From the Inside Out

During Covid I began journaling through some of the old hymns. Such an exercise allows me to slow my thinking and discover more meaning in the lyrics than when I quickly sing or read through them.

Today I invite you to contemplate with me the hymn, “O Worship the King” by Robert Grant (1779-1838), that sublimely ascribes to God the glory, honor, and veneration he deserves. To include all five verses would make too long a post, so I chose just the first:  

I praise You, O God, King of the universe, who has all authority and power over everything—every detail of creation down to the last sparrow, every detail of history including deposing kings and raising up others, every detail of the lives of those who delight in You [1].

I praise You, O God, “all glorious above,” ruling from Your lofty and exalted throne, a throne ablaze with flames. Surrounding Your throne glimmers a rainbow, and Your train fills the temple, indicating Your majesty and splendor, riches and power [2].

Above You seraphs cry “Holy, holy, holy,” and around You angels and saints worship You. Lamps blaze, lightning flashes, and thunder rumbles [3]!

Just these few details fill my heart with wonder at Your magnificence.

How is it that You, an infinite God who is glorious beyond words, should love humanity? You even love me! With the hymnwriter I “gratefully sing [of Your] wonderful love”—a love expressed in countless ways.

You’ve:

• Provided the way to enter Your kingdom
• Forgiven my sins
• Filled me with Your Holy Spirit
• Sustained me through difficult times
• Attended to all my needs
• Blessed me far beyond what I deserve
• Planned out my days with purpose
• Calmed me with Your presence, guided me with Your Word, and given me hope through Your promises [4]

For all these reasons and more, I praise You for Your unfailing love.

I praise You, O God, for being “our Shield and Defender,” for Your willingness—no, Your eagerness—to protect us from the enemies of our souls, the mischief they want to cause and the lies they want us to believe.

I praise You that “In all dangers You protect us, and either You will be with us or we will be with You, so all will be well [5].” Thank You, Father, for the freedom and peace that comes from resting in such truth.

I worship You, O “Ancient of Days!” You existed before the first day was even created. You are God of the past, present, and future; You have always been omnipresent, omniscient, and eternal.

And because this is true, I don’t need to be troubled by distressing events happening in our world. As our Ancient of Days we can trust You to wisely wield Your power and bring all things to their rightful conclusion, at the right time.

You, O God are “pavilioned in splendor!” I think of the grand cathedrals of Europe with their soaring ceilings, finely-detailed plasterwork and stonework, ornately carved woodwork, magnificent frescoes, and stunning, stained-glass windows.

The Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, almost 42 feet in diameter

Yet these awe-inspiring structures pale in comparison to the splendors of Your heaven. John the Revelator gave us a glimpse of the New Jerusalem to come, with its precious jewels, pure, transparent gold, and its twelve gates, each one made from a gigantic pearl [6]. Again, I am filled with awe, contemplating such glories to come.

You, O God, are “girded [encircled] with praise,” as the twenty-four elders seated around Your throne exclaim:

NASA photograph of Cosmic Cliffs,

at the edge of a new star forming

My heart also overflows with awe in Your glory–Your magnificence–on display in the expressions of Your attributes, Your creation, Your dominion over all things.

May I too offer continual worship for the great things you have done, the great things you are accomplishing now, and the great things yet to come.

May I faithfully express the glory, honor, and praise You deserve!

[1] Matthew 10:29-31; Daniel 2:21; Psalm 37:23

[2] Isaiah 6:1; Daniel 7:9; Revelation 4:3

[3] Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 5:11-12; 7:9-12; 4:5

[4] John 3:16; 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 1:13-14; Isaiah 46:4; Psalm 31:19; Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 23:4; 119:24, 14

[5] Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller, The Songs of Jesus p. 177

[6] Revelation 21:18-21

Art & photo credits: http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.pxfuel.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.wallpaperflare.com; http://www.photocircle.net; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.pixabay.com.

Within the first year of moving from Florida to Ohio in 2014, I happened* to read about a writers’ group that met at a church not far from our home. It’s been my privilege to meet with these talented folks twice a month ever since. Among us are a few bloggers, several poets and short-story writers, a filmmaker, and four who are working on novels.

One of those novelists is Colleen Scheid whose third book was published this spring: Someone They Can Trust (available on Amazon.com).

The three main characters—Maya, Matt, and Janice—are members of the same church and participate in the same small group. Though diverse in age, race, and background, these people become extended family for one another. Colleen shows us through story how such meaningful relationships can be built.

What she doesn’t do is paint a perfect picture of perfect people. Maya, Matt, and Janice are each dealing with their own difficulties and fighting their own spiritual battles. Their struggles and imperfections, however, make them believable, and very quickly the reader cares about each one and how they might find release from what troubles them.

One over-arching problem faces them all: their new pastor is not what they’d thought him to be. Matt and Janice are among the first to notice he seems a bit too charming and even manipulative.

And yet there are those within the church, even among the leadership, who think he’s wonderful. Given what Matt and Janice (and eventually Maya) discover, they must determine the best way forward for the sake of their beloved church.  

Along with the intriguing plot, I also appreciated these aspects of Colleen’s book: the unique urban setting, the well-developed characters and the relational dynamics among them, the pleasure of three points-of-view instead of just one or two, and Colleen’s delightful, descriptive writing style.

Here are a few examples of that style.

[When Maya, an artist, is sketching swans]: “. . . she could rely on a delicious slip into a serene, joyful state. It seems to her that the Creator was letting her in on secrets, free to anyone who paid attention” (p. 2).

“Maya could tell that the yard was landscaped by professionals. Impressive stone stairs angled up through three terraces with walls of the same stone, containing well-behaved plants that bloomed purple, pink, or white” (p. 113).

[When worship leader, Matt, arrives at church one Sunday morning]: “Matt . . . found himself dragging his feet in the parking lot. It felt like the wind had changed. His enthusiasm used to sweep him into the building; now reluctance sucked him back” (p. 157).

Colleen writes on her About-the-Author page that her love of realistic stories set in real locations is an outgrowth of her journalism degree. Her interest in the interior worlds of her characters stems from a master’s degree in counseling. I would add that her years of performing with a Christian theater company have also fine-tuned her expression of character.

Colleen Scheid

And all three of these areas of interest and expertise contribute to the authenticity of Colleen’s story—a story to enjoy and learn from.

P.S. You might also like to celebrate Christmas in July with her collection of delightful stories for the season: Christmas on Pleasant Hill. You can access a review of this book here: https://nancyaruegg.com/2016/11/17/christmas-on-pleasant-hill/.

*Those of you who regularly read my posts know that I don’t believe so much in coincidence as I do in God-incidents. My introduction to this writers’ group is a prime example.

Photo credits: office scene, http://www.pxfuel.com. All others used by permission from Colleen Sheid.