Beside Still Waters Ministries

This hymn is one of the most significant in church history, and it most symbolizes the Protestant Reformation.  It was written by Martin Luther on his way to the Diet of Worms, which was in 1529.  He was invited to this meeting by the Holy Roman Emperor and the pope under the guise that they were interested in hearing his views that conflicted with the objectives of the religious establishment of his day.  Actually the counsel was set up as a trap.  First it was their intention to humiliate Luther, and then murder him on his way home.

Luther knew his life and reputation were at risk, but he went nonetheless.  By now, he understood the power of evil: after he posted his ninety-five theses on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle in 1517, he faced years of trials and persecution, he was excommunicated from the Roman church, and he continually faced threats against his life and his freedom.  On the way, he was comforted by the words of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”  (Psalm 46:1-3)  It was then that Luther penned this famous hymn.

As it turned out, Luther was craftier than his adversaries and defended his cause in the meeting with authority and eloquence.  On the way home, as he was traveling in his carriage in the forest, friendly Prince Philip “kidnapped”  Luther and kept him in his castle, protecting him from eminent harm.  Indeed, God was true to His word!!!!

This hymn also has given comfort and strength to those persecuted and martyred for their convictions long past the Reformation.  One such example closer to the United Methodist tradition was in the 1720’s.  A remarkable revival began in a town in Moravia, which is the eastern part of the Czech Republic today, the Jesuits opposed it, and the meetings were prohibited.  Those who still assembled were seized and imprisoned in stables and cellars. At David Nitschmann’s house, where a hundred and fifty persons gathered, the police broke in and seized the books. Not dismayed, the congregation struck up the stanzas of Luther’s hymn,

“And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.”

Twenty heads of families were for this sent to jail, including Nitschmann, who was treated with special severity. He finally escaped, fled to the Moravians at Herrnhut, became a bishop, and afterwards joined the Wesleys in 1735 in their expedition to Savannah, Georgia.  What is even more interesting about this story is that the Moravian Church was actually a “protestant” movement rebelling against the authority of Rome more than a hundred years before Martin Luther, and there are Moravian churches still in existence today in the US and Canada.

Since he wrote it in 1529, Luther’s hymn has been translated into nearly every language. There are said to be over eighty English translations alone to this hymn, but the version most used in the United States (including the one in The United Methodist Hymnal) is the translation by Frederic Henry Hedge in 1852.

The first line of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” is inscribed on the tomb of Martin Luther at Wittenberg, and its powerful words and tune continue to live.  The hymn was sung at the funeral of President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, March 1969, and it was also included in the National Service of Prayer and Remembrance, held shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks against America.

If you would like to know more about Martin Luther and the story behind the start of the Reformation, a fantastic movie titled Luther was filmed in 2003, starring Joseph Fiennes, and is currently available on DVD and video at your favorite video store.  I have this movie, and though I am not enough of a Luther scholar to know exactly how accurate it is to historical fact, it certainly depicts Luther’s love of God, his love for people, and his struggle with his own humanity, which led him to know that it is by faith in Jesus Christ, not works, that we are forgiven and made clean.

This last week was Vacation Bible School at our church, so most of the music was from the “Beach Party” VBS CD.  I had fun helping this week, but I am wore out now!  I’ll be so glad to not have to sing “Beach Be-Attitude” or “Shazaam” anymore, but I’m afraid they might be permanently stuck in my head.

We did learn Made to Worship by Chris Tomlin, partially because it was one of the song the kids sang for VBS and because it is a good worship song to remind us who and why we are worshipping.  We sang Lord I Lift Your Name On High to close out the service.

I seriously want to sing Everlasting God by Brenton Brown sometime soon, because it has really meant a lot to me lately and I really think the church would resonate with the lyrics of waiting on the Lord and being renewed by His strength.

Read Luke 7:36-50

This story tells us several things about the heart of a worshiper.  First, that she was a giver – and not just a little to say that she did it, but she gave lavishly.  This jar of ointment was worth a year’s wages, plus because of the kind of container it was in she could not just pour a little out – it was all, or nothing.  What do you think about that?  Should we, who are worshipers of God, give more whole-heartedly?  I don’t mean only in monetary giving, but also in time and the many other ways that we could give.  What is truly your most treasured possession, and if God asked would you be willing to give it to him?

Second, the story shows that as a worshiper she was a servant.  It was a servant’s job to wash and oil the guest’s feet when they came in, especially the guest of honor, and this was not done for Jesus by the host.  She came in, washed his feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then broke the jar of perfume on his feet.  She did what the host should have had one of his servant’s do, and in all reality should have done himself.  How could we be more of a servant to this church, to our families, and to each other?  When do we leave stuff go or not help someone because “surely someone else will do it”?

Third, the story shows that before her Lord, she didn’t care what people thought or said, she focused in her worship only on him and did so extravagantly.  She held nothing of herself and her devotion back in the face of sure criticism and condemnation.  She wasn’t out to please them, she was out to please HIM.  Have you ever offered up worship to God without any thought to what people would think?  How much energy do you spend pleasing other people, instead of trying to please God?  You know, He is pretty easy to please…just love Him with all your heart, mind, and strength.

Fourth, and most importantly because it sums up all of the other points, the woman shows us the amazing amount of thankfulness and love that she had for her Lord and Savior.  The Scripture says that she was a “sinful woman”, but doesn’t specify what her sin is.  Most people assume that she is a prostitute, but whatever it is she almost certainly thought that she had no place being before Jesus but also had nothing to lose.  She had no reason to believe that Jesus would accept her offering of worship, no reason to believe that he would not look on her with disdain, and certainly had no thought that he would forgive her many sins.  All she knew was that she loved him simply for who he was, and that she wanted to express it.  I bet that her life was totally changed, that she walked with pride and grace the rest of her life, and that she was a blessing to many people.  How often do we walk around with self-pride about how “good” we are, about how “little” we sin?  How can you more adequately express your love for Jesus and for His gift of salvation?  How can you show the love that you have for Him in your daily life?

I challenge you this week to think about this story, and how you might model your life after this amazing woman.

For further reading:  Read the similar story in John 12:1-8, and “Fragrance of Love” by Anne Graham Lotz that was in the Discipleship Journal March/April 2004.

I had hoped to catch up all of my worship confessionals, but for now I just don’t have the time or energy to do so.  I’ll start again from here forward, and maybe I can find some time to do the past weeks here and there.

O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty with the chorus of How Great is Our God between the verses.  I was really excited that I heard the congregation singing both of these with a fairly equal volume!

As The Deer for the Offertory

Message: Generosity, Blessings & Missions

Freely, Freely by Carol Owens

One of my favorite singers is Steven Curtis Chapman - so many of his songs have encouraged and inspired me, and when I’ve seen him in concert (and even got to meet him once at 95.5 The Fish local Christian radio station) it shows very clearly how much he loves Jesus and wants to share his faith with others.  All day today I am listening to his CD’s, and I can’t help but to think that God prepared him for this when He gave the inspiration for songs like ”With Hope”, “Speechless”, “God Is God”, “Be Still And Know”, and “All Things New”.

There are many places on the internet that tell about the devastating accident that killed his youngest daughter, Maria, last night. I can’t even imagine what that family is going through right now, and I am lifting them up in prayer that they be comforted and held in the Father’s loving arms, and not forget the hope that they have that they will see her again.  If you would like to leave a short prayer for them you can at the page set up by the Chapman’s in Maria’s Memory here, and at Ragamuffin Soul’s blog here.