As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“The season of anticipation begins with the Ash Wednesday proclamation, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.’ In a world desperate to avoid reminders of mortality, nothing could sound stranger.” - Breakpoint
Things you probably didn’t know: “1. The Library of Congress has an amazing ‘Amazing Grace’ collection…. 2. One of the verses of ‘Amazing Grace’ was stolen.” - TGC
“When we’re discussing hymns being ‘well-written,’ we’re not only referring to the lyrics but also the melody. Great melodies tend to gain staying power; they endure across generations.” - 9 Marks
“When you read a well-crafted hymn such as When I Survey the Wond’rous Cross, you will feel the cadence, even if unaware of the melody composed for it. This is why composers can keep writing new tunes … also why many people (particularly in ages past) would read hymnals as they would any devotional book, and even delight in the hymns they’d never heard.” - C.Leaders
“The popular hymn prompted a movement to revive congregational singing and launched the careers of Keith and Kristyn Getty.” - RNS
“Young people today (I include myself in this group) aren’t looking for something new. They aren’t looking for something relevant. We’re looking for something true. Something ancient.” - C. Leaders
“Třanovský knew something about suffering. He lived during the devastating Thirty-Year War, was imprisoned once, exiled twice, and forced to move several times. Three of his children died, and both he and the people under his care suffered the consequences of wars, pillaging, and pestilence. He was bedridden and in pain for eight months before going to meet his Savior.” - Ref21
“Users of the online database [hymnary.org] doubled as the novel coronavirus closed many church buildings this spring, and the website now is nearing 40 million page views for 2020, its highest ever.” - RNS
Most commonly sung congregational songs in the U.S. 2000–2015 vs. 1737–1960: “Among many similarities, one difference was striking: the topic of heaven, which once was frequently and richly sung about, has now all but disappeared.” - C.Leaders
Read Part 1.
As the darkness gives way to the daylight, we notice long shadows—perhaps moving directly upon us.
Shadows have the capacity to unnerve—even frighten us. Sometimes the shadows may be mistaken for something real. At other times, something real may be hiding in the shadows.
Shadows make us uncomfortable. They represent incompleteness and uncertainty—”variation or shadow of turning” (Js. 1:17).
Discussion