Hymn of the Week

Here's a song that struck me the other day.  I think it would make a good song for a missions theme.  Our goal as we reach out to the world around us is to show the compassion of Christ to those that need it.  And at the same time we are worshiping because we are emulating Christ and His servanthood (Mark 10:45).

Compassion Hymn

There is an everlasting kindness  

You lavished on us 

When the Radiance of heaven Came to rescue the lost; 

You called the sheep without a shepherd 

To leave their distress

For your streams of forgiveness 

And the shade of Your rest.    

And with compassion for the hurting, 

You reached out Your hand 

As the lame ran to meet You 

And the dead breathed again; 

You saw behind the eyes of sorrow 

And shared in our tears, 

Heard the sigh of the weary, 

Let the children draw near.    

CHORUS 

What boundless love, 

What fathomless grace 

You have shown us, O God of compassion! 

Each day we live 

An offering of praise 

As we show to the world Your compassion.     

We stood beneath the cross of Calvary 

And gazed on Your face 

At the thorns of oppression 

And the wounds of disgrace,

For surely You have borne our suffering 

And carried our grief 

As You pardoned the scoffer 

And showed grace to the thief.    

How beautiful the feet that carry 

This gospel of peace 

To the fields of injustice 

And the valleys of need— 

To be a voice of hope and healing, 

To answer the cries 

Of the hungry and helpless 

With the mercy of Christ.  

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend 

Copyright © 2008 Thankyou Music   

For Your Gift of God the Spirit

One of the subjects that hymnody lacks is that of the Holy Spirit.  Check your hymnal.  If you are discerning, I'm guessing you'll find many of the hymns about the Holy Spirit present some biblical issues in their theology or are simply lacking in content altogether.

I think it is a shame that we should let the Pentecostals, who have a very misguided, superficial idea of the Spirit's work in the life of a Christian, dominate in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is not silent concerning His work in our lives and neither should we be.

Early this year, I found this hymn text on the Holy Spirit by Margaret Clarkson, one of the excellent hymn writers of the twentieth century.  I was amazed at the doctrine in the text and the good grasp of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of the believer.


1 For your gift of God the Spirit,
pow'r to make our lives anew,
pledge of life and hope of glory,
Savior, we would worship you.
Crowning gift of resurrection
sent from your ascended throne,
fullness of the very Godhead,
come to make your life our own.

2 He, who in creation's dawning
brooded on the lifeless deep,
still across our nature's darkness
moves to wake our souls from sleep,
moves to stir, to draw, to quicken,
thrusts us through with sense of sin;
brings to birth and seals and fills us--
saving Advocate within.

3 He, himself the living Author,
wakes to life the sacred Word,
reads with us its holy pages
and reveals our risen Lord.
He it is who works within us,
teaching rebel hearts to pray,
he whose holy intercessions
rise for us both night and day.

4 He, the mighty God, indwells us;
his to strengthen, help, empower;
his to overcome the tempter
ours to call in danger's hour.
In his strength we dare to battle
all the raging hosts of sin,
and by him alone we conquer
foes without and foes within.

5 Father, grant your Holy Spirit
in our hearts may rule today,
grieved not, quenched not, but unhindered,
work in us his sovereign way.
Fill us with your holy fullness,
God the Father, Spirit, Son;
in us, through us, then, forever,
shall your perfect will be done.

Notice the doctine of the Holy Spirit in these stanzas...

1 - Regeneration, guarantee (Eph. 1:14), deity
2 - Work in creation (Gen. 1:2), conviction, seal (Eph. 1:13), filling (Eph. 5:18)
3 - Author of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21), illumination, help in prayer and intercession (Rom. 8:26)
4 - Deity, indwelling, help in the spiritual battle (Eph 6)
5 - Prayer for the Spirit's control

If you found anything else, let me know!  I think teaching this text would be a great way to get people to think about the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives in a biblical way.

It can be sung to the tune HYFRYDOL, most commonly sung with Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners