Who said Presbyterians Don't Believe in Ubiquity?

Ubiquity (definition):

Maybe I'm the only one who finds this funny (the use of the word "ubiquity" in different contexts) and concerning (for theological, pragmatic, cultural, and aesthetic reasons too involved to go into just now).

A New Hymn of Praise

As my friends know, I am a big proponent of the classic hymns of the Christian faith.  The best ones have solid doctrinal content and singable, reverent tunes.  They are treasures to be taught and passed down to future generations.

I'm also a big fan of singing the Psalms.  What's better than singing the words of uninspired men is to sing the actual inspired Word of God itself!  In addition to the Psalms, however, there are also passages throughout other books of the Bible that contain a wealth of textual material for singing.  These are called "Canticles."  (For example, the Nunc Dimittis and the Magnificat.)

A few years ago I was reading through the book of Daniel and ran across a poem that I thought would be great to sing as a hymn.  The following are the words of the prophet Daniel, in response to the Lord having revealed to him the meaning of the king Nebuchadnezzar's dream:

(20) Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
(21) He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
(22) he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
(23) To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king's matter

(Daniel 2:20-23)

I wondered why such a great song of praise has never been put to verse. (Well, if it has, I have never seen it.)  So I made an attempt at transforming the text to meter. (I haven't yet gotten around to rhyming it, however.)  Here is what I have come up with.  It is in LM or 88 88 meter, and can be sung to just about any tune that fits those meters (for example, "Old Hundredth," aka "The Doxology").

Forever bless-ed be God's name,
To whom wis-dom and might belong.
He changes times and seasons too;
Removeth kings and sets them up.

He giveth wisdom to the wise,
Knowledge to those who grasp the truth;
Revealeth deep and hidden things;
He knows the dark, but dwells in light.

God of our fathers, unto You
We give you thanks and give you praise,
For You gave us wis-dom and might,
Revealed to us what we have asked.

What do you think?

Edifying Thoughts of a Tobacco Smoker

On land, at sea, at home, abroad, / I smoke my pipe and worship God."

Here's a little poem I discovered that is believed to be written by none other than Johann Sebastian Bach, illustrating the contemplative nature of pipe smoking and Bach's right understanding that all of life--even the most mundane parts--is an act of worship.

Whene'er I take my pipe and stuff it
And smoke to pass the time away
My thoughts, as I sit there and puff it,
Dwell on a picture sad and grey:
It teaches me that very like
Am I myself unto my pipe.

Like me this pipe, so fragrant burning,
Is made of naught but earthen clay;
To earth I too shall be returning,
And cannot halt my slow decay.
My well used pipe, now cracked and broken,
Of mortal life is but a token.

No stain, the pipe's hue yet doth darken;
It remains white. Thus do I know
That when to death's call I must harken
My body, too, all pale will grow.
To black beneath the sod 'twill turn,
Likewise the pipe, if oft it burn.

Or when the pipe is fairly glowing,
Behold then instantaneously,
The smoke off into thin air going,
'Til naught but ash is left to see.
Man's fame likewise away will burn
And unto dust his body turn.

How oft it happens when one's smoking,
The tamper's missing from it's shelf,
And one goes with one's finger poking
Into the bowl and burns oneself.
If in the pipe such pain doth dwell
How hot must be the pains of Hell!

Thus o'er my pipe in contemplation
Of such things - I can constantly
Indulge in fruitful meditation,
And so, puffing contentedly,
On land, at sea, at home, abroad,
I smoke my pipe and worship God.

From "The Second Little Clavier Book For Anna Magdalena" by J.S. Bach

Jesus, our Emmanuel

At this time of year, we listen to (and, hopefully, sing) a lot of Christmas carols. I was listening to Wesley's "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" today and began thinking about one verse in particular:

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see:
Hail, the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark, the herald-angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!

This verse is full of rich theological concepts, packaged into a compact little piece of poetry. It is the product of talent, skill, and a thorough understanding of God's Word. My heart rejoices to sing such wonderful words about my Savior. Would that today's Christian musicians produce such works of eloquence and biblical fidelity.

Glory to the newborn King! Merry Christmas to you and yours.