Monthly Archives: Sep 2023

The Secret Place

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Robert Charles Sproul (1939 – 2017), or R.C.Sproul, was an American Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is well known for great books such as “The Holiness of God”, starting “Ligonier Ministries” which is dedicated to “proclaiming, teaching, and defending the holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible”, and introducing a whole new generation to faithful, biblical, reformed doctrine. But did you know he was also passionate about beautiful music for the church to sing? Featuring lyrics drawn from Scripture and a lifetime of theological reflection, “Glory to the Holy One” is a collection of beautiful hymns written by Dr. R.C. Sproul, wedded with soaring melodies written by award-winning composer, Jeff Lippencott. Recorded in esteemed venues around the world, this project provides the church with an offering of that which is good, true, and beautiful in the Christian faith1. Today’s hymn is from that collection. Enjoy!

Who dwells within His most secret place
Is never far from His blessed grace
‘Neath His great shadow all will be well
No better place now for us to dwell

Refrain
The secret place of God Most High
The shadow of our mighty King
The dwelling place where angels cry
Is where our praise will forever ring

Fear not the terror that comes at night
Nor flaming arrows by morning light
His truth is always our sword and shield
Against His power, all foes must yield

Refrain

A thousand fall now at ev’ry side
Ten thousand more may have yet to die
Yet plague and sword can
Ne’er kill the soul
His angels guard us now safe and whole

Refrain

Refuge and fortress for all who trust
No safer pasture for men of dust
‘Neath wings and feathers of Holy Lord
No greater comfort can He afford

Refrain

1store.ligonier.org/glory-to-the-holy-one-download

Hymn of the Day

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O For A Heart To Praise My God

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Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in the years immediately following his disastrous mission trip to America in 1735, his subsequent illness upon his return, and then the unbridled enthusiasm of his conversion on Pentecost Sunday, May 21, 1738. It was introduced in the book Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1742, published by John Wesley, originally with eight stanzas. The scriptural basis was Psalm 51:10, thus the heading to the hymn, “Make me a Clean Heart, O GOD, and renew a right Spirit within me.” Thirty-eight years later, the eight-stanza hymn was included in a slightly altered form in the monumental Wesley hymnal, A Collection of Hymns: For the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780) under the category “For Believers Groaning for Full Redemption.”1 As soon as I read the words to this hymn, I felt I could immediately resonate with the plea for a clean heart, and maybe you do too. Use these words as your prayer today. Enjoy this song version!

O for a heart to praise my God, 
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels thy blood
So freely shed for me. 

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My great Redeemer’s throne, 
Where only Christ is heard to speak, 
Where Jesus reigns alone. 

A humble, lowly, contrite heart, 
Believing, true, and clean, 
Which neither life nor death can part 
From Christ who dwells within. 

A heart in every thought renewed 
And full of love divine, 
Perfect and right and pure and good, 
A copy, Lord, of thine. 

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above;
Write thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.

1umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-wesley-hymn-speaks-language-of-the-heart

Hymn of the Day

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Where O Grave

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Today is another modern song written by songwriter and worship pastor Ben Slee from the UK, and sung by Music Ministry. Ben is passionate about writing songs that let the gospel dwell richly in us, and training musicians help congregations to sing1. Enjoy!

Through all life’s sorrows and despairs,
I will not be moved.
When facing death, I need not fear –
I have this hope secured:

Because Christ died at Calvary,
sin has on me no claim.
Because He overcame the grave,
with Him I will be raised.

Refrain
Where, O grave is your victory? 
Where, O death, is your sting? 
Eternity is won for me 
By heaven’s eternal King.

On that glorious final day,
I will not sleep or fade,
But gazing on His nail-pierced hands,
I’ll instantly be changed.

Refrain

Robed with immortality,
Before His throne we’ll sing,
At last reflecting perfectly
The glory of our King.

Refrain

1music-ministry.org/meet-the-team-ben-slee/

Hymn of the Day

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Eternal Father, Strong to Save

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Today’s hymn by Anglican churchman William Whiting was popularised by the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the late 19th century, and variations of it were soon adopted by many branches of the armed services in the United Kingdom and the United States. Whiting grew up near the ocean on the coasts of England and at the age of thirty-five had felt his life spared by God when a violent storm nearly claimed the ship he was travelling on, instilling a belief in God’s command over the rage and calm of the sea. In 1860, as headmaster of the Winchester College Choristers’ School some years later, he was approached by a student about to travel to the United States, who confided in Whiting an overwhelming fear of the ocean voyage. Whiting shared his experiences of the ocean and wrote the hymn to “anchor his faith”. In writing it, Whiting is generally thought to have been inspired by Psalm 107, which describes the power and fury of the seas in great detail1. Enjoy!

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm does bind the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee 
For those in peril on the sea.

O Saviour, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard,
Who walked upon the foaming deep,
And calm amid the rage did sleep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee 
For those in peril on the sea.

O Holy Spirit, who did brood
Upon the waters dark and rude,
And bid their angry tumult cease,
And give for wild confusion peace;
O hear us when we cry to Thee 
For those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and pow’r,
Your children shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire, and foe,
Protect them where-so-e’er they go;
Thus, evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

1wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Father,_Strong_to_Save

Hymn of the Day

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Psalm 118

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Today’s song comes from Boyce Worship Collective, the music ministry from Boyce College. Their core values are gospel-centrality, musical diversity, ministry-focus1. Enjoy!

Christ, my only trust and refuge
True and sure as day and night
Other helpers will betray me,
But the Lord is on my side
Kings enchant and princes promise
These will charm and still are weak
But the Lord of Jacob’s children
Will fulfill His word indeed.

Christ, my only trust and refuge
Mighty Sovereign of the spheres
He who holds the starry masses
Holds my life and stills my fears
Should the terrors of the darkness
Overwhelm my anxious soul
Christ will keep me by His power
He will never let me go

Christ, my only trust and refuge
At the gates of righteousness
On what grounds shall I, a sinner
Enter doors of holiness
Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter
By the blood of Christ I come
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

1boyceworshipcollective.com/about

Hymn of the Day

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Christ, my only trust and refuge True and sure as day and night Other helpers will betray me, But the Lord is on my side Kings enchant and princes promise These will charm and still are weak But the Lord of Jacob’s children Will fulfill His word indeed. Verse 2 Christ, my only trust and refuge Mighty Sovereign of the spheres He who holds the starry masses Holds my life and stills my fears Should the terrors of the darkness Overwhelm my anxious soul Christ will keep me by His power He will never let me go Verse 3 Christ, my only trust and refuge At the gates of righteousness On what grounds shall I, a sinner Enter doors of holiness Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter By the blood of Christ I come He the Spotless, He the Righteous Has become my Cornerstone

Here I Sojourn

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Today’s song is a modern one from Kenwood Music, the music ministry of Kenwood Baptist Church in  Louisville, Kentucky. Regarding their music ministry they explain “the primary instrument at Kenwood is the voice of the congregation, so the purpose of the Kenwood music ministry is to accompany God’s people in the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord and to one another, in hopes that the word of Christ will dwell in us richly (Col 3:16). Our corpus of songs at Kenwood comprises hymns that have been sung by Christians for centuries, psalm settings, and trustworthy songs that have been written recently — including some of our own. Our aim in all of them is to use a breadth of musical expression to give praise to our triune God.” I love it when churches write their own songs – I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one!

Verse 1
Here I sojourn as a stranger
In a land that’s not my own,
To that fair and better country,
To my rest and final home.
Through the valley,
Toward the promise,
Let Your word alight my way;
When I wander guard my steps, Lord,
Never let me go astray.

Refrain
Oh Christ my guide stands at my side,
Praise the Lord, He’s won the night!
Our blessed hope will keep His own to the end,
So we wait for Him alone.

Verse 2
Here I sojourn, here in exile
Through a world of pleasures vain,
Never far from sin and sorrow;
Deepest joys yet marred with pain.
In the fire You will not leave me,
Ev’ry need Your grace will fill.
He who bore my cross is with me
And He bears my burden still.

Refrain

Verse 3
Here I sojourn ‘neath Your shelter,
All my days are in Your hand,
Till I come to see the river,
And to gaze the promised land.
Christ my shepherd – mine forever,
He will bring me safely home;
there my eyes will see the Saviour
O take heart He’s overcome.

Refrain

I am Thine, O Lord

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“I am Thine, O Lord” is one of many hymns written by Fanny Crosby, a prolific American hymn writer. The melody was composed by William Howard Doane. The former was talking with the latter one night about the proximity of God and penned the words before retiring for the night. It has also been reported that Fanny Crosby, though blind, had a sunset described to her in words before writing the lyrics. Hebrews 10:22 is reported as being a source of inspiration for the hymn1. Enjoy!

I am Thine, O Lord,
I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee

Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.

Refrain
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To Thy precious, bleeding side

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Just a measure of your grace;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Til I see you face to face.

Refrain

1en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_am_Thine,_O_Lord

Hymn of the Day

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How Sweet and Aweful Is The Place

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Today is another hymn written by Isaac Watts, who is known as the “father of English hymnody” and credited with over 500 songs, including “Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come,” “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “At the Cross (Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed).”  Today’ we’ll worship with one of his lesser known but oh so good songs.’s hymn is called “How Sweet and Awful Is the Place”, written in 1707 and set it to an unnamed ancient Irish melody. Enjoy!

How sweet and aweful is the place
with Christ within the doors,
while everlasting love displays
the choicest of her stores.

While all our hearts and all our songs
join to admire the feast,
each of us cries, with thankful tongue,
“Lord, why was I a guest?

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
and enter while there’s room,
when thousands make a wretched choice
and rather starve than come?”

‘Twas the same love that spread the feast
that sweetly drew us in;
else we had still refused to taste,
and perished in our sin.

Pity the nations, O our God,
constrain the earth to come;
send Thy victorious Word abroad,
and bring the strangers home.

We long to see Thy churches full,
that all the chosen race
may, with one voice and heart and soul,
sing Thy redeeming grace.

Hymn of the Day

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The Head That Once Was Crowned With Thorns

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Thomas Kelly (1769-1855), born in Lellyville, Ireland, was a fine poet and musician. He was known for giving away his substantial wealth to help the poor and to build churches. The son of a judge, he trained to be a lawyer. Convicted of his sin by The Life, the Walk, and the Triumph of Faith, treatises by William Romaine (1714-1795), he became an ordained minister in the Church of Ireland. Because of his powerful preaching and support of the rising evangelical movements, Kelly was banned from preaching in the Church of England and joined the ranks of “dissenting” ministers. Kelly, who was considered a good musician, wrote 765 hymns. This hymn text is based on Hebrews 2:9-10 which speaks of Christ’s glory and the message of grace that is available because of Christ’s suffering. Kelly may have been inspired by a poem composed by John Bunyan in the poetic collection One Thing is Needful, or Serious Meditations upon the Four Last Things, Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell (1664)1. Included below is a choral version and a modern retake – enjoy!

The head that once was crowned with thorns
is crowned with glory now;
a royal diadem adorns
the mighty Victor’s brow.

The highest place that heav’n affords
is His, is His by right,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
and heav’n’s eternal Light.

The joy of all who dwell above,
the joy of all below,
to whom He manifests His love,
and grants His name to know.

To them the cross with all its shame,
with all its grace, is giv’n,
their name, an everlasting name,
their joy, the joy of heav’n.

They suffer with their Lord below,
they reign with Him above,
their profit and their joy to know
the myst’ry of His love.

The cross He bore is life and health,
tho’ shame and death to Him:
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth,
their everlasting theme.

1umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-the-head-that-once-was-crowned-with-thorns

Hymn of the Day

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Praise Him All My Days

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This is another song written by Matt Searles here in the UK, as well as Matt Merker. As mentioned previously he has written songs specifically with congregational singing in mind. I really appreciate this since a lot of modern songs sound great when your favourite band plays them, but very difficult for congregations to sing due to the key, how complicated it is to play, or the array of instruments needed. This simple, catchy song based on Psalm 146 featuring Sovereign Grace’s Lacy Condy would be a great addition to any church’s weekly song list.

Refrain
Praise the Lord, O my soul
Praise him all my days
Praise him with my every breath
All glory to his name

Do not trust in earthly power
Mortal men who cannot save 
For their strength will soon depart
And like the grass they fade away

Rather we shall hope in God
O how blessed to know his grace
Who made earth and sky above 
Whose faithfulness shall never fail 

Refrain

He gives justice for the poor
To the hungry brings relief
Opens up the blinded eyes 
And he will set the captives free

He restores the weary soul
Yet defeats all wickedness
Crowns the widow with his love
A Father to the fatherless

Refrain

He has come to walk with us 
Making known the heart of God 
Christ our life our only hope
And he shall reign forevermore

Refrain

The song is not on Youtuve but can be listened to here: https://mattsearles.bandcamp.com/track/praise-him-all-my-days-ps-146

Hymn of the Day

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