Saturday, June 30, 2012

On My Brother's Wedding Day, I Remember George Matheson

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
Sandra McCracken's rendition


Many conjectures have been made regarding the cause of the mental distress which prompted the author to write this text. A very popular account, although never substantiated, is that this text was an outgrowth of Matheson's fiancee's leaving him just before their marriage when she learned of his impending total blindness. Although this story cannot be documented, there are many significant hints in this hymn reflecting a saddened heart, such as the "flickering torch" and the "borrowed ray" in the second stanza, the tracing of the "rainbow through the rain" in the third stanza, as well as the "cross" in the last verse. Fortunately, Dr. Matheson did leave an account of his writing of this hymn: 
"My hymn was composed in the manse of Innellan on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882. I was at that time alone. It was the day of my sister's marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression rather of having it dictated to me by some inward voice than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high. I have never been able to gain once more the same fervor in verse."
101 Hymn Stories
Kenneth Osbeck 


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Tignan Mo (Emanwel)

James R. White: Living Out Sola Fide (55:46)

My Favorite Back-to-School Song





Ligo with Me
Rene Requestas
from the movie Elvis and James

BORN THIS WAY: John Macarthur's Compassionate Yet Uncompromising Response to Chad Allen


No matter gay, straight or bi
Lesbian, transgendered life
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to survive

I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

~ Lady Gaga







KING: All right, John, let me -- let me move to other members of the panel. We have four members of the panel. I want to get everyone in. John, what do you say to those who say, What about Chad and the love of his life being together? Isn't that better than, say, the heterosexual marriage where one of the partners cheats? Who is contributing more to the moral decay of the society, the adulterous husband with the female wife or the loving gay couple who don't do that?


MACARTHUR: Yes, well, you're asking me to do something I really can't do, and make a judgment on which sin is better or worse than the other. We've suffered in this country from adultery, divorce, the abuse of children, pedophilia, you name it. I'm not going to classify those in rank. They're sins, and they destroy the family. KING: And homosexuality is...


MACARTHUR: And homosexuality...


KING: ... a sin to you.


MACARTHUR: Yes. And...


KING: Therefore, it's a choice.


MACARTHUR: It's a choice you make. It's a sinful choice.


KING: Did you make a choice to be heterosexual?


MACARTHUR: I don't think I had to make a choice to be heterosexual. I think that's a natural thing.


KING: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. In other words, one is a choice and one is not?


MACARTHUR: Yes.


KING: So he was unlucky and you're...


MACARTHUR: Because -- because you're not talking about -- because it's natural to be heterosexual. That's built...


KING: What do you mean by natural?


MACARTHUR: Well, I mean, that's the way God made us. That's the normal...


KING: But if he doesn't feel that way, what is he, then? He's not a sinner. It wasn't his decision.


MACARTHUR: Yes, I think it was his decision.


ALLEN: I would love, absolutely love for the pastor to point out for me when in my life I made that decision because I have to tell you, it caused a lot of pain in my family. It caused a lot of pain to me. It's a very, very tough thing that I had to go through. I don't remember making that decision. If I did, maybe can you point it out, but that wasn't the case for me.


(CROSSTALK)


ALLEN: It's who I am. You also said that it was in the fabric of the human being that -- to understand that marriage was between a man and a woman and that's what family was. It must not be because it's not in the fabric of what who I am. It's not the way I see it. I think families come in all shapes, sizes and colors.


MACARTHUR: Well, let me respond this way, Chad, and say it had to be in the fabric of humanity or you wouldn't be here.


ALLEN: I believe that reproduction is. I'll give you that. I absolutely believe that reproduction is. However, I think family, the definition of family and the definition of reproduction are very, very different things.


KING: All right...


MACARTHUR: Well, what I said earlier is the DNA, the genetic structure of humanity, of civilization, of society is family. Everybody knows that. That's in the heart. That's how it works. You're coming along with others who are homosexual in their perspective and overturning what is natural to everyone.


KING: Could they also be asking to the privilege of something you have preached for years? Marriage is a healthy, wonderful thing, and they're saying, Let us in...


(CROSSTALK)


KING: Why would you deny it to them?


MACARTHUR: Let me respond to Chad, too, just on a personal basis, Chad, by saying, I don't think at some point you said, OK, I'm going to be a homosexual. I got two alternatives. You know, I'm going to go be a homosexual. But I do think whatever sin patterns show up in our lives -- and it may be different for us -- we can choose to continue down those paths of sin, whether it's adultery or whatever it is, or we can say, Look, this is sin, and I need to deal with this in my heart. If this is the way I'm being led, it's not right. It doesn't honor God. It's not according to his word. It's not going to ultimately bring blessing on life. I make the choice at that -- I can't make a choice to be a sinner, OK? I am. We all are. But once you start down the path of sin, if you recognize that it is that, then you look to the Lord for the remedy to that.


Monday, June 25, 2012

The Valley Song (Jars of Clay)

Jesus Savior Pilot Me (Bifrost Arts)



Though the sea be smooth and bright,
Sparkling with the stars of night,
And my ship’s path be ablaze
With the light of halcyon days,
Still I know my need of Thee;
Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will,
When Thou sayest to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,
Savior, pilot me.

Dungog ug Himaya (with an English Translation)



Dungog ug himaya sa langit ug sa yuta
(Honor and glory in heaven and on earth)

Ang tanan, O Dios, Kanimo lamang
(Everything, O God, is Yours alone)

puno sa gugma nga walay katapusan
(You are filled with love that's without end)

O Dios, awiton ko ang gugma Mo.
(O God, I will sing of Your love)

Ginoong Diyos mahigugmaon sa tanan
(Lord God loving to all)

Takos Kang daygon ug simbahon ug halaran
(Worthy are You to be praised and worshipped and offered unto)

Ang tanan kong gugma ginatugyan ko Kanimo
(All my love i am entrusting to You)

Ang kinabuhi ko, O Dios, Kanimo lamang.
(My life, O God is Yours alone).

Translated by Sheryll Yap

An Unplanned Creationism Debate at TBN

James R. White Sola Scriptura Debate Closing Statement (1999)