Poems of Praise – Thelma Westra

This being National Poetry Month, it is only appropriate that we feature a collection of poems written by a very special woman from our home church, Mrs. Thelma Westra. Thelma is a wonderful Christian lady (now widowed) who has been given the gift of poetry and has used it to pen “poems of praise” for many years. Often these occur in our monthly church newsletter; they have also been published in The Standard Bearer and school newsletters over the years.

But this past Monday I also learned that they had been put together into a book titled Poems of Praise. Today I thought I would feature a couple of these beautiful poems that throughout call us to praise the Lord for Who He is and for all His works and ways. They are solidly Biblical and Reformed and good food for the soul.

I wish I knew if this collection were available in stores. I suspect it may be available from the author. I will get more information on this and add it to this post at a later time. In the meantime, here are a couple.

Sing Praise

Lift up your voice to praise the Lord;
His name alone must be adored;
He showers blessings day by day
And leads us in His chosen way.
Let songs of praise fill heart and tongue;
Revere His name, both old and young.

He is the mighty King of kings
Whose arm to us salvation brings;
Though trials threaten, He will guide,
We’re not alone – He’s by our side,
His tender mercy to us shows;
He all our cares and sorrows knows.

Sing praise; He is the Lord of all,
Let us, His children, prostrate fall.
O come, His holiness proclaim
And magnify His holy name.
With adoration bend the knee;
Exalt His name eternally.

And a special one for Spring:

The Winter is Past

The frozen turf is softened by the sun
And gentle rains descend;
A lighter, warmer breeze has now begun
To signal winter’s end.

The snowdrop and the crocus start to poke
Green sprouts above the earth;
The fine mist vanishes like wispy smoke -
The world speaks of rebirth.

I praise the Lord for beauty of the spring
When hope is born anew.
He makes my very soul with rapture sing,
His light is breaking through.

As He renews creation all around,
His awesome power is shown;
My life is also quickened to abound
With praise to God alone.

National Poetry Month – Poets.org

National Poetry Month- Poets.org – Poetry, Poems, Bios & More.

April is National Poetry Month and today I thought I would reintroduce you to the great website of the American Academy of Poets, where you will find poems of all kinds for people of all kinds. Here you can search for specific poets and poems or for specific subjects, and sign up for the “poem-a-day” feature. And, because the website is devoted to many classic English and American poets, you will also find great poems by Christian poets.

This is how the AAP introduces this special month:

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events.

We would be remiss if we did not feature a special poem today. Because we have entered the Spring season, and because my daffodils are pushing their way upward, we will reference this English classic by William Wordsworth (1770-1850):

The Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A Poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed–and gazed–but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Good Friday 2013 – Selected Poems by A.Toplady and W.Cowper

Today the church of Christ commemorates the death of her Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. There are many ways one can commemorate this historic and salvific event of Calvary. Many will gather for worship today or tonight. Some will attend the afternoon service at Seventh Reformed Church here in Grand Rapids, where for years now the seven words of Jesus spoken from the cross are reflected on by various Reformed ministers, including Protestant Reformed ones. Others may commemorate the event privately by reading the Word of God, praying, and singing.

Certainly another profitable activity is to read edifying the writings of Christian poets, and two of my favorites are Augustus Toplady and William Cowper. On this Good Friday 2013 I post a poem from each of these men, trusting that they will be profitable to you as you remember and reflect on Christ’s death.

A.Toplady Hymn XIV. Thanksgiving for the Sufferings of Christ

1 O Thou who didst thy glory leave,
Apostate sinners to retrieve,
From nature’s deadly fell;
Me thou hast purchas’d with a price,
Nor shall my crimes in judgment rise,
For thou hast borne them all.

2 Jesus was punish’d in my stead,
Without the gate my surety bled,
To expiate my stain;
On earth the Godhead deign’d to dwell,
And made of infinite avail,
The suff’rings of the man.

3 And was he for his rebels giv’n?
He was: th’ incarnate King of hev’n
Did for his foes expire;
Amaz’d, O earth, the tidings hear;
He bore, that we might never bear,
His Father’s righteous ire.

4 Ye saints, the man of sorrows bless,
The God for your unrighteousness,
Deputed to atone:
Praise him ’till with the heav’nly throng,
Ye sing the never-ending song,
And see him on his throne.

Hymns and Poems, Augustus M. Toplady (Cross Publishing, 1971)

W.Cowper, Olney Hymns, XV. Praise for the Fountain Opened (Zech.xiii 1)

There is a fountain fill’d with blood,

Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

And there have I, as vile as he,

Wash’d all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransom’d church of God

Be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,

I’ll sing Thy power to save;

When this poor lisping stammering tongue

Lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared

(Unworthy though I be)

For me a blood-bought free reward,

A golden harp for me!

‘Tis strung and tuned for endless years,

And form’d by power divine,

To sound in God the Father’s ears

No other name but Thine.

A Smorgasbord of Heidelberg Catechism Items! – 450th Anniversary Series(9)

As we continue our year-long series commemorating the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563-2013), our post today is going to be a smorgasbord of items. In the last week some other things connected to the “HC” and its 450th anniversary have come to mind and to my attention, and I want to get the notice of these things out there (before they leave my mind or I lose my mind!).

First, I call your attention to a new website that has been created to advertise the Protestant Reformed Seminary’s upcoming conference on the 450th anniversary of the “HC” – “Our Only Comfort”. This conference is scheduled for Oct.17-19 this Fall, and Hudsonville PRC was asked to host and to help organize and promote this event. Plans are well under way, and this website will be the “go to” place for information on this important conference. Be sure to check it out, bookmark it, and return to it often, as new material will be added frequently (It includes a blog as well!).

Secondly, I want to note that prior to the meeting of the PRC Classis West next Tuesday in Lynden, WA there will be an Officebearer’s Conference on the Heidelberg Catechism. If you are in that area, you will want to attend this significant conference as well. More information on that may be found on this page of the PRC website. I trust that the speeches will be recorded, so I will be sure to link to those when they become available.

Thirdly, were you aware that daily meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism may be found on the website of the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church, our sister church in Singapore? Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know – now you do! Written by PRC pastors, these meditations are another great way to grow in the Reformed faith and in your love of the “HC”. Be sure to visit this page and make use of these in your personal devotions this year!

The fourth item on our smorgasbord table today is another reference to the URC Psalmody site (blog) of Michael Kearney, who is doing a year-long series connecting the Heidelberg Catechism, the Psalms, and Psalm-singing on Wednesdays this year. Yesterday he posted on the beautiful 9th Lord’s Day of the catechism (on the Fatherhood of God), and included a link to a YouTube video of Covenant Christian High (Grand Rapids, MI) singing a medley of two psalms related to the truths in this Lord’s Day. You will want to follow this blog as well and appreciate the beautiful harmony between the personal character of the “HC” and the personal character of the Psalms.

And, finally, in the last month I found another Thrift store treasure (but a brand new book!) – a collection of poems written by a local woman named Nancy Moelker and published under the title In God’s Arms: Inspirational Poems for the Christian Soul (Golden Apple Greetings, 2012). In her collection is a poem on Lord’s Day 1 of the “HC” – “My Only Comfort”. Today I also post this for our spiritual profit:

My only comfort in life and in death,
Through all of my days and at my final breath,
Is that I belong, both in body and soul,
To my faithful Savior – this I know!

With His precious blood He has cleansed me from sin
And freed me from Satan’s power within.
He preserves and keeps me in all of my ways,
Leading and guiding through all of my days.

Not a hair can fall from my head, I know,
Without my Father willing it so.
God works everything, whether good or ill,
For my salvation by His sovereign will.

And the Spirit assures me that beyond this world’s strife,
Belonging to Jesus, I have eternal life.
And henceforth, wholeheartedly, by His power within,
I’m ready and willing to live unto Him.

(Nancy then also quotes three Bible passages: Romans 14:8, 1 Peter 1:18,19, and Romans 8:16. If you are interested in obtaining this fine book of poetry, you may get in touch with Nancy at ncyemoelker@gmail.com.)

That’s it for today! Enjoy exploring these items on the “HC”!

Long, Dark Winters and Jesus – John Newton

John Newton Understood Winter – Desiring God.

“Desiring God” posted this wonderful poem of John Newton (converted slave-trader and hymnwriter – “Amazing Grace”) on the connection between the changing seasons and the believer’s relation to Jesus. When you read it, you will understand why Jonathan Parnell gave it the title he did: “John Newton Understood Winter”. May it bring some cheer to us who know the long winters and the dark skies.

None upon Earth I Desire Beside Thee

How tedious and tasteless the hours,
When Jesus no longer I see!
Sweet prospects, sweet birds, and sweet flow’rs,
Have lost all their sweetness to me.
The mid-summer sun shines but dim,
The fields strive in vain to look gay;
But when I am happy in Him,
December’s as pleasant as May.

His name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice:
I should, were He always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal so happy as I,
My summer would last all the year.

Content with beholding His face,
My all to His pleasure resigned,
No changes of season or place
Would make any change in my mind.
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear;
And prisons would palaces prove,
If Jesus would dwell with me there.

Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine,
If Thou art my sun and my song;
Say, why do I languish and pine,
And why are my winters so long?
O drive these dark clouds from my sky,
Thy soul-cheering presence restore;
Or take me unto Thee on high,
Where winter and clouds are no more.

“The Sweet Life” – Thoughts on Books and Reading

This summer I just happened to take in a Mission Thrift store in South Haven, Mich. (right behind the great Sherman’s ice cream store!), and there I found and bought one of the neatest little specialty books I have. It is titled The Sweet Life: Reflections on Home and Garden written (mostly edited) by Laura Stoddart and published by Chronicle Books (2001). What grabbed my attention when I started thumbing through this book was not only all the wonderful etchings and quotes on home and garden, but also all the wonderful quotes from various authors and poets on books and reading! Naturally, I had to buy the book And now I can share some of its contents with you.

For example, these lines from Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) serve as a “preface” to the book:

Go, little book, and wish to all,
Flowers in the garden, meat in the hall,
A bin of wine, a spice of wit,
A house with lawns enclosing it,
A living  river by the door,
A nightingale in the sycamore!

Or these quotes found in the first section called “The House”:

I should like the window to open on to the lake of Geneva – and there I’d sit and read all day like the picture of somebody reading. -John Keats (1795-1821) in a letter to his sister, Fanny

Dreams, books, are each a world; and books, we know,
Are a substantial world, both pure and good.
Round these, with tendrils strong as flesh and blood,
Our pastime and our happiness will grow.
-William Wordsworth (1770-1850) from Personal Talk

(There is) no furniture so charming as books, even if you never open them, or read a single word. -Sydney Smith (1771-1845)

There, now you have a taste of this fine little book. There is much to it and in it, so perhaps another time I can share some more.

A Mother’s Trust (“Beneath the Blood-Stained Lintel”)

Last week while cataloging a new book on infant baptism that had been obtained for the Seminary library, I came across this poem in the front of the book. After a little “Google” research, I discovered that this “hymn”, usually titled “Beneath the Blood-Stained Lintel”, was written by pastor Henry (“Harry”) Ironside and put to the tune of “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”. It is a wonderful testimony to the trust of believing mothers – and fathers! – in the covenant mercies of God as they are revealed in the generations of the righteous. May we ever stand on and pray on this foundation with regard to our children, young or old.

 

Beneath the blood-stained lintel I with my children stand;
A messenger of evil is passing through the land.
There is no other refuge from the destroyer’s face;
Beneath the blood-stained lintel shall be our hiding place.

The Lamb of God has suffered, our sins and griefs He bore;
By faith the blood is sprinkled above our dwelling’s door.
The foe who seeks to enter doth fear that sacred sign;
Tonight the blood-stained lintel shall shelter me and mine.

My Savior, for my dear ones I claim Thy promise true.
The Lamb is “for the household”—the children’s Savior too.
On earth the little children once felt Thy touch divine;
Beneath the blood-stained lintel Thy blessing give to mine.

O Thou who gave them, guard them, those wayward little feet,
The wilderness before them, the ills of life to meet.
My mother love is helpless, I trust them to Thy care!
Beneath the blood-stained lintel, oh, keep me ever there!

The faith I rest upon Thee Thou will not disappoint;
With wisdom, Lord, to train them, my shrinking heart anoint.
Without my children, Father, I cannot see Thy face;
I plead the blood-stained lintel, Thy covenant of grace.

Oh, wonderful Redeemer, Who suffered for our sake,
When o’er the guilty nations the judgment storm shall break,
With joy from that safe shelter may we then meet Thine eye,
Beneath the blood-stained lintel, my children, Lord, and I.

Ascension Poems: J.Donne and A.Toplady

For our Ascension Day meditation on the all-glorious Jesus Christ today we also feature these two poems by familiar English poets John Donne (1572-1631) and Augustus Toplady (1740-1778). The poem by Donne (one of the great “metaphysical” poets, known for his “Holy Sonnets”) was actually sent to me via email for Easter Sunday by the Academy of American Poets (poets.org), but I saved it for this day because of its title and fitting application for today. The poem by Toplady (the ardent Anglican Calvinist also known for his hymn “Rock of Ages” – go here to find more of his texts) comes from a small, musty book I’ve had for years, titled Contemplations on the Sufferings, Death, and Resurrection of Christ (Gospel Standard Baptist Trust, 1976). I pray that these powerful words of prose may also edify your soul as we reflect on our Lord’s ascension today.

Ascension
by John Donne

Salute the last, and everlasting day,
Joy at the uprising of this Sun, and Son,
Ye whose true tears, or tribulation
Have purely wash’d, or burnt your drossy clay.
Behold, the Highest, parting hence away,
Lightens the dark clouds, which He treads upon;
Nor doth he by ascending show alone,
But first He, and He first enters the way.
O strong Ram, which hast batter’d heaven for me!
Mild lamb, which with Thy Blood hast mark’d the path!
Bright Torch, which shinest, that I the way may see!
O, with Thy own Blood quench Thy own just wrath;
And if Thy Holy Spirit my Muse did raise,
Deign at my hands this crown of prayer and praise.

Spiritual Exultation
by Augustus M. Toplady

1. Sons of God, triumphant rise,
Shout th’ accomplished sacrifice:
Shout your sins in Christ forgiven,
Sons of God, and heirs of heaven.

2. Ye that round our altars throng,
Listening angels, join the song;
Sing with us, ye heavenly powers,
Pardon, grace, and glory ours!

3. Love’s mysterious work is done;
Greet we now th’ atoning Son;
Healed and quickened by His blood,
Joined to Christ, and one with God.

4. Christ, of all our hopes the seal,
Peace divine in Him we feel;
Everlasting life is won,
Glory is on earth begun.

5. Christ to laud in songs divine,
Angels and archangels join;
We with them our voices raise,
Echoing thy eternal praise.

6. Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Live by heaven and earth adored;
Full of Thee, they ever cry,
Glory be to God most high.

Comfort and Hope for the Afflicted

As a follow-up to my previous post, and because, as our son-in-law says, there are many of God’s children with their own crosses to bear, I also include these two messages of comfort and hope today. The one was, most appropriately, my “Grace Gems” devotional for this date. The other is a favorite poem that has given me personal encouragement. I pray that these will also be of benefit to you as you face your own trials and afflictions. We pray for you too.

 

What school shall I go to?

(J. C. Ryle)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all–how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Would I learn how to be contented and cheerful under all the cares and anxieties of life? What school shall I go to? How shall I attain this state of mind most easily? Shall I look at the sovereignty of God, the wisdom of God, the providence of God, the love of God? It is well to do so; but I have a better argument still.

I will look at Calvary and the crucifixion. I feel that He who spared not His only begotten Son but delivered Him up to die for me–will surely with Him give me all things that I really need. He who endured that pain for my soul–will surely not withhold from me anything that is really good. He who has done the greater things for me–will doubtless do the lesser things also. He who gave His own blood to procure me a home in Heaven–will unquestionably supply me with all that is really profitable for me by the way. Ah, reader, there is no school for learning contentment that can be compared with Calvary and the foot of the cross!

 

It’s in the Valleys I Grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It’s then I have to remember
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it’s in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan’s loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I’m feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me,
Lord And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valleys I grow!

written by Jane Eggleston of Virginia.

William Cowper – Olney Hymns

Poets’ Corner – William Cowper – Olney Hymns.

On this last day of April, which is National Poetry month, it is good for us to consider and meditate on a couple of precious poems by William Cowper. The two I have selected are taken from his “Olney Hymns”, about which the website above has this to say:

These hymns were written between 1765 and 1773 at the village of Olney (OHN’ee) where Cowper was under the influence of the Anglican Evangelical preacher John Newton. This was a period of great religious fervor within the Evangelical movement and for Cowper, and this enthusiasm is clear in the poems. … The hymns show Cowper’s command of direct, simple language. They also show the clarity of his mind. Each hymn is a little sermon…. Bob Blair

I have chosen two of these hymns for us today. The first speaks of the beauty and power of God’s Word, while the second describes the blessed fruit of the trials God brings into our lives. May both of these bless your soul and lead you to bless the Lord for His goodness to us.

 

XXX. The Light and Glory of the Word

The Spirit breathes upon the word,

And brings the truth to sight;

Precepts and promises afford

A sanctifying light.

A glory gilds the sacred page,

Majestic like the sun;

It gives a light to every age,

It gives, but borrows none.

The hand that gave it still supplies

The gracious light and heat;

His truths upon the nations rise,

They rise, but never set.

Let everlasting thanks be thine,

For such a bright display,

As makes a world of darkness shine

With beams of heavenly day.

My soul rejoices to pursue

The steps of Him I love,

Till glory break upon my view

In brighter worlds above.

XXXV. Welcome Cross

‘Tis my happiness below

Not to live without the cross,

But the Saviour’s power to know,

Sanctifying every loss;

Trials must and will befall;

But with humble faith to see

Love inscribed upon them all,

This is happiness to me. 

God in Israel sows the seeds

Of affliction, pain, and toil;

These spring up and choke the weeds

Which would else o’erspread the soil:

Trials make the promise sweet,

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to His feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there. 

Did I meet no trials here,

No chastisement by the way,

Might I not with reason fear

I should prove a castaway?

Bastards may escape the rod,

Sunk in earthly vain delight;

But the true-born child of God

Must not — would not, if he might.