Sing, Amen (Amen)!– Anonymous

 

Whoever he was, he was deep into his bible. This unknown writer knew enough – including that Amen indicates strong trust and agreement with a preceding statement – to say this special word twice, rather than just once, and that such a double-verbalization was a bit rarer. Maybe he was looking at a character named Ezra as he inspired a group of people and how they responded to what he had to say (see an illustration of Ezra in action here, as he reads the law to the people [Neh. 8:1-12], as shown in Gustav Dore’s 19^th Century English Bible). Or, how about in the way that the first three books of Psalms conclude? Or, better yet, what about when Jesus says this over two dozen times with an equivalent form of the word? Is it not enough to say Amen once? And, to sing it twice, rather than voicing it adds something extra, does it not? Who this songwriter was and what his purpose was remain hidden, and yet the words he wrote have the traces of people and events that we can recognize, and lend us an echo for our own time.

 

Amen begins early in Israelite history (Numbers 5:22) and runs through the end of John’s vision, in fact the very last word he shares in the bible (Revelation 22:21); John uses it eight times in his visionary book. It is also something that Moses and the priests charged the people to say repeatedly if they accepted the Lord’s leadership and warnings from Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:15-28). But, perhaps the most intriguing episodes are those in which the Amen is repeated, indicating some urgency or a more deeply felt degree of trust. Perhaps saying it twice results when someone is trying to wrap up so much accumulated praise, as in three of the Psalms – each of which conclude successive compilations of this ancient Hebrew songbook with Amen and Amen; Psalms 41:13 (of David) concludes Book I of Psalms; Psalms 72:19 (of Solomon) concludes Book II of Psalms; and Psalms 89:52 (of Ethan the Ezrahite) concludes Book III of Psalms. When the people had completed rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, and assembled to hear Ezra who stood high above them to remind them of ‘the Lord, the great God’ (Neh. 8:6) and His law, they were attentive in a way that they had not been for quite some time, for they were no longer exiles. And so, they responded with gusto, with two Amens. Our equivalent today might be Hoorah and some wild jumping up and down, like when fanatical people spontaneously react to a team winning the championship. It’s a feeling of triumph on top of the mountain. But, the most frequent use of this phrase or its equivalent is by the God-Son, Jesus. The gospel writer John records Jesus uttering the phrase truly, truly (in many versions, like the English Standard Version) 25 times, as He instructed various people, trying to get their attention. (See Him saying verily, verily/very truly/truly, truly [the equivalent of amen, amen] in John 1:51; 3:3,5,11; 5:19,24-25; 6:26,32,47,53; 8:34,51,58; 10:1,7; 12:24; 13:16,20-21,38; 14:12; 16:20,23; 21:18.) It seems like I must say back to Him, ‘I’m listening, Lord.’

 

So, what were the most important things that Jesus or the others were talking about that inspired ‘Amen and Amen’? There’s a lot there, enough to spend a lifetime trying to grasp. Our unidentified poet/songwriter has whittled them down with his words that have us calling out to God – just to be able to address Him is overwhelming, if you think about it long enough. But, what about ‘when the Lord shall  come again’? That also is too vast to comprehend, is it not, though Paul has tried to picture it for us (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)? His ‘glory’ will be evident then, if what I see about me every day isn’t enough already to make that clear. Consider Him, and whether even two Amens are enough. Our unnamed, shadowy poet whose song we can sing must have thought the same thing, because the two Amens are actually sung no less than 11 times in this short space of music, in less than two minutes (see link to a rendition of it below). And, we can sing it over and over again, however many times we want to. Isn’t He worth it, Amen?    

 

Hear it sung here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaxP4RaBm3A

 

See information on the picture here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:109.Ezra_Reads_the_Law_to_the_People.jpg …The author died in 1883, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1931. …found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra

We Worship and Adore You – Anonymous

 

Worship and adore? This unknown author obviously felt something pretty noteworthy toward God, with the use of the second of those two operative words especially. Worship happens a lot in the bible, no surprise there, if you use the word-search function to see that this word occurs hundreds of times (496 occurrences in the New Living Translation [NLT], and a whopping 733 times in the Contemporary English Version, and somewhat less in other versions). In contrast, adore is almost totally absent, except for its usage twice in the NLT (twice in the CEV, but just once in others like the English Standard Version and the New International Version), including most consistently in the Song of Solomon, as a young lover addresses the object of her affection (Song of Solomon 1:4). But, one other time (in 1 Chronicles 29:11) has King David addressing God with this verb of intense affection, as he and the nation prepared to begin the kingdom’s transition to the reign of his son Solomon, and as they prepared to build the temple in Solomon’s reign (see the image here depicting the episode of temple dedication in which Solomon led the nation). So, could this be a verb with which we should be careful? We humans have a habit of saying something over-the-top, particularly when it comes to love songs. We are, after all, fallible beings when it comes to relationships, mercurial in our devotion at times with each other, and with Him who made us, too. Perhaps adoration means something that cannot and should not be broken, ever.

 

Since the composer we contact today with this love song ‘We Worship…Adore..’ is still a mystery, we cannot know precisely what moved this songwriter, though the fervor for God is evident. Was this person reading David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles, as he pondered in his heart how his own son, but not he himself, would guide and witness the building of the temple where God’s Spirit would reside? David seemed joyful and content that the preparations that he had made, and the building materials and the sacrifices that all the people had brought, would culminate in the house of the Lord that Solomon would oversee. The kingdom was as secure as David knew how to make it, and so he felt satisfied and grateful to the Lord. He was in His care, in the hands of the One who had made him and all that he and the nation could enjoy. Security and belonging, those were what David felt in God’s presence. He knew this God was not only bountiful, but also trustworthy. To be with Him forever, as they felt would happen with the construction of the temple, was the zenith of their faith in Him. What more could be said with a heart so full of emotion, experience, and anticipation of Him and all that He had been and would be forevermore in this place He had given them? Perhaps you might call it a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, this building of God’s house among them. Indeed, perhaps this was rarefied atmosphere, this adoration that David expressed to God on this unique occasion. We on earth might grow attached to many things and feel that life is good and that contentment has really been accomplished – in America, it’s embodied in our July 4^th document, proclaiming ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ as the highest objectives of a people, and given by the Creator – but can you and I truly say that without God in our midst? Is He part of my adoration equation?

 

‘We Worship and Adore You’ might initially seem like a fairly safe and routine kind of statement to make to God. Of course I acknowledge Him, thank Him, and offer Him my best effort daily. But, at the end of my life, or at least the greater portion of it, am I able to look back and understand all that He’s meant to me, comprehend what He’s doing right now, and picture in my mind what’s to come when I’m in His presence, face-to-face? If I could do that, I might be where David was in that moment when the temple preparations were about to come true in the fruition of that holy place. David would never know what it felt like to walk upon its steps nor even witness its completion, but He knew without a doubt the God who would live there. That’s an adoration space, when you don’t need to see the physicality of something to trust that He’s got it. Some translations put 1 Chronicles 29:11 in terms of exalting Him for His greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty. Perhaps saying that I adore Him is somewhat like a fusion of all the reasons that I can trust Him, even as David was expressing his utter trust in Him at that moment. Adoring Him is not a single-threaded enterprise, but instead means I have many and unending reasons to lift up His name. Adoring, in the way David addressed God, was certainly no platitude. Relationship with Him is no casual affair.   

 

See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Solomon_Dedicates_the_Temple_at_Jerusalem.jpg …This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States….found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Temple

Praise God – Anonymous

 

Where and when did this one emerge? Perhaps the most we could say is that this brief song started within the heart of someone whose spirit was connected to the One above. For someone to sing “Praise God” for four different blessings, that kind of person would have to be very conscious of His abiding Spirit. From what this anonymous person wrote, the exaltation of Him began where all of us who believe usually begin – with His sacrifice (see it shown here). None of what this nameless writer mentions after that pivotal moment in Christ’s life in this song would have followed without that first happening. Is that not indicative of how the believer progresses in acknowledging Him – we first believe and make Him our king because He gave Himself up for us, doing for us what was necessary to make us exonerated before the Holy God? And, He didn’t stop there.

 

Was it around a campfire, or at the conclusion of a group gathering to study and think about life, or maybe at the closing of a message to a larger body of people? No one can resolve that today (unless someone reads this blog entry and reveals the answer!), but you could imagine that plausibly this lyricist had been thinking about the impact of the life of Jesus, in its many ways. There are so many hymns that laud Him for that death He died willingly…probably too many to count. That would be enough to offer Him the tribute that this writer did with these few simple, but powerful words – ‘Give thanks to the Father…’, and ‘Amen’…and concluding with ‘Sing glory, hallelujah!’ That is the echo that we, the saved, say to Him with each of the four blessings that are mentioned in the four stanzas of ‘Praise God’. Begin with this, the unknown author says -- Christ the Lord has died for you. Then insert the praise echo. Then, what did He do that embodies blessing number two for you and me? Christ the Lord has risen for you. Repeat that praise phrase, with gusto! Christ the Lord is living for you is that third blessing that we often forget…but He’s inside, as your motivating Spirit for the life He’s transformed, so sing that praise once more. And who could forget that fourth one -- Christ the Lord is coming for you? If that’s not enough, read what Paul said to arouse a group of believers once -- For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Belt out that praise phrase one more time! And, in glory, in His presence forevermore, we won’t run out of air to keep ringing out that praise again, and again, and again.

 

Wipe off that dirty skin, and thank Him for the cleansing He’s provided. Thank Him that He rose to show you that death isn’t permanent, and that you too will come alive again. Remember that He’s indwelling, so talk to Him when you’re having a rough day, and also when something momentous has happened to remind you that He provides what refreshes also. And, look up every day and imagine what He’ll look like, and tell yourself that you need to live in anticipation of that daybreak. He did indeed die, and rise, and ascend, and deliver a Helper for us…and He’s waiting for the culmination of it all. If that sounds rather like a creed, that’s intentional. All of those four blessings are what you and I live by. If they aren’t true, then we’re all lost. But what will we have lost if they were never true? Nothing, for if Jesus isn’t there, what does it matter if I believed in something false? But, what if He and all He’s done have been true, and I reject that…what will I have lost at the end? Everything. Our songwriter today might remain hidden from identification, but what he wrote sure isn’t something that’s hidden. Run up and embrace it.   

 

See the song in its entirety in the hymnal Songs of Faith and Praise, Alton H. Howard Publishing Company, West Monroe, LA, 1994. Hymn number 17.

See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_at_the_Cross_-_Cristo_en_la_Cruz.jpg … This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer… {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States….found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Christianity