Lovely, True, Good News

         Monday musical meditations on God's good news An opening prayer:      Am I a soldier of the cross,      A follower of the Lamb,      And shall I fear to own his cause,      Or blush to speak his name?      Must I be carried to the skies      On flowery beds of ease,      While others fought to win the prize,      And sailed through bloody seas?      Are there no foes for me to face?      Must I not stem the flood?      Is this vile world a friend to grace,      To help me on to God?      Sure I must fight, if I would reign;      Increase my courage, Lord;      I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,      Supported by thy word.      Thy saints in all this glorious war      Shall conquer, thou...

         Monday musical meditations on God's good news An opening prayer:      Am I a soldier of the cross,      A follower of the Lamb,      And shall I fear to own his cause,      Or blush to speak his name?      Must I be carried to the skies      On flowery beds of ease,      While others fought to win the prize,      And sailed through bloody seas?      Are there no foes for me to face?      Must I not stem the flood?      Is this vile world a friend to grace,      To help me on to God?      Sure I must fight, if I would reign;      Increase my courage, Lord;      I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,      Supported by thy word.      Thy saints in all this glorious war      Shall conquer, thou...

        Monday musical meditations on God's good news An opening prayer:      Jesus, tempted in the desert,      Lonely, hungry, filled with dread:      “Use your pow’r,” the tempter tells him;      “Turn these barren rocks to bread.        “Not alone by bread, he answers,      “Can the human heart be filled.      Only by the Word of mercy      Is our deepest hunger stilled!”      Jesus, tempted in the temple,      High above its ancient wall:      “Throw yourself from lofty turret;      Angels wait to break your fall!”        Jesus shuns such empty marvels,      Feats that fickle crowds request:      “God, whose grace protects, preserves us,      We must never vainly test.”      Jesus, tempted on...

       Monday musical meditations on God's good news An opening prayer:      “Alleluia,” song of sweetness, Voice of joy that cannot die—      “Alleluia”  is the anthem Ever dear to choirs on high.      “Praise the Lord, our King Almighty” —      Like loud thunder thus they cry.      “Alleluia” rings your echo, True Jerusalem and free.      “Alleluia,” with our mother, Singing, We all wish to be.      But by Babylon’s sad waters      Mourning exiles now are we.      “Alleluia” cannot always Be our song while here below;      “Alleluia” our transgressions Make us for a while forego,      For the solemn time is coming      When our Savior’s blood will flow.      Therefore in our hymns we pray you, Grant us, blessed Trinity,      At the last to keep your East...