Hymns

The Longer I Serve Him

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV



Even as a young person, I always kind of liked this song, though it really was neither my style nor my story at the time. I kind of figured it had been written by one of the old fuddy-duddys at some church far away and long ago, but it did have a sweet feeling to it. Recently when I began singing it for the residents at various of the nursing homes which I visit, I began looking into the origins of the composition and was shocked to discover that it had been written by Bill and Gloria Gaither before they even turned thirty!


That is the way it is with God’s inspiration. He shares His riches with those whom He likes, and they have a timeless appeal, precisely because the music comes from Him. I hope you will be touched and blessed by my simple rendering of the Gaither’s classic, “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows”. I also pray that as you embark upon the challenges, difficulties and adventures of the New year, that you will discover how sweet and great a blessing it is to be serving Jesus no matter what your age!

We Gather Together

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name! Psalm 100:4 KJV

Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year when we in the United States gather with our family members, some of whom we may not have seen since the previous year. In our case we are heading to our son’s place in Texas soon, with another son coming with a grandson down from PA to join in. Our thankfulness may not resemble much the original feast held by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621, nevertheless we are genuinely grateful to have an opportunity to break from our busy schedules and recall God’s goodness through both our hardships as well as victories. God has been gracious, patient and kind, even when we were not. He has taught us more of forgiveness and continues to work in our hearts as we seek His will. A few weeks ago, during a senior’s luncheon, the pastor asked what everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving hymn was. Many replied, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, while I like some of the more modern songs on Thankfulness, but my wife surprised us all when she brought up, “We Gather Together.” Now, I actually always loved that older hymn, but had nearly forgotten its words as we probably had not sung it in church in nearly forty years. So, I opened up my old hymn book, and began practicing it, and introduced it into our song selection last week at the Life Care Center, Friday service. I do hope you will enjoy our simple rendition. Here on my third attempt, I actually made it all the way through without missing any of the lyrics! Have a blessed week everyone and think of ways you may gather to give thanks to the Lord. He always welcomes those who come into His gates with Thanksgiving!

Let’s Get With It!

/ pastorpete51 / 12 Comments

When we hear the name, “Isaac Watts” we think of some of the most biblically based, if slightly stodgy hymns. But I laughed when I read the background of how Isaac got started. It all began one day when as a teenager he complained to his father about the terribly boring music at church. His father wanting to challenge rather than correct Isaac, replied, “Give us something better young man!” Isaac’s attitude reminds me of some of the worship leaders we had in churches we attended early in our faith journey. On Sundays when our singing bordered on being lackadaisical, they would stop us mid-song and say something along the lines of, “God deserves better! Let’s get with it and really start praising Him!”

We sang this song in our Sunday afternoon meeting at Discovery Villages and though few of the folks were familiar with the hymn, they really enjoyed singing it. Maybe from where they sit, they have a clearer vision of the Zion which we are marching towards and sense the joy of the worship there as something far more real than anything here on earth. So, however you praise God, whether with contemporary worship or with the hymns, let’s get with it! Give Him your best and praise Him with a joyful heart, because after all, “We’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful City of God!”