Sunday Hymn - Rock of Ages

This was sung in church this morning, and it was a great pre-year preparation for me as I go back to the 'real' world.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labour of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, come to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, else I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Sunday Hymn - Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

This morning, I have the privilege of attending a Sunday morning worship service put on by Camp Hope's two-weekers. Two week is a session of camp for campers that thrive in the camp atmosphere, or those that have been coming forever, and they stay for (you guessed it) two weeks. The upshot of that is that they are all there Sunday morning, an occurrence that doesn't happen the rest of the summer. So, they do a church service.

I was going to do All Creatures of Our God and King this morning, as a reminder that no matter what your mental capacity, everyone is called to worship God: it's our purpose. And honestly, I know of no men of more tender heart than those Hope campers. Their capacity for love is deeply convicting. But, because that song was up here three weeks ago (give or take), here's a similar one.

Praise to the Lord,
The Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him,
For He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord,
Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not see
How all your longings have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness
And mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath,
Come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Sunday Hymn - O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

This Saturday was the hardest Saturday of the summer for me. I had one kid this week (because of unknown issues, I can't post his name or picture) that was just... hard to let go. Because of his home situation, he has been in children's home after children's home for the past 5 years. Even though he sees his mother and brothers from time to time, because of the family history, he hasn't been able to live with them. Maybe it's for the better, maybe it's not, but the point is, he doesn't really have a home.

When he left today, we took a long walk from the play area to his car, and he just began to weep. "I don't want to go. I don't want to go." he repeated. He hugged each of us (his counselors) fiercely. I told him that "no matter what, that here he is loved and here he has a home." Weeping, he got into the car. And, weeping, we waved him off. I love every one of my campers, but when you get one who you know is going back into a poisonous situation, it makes the parting all the harder. But even though we can't keep them, I'm comforted knowing that there is a God who loves them, no matter what.

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Sunday Hymn - Laden With Guilt and Full of Fear

So, my computer almost got murdered this week. Thankfully, I'm pretty handy with a screwdriver and was able to disassemble, clean, and reassemble it. Definitely killed a TO, and my backspace and enter keys don't work, but it's better than having your laptop shuffle off this mortal court unceremoniously and without means to replace it. Anyway, the point is, it frustrated me more than I expected something like that would have. It reminded me just how hard of a time I have treasuring Christ above all things. This song came to mind, mainly because of the way it focuses on the treasure of Christ and His word, something I definitely need help with.

Laden with guilt and full of fears,
I fly to Thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears,
But in Thy written Word
Th volumes of my Father's grace
Does all my griefs assuage
Here I behold my Savior's face
In every page.

This is the field where, hidden, lies
The pearl of price unknown
That merchant is divinely wise
Who makes the pearl his own
Here consecrated water flows
To quench my thirst of sin
Here the fair tree of knowledge grows,
No danger dwells within.

This is the judge that ends the strife,
Where wit and reason fail
My guide to everlasting life
Through all this gloomy vale
Oh may Thy counsels, mighty God,
My roving feet command,
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to Thy right hand.