Longing for a Holiday at Sea

It seems to me that every year a plethora of new Christian songs hits the scene. Consequently, when I visit a church, I don’t know most of the songs. We were listening to the radio while driving to church tonight and some acidy sounding rock came on and I asked DD to change the station. She replied, “Mom: it’s a Christian band.” Huh?

At the risk of sounding ancient, I liked it when there weren’t so many new hymns and praise songs on the scene (maybe there were, but it felt like for the first 15 years of my Christian life, there wasn’t so much continual change).

And I am grateful to the scripture-based songs I learned. I could hear two of them in my head as I read the passages tonight.

I grew up in an nominally Christian home (my parents told me I attended the holy roller church… I didn’t even know what that meant ’til years later… and I’m sure the Presbyterians who had an early impact on my spiritual life would be amused at my parents’ misguided reference). However, I’m still amazed that my parents let me attend that church and other Bible studies from the time I was a third grader.

Some of my girlfriends from Bible study onvinced me to sing with them for a talent show in front of my entire fifth grade class (maybe the entire school…  I don’t know: it’s a blur now). You have to realize, we were NOT in a Christian school, by any means.

I’ll never forget the song (based on Luke 14: 15ff) and its chorus:

I cannot come to the banquet, don’t trouble me now.
I have married a wife; I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum.
Pray, hold me excused, I cannot come.

Would you believe we got a kick out of changing the words? As in: “I have bought me a wife; I have married a cow.”

But I learned the song. And it taught me Scripture. And it told me that I better not turn down God’s invitation to the banquet! And by His grace alone, I didn’t.

By the way, the rest of the lyrics are here and there’s an interesting cover of it on YouTube. I think our performance was a bit more lively, however.

I’m not done yet.

I also loved the song based on Psalm 48.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
In the city of our God,
In the mountain of His holiness.
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
Is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.

I found the lyrics listed under “classic hymns” (Classic? I think it was written in the 60s!) on hymnal.net. Apparently kids are still learning Scripture from this song, at least in other parts of the world, as shown on YouTube.

I loved singing that  song, too, that God’s city — and God Himself  – are beautiful, the joy of the earth. What a great praise song!

Well, thanks for joining me on my trip down memory lane!

Today’s Readings: Judges 1:1-3:6, Psalm 48:1-7, Proverbs 14:14-17, Luke 14:1-24. See About for what I’m up to with these daily posts. Your daily blogger, Holiday Longing (Reproduce with permission only).