God Bless Us

In just a few hours, I will be in the choir loft, hoping to reach someone with the gospel through our performance.  It will be beautiful.  I just added two posts for two of my favorite pieces that we will do tonight.  We have an exquisite baritone lined up to solo the first verse of The Dream Isaiah Saw.  I will break the unwritten rule of the tenor section by crying (as always!  Makes me think of Tom Hanks' character in A League of Their Own "There's no crying in baseball!"  That's what they get for letting an aging woman sing a man's part.)  You can read about our last performance here from the pastor's point of view.

Meanwhile, my son recently informed me that he isn't really a Christian.  I handled it well.  No bursting into tears, no repercussions.  I can understand - I haven't been a Christian all that long myself.  But now my ardent desire for the Second Coming is tempered by that knowledge.  My son won't go with me tonight.  I'm crying right now a little just thinking about it.  The performance would be just a bunch of pretty songs to him.  With an annoying message in the middle.  While I was looking through the clips on You Tube for Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, there were some maybe better performances there, but they were sung by little kids.  Beautifully, but I struggle to imagine that any of them felt the meaning behind "I'm weary with my former toil"  or "And pleasure dearly I have bought"

This fruit does make my soul to thrive, it keeps my dying faith alive, which makes my soul in haste to be with Jesus Christ the apple tree.

The Dream Isaiah Saw

The Dream Isaiah Saw
Lions and oxen will sleep in the hay,
leopards will join with the lambs as they play,
wolves will be pastured with cows in the glade,
blood will not darken the earth that God made.
Little child whose bed is straw,
take new lodgings in my heart.
Bring the dream Isaiah saw:
life redeemed from fang and claw.

Peace will pervade more than forest and field:
God will transfigure the violence concealed
deep in the heart and in systems of gain,
ripe for the judgment the Lord will ordain.
Little child whose bed is straw,
take new lodgings in my heart.
Bring the dream Isaiah saw:
justice purifying law.

Nature reordered to match God's intent,
nations obeying the call to repent,
all of creation completely restored,
filled with the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Little child whose bed is straw,
take new lodgings in my heart.
Bring the dream Isaiah saw:
knowledge, wisdom, worship, awe.

Thomas Troeger, c. 1994 Oxford University Press

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree

His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
I missed of all but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
Under the shadow I will be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.