Meditation on the Hymn for this Sunday 7th Sunday after Trinity

 A Meditation from a Hymn and the Scriptures-7th Sunday after Trinity

  Perhaps many of us have found comfort in singing good hymns.  The 1940 Hymnal is a good place to start ( Prot. Episopal Church).  For the 6th Sunday of Trinity hymns a hymn originally titled , O Conqueror" with a first line " O North...." is appointed, no. 541.  I have used these hymns in my daily prayers .  This one is quite meaninful.

The hymn was written by W. Cullen Bryant, 1794-1878 .  He was a lawyer in Massachusetts. He wrote over 20 hymns.  He wrote for the " New York Post" as well. The tune to this hymn, " O North.." is catchy and easy to sing.  

1. The first verse is much about nature ;however in the second verse he talks about the coming of the Son of Man, " Lo, in the clouds of heaven appears God's well-beloved Son; He brings a train of brighter years; His kingdom is begun.  He comes a guilty world to bless, with mercy, truth and righteousness."

Have you ever needed encouragement ?  Of course!  We all need it.  It can be perilous to base our lives on politics, the news or difficult events such as losses.

We live in a time when the abundance of life is lacking in its teaching of the coming of the Christ in brightness.  Too often we are down in our thinking with the baseless and depressing claims of our society .  We thought we had advanced , but we took too many steps  in our thinking to a sad way of living. We hear the weather and the comment is , " mother nature sent us..."  This seems to accentuate godless commentary on life to me.  God the Creator should be acknowledged even by NBC. Could they say, " God sent?"  That does not seem too religiously offensive.

Acknowledgment of guilt is absent from the culture.  We look for ways to blame everyone except our own sin. His kingdom has begun.  At death we are re-united eternally and presentally with Him forever.  His kingdom is begun the hymn reminds us .  It is  past, present and future.  We should not narrow its scope as the world does. Hebrews 1 :2 says " in these last days , spoken unto us by His Son"

2.  " O Father, haste the promised hour, When at His feet shall lie, All Rule, All Authority, and power beneath the ample sky; When He shall reign from pole to pole. The Lord of every human soul."

I like these words from the 3rd stanza.  What a lovely quiet way to say what is true and beautiful for all to know.  He is the Lord of every human soul .

What will it take for us to acknowledge this ?  A disaster in our lives ...It certainly wakes us up.  We need Him every hour.

Philippians 2:10 says, " ...at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord"

3. Lastly the 4th vs brings it home for us who live now in this world, " When all shall heed the words He said, Amid their daily cares.."

The hard part is not on the Lord's Day Worship to glorify Him.  We start there , but it is the daily list of things that seem to escape our glorifying God alone. Can we do all things to the glory of God?  Whether we are nourishing our bodies with food, or whatever we do, we can remember and do these things to God's glory.

" And by the loving life He led, Shall seek to pattern theirs; And He who conquered death shall win the mightier conquest over sin."

Perhaps most of this can be summed up in the wonderful prayer for today from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, " The Collect

LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

There is a true religion.  There is true goodness .  The LORD is the author of all good things.  Good and well-written hymns are in that category.  The hymn we have talked about focuses on much that is good---The Lord is come, and His kingdom is come now.  We needs the brightness of His Word, His kingdom and His pleasure in so much that is drab, dismal and dark in this present age.  

He indeed is the Lord of every human soul.  May our lives reflect His life in all that we say and do.