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March 22, 2007
Let every creature rise and bring, Peculiar honors to our King
Last night, just after we sang this hymn a dog barked outside the window. During either this hymn or another song, the fish in the picture above did a little shimy up one side of the aquarium. In my anthropomorphising of their behavior I ascribed these acts as they bringing their "peculiar honors" to their king.
Even as I wrote that previous sentence, I realized that my labelling of their actions as anthropomorphic, though essentially true, betrays my mindset to give rather to much due to science, or more precisely, to naturalism. This same bent leads me to perhaps overly question the miraculous. This problem which I find in myself, I find to be even more of a problem in some Christian circles, even conservative ones. Sometimes we truly think and act as if we were materialists, and in so doing sell our birthright as Christians.
So, while the animals were not likely joining in with our chorus, they will and all creation will be completely realigned with God one day, and honor him in whatever peculiar way they are made to. Without knowing how it works, we need to be a little less metaphorical about all creation praising God.
Lewis has some lovely passages trying to depict this truth in both the Chronicles of Narnia and in his Space Trilogy.
At any rate, last night the first few songs of house church were old school hymns, which warmed my heart. Whatever one might think/feel regarding the hymns/choruses discussion, it cannot be denied that some of the old hymns have some lovely poetry in them.
This blog post's title is from Jesus Shall Reign, which has some lyricsthat have a decidedly colonial bent to them. However, allowing for that, the sentiment of the hymn is brilliant, that all peoples and creatures will one day praise God and the Curse will be undone.
Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.
Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.
Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!
Oh, and we sang this hymn with a nice refrain created by our church's music director which drives home this message.
"Heaven and earth resound! Jesus shall reign.
Far as the curse is found. Jesus shall reign!"
Amen and amen.
Church Life and Theology | By jackdas | 7:51 PM
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