At the church which I pastor in the UK, we have been working our way through 1 Peter. What has repeatedly hit us is just how crucial it is, as God’s redeemed people, to know who we are, remember who we are, and consistently be who we are in the world. Life as strangers and exiles in the world is hard. Unless we know our value to Christ (redeemed by his precious blood), our identity in Christ (a chosen people), our calling from Christ (a holy priesthood, declaring his praises), and our certain hope in Christ (a resurrection-secured inheritance that can never perish spoil of fade), we will simply fail to stand fast in the true grace of God (1...
I can vividly remember singing Crown him with many crowns as a young child surrounded by the booming voices of a small but enthusiastic congregation (particularly my dad). With a prodigious piano player and the minister conducting us, the anthemic tune burst forth into the early Sunday morning. As a young child, I don’t think it was the lyrics so much as the melody that arrested my senses as I triumphantly sang out, trying to match my father’s volume. Written by Matthew Bridges in 1851, the well known hymn has seen many iterations, from as short as four verses to as long as twelve, each verse speaking to a defining character or action of Jesus. In this version we have arranged three key verses...
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) In the original harmony of Holy, Holy, Holy, the parts start close together and move to spread out over the words “Holy, Holy, Holy”—the bass goes down, the soprano goes up, and the middle parts keep it constantly moving. To know God as Holy Trinity is to move into the fullness and motion of life. God is not a static ‘being’ or ‘idea’. He is “Blessed Trinity”—dynamic as three persons; active in his mercy and might, generosity and justice. He continually breathes out life. Because of all this, we praise him - and this old hymn is a wonderful way to praise God. Haber’s...
As we approach Easter this year, there is a deep sense of collective exhaustion. The last two years have been trying and tiring and, at least for me, spiritually draining. Gospel truths have felt dampened by the continual storm of the pandemic, sometimes pouring, sometimes only sprinkling, but always there. There has been an influx of new secular and christian music addressing the state of the world - lamentations, chorus’s of hope and perseverance, reflections and prayers. These songs have soothed and comforted us as the brokenness of the world has become ever more apparent. Yet, this Easter, I wonder if our eyes need to be turned away from the world and ourselves and back to our great Saviour and...
I spend an embarrassing amount of time thinking about cooking. It was baking that first hooked me when I was a kid – the endless, delicious things that could be created by the simple act of creaming butter and folding flour. It was like magic. At first it was the sweet stuff, but as I grew into an adult the necessity of putting meals on the table introduced me to the wonders of savoury cooking. Now I can’t help but daydream and plan and sometimes even obsess over the new and interesting creations I can spin with a pan and a spatula. (Unfortunately the effort is all but lost on my happy-with-cheese-on-toast husband and only-eats-white-food three year old – I...
