Reformation Thinking

This beautiful hymn was a selection during the Divine service today. It gets to me every time I sing it. Click on post title to hear the music :)

" From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee"
by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546


From depths of woe I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee.
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
My prayer let come before Thee.
If Thou rememberest each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?

Thy love and grace alone avail
To blot out my transgression;
The best and holiest deeds must fail
To break sin's dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand,
But all must fear Thy strict demand
And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my hope is in the Lord
And not in mine own merit;
It rests upon His faithful Word
To them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just;
This is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.

And though it tarry till the night
And till the morning waken,
My heart shall never doubt His might
Nor count itself forsaken.
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
Wait for your God's appearing.

Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the faithful pastors you provide to Your people. Your willing servants who bring us the healing balm, your words of life and salvation in word and sacrament. Keep them steadfast. Give them strength for the tasks that stretch before them each day. Give us ears to hear and hands to help. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Guard and keep Your Church until that day when she will know as she has been known. Amen.
________________________________________________________________

Nothing

What happens when there is nothing left? The cupboard is bare. The gas tank is hovering on E. The house is in foreclosure and your total assets amount to less than $20. Even "destitute" isn't adequate enough to describe your condition. These are the temporal things which bring much distress. But this too is our spiritual condition. Without the Lamb of God's all atoning sacrifice we would meet a fate worse than earthly poverty. Thanks be to God that he has not left us alone even to face the present difficulties. We pray as he taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

A pox upon anyone who doesn't believe in the sufficiency of this prayer. It doesn't get any better than the "Lord's Prayer".

Be Still My Soul

Can't help myself. I still love this hymn. Click on title to hear a beautiful rendition :)

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hymn #651
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 46:10
Author: Catharine Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1752, cento
Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1855
Titled: "Stille, mein Wille"
Composer: Jean Sibelius, b. 1865, arr.
Tune: "Finlandia"

Our President's ignorant detente

Why we continue to cavort with the United Nations is beyond me. Especially since the U.S. delegation invariably walks out in lame protest. If a country requires justification for a preemptive strike against Iran then Mahmoud Ahmadinejad provides ample fodder.

Animal rights? What about human rights?

Animals should be treated with care just as everything in God's beautiful creation. However, animals are not more important than human beings. If just half the energy and dollars generated by animal rights activists was used for the defense of the unborn and the starving then I might give their cause a second look. I can't seem to muster any compassion for those who fight to save a baby seal but never lift a finger to defend God's gift of life. One more thing to add to my list of petitions.

Man this thing is so cool!!!

Check this out.....I wish I worked for NASA

Do Not Vote for Kay Bailey Hutchison- A dangerous Conformist

I've never trusted Senator Hutchison. She really irritated me when her office sent a form letter in response to my detailed questions about the delay in repealing the "Wright Amendment". But I digress. Now it appears Ms. Hutchison is once again noticeably absent from some crucial voting in the senate.

Question: On the Amendment.
Bill: H R 3288
Vote description: Johanns Amendment Number 2355 as modified; Prohibiting use of funds to fund the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).
Result: Agreed to, 83-7, with 9 not voting.
Kay Bailey Hutchison voted- Not Voting

Citizens of Texas...I beg you ...please do not vote for this woman. If she will not take a stand on something this serious how can you expect her to govern our great state?