“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
– Isaiah 11:1-2
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November 30, 2009 at 05:27
Glenn
That was wonderful!
Who was that singing?
I hope none of the ODM’s think you have gone Emergent -
you know, low light and candles………
November 30, 2009 at 12:47
sharon
Very reverent. It was refreshing to hear.
November 30, 2009 at 14:12
Ingrid Schlueter
The singer is Aled Jones, former choir boy who was on Songs of Praise on the BBC a lot when he was younger. Yes, I get new accusations every week, including one guy who has now linked VCY America to the dark forces of the illuminati. I’ve been called Roman Catholic for posting material from our LUTHERAN book of prayer (!) and some believe stained glass windows to be idolatry. (I have yet to see anyone at our church worshiping the stained glass, honest!)
November 30, 2009 at 16:30
Margaret L. Been
I’m glad you mentioned the stained glass! Although our church meets in a school, I love to visit a house of worship that expresses the beauty and creativity of our Lord–both in visual art and great music! A bleak and barren environment is not necessarily spiritual!
I think a lot about the issue of art that glorifies God, and the Christian’s responsibility to appreciate great works!
We have some family members who are in a huge mainline church which differs drastically in doctrines, from our Bible based fellowship. Sometimes we attend this different church, as a member of our family participates in the music there. I am always moved by the music. It’s classical or at least classic–always based on Scriptures, often directly quoting Psalms. Although thorough Bible teaching is missing there (and a lot has been added that is not Biblical), the music is truly worshipful and far more glorifying to God than most music I hear in Evangelical churches today–even including the church we regularly attend.
I have a little book which I read over and over:
ART FOR GOD’S SAKE–A Call to Recover the Arts, by Phillip Graham Ryken. I’m encouraged to know there is someone else who sees the issue as I do!
It breaks my heart to see how a crass, tasteless pop culture has taken over the mass mind today. It shouldn’t be that way for those of us who love our Lord, the Creator of beauty!
November 30, 2009 at 17:27
Ingrid Schlueter
Margaret, right on! Maria von Trapp had some interesting observations. She wrote that we are physical as well as spiritual beings. God gave us a tangible reminder of his sacrifice on the cross in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper. He gave a visible sign of the converted, which is Baptism. He could have kept it all spiritual. Why use water, why use bread and wine? He knew we are physical beings who need the physical reminders of what He did for us. Our church’s stained glass tell the story of the Gospel. I grew up sitting under one where Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. “Ye Must Be Born Again” it reads. Over the altar is the tiffany glass portrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. I saw that from the time I was 5 years old as we attended their Lutheran school. Those images reminded me of the Lord Jesus and His life here on earth. As you go around the church, it shows the cross, and the empty tomb.
Everywhere you look in that church you see reminders of what God did for us in Christ. Others can spend their church building money on savings and loan style buildings. I think even our architecture in our churches (if we’re going to have church buildings) should speak of our faith. Our church is actually in the shape of a cross when viewed from the air. All we do in corporate worship should sing of Christ, and our finest art should be reserved for that purpose.
Like the hymn says in these stanzas:
Angel voices, ever singing, round thy throne of light
Angel harps, for ever ringing, rest not day or night
Thousands only live to bless Thee
And confess Thee, Lord of might.
Thou who art beyond the farthest mortal eye can scan
Can it be that thou regardest songs of sinful man
Can we know that thou art near us
And wilt hear us, yea, we can.
Yea, we know that thou rejoicest o’er each work of thine
Thou didst ears and hands and voices for thy praise design
Craftsman’s art and music’s measure
For thy pleasure all combine.
In thy house, great God, we offer of Thine own to Thee
And for Thine acceptance proffer all unworthily
Hearts and minds and hands and voices
In our choicest psalmody.
Honor, glory, might and merit, thine shall ever be
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, blessed Trinity
Of the best that thou hast given
Earth and heaven render thee…
November 30, 2009 at 23:30
Glenn
I attend an unusual church. The main building is a remodeled
pole-barn structure that originally was a small fish processing
plant out in the country. When some expansion was done-
blowing out one end about 20 feet, we added a beautiful
stained glass window. The theme of the window was St. John
and the book of Revelation. On of our members had purchased the old St. John’s Episcopal church building in town
after they had merged with the Episcopal church in the next
town. Our education building is a new pole barn and the offices are in an old house on the property. It is all paid for.
Nothing fancy – a country church with cows nearby, but
nicely finished inside. An independent Baptist church that
still sings the old hymns and (gasp) still uses the KJV………..
and has a beautiful stained glass window. Does the Lord have a sense of humor, or what?!
What is sad this time of the year is that so much of so called
Christian TV is secularized Christmas programming,
but the really sacred music like above can be found
on PBS. Strange………
Thank you Ingrid for all you do and especially for the
clips of beautiful music you put up here. Have a wonderful
Advent season.