celebrate the Sabbath... in Christ alone...

In Christ Alone
by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my all in all--
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid--
Here in the death of Christ I live.

Ther in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine--
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death--
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home--
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

celebrate the Sabbath...singing for joy!

Give thanks to the Lord,

call on His name;

make known among the nations

what He has done,

and proclaim that His name is exalted.

Sing to the Lord,

for He has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy,

people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you!"

~Psalm 12:4-6

celebrate the Sabbath...meditating on the beauty of the Body...

How Beautiful

~Twila Paris

How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.

How beautiful the feet that walked
the long dusty roads and the hills to the cross.

How beautiful...how beautiful...

how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled
that took all my sin and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that chose to forgive and never despise.

How beautiful...how beautiful...
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

And as He laid down His life
we offer this sacrifice that we will live just as he died:
willing to pay the price, willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radiant Bride
who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives so that others may live.

How beautiful...how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.

How beautiful...how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

celebrate the Sabbath in song...

A friend of mine lives and works in Brazil, and she recently posted the following worship song on her blog. She had translated it from Portuguese into English, and, for some reason, it spoke to my heart of such depth in its simplicity...

Enter into my house
Enter into my life
Change my structure
Heal all the wounds
Teach me to have holiness
I want to love only You
Because You are my greatest good,
Do a miracle in me.

Yes, Lord, this is my prayer...

flowers appear...

Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
~Song of Solomon 2:12

celebrate the Sabbath...with praise in song...

It is good to praise the LORD

and make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

~Psalm 92:1-4

Charles H Spurgeon (1874) on verses 1&4 regarding SINGING praises:

"It is good to give thanks in the form of vocal song. Nature itself teaches us thus to express our gratitude to God; do not the birds sing, and the brooks warble as they flow? To give his gratitude a tongue is wise in man. Silent worship is sweet, but the vocal worship is sweeter. To deny the tongue the privilege of uttering the praises of God involves an unnatural strain upon the most commendable promptings of our renewed manhood...Our personal experience has confirmed us in the belief that it is good to sing unto the Lord; we have often felt like Luther when he said, "Come, let us sing a psalm, and drive away the devil.""

"It was natural for the psalmist to sing, because he was glad, and to sing unto the Lord, because his gladness was caused by a contemplation of the divine work. If we consider either creation or providence, we shall find overflowing reasons for joy; but when we come to review the work of redemption, gladness know no bounds, but feels that she much praise the Lord with all her might. Ther are times when in the contemplation of redeeming love we feel that if we did not sing we must die; silence would be as horrible to us as if we were gagged by inquisitors, or stifled by murderers. "I sing for joy at the works of your hands." I cannot help it, I must and I will rejoice in the Lord, even as one who has won the victory and has divided great spoil!"