Notes on the Notes – May 16, 2021

Live in God’s Joy

This Week’s Music:

“There is Joy in the Lord”

“There is joy in the Lord,
There is love in His Spirit
There is hope in the knowledge of Him
There’s a fountain that flows like a river from heaven
Abounding in love to my soul

All blessing and honour are his
All glory and power are His
Let all wisdom and strength
Be the Lord’s in this place
Let all glory be given to Him

There is joy in the Lord, there is love in His Spirit
There is hope in the knowledge of Him
There’s a fountain I know every time I am near it
My heart overflows to the Lord.

All blessing and honour are his…”

This contemporary Christian song was released in 2006 by Cheri Keaggy.

Sing along with the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsfC2V2s_rg

“How Great Thou Art” (VU #238)

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul…

But when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul…

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, “My God, how great thou art!”

Then sings my soul,…”

A Praise Team and congregational favourite, the words of this hymn are an echo of the awe felt by the writer of Psalm 8.   The hymn How Great Thou Art travelled a long road before it ended up a favourite addition to English hymnals. The original version was a poem written by a Swedish pastor, Reverend Carl Boberg in 1886.   In 1933, English missionaries to the Ukraine, Reverend and Mrs. Stuart K. Hine heard the song for the first time, fell in love with it and sang it often throughout their missionary journeys. As they travelled the Carpathian Mountains, the couple was inspired by the incredible beauty to translate the first three verses of the song into English. When WWII broke out in 1939, the Hines returned to England carrying How Great Thou Art to its new home.  In the 1950s, the song was copyrighted and widely published in America, becoming more and more popular. When George Beverly Shea and the Billy Graham gospel choir, directed by Cliff Barrows, began to sing the song at virtually every crusade event, How Great Thou Art soon became one of the most recognized songs around the world. (source:  Share Faith website)

Here are just a few of the amazing variety of interpretations of this much-loved hymn:

See the group, Anthem Lights, sing this hymn at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48i4l1715uc

George Beverly Shea at a Billy Graham crusade event:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNVbMooaH0s

A vintage 1971 clip of the Statler Brothers:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GmO6kQP_B0

“Joy is Like the Rain” 

“I saw raindrops on my window,
Joy is like the rain.
Laughter runs across my pain,
Slips away and comes again.
Joy is like the rain.

I saw clouds upon a mountain,
Joy is like a cloud.
Sometimes silver, sometimes gray,
Always sun not far away.
Joy is like a cloud.

I saw Christ in wind and thunder,
Joy is tried by storm.
Christ asleep within my boat,
Whipped by wind, yet still afloat.
Joy is tried by storm.

I saw rain-drops on the river,
Joy is like the rain,
Bit by bit the river grows,
Till all at once it overflows.
Joy is like the rain.”

This song was written in 1965 by Miriam Therese Winter.  It was recorded by the Medical Mission Sisters.  Hear the original recording at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PiE8gwCYKg

Sung into being at the lowest point in her existence, Miriam Therese Winter talks about the creation of the song “Joy is Like the Rain” at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzyymORMxfU

“The River is Here”

“Down the mountain the river flows and it brings refreshing wherever it goes.
Through the valleys and over the fields the river is rushing and the river is here.

The river of God is teeming with life and all who touch it can be revived;
And those who linger on this river’s shore will come back thirsting for more of the Lord.

Up to the mountain we love to go to find the presence of the Lord.
Along the banks of the river we run – we dance with laughter giving praise to the Son.

The river of God sets our feet a-dancing,
The river of God fills our hearts with cheer.
The river of God fills our mouths with laughter,
And we rejoice for the river is here.”

Andy Park wrote this song in 1994:  ‘This song began when I received a picture in my mind’s eye of a mountain with a river running down it. I prayed about it, not realizing that it was a word from God to prompt a new song. I did a word study in the Bible for “mountain” and “river” and found imagery in Ezekiel, the Psalms and the book of Revelation which provided the basis for the song. While on a brief personal retreat I wrote the song.’

See the song interpreted through dance at:  https://youtu.be/rbs0sAgG2s8

“Give Me Oil” (SFGP #130)

“Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray;
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
Keep me burning till the break of day.

Sing hosanna!  Sing hosanna!
Sing hosanna to the Servant King.
Sing hosanna!  Sing hosanna!
Sing hosanna, let us sing!

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising…

Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving…

Give me love in my heart, keep me serving…”

Our closing hymn is a traditional song.  The first verse references the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins as told in Matthew 25.
Through the four verses of the song we are asking for the things we need to keep us going forward with joy on our life’s journey.  Verse one might remind one of the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”  The other three verses highlight the relationships between joy and praise, peace and love, and finally, love and service.

“You Shall Go Out with Joy” (VU #884)

“You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth before you,
There’ll be shouts of joy, and all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands!

And all the trees of the field with clap their hands,
The trees of the field will clap their hands,
The trees of the field will clap their hands
While you go out with joy!”

Our benediction response this week uses the words from Isaiah 55:12.  If was written by Steffi G. Rubin and Stuart Dauermann in 1975.

Read a blog post about this passage at:  https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-go-out-joy-and-be-led-forth-peace