It is good to be home again in New Zealand. I enjoy being able to pop across to my mother’s home on Sunday evenings and watch the BBC’s Songs of Praise with her.
But not today, as we are in covidian lockdown – again!
With Songs of Praise I am not so keen on the choirs, the organs and the Latin whenever they appear, but I do love it when they go into a community and weave local stories with historic songs, having both bearing witness to the Lord Jesus. Out comes google maps, open goes my mouth, and in I jump as well. It is some of the best nurture of my spirituality that I know. I love loud and affective congregational singing. I feel cheated when worship bands choose performance music which they like to sing, but which I do not – or, more commonly, can not.
A few years ago, when I was with my mother, I heard a hymn I don’t think I’d ever heard before. “Is this one of your English ones, mum?” [NB: my parents lived in England for awhile]. It came on again last week.
Here it is (with slightly updated lyrics, although I couldn’t change the first phrase):
the darkness falls at your behest;
to you our morning hymns ascended,
your praise shall sanctify our rest.
We thank you that your church unsleeping,
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping,
and rests not now by day or night.
As to each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
your church beneath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
your wondrous doings heard on high.
So be it, Lord: your throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
your kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
till all your creatures own your sway.
Check out this ‘congregation’ singing this hymn, with an orchestra. Wish I’d been there, although you know musicians are running the show because they skip verses. True worshippers would never commit such a crime… ! Seriously, what could possibly make you want to skip verse 3 and save a few seconds? [NB: Goodness me, I am cleansing myself of some irritations with this post :)].
The ends of the earth? That’s me, a New Zealander. Not only are we at the ends of the earth from the Middle East, the blessing took its time to reach us. We are among the last to receive this blessing (not much more than 200 years ago) but, with the way the time-zones work, we NZers are among the first to offer praise – which is where this psalm travels, as you move through its verses…
Good morning to friends stretched across the Langham Preaching ministry worldwide,
Another day is dawning, a new week is commencing over here in the far east of NZ, leading the world, as we do, in time-zones…
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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I grew up signing that hymn! We used to sing it at the end of every evening service at the Baptist Tab during Don Dixon's time – it's probably the first hymn I learned all the words of off by heart, and it was such a stir to the imagination of this somewhat intense child and teenager. I always loved the bit about the church being unsleeping as the world rolled on, and the constancy of God's throne as the world's empires passed away. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
That is very cool, Heather.
I used to love singing in the Baptist Tab and a full house letting-it-rip with this one would be amazing.
Take care, under his care for you
Only just seeing this post…I LOVE that hymn – very often sung as the final piece at the end of a Sunday evening service. Both hymns & Sunday evening services seem to be being disposed off, if not gone already. The fourth verse was always my favourite, but the last verse roused & reminded you of God's reign as you set off into the new week…
This hymn has kept me going numerous times during our time here in NZ – the reminder that God is at work in & through His people around the world, no matter what our skies tell us about day/night.
I've still not got over the shock that you didn't know this hymn though… 😉
It is a particularly beautiful hymn for someone from England, even from Yorkshire, to be singing and loving here in NZ. Especially that verse 4. And yep, I watched it with mum maybe 4 years ago and don't remember ever locking onto the words before that time.
Paul