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

Let the Whole Creation Cry -- Stopford A. Brooke

 

This Irishman knew and wrote verse. That would be a quick summary of Stopford Augustus Brooke’s life, and this was a trait that he would share in a handful of hymns in the 19^th Century, including “Let the Whole Creation Cry”. Stopford knew not only how to write poetry, but also what good poetry by others should be appreciated, as he must have done when he drew upon an anonymous psalmist’s call for all creation to applaud its Maker. Surely creation was crying out God’s praises especially in the Garden of Eden (see it depicted here in this artwork The Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole in 1828), one of the many pieces of evidence of His creative nature that should make us pause. The psalmist began his praise not with mankind in mind, but with a reminder that everything surrounding humanity speaks loudly of Him. Stopford’s first lines and his title words echo that. We should too.  

 

Suppose there had been no occupants of Eden, no first man to herald His image among the creation. Maybe that was what moved Stopford initially. Though he doesn’t really say what motivated his poetry in 1881, this veteran of verse – he’d already won honors for his writing and published several literary works – evidently did not think of himself so highly that he ignored the contributions of others. He was one of God’s image-bearers, but the other parts of God’s creation spoke to him first, as it did to the psalmist to whom Stopford looked for a model of praise. Psalm 148’s author is unknown, but that did not inhibit Stopford’s enthusiasm for what this anonymous poet had to say. The psalmist’s first 10 verses of Psalm 148 see all of His creative genius in everything besides humanity, an attitude that was not lost on Stopford when he began his own version of this outlook with his hymn’s title, and then calling out for all ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’ (v.1) to utter their exaltation. Verse 2 continues with ‘all ye hosts above’, and the ‘sun and moon’, ‘night and stars’ joining in this celebration of Him. Stopford took some other cues from the psalmist, including the ‘warriors’ (v.3) that could have been an echo of the ‘armies of heaven’ (Psalm 148, v.2) who joined in the acclaim of Him. ‘Kings of knowledge and…law’ (v.4) sounds like the psalmist beckoning the ‘kings…rulers and judges’ (Psalm 148, v. 11) to join their voices to the rest of creation already engaged in His magnification. ‘Men and women…children’s happy hearts’ are not left out in Stopford’s lyrical energy, probably because the psalmist also mentions them (v.12 of Psalm 148). Stopford does add one group, perhaps to coax himself and others like him, that ‘those to whom the arts belong’ (v.3) are also here to offer Him tribute. So, if you want to be creative in whatever you do – and who of us doesn’t want that? – it behooves you to stay connected to the Creator.

 

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, or even whether you’re a living being, Stopford repeated from Psalm 148’s words. You can offer Him what He deserves. Stopford must have at one time or another read how Jesus responded to critics when they remonstrated Him for the praise He was hearing upon entering Jerusalem (Luke 19:40). If you think the stones exclaim well enough for all of us, how do you feel about others of your common humanity lifting voices to Him? Can someone else do this enough for you? Did those Pharisees think He was just wasn’t worthy, or did jealousy cloud their vision? Surely, they had seen enough to know He was quite different from anyone else they had ever seen before. That is rather like what the psalmist and Stopford also acknowledged. Who else could create all of this – this planet where we live, the stars and heavenly bodies we see in the universe, all of us humans in all the wondrous physicality that is a marvel to scientists – and not be the One whom we should praise for who He is, and what He’s still planning to do? If you’re not ready to say a praise, are you really looking?   

 

Read about the author here: Stopford Augustus Brooke  and here: Stopford Brooke (chaplain) - Wikipedia

 

See the original six verses here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/e/t/t/letthewc.htm

 

See here for information on the image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Cole_-_The_Garden_of_Eden_(1828).jpg …The author died in 1848, 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/Garden_of_Eden

Bless God -- Carman Licciardello and John Rasasco

What would be an adequate way to bless one’s Creator? It seems like trying to live out such a proposition would be a hopeless exercise on one level - my human ability -- doesn’t it? I cannot expect to ever do enough, to ever say praises loudly enough to really bring the Divine and Everlasting God what He deserves. When Carman Licciardello and John Rasasco said “Bless God”, perhaps they too wondered about this very unresolvable quandary, at least until they read some about how others, like the shepherd-king David, met this issue in various circumstances. ‘Do it with everything He’s given you’, someone might say, for after all He cannot expect anything more, and certainly not supernatural, from the mere humans that He made. Maybe that’s how David felt when he danced before God, celebrating His Providence in bringing the ark home, even if his own wife thought the scene was uncouth (see perhaps the most flamboyant example of when David blessed [praised] God in the 17^th Century artwork A Singing and Dancing David Leads the Ark of the Covenant, by Pieter van Lint). Perhaps it’s not the quality of praise in the moment, but instead the endurance in one’s praise. Carman and John had some ideas about how to spur the everyday blessing.

 

These two 20^th Century songwriters have not directly shared what they thought about when ‘Bless God’ crossed their minds in 1988 (the year the song was published). Thoughts about God’s everyday presence and His patience with us must have entered into the picture, however, if their lyrics are reliable clues. ‘For all He’s done’, ‘in unity’, and certainly for allowing ‘Christ His Son’ (chorus) to be sacrificed for us were central themes that Carman and John thought were crucial, such that they fashioned these lyrics and accompanying music to be sung multiple times. God gave His Son one time, but that was such a momentous, literally earth-shaking event (Matthew 27:51) that this singular event need not be repeated (Hebrews 10:10). That should thrill and cause me to marvel, every day, for I need to reconnect with that – just about moment-to-moment – because of my terminal condition. So do we all. The verses that Carman and John wrote suggest that they too have pondered daily (or at least on many occasions) the seminal meaning of God’s gift, and coax us to do the same. ‘In the stillness of my soul…reflect’, they say in verse one. And they seem to realize that it’s not just something that He’s done a few times, but ‘down through the years’ (v.2). He can be ‘joy’ and ‘strength’ (v.2) repeatedly, and is that something that anyone else can do for you and me? He’s ‘inside of me’, with ‘love’ and ‘power’ (v.1), and that supernatural relationship is unlike any other personal camaraderie that I lean on today. There’s a whole lot that’s still a mystery with Him in the picture, but I need not fret over that uncertainty. There’s too much evidence of Him in history and around and inside of me to toss Him aside cavalierly because of some lingering grains of doubt. What’s more sensible than blessing the One who’s responsible for you and me, and who promises to make us even better one day (1 Corinthians 15:42-58)?    

 

Could it be that Carman and John were also reading what Paul had to say as he neared the end of a letter to that group of Corinthians in the 1^st Century? Read that for yourself, and ask ‘would that make me shrug my shoulders or instead say thank you, God!’ What human being could not be affected by such a passage, one that has an almost lyric quality? Do you think Paul was possessing of madness or of the Holy Spirit? What would cause such a radical transformation of this once-proud Jew of Jews (Philippians 3:5), if it wasn’t something of God? He and others lived in the light of something that made them brave beyond their own human consciousness or ability. That’s what drove them daily, in praise to Him and in testimony to those with whom they interacted. That’s a model for you and me, about how we bless Him. It’s about taking a chance – do you have a better, more certain plan? – that what Paul learned and repeated to some Corinthians is true. Believe it will happen. Tell others, and magnify that blessing to God.   

 

See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%9Cberf%C3%BChrung_der_Bundeslade_durch_den_singenden_und_tanzenden_K%C3%B6nig_David.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/Psalms