruelty made known / Nowhere left to hide from the abuser / Every deed laid bare before the throne.” “Take Heart” returns to the theme of enduring suffering and sorrowing, “Praise His Name” promises eternal spiritual riches for those living in temporal poverty, while “Trust and Obey” rewrites the famous hymn for those who so often fail to trust and who so continuously struggle to obey: “Come you failures and see / Hopeless rebels set free / Where the Lamb, full submission, displayed / There He paid for our sin / Now His Spirit within / Is our joy as we trust and obey.”
And so it goes through several more hymns. It finishes with a bonus track which, though not meant to be sung congregationally, helpfully grapples with the reality that once we come to Christ, life often gets more difficult. “Why did life get harder, the minute I believed? / Why do I need armour, when You’ve won the victory? / Why does condemnation still weigh heavy on my heart? / I know that I’m forgiven so why is this path I’m on so dark?”
As twenty-first century English-speaking Christians, we are extremely well-resourced when it comes to hymns and have, quite literally, tens of thousands we can draw upon on any given Sunday. Yet it occurs to me that the great majority are written with the global church in mind rather than a very particular local church. They are written to be sung by millions rather than tens or hundreds and often speak to broad truths rather than specific ones. Speaking personally, I find something moving about the very notion of songs written for and sung by people who admit their particular struggles and who need particular encouragement.
It could be that your church finds something to sing in this collection of hymns, or it could be that it inspires your church to write songs that give a voice to their own concerns and difficulties. Either way, I expect you’ll benefit from Hymns in Hard Places. You can give it a listen on whatever music service you prefer.
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A La Carte (November 17)
May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Today’s Kindle deals include Greg Koukl’s new book Street Smarts. There’s an extensive list of other deals as well.
The History of Study Bibles
I really enjoyed this look at the history of study Bibles—the good, the bad, and the really unfortunate.
Is There a Book in You?
Trevin Wax offers some guidance for people who are wondering if they’ve got a book in them.
A Lifelong Sentence Overturned By Faith: Only God Can Do That!
In one of America’s most notorious prisons, a young man sentenced to life without parole miraculously found faith, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration. In 27 Summers, Ronald Olivier shares his dramatic and powerful story and offers proof that God can bring healing and hope to even the darkest circumstances. Order 27 Summers today. (Sponsored Link)
Polymorphous perversity in the heartland
Al Mohler: “If you are looking for Ground Zero in the sexual revolution, you might not think of America’s heartland, but you should. You should think of Indiana University and The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. Founded more than 75 years ago as the Institute for Sex Research, it was from the start a primary platform for the sexual revolution and the twisted vision of its founder, Alfred Kinsey.”
Narrow
“I have experienced God’s chisel time and again in a year that has been stuffed with quiet heartaches; corrupt schemes that Satan intended for evil. These hardships are largely invisible to the world. Such burdens have proven perplexing and difficult to navigate due to their clandestine nature. Upon reflection, one thing is evident: I have far to go in learning to respond with joy.”
What is Hell Like?
David Kaywood: “I don’t particularly like writing or thinking about hell. It’s been said if you preach on hell, you should do so with a tear in your eye. The topic of hell must be treated with biblical fidelity but also with compassion for neighbor. Nevertheless, we regularly need biblical resources on hell since there are constant attacks to undermine it.”
Unburden Your Soul To God
I think you’ll appreciate this look at the purpose of prayer.
Flashback: 3 Parenting Myths We Are All Tempted To Believe
“Our job is to discharge faithfully the duties God has given to us, leaving the results in God’s hands. Our goal is not ‘successful’ parenting per se, but faithful parenting.” This is a sweet, liberating truth.He who fears God has nothing else to fear. His soul shall dwell at ease. He shall lodge in the chamber of content. —Charles Spurgeon
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A La Carte (March 3)
Grace and peace to you, my friends.
Westminster Books has lots of good material on sale: Christianity Explored, Hope Explored, and so on.
(Yesterday on the blog: When God Unfolds His Will in Pieces)
Our Free Salvation Sets Us Free to Love
“Mormons and JWs are typically kind, pleasant, and respectful, but their evangelism is driven by their need to fulfill specific requirements. They may love those they’re talking with, but their goal in evangelizing is to save themselves.” That’s a key point.
Why is Evangelism Hard?
Stephen McAlpine raises some good points here. “Every so often on good evangelical websites that I read I come across an article that asks the question (before answering it in three points), as to why we find evangelism so hard.” But there’s often a problem with such articles.
No More Trash Talking (Video)
I appreciate this word from Todd Friel.
The Overlooked Virtue of Gentleness
“This is a virtue which combines humility and approachability, mildness and kindness in their proper sphere and expression. It is not quick to damn or to strike, not unrighteously forbidding or foreboding, but attractive and welcoming. Similar notions include the ideas of patience and mercy.”
How Do I Handle My Disordered Desires?
John Piper provides some examples of disordered desires and instruction on how to respond to them.
What does it mean to fear the Lord?
Dr. Michael Allen provides a brief answer here.
Flashback: The Character of the Christian: Generous
It is the Christian’s duty and delight to hold loosely to wealth and to give generously to the Lord’s work. Any problem with money is not the fault of the money itself but with the sneaky, sinful human heart.As we reflect on the character of God, the work of Christ, and the promises of the gospel, God will increase our desire to know him more and thus pursue him more through prayer. —John Onwuchekwa
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Burke Care: Two ways we can help your Counseling Ministry
This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor.
During the middle of COVID, Burke Counseling was launched with the simple goal of partnering with remote churches to provide online Biblical Counseling services for individuals and couples. Due to the pandemic, more people needed intentional care but couldn’t leave their homes. With a quick pivot to a home office business model we were able to continue to meet the increased demand. It has been a blessing to care for those who have been impacted by some of the toughest years many of us have experienced. Due to current cultural trends, we felt led to re-emphasize biblical language though a renewed vision as Burke Care.
Two ways Burke Care can help your ministry.
Provide Biblical Discipleship to your church members, staff, or community. Being able to disciple the Word and equipping others to disciple the Word has been a humbling and rich experience for us. Burke Care does not pretend to be “the” Biblical Discipleship and Equipping solution, but we may be “a” solution at this time and for a season. Ultimately, we want to bring glory to God which we know is for our ultimate good. Our desire has been to have an eternal impact on the Biblical Counseling movement while utilizing the unique gifts that God has given us. At Burke Care, we have a desire to disciple others in the midst of their struggles and to meet with them where they are.
The value of Burke Care is rooted in the generosity of God, our hope in Jesus in community with one another.
Equip certified biblical counselors within your church and community. The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) asked to partner with Burke Care to shepherd their online, self-paced students through Level 1 Certification training. This move reinforced the mission of Burke Care and increased our ability to bring biblical discipleship to remote parts of the English-speaking world. ABC certification can be done through an online regional cohort or through an online, self-paced course. Burke Care is prepared to work with you to discuss available options to get the best training solution in front of you. The ABC Level 1 Certification training, “Equipped to Counsel” authored by Dr. John Henderson, is designed to allow the counselor in training (CIT) to develop a biblical philosophy in the work of discipleship, gain an understanding of biblical counseling and acquire a basic understanding of the general and specific methods.
ABC exists to enlist, equip, enrich, and encourage people everywhere to live and disciple the Word, applying the Gospel to the whole experience of life.ENLIST believers with a heart to grow in their knowledge of Scripture as it practically applies to the myriad of issues related to discipleship.
EQUIP the church and community by providing training and certification in the work of biblical discipleship.
ENRICH members by offering ongoing resources with a robust biblical worldview of people and their problems while promoting Scripture as the supreme source wherein healing truth may be found.
ENCOURAGE followers of Jesus Christ to know, cherish, and honor Him as they minister His Word to one another while supporting each other.
Virtual Training. The ABC Called to Counsel Conference will be held in Texas but is also now offering livestream. We are so excited to have Tim Challies as one of the keynote speakers and leading out on the grief track. The 2023 dates are Thursday, 4/27 through Saturday, 4/29. Attending this conference is another way to learn more about the role of Biblical Discipleship in the local church and how your church might benefit from this type of ministry.
To sign-up for the Called to Counsel Conference, you can go on-line and register at www.calledtocounsel.com.
Please consider how Burke Care and ABC can assist you and those around you with your Biblical Discipleship and Equipping needs. Email me at [email protected]
