Writing/revising a lot recently

at 02/28/10 9:26PM

Must be that time of year.

Lower Than the Angels

Lower than the angels
For a little while:
Christ, the Word incarnate,
Silent at His trial.
Jesus, Lamb unblemished,
Sun of righteousness,
Sentenced for the kingship
That He dares confess.

Lower than the angels
For a little while;
All of His disciples
Hide in their denial.
Now the song of heaven,
Heir to David's throne,
Stumbles to Golgotha,
Bleeding and alone.

Lower than the angels
For a little while;
Hear the priests and elders
Slander and revile:
"Save Yourself, Messiah,
"And we will believe!"
While the heavens darken
And the angels grieve.

Lower than the angels
For a little while,
Now enthroned in glory
Death cannot defile.
Perfect thru His suffering,
He will intercede,
Taught to give us mercy
In our time of need.

Thoughts?

I love the Hebrews 2 theme.

There are so many excellent references here that it makes me giddy. Malachi 4's "sun of righteousness." All the events from Jesus' trail to ascension. Heb. 4&5's sympathetic high priest.

I do not know where 2.5 comes from, nor do I know where it is going. Why put it there when you could have a line more related to the rest in the verse? Maybe I'm missing a reference.

4.4 sounds a little like a forced rhyme, but it makes a proper point. Kudos for rhyming so much with "little while."

by tom_bombadil at 02/28/10 10:24PM
Also, this makes me want to get back to writing.

by tom_bombadil at 02/28/10 10:26PM
I really like this one a lot! Thanks for sharing! :)

by kendralulu at 03/01/10 9:29AM
"Help of Israel" would definitely be more fitting, especially with 2.6 coming right after.

by tom_bombadil at 03/02/10 6:43PM
The only thing that comes to mind for 4.4 is "Kickin' it in style," but that would be a breach of tone.

by tom_bombadil at 03/02/10 6:46PM
^I am laughing hard at that....

by brothernumpsey at 03/04/10 7:52PM
by fullofgrace at 03/20/10 1:29PM

In the mode of my German ancestors. . .

at 02/08/10 7:02PM

The Lord Is in This Place

The Lord is in this place,
Although I did not know it;
I feel the breath of grace,
And soon His work will show it.
Although I cannot see
The plans of Deity,
His hand has covered me,
And yet I did not know it.

Through shadowlands of pain,
I stumbled on, despairing;
I thought my prayers were vain,
My Advocate, uncaring.
But then my heav'nly Friend
Bade angel guards descend
To comfort and defend,
And still I did not know it.

His love was with me still,
Each step that I have taken;
I do not know His will,
Yet I am not forsaken.
When I have run the race,
I'll say from His embrace,
"The Lord is in this place,
"And I shall always know it!"

Thoughts?

Ooooh. I'm salivating.

by diminished_seventh at 02/08/10 7:10PM
love it

by fullofgrace at 02/08/10 7:29PM
LOVE this one. Can we sing it Sunday?

by turtle_girl at 02/08/10 7:32PM
Love it! We'll be there.

by kendrad at 02/08/10 7:36PM
How come you only ever post when you write a new hymn?

by wifelet at 02/08/10 9:27PM
Like this one too.

by meditationis at 02/08/10 9:40PM
Very nice.

by curlie at 02/08/10 11:34PM
Awesome! Even if it is a crazy 6-7 pattern there has to be a tune for it. We can make this one work Matt!

by mister_c at 02/09/10 9:30AM
Do you know of a hymn tune called Holy Bible, Book Divine, but not the one that is in the R.J. book. It is a hymn tune set to a couple of different Spanish hymns "Santa Cena" and "Santa Biblia." I only know the title of the tune in English, and I know the tune itself - I was just wondering if there was an actual English set of lyrics that goes with it. Thanks!

by no_clever_name at 02/09/10 12:38PM
No, not that one. I looked on nethymnal.org/com/whatever and wasn't able to find it there. I'm not sure what foreign hymnals you have access to, or if there are any Spanish-speaking groups nearby that would have the book, but in Cantos Espirituales the hymn music is in standard notation for # 39. I would hum it for you, but I'm not sure that would work too well in this format : )

by no_clever_name at 02/09/10 3:42PM
Excellent!!!

by dederich at 02/10/10 10:33AM
Good. As long as somebody is. This is too good.

by mister_c at 02/13/10 6:29PM
That's OK. One day of snow is enough for us! :)

by kendralulu at 02/24/10 11:36AM
You need to check out Craig's snowman; not bad for a south TX boy! :)

by kendralulu at 02/25/10 11:02PM

A work in progress, hopefully progressing

at 02/04/10 5:22PM

Maranatha

O Maranatha! Lord, descend
As once they saw You rise,
And bring our sorrow to an end
Before our marv'ling eyes.
Lead on the angels in their might;
Reveal Your flaming fire;
Shine forth upon the sons of light;
Fulfill our hearts' desire.

O Maranatha! May it be
That then the saints will sing,
"O grave, where is your victory?
"O death, where is your sting?"
Awake the sleepers in their shrouds
To life and praise anew;
Caught up together in the clouds,
We all shall be with You.

"O Maranatha!" we exclaim;
We long to see it now,
That every tongue may name Your name
And every knee may bow.
Though earth and all its works will burn,
Dissolved with fervent heat,
Yet haste the day of Your return,
And make Your reign complete.

Thoughts?

My first thought is that it sounds very familiar.

by diminished_seventh at 02/04/10 5:45PM
Flaming fire changed to something like judgement fire? to avoid redundancy. I really like what you've got.

by the_gaffer at 02/05/10 2:25PM
^It's a reference to 2 Thess. 1:8.

Very good. Not too excited about "may it be that then the saints will sing..." in 2.1-2.2. The words "may it be" are sometimes used as a request. It sounds a little bit like the singer is requesting himself to sing on that day. Asking one's self to do things sounds a little nuts. "It shall be..." is more definitive; there are several ways to rework those lines.

by tom_bombadil at 02/05/10 10:45PM

A new post, believe it or not,

at 01/07/10 9:52AM

but a very old topic.

"Abba! Father!"

"Abba! Father!" We are crying;
Children, bowed before Your throne;
Here our woes are multiplying;
Who can save but You alone?
Now adopted by Your Spirit,
As the heirs of grace, we plead,
Filled with hope that You will hear it
And supply each humble need.

"Abba! Father!" High and holy,
Rich in mercy, great in might;
Condescend to bless the lowly;
End our darkness with Your light.
Calm the storms of wrath that shake us;
Lift the load of guilt we bear;
Surely You will not forsake us!
O do not despise our prayer!

"Abba! Father!" May we never
Seek another help but Yours;
May we call on You forever,
As Your word to us endures.
At Your fount of lovingkindness
May we quench our thirst each day;
Turn our hearts from pride and blindness;
Father, teach us how to pray.

Thoughts?

It works well with the tune for O Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

by turtle_girl at 01/07/10 10:10AM
nice.

by benb at 01/07/10 11:08AM
It's nice.

by tom_bombadil at 01/07/10 12:17PM
I really like it; but the only thing missing is the tune.

by pistal77 at 01/07/10 5:10PM
i'm digging the fount of every blessing match up, too

by fullofgrace at 01/07/10 5:45PM
Happy Anniversary!! :) ~ I love the last verse!!!

by kendralulu at 01/08/10 11:34AM
Matt, you know me, I'm not one to even TRY to critique your hymn writing. You are truly a wordsmith. BUT...
My thoughts... 2 things...
multiplying --- makes me think...rabbits... I don't have a solution for you but take a look at that one again to see if there is a better way to say it.
condescend --- I just can't get my head around singing the word condescend... again I don't have a suggestion and maybe it is time to learn how to sing such a word...

and 3... I love the word lovingkindness in a hymn.

Seems like I've read this one before???

by i_wantobe_ready at 01/09/10 1:55AM
Very nice, as usual. The tune I was singing it to was Beethoven's 9th. Somehow that one doesn't seem appropriate :)

by zavala at 01/09/10 10:22PM
beautiful

by windham4life at 01/10/10 5:42PM
Like.

by heidiw at 01/14/10 8:26PM
I like it!!! How are you surviving without your wifelet?

by dederich at 01/19/10 2:43PM
Excellent.

by jlmanager at 01/20/10 12:26PM
have you put music to this yet?

by diminished_seventh at 01/27/10 11:27PM
If you expect me to put two dots over the o in Zoe's name in the church directory then you're going to be disappointed. :)

by turtle_girl at 01/30/10 5:31PM
I'd be up for the challenge. It would be like old times.

by diminished_seventh at 01/31/10 11:39PM
very good.

by bah at 02/01/10 3:44PM

And now, on a more cheerful note,

at 10/25/09 9:05AM

the newspaper informed me this morning that gay-rights advocates are using state open-records laws to compile a database of everyone who has ever signed a petition opposing gay marriage. They say that they're doing this to encourage "civil conversation". No doubt. I'm not somebody who's all up in arms about gay marriage, and I'm not heavily invested in the modern political wars, but that's a little scary. You don't compile lists of your political opponents because you love them and want to be nice to them. You make the list so that when the day comes, you can make them sorry they lined up on the other side. The Nazi card is played far too often, but that's a very Nazi-esque trick. I fear that in the decades to come, when social liberals REALLY take control of the government, they will not be as nice to the social conservatives as the social conservatives were to them.

Sounds like a reason to buy a gun.

by tom_bombadil at 10/25/09 2:18PM
The social conservatives had lists too.

by curlie at 10/25/09 2:30PM
Social conservatives have been "nice" to social liberals?

by deusvitae at 10/25/09 2:38PM
While I agree that having lists can be seen as a bit scary...there is nothing inherently problematic. When I know that I am going to a meeting with folks that disagree with me it is not unusual for me to make a list of those people and the things I need to do to convince that I am right.

I don't make the list so I can persecute, harass or treat them in any disparaging way. I make the list so that I know those that disagree with me.

by adam_m at 10/26/09 8:58AM
Oh yeah...and definitely a reason to get a gun...maybe two.

by adam_m at 10/26/09 8:59AM
That's why I never use my real name!

by mister_c at 10/26/09 9:55AM
Maybe it would be better to use words besides "conservative" and "liberal," since they are re-defined in every generation.

by tom_bombadil at 10/26/09 12:31PM
I'm concerned about the world my grandchildren will grow up in!! Fortunately, they have a better HOME waiting for them.

by dederich at 11/02/09 12:11PM
I'm sure our grandparents and great-grandparents and previous generations thought that, too.

by cellophane at 11/09/09 9:16AM
I used your verse adaptation.!

by mister_c at 11/10/09 10:05AM
The grill never gets put up here :)

by adam_m at 11/13/09 9:13AM
You know incompetence is always welcome and encouraged at my house. I just really wanted to see how much I could do my myself. I just realize I won't get it done in time without help.

by mister_c at 11/30/09 2:31PM
Rich and I will be looking at the car on Saturday morning so if you show up around 12:00 everything should be good.

by mister_c at 12/03/09 8:56AM
let's say 10:00. thanx brother

by mister_c at 12/11/09 9:02AM
Hey Stinky! ;)

by kendralulu at 12/14/09 7:11PM
happy
holidays!

by fullofgrace at 12/24/09 2:25AM

210-214 of 214 entries « prev 1 2 … 39 40 41 42 43 next »

Writing/revising a lot recently

In the mode of my German ancestors. . .

A work in progress, hopefully progressing

A new post, believe it or not,

And now, on a more cheerful note,

jabberwock

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