Gospel Resolutions for the New Year

The year 2022 will soon exit stage right, and the year 2023 will make its grand entrance and take center stage. Time indeed marches on. And with this inevitable transition also comes the equally inevitable, and infamous, “New Year’s resolution.” Undoubtedly, we will soon be inundated with a deluge of suggested New Year’s resolutions whether we like it or not. In fact, just a quick Google search has already revealed the likes of “40+ New Year’s resolution ideas to help you achieve…”; “23 New Year’s Resolutions for 2023”; “55 Best New Year’s Resolution Ideas for 2023”; “50 Best New Year’s Resolution Ideas to Start 2023 off Right”; “27 New Year’s Resolutions…”; “72 Ultimate Best List…” — the lists go on and on. And apparently there is no consensus as to how many “resolutions” should be suggested. With all the noise, we as Christians might wonder what we should think about making resolutions.

In one of his “Look at the Book” passage studies at DesiringGod.org, John Piper digs into 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 to ask this question, “Should Christians make resolutions?” I’ll sum up his study here. But first, the passage reads:

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 — 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Based on 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, Piper answers the question of whether or not we as Christians should make resolutions with a resounding “YES!” And, Piper unpacks this passage in order to show how Christians should go about making those resolutions. First, when we make (what I will call) gospel resolutions to do good, we do so from a posture of faith. We recognize, as Piper points out, that we are fully and prayerfully dependent on God to fulfill our gospel resolves by turning them into works of faith. This is what Paul prays here. Paul prays that God would “make” the Thessalonians “worthy” of God’s calling. Piper equates “make worthy” to “walk(ing) in a manner worthy of the calling” in Ephesians 4:1. Piper helps us avoid a legalistic landmine here by observing that “worth,” is not a testament to our worthiness based on performance. Rather, it is a testament to the worth of the calling. In Piper’s words, “To be worthy of a high calling is to walk in a way that calls attention to the worth of the calling.”[1] So, when God ultimately does fulfill our gospel resolve for good and produces a work of faith, Christ is glorified in us, and we are glorified in him (v. 12). In short, Piper distills the how of making gospel resolutions in this way:

When we make resolutions, we make them (1) “by God’s grace”; (2) “through faith in God’s power”; and (3) “for God’s glory”.[2]

Amen! Now, I would like to dig a little deeper. As Piper points out, at the bottom of all of our gospel resolve for good is the grace of God. And this grace is yours because of God’s resolve. That is, ultimately, our gospel resolves to do good and our works of faith can be traced back to God. All of our gospel resolves to do good and all of our good works do not originate with us. Rather, they were first forged in furnace of God’s gracious resolve to do good to us. But don’t take my word for it.

One of richest passages of Scripture regarding our salvation is Ephesians 1:3–14. Here, Paul sweeps the reader up into his worship of God by heralding the glories of God’s sovereign plan of salvation. The passage is dense. Indeed, in the original Greek, it’s actually one long sentence. Paul waxes eloquent the glories of God and riches of salvation in Christ. There’s certainly much to tease out. But, if you were to put your finger on the pulse of Paul’s praise, it would likely beat to the rhythm of this declaration:

“4…In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ…6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us…” (Ephesians 1:4–5, 7–8).

Notice, I left out a portion of v. 5. What does that bit read? Do you recall? Verse 5 in full states, “5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will”. Consider the word “purpose”. This is the same word that Paul uses in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 that we translate “resolve”. It’s the Greek noun εὐδοκία (eudokia). It conveys the idea of good will, good pleasure, desire, and/or satisfaction. That is, it was God’s good pleasure, his desire, to do good to you by making you his son or daughter through Jesus Christ. Or, to say it another way — taking our cue from 2 Thessalonians 1:11 —, it was God’s resolve to save you. And what did God save you for? Well according to Scripture, he saved you in part for good works.

Paul declares in Ephesians 2:10,

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

Gospel salvation translates into gospel works. And just like our salvation, God has prepared — before the foundations of the world —good works for each of us to walk in. Remember Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12. His prayer was that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of their calling. That is, Paul prayed that Christians would walk in a manner worthy of the gospel (Ephesians 4:1). God does this by fulfilling our every resolve for good by turning them into good works of faith that he prepared beforehand. Christians make gospel resolutions to do works of faith because this is what God predestined us to do. To not resolve to do good is to go against our very nature. God resolved to save us for good works; therefore, we in faith resolve to do those good works with full confidence that he will bring those good works to fruition.

So, 2023 approaches steadily and somewhat rapidly, whether we are ready for it or not. New Year’s resolutions abound, and as Christians, yes, we can and should make resolutions as well — and not just in honor of the new year. We should always be making resolutions. But let us make gospel resolutions. So, as we step into this new year, let us resolve to do good works of faith. And rest assured, Christian, that God already has good works for you to do. Thus, through your faith in Christ, God will birth gospel resolves in your heart this year. And, God will fulfill those gospel resolutions, by turning them into those works of faith he has prepared in advance. So enter 2023 full of confidence not in your ability to do good works, but in his power to fulfill your every resolve. Resolve to do good works because he first resolved to save you for good works.

[1] John Piper, “New Year’s Resolutions: 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12,” Look at the Book, https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/new-years-resolutions.

[2] John Piper, “New Year’s Resolutions.”

Christmas in Cameroon, 2001

[The Pinckney family spent the 2001/2002 academic year in Ndu, Cameroon at the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. Though near the equator, Ndu is at 6600′ of elevation, so is temperate and, at this season, quite dry. This is a lightly edited version of the letter we sent to our supporters on Christmas Eve, 2001. Near the close of the letter, I wrote: “We don’t know where we might be next Christmas.” By God’s providence, we ended up here – though on Christmas Day 2002 DGCC did not yet have a name – Coty]

Dear Friends and supporters:

Merry Christmas from Ndu! Though we know you won’t receive this until after Christmas, we want to share with you some new Christmas lyrics, along with some events from yesterday.

First of all, you must understand that for the last few weeks, when the power has been on we’ve heard Christmas songs blaring from some of the shops in town, including ones that seem singularly inappropriate to Cameroon, such as “Jingle Bells” and “Silver Bells.” To the tune of the latter, Beth, Erin, and Jonathan have written lyrics that fit our situation perfectly (note that we have had no measurable rainfall for 47 days; also note that any of the eight of us can be referred to as “white man”):

Dusty footpaths, busy market, full of holiday cheer,
In the air there’s a big cloud of red dust,
People shouting to the white man, “Come and greet me, my friend!”
And on every street corner you see:
Clouds of Dust, clouds of dust,
It’s Christmastime in Ndu!
Cough and sneeze in the breeze,
Soon it will be Christmas Day.

Sunday, December 23, 2001, 5:30 AM. The alarm goes off. I pry open my eyes, to little effect, having been awake for much of the time between 3:00 and 4:30, trying to get comfortable on our old foam mattress. The air feels chilly. “Maybe I can pray in bed instead,” I think, and begin to ask God to open my mouth later in the morning at Mbipgo, a church about 5 miles away. I pray through the Scripture passages that will be used, and the sermon outline . . . Beep-beep-beep-beep! The 5:45 alarm goes off, waking me again. “Up this time; no more lounging in bed,” I tell myself. I need a shower, but we have had no running water since Saturday afternoon; apparently there is an electrical problem with the school’s water pump. So, using water our younger boys carried up from the spring yesterday evening, I fill two tea kettles and put them on the stove. While they heat up, I return to my neglected prayers.

By 7:15, after washing my hair in the sink and grabbing a bite to eat, I’m ready to go, along with Beth and the three youngest boys. Victor Ndusho, the student who invited us to this, his home church, arrives, so I walk down the hill to get [fellow missionary] Gary Stephens’ car. Victor and I had planned to walk to Mbipgo, but given that the younger boys wanted to accompany us, and given the knee pain I’ve had the last few days, driving seemed a better option. But Gary’s 12-year-old Pajero has acted up some of late, and it chooses this morning to act up again. At first, turning the key has no impact on the electrical system. I open the hood, jiggle the battery wires, and try again – the starter turns, but then the car dies. No problem, it always acts this way when cold. But 15 minutes later, the engine has never turned over, and the battery is now dead. Furthermore, the car is pointing downhill, up against a fence. To push start it, we’ll have to push it uphill quite a ways.

I return home and declare that Victor and I will have to walk; the boys will have to remain at CBTS. Seven-year-old Joel cries, he is so looking forward to going. Victor also really wants to take the vehicle, so that his wife and 2-week-old baby – who has not yet been to his grandparents’ – can accompany him. Victor asks, “Can we try pushing it?” I answer, rather gruffly, “It will take at least 5 men to push it up the hill.” Victor gathers 7 within 5 minutes – most of whom have walked that way to get water. On our second try, the car starts and we are off.

The road is rough but passable, and we arrive at the church in about 25 minutes. Upon pulling up, I have a sense of déjà vu; but how could I have been here before? Then Beth realizes that this church is in a video we saw in the US, filmed on a short term trip last year; the many steps and strong stone structure make it easily identifiable. I recall that in that video, the missionary states the service lasted 3 hours . . .

I am able to spend some time in prayer before the service, asking God to center my thoughts on Him, and to put the drive and the stresses of the morning behind me. Sitting in front, looking out at the congregation of only 50 as the service opens (it will swell to over 300 an hour later), I begin to prepare to preach using John Piper’s acronym APTAT: Acknowledge my inability to have any impact on these people apart from the work of the Holy Spirit; Pray that God would enable me to fulfill His commands, such as those in 1 Timothy 4:13-15; Trust God to fulfill His promises, particularly this morning the promise found in 1 Timothy 4:16; then Act. Afterwards, I will Thank God for answering my prayers. I feel ready to preach.

The service moves right along for a while, but the third choir number ends up being a youth drama. This lasts almost 25 minutes . . . and, while the heavy pidgin is hard to understand, as far as I can tell the drama is completely moralistic, without spiritual content. “Lord, prepare the hearts of your people despite this drama; do not let me be discouraged or disheartened.”

Finally it’s time to preach, more than 2 hours after the service began. Some are getting sleepy. Victor is not experienced at translating, and it takes a while for us to hit a rhythm. I wonder if illustrations are understood. But by the end, as we realize that the baby in the manger is also the final judge, as the contrast is drawn between those who hope in God and those who, through unbelief, are cast into the lake of fire, there is rapt attention – even from many who had been sleepy-eyed earlier. I finish with prayer, sit, and complete APTAT.

After the service, we are fed a meal and make our way down to Victor’s parents’ compound. Walking through the coffee and bananas, I almost feel like it’s ten years earlier, and I’m on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro: red coffee berries shining in the light that makes its way through the upper canopy; coffee drying on mats around the houses; fruit – particularly oranges and lemons – in abundance. It’s amazing what a difference of 1500’ in elevation makes! Victor’s parents’ are delighted to see us, and Joel in particular loves this compound, asking “Can we come back and stay a long time?” For me, this compound is moving also, as it’s so much closer than Ndu to what comes to my mind when I think “Africa”.

We drive home, laden with oranges, lemons, sugarcane, and tree tomatoes generously given to us. I barely have time to wash up – with water from the barrel; the pump still is not operating – and finish up a couple of emails just before the 4PM radio time slot. On the way back, a knowledgeable friend says the electricians have looked at the water pump, and the prospects are not hopeful; there is almost no chance of water before the 26th, and we may have to haul it from the spring for weeks. I wonder how long the boys will be able to keep up their enthusiasm for this task . . .

About 6:30, as I try to complete the daily reading from the Greek New Testament necessary to meet my year-end goal, the power goes off. Sigh. No water and no electricity. We light candles, then Beth calls out, “Joel’s bath water is warm – could you please wash him?” “Nine more verses, and I’ll do it!” “Can you do it now? I’m trying to get supper ready.” “Nine more verses, and I’ll do it!” Happily, these last few verses are easy: with “Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν” (Philemon 1:25), I’m done. As I’m about to get up from the desk, the computer beeps at me – the power is back on!

Joel is standing naked in the tub, a bucket of warm water next to him. He asks, “Can we set a speed record for washing my hair?” We come close to a record, he looks as clean as he ever gets around here (meaning, not particularly so), and we two finish in time for Joel to get his hands dirty again before dinner.

Beth sends him back to the bathroom to wash his hands; Joel without thinking turns on the faucet. Seeing him do this, Beth begins, “There’s no running water, Joel; you’ll have to get it from the bucket.” But water is coming out of the tap! The pump must be fixed!

We sit down to a dinner of rice and potato curry with renewed thankfulness not only for the food, but also for running water, for electricity, for Mbipgo, indeed, for this whole year in Cameroon which God has worked out so marvelously for us. Afterwards, as we prepare to read a Christmas story and drink hot chocolate, Beth says, “Let’s go caroling!” So for the next hour we make the rounds of faculty houses and the women’s dormitory, introducing many of our Cameroonian friends to this wonderful tradition. All eight of us participate wholeheartedly; one neighbor says, “When I heard you singing, I thought it was a whole choir!” Our friends are greatly blessed, and so are we.

As we’re walking back, preparatory to finally drinking that hot chocolate, Jonathan quotes one of our favorite Christmas stories, “A Full House,” by Madeline L’Engle: “Just a typical Christmas Eve at the Austins’.” So it has been: a “typical” December 23rd with the Pinckneys. Last year at this time we had not even an inkling that we would be here this Christmas; now, we don’t know where we might be next Christmas. But we know that we are and will be in God’s hands, that wherever we are, we will be praising Him in song once again.

Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman’s conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent’s head.
Adam’s likeness now efface:
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
”Hark!” the herald angels sing,
”Glory to the Newborn King!”

Once again, our love goes out to each one of you. May you continue to rejoice in the God of all comfort this season, and may the New Year bring you deeper and deeper into His love.

Coty

Merry Christmas from Psalm 16:11

Our Mission Statement and Psalm 16:11

This advent season, we as a church have sought to actively remember and anticipate Jesus. That is, we have been remembering Jesus’ first advent, the incarnation, when Jesus inaugurated God’s kingdom here on earth through his life, death, and resurrection. And, we have been anticipating his second advent, his bodily return. At that time, Jesus will bring the fullness of God’s kingdom in the new heavens and new earth, and God will dwell with his people forever. Such remembering and anticipating actually go hand-in-hand with our professed mission as a local church. Our mission statement here at Desiring God Community Church reads:

We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.

I want to highlight one particular phrase: for the joy. The pursuit of joy is at the heart of the Christian life. Why? Because as Christians we desire God. And, as our mission statement makes clear, our supreme God is the source of joy. Psalm 16:11 affirms this:

Psalm 16:11 — You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Now, our mission statement implies that we already have a passion for God’s supremacy, since we hope and seek to spread it. Therefore, we already experience this joy that we want others to know. So how did we get to this place of divine joy ourselves? And what does any of this have to do with Christmas? Well, it all comes down to how we “exist” to go about our mission of spreading this passion for God’s supremacy. That is, to understand what our mission statement and Psalm 16:11 have to do with Christmas, we must first answer the following question:

“How did we gain access to the divine joy of Psalm 16:11, the very divine joy we believe comes gift wrapped with a passion for God’s supremacy?”

According to the Apostle Peter, the answer has everything to do with Christmas.

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost

In his sermon at Pentecost, Acts 2:14–41, Peter quotes Psalm 16:8–11 and applies it to Jesus. There he proclaims:

Acts 2:25–28—25 For David says concerning him (Jesus), “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

Peter then unpacks what he means in Acts 2:29–32. There, Peter doubles down on his assertion that David penned Psalm 16:8–11 about Jesus, not himself. Indeed, it is impossible for it to be about David because, as Peter notes, David is dead and this Psalm speaks of resurrection. Peter first points out the obvious, “I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (Acts 2:29). In light of this, Peter notes that David, being a prophet (Acts 2:30), actually prophesied about Jesus’ future resurrection — “he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31).

What inspired David to prophesy so boldly? We only need to look at Acts 2:30–31 — “knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ,” (Acts 2:30–31). David prophesied by the power of the Holy Spirit because God had promised that one of David’s son’s would sit on his throne. What does this sitting on the throne have to do with the resurrection? Well, the original context of this oath to David (2 Sam 7:12–16; 1 Chr 17:11–14) arrays the promise with eternal implications and divine glory.

Jesus Fulfills God’s Promise to David

2 Samuel 7:12–13—12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

1 Chronicles 17:11–12—11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.

In his covenant to David, God assured David that he (God) would establish the throne and kingdom of one of his sons forever (2 Sam 7:13; 1 Chr 17:12). Moreover, his son’s kingdom will be God’s kingdom. God said to David, “but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever and his throne shall be established forever” (1 Chr 17:14). Sure of this promise of an eternal eternal king on an eternal throne, David, under inspiration of Holy Spirit, prophetically penned Psalm 16 about the resurrection of one of his future sons, the promised eternal king. And Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, unveils the mystery by proclaiming that Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to the eternal throne at God’s right hand, fulfilled David’s prophecy.

Acts 2:32–36 — 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Psalm 16:11 in Light of Acts 2:14–41

In light of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, when we read Psalm 16:11“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” we are reading the prophesied words of Christ, the Son of God, who is risen and reigns on high, joyfully basking in the Father’s glorious presence. And Peter concludes with the promise that those who are united to Jesus Christ by faith “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” as ones “the Lord our God calls to himself.” When we are united to Christ by faith, we receive the Holy Spirit, which means that God has called us to himself. By virtue of our union with Christ, we experience now through the Holy Spirit, and will experience in full at Christ’s return, the same fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore that Jesus experiences now in God’s presence.

DGCC’s Mission Statement, Psalm 16:11, and Christmas

So — to recall our first question — “How did we gain access to the divine joy of Psalm 16:11, the very divine joy we believe comes gift wrapped with a passion for God’s supremacy?” We have access to the divine joy of Psalm 16:11 through Jesus. And, we “exist to spread a passion for God’s supremacy for the joy of all peoples” through Jesus. And — to recall our second question — “What does Psalm 16:11 have to do with Christmas, specifically Jesus’ first and second advent?” Well, consider some New Testament passages.

Matt 1:1 — 1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Luke 2:10–11 — 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Rev 22:16, 20 — 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star”…20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Jesus is the promised son of David (Matt 1:1; Luke 2:11) who is risen and who reigns on God’s throne forever (2 Sam 7:13; 1 Chr 17:12; Acts 2:25–36). His first coming meant “great joy” for God’s people, because he is the “Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). And, those united to him by faith receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). As a result, they — “everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39) — are reconciled to and commune with God. Thus, because of Jesus’ first advent those united to Christ spiritually enter into the joy of God described in Psalm 16:11. And by Jesus’ own testimony, he, “the descendant of David” is “coming soon” to bring us fully into God’s presence (Rev 22:16, 20). So through Jesus’ second advent, we will enter fully into the joy of Psalm 16:11. Therefore, Psalm 16:11 ties directly to Christmas, because through the advents of Jesus God grants us access into his glorious presence where there is “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). So in light of the reality that Jesus is coming soon, we echo Rev 22:20, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” And until that day, we exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God for the joy of all peoples through Jesus.

Merry Christmas from Psalm 16:11.

A Time for Peace and Restoration

 

What do Christmas and the book of Judges have in common? At first glance you may not see very much. In the book of Judges we see a people who are now in the land God promised their forefathers, but they are surrounded by their enemies and are worshipping other gods. The people of Israel begin to disobey God by making covenants with their enemies, enslaving the inhabitants, and worshipping false idols (Judges 1:27-2:11). God had commanded them to fully possess the land so they could worship him free from fear or compromise. But, because they do not trust God’s strength, they fall into a cycle of idolatry that frankly makes the book of Judges exhausting to read. The people cycle through disobedience, disapproval, and distress over and over. They disobey; God disapproves; He then shows that disapproval by causing them distress.

On the other hand, Christmas is known for the joy and hope it brings. We sing songs, drink our favorite warm seasonal drink (hot chocolate with marshmallows are our families’ personal favorite). It’s also a time where we spend time with friends and family and exchange gifts to show our love for one another. The season feels so distant from what we read in the book of Judges.

However, the biblical narrative of Christmas has a very important similarity to the book of Judges — God comes to bring peace and restoration to His people. The story of Christmas is of a long awaited Savior coming to save his people in an unexpected way. The child of prophecy is born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and is not only the very son of God but the hope for all humanity to be freed from their sin (Isaiah 11:10; 42:1-4). That’s the same pattern we see happen over and over again in the book of Judges. After the people’s disobedience, God’s disapproval brings distress, but He is always faithful to send a savior to restore and bring peace to his people. God transforms their cycle of idolatry into one of peace and restoration. In fact, God gives this peace and restoration to everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ.

This is the common thread between a book that can be discouraging and a time of year that feels so joyous and hopeful. We should rejoice with the Psalmist who proclaims God’s great work in Christ in Psalm 85:1-4 and 8:

Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin. Selah

You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!…

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people

Through Christ our sins are forgiven, God’s wrath and hot anger are removed, and He restores us to Himself. This is the reason for the joy we should have in this and every season. Despite our sins and constant disobedience, our God has spoken peace to His people! Let this testimony be in our hearts while we sing, drink, and gather with friends and family. We serve a great and loving God who has sent His Son into the world for peace and restoration.

[This devotion elaborates on points made in the November 6 sermon. The audio of that sermon is available at this link.]

Why We Have Tongues: Carols Across the Centuries

Christmas carols! We hear the tunes and our minds conjure up visions of decorated trees, family gatherings, piles of presents. We recall the eager anticipation of Christmas Day we experienced as children, and try to help the children around us to feel the same.

So carols serve to tie generations together. Many of the songs we’ll sing on Sundays this month were sung in my childhood church fifty years ago; were sung in my mother’s childhood church eighty years ago; were sung in her mother’s church 120 years ago; and on back through the decades and centuries. Music and lyrics bind Christians together across time.

Scripture tells us Christians of every time, from every place, of every culture form one Body – we are members one of another. Music reminds us of that truth.

Thus, we aim at DGCC to include music and lyrics both old and new – and we include the year the lyrics were written in the bulletin. These dates remind us: we are part of that One Church that the Spirit is building and perfecting, from every tribe and tongue and nation, from every decade and century and millennium.

So praise God for familiar carols that have been sung regularly for centuries!

But our unity with believers from earlier eras can also prompt us to discover carols that have dropped out of modern hymnals, that are almost never sung today. By digging into the past, we delight that much more in our common worship with brothers and sisters from earlier eras.

Here is a carol you probably have never heard sung: Shepherds Rejoice, by one of the earliest English hymn writers, Isaac Watts. I came across these three-hundred-year-old lyrics in the late 90s, and then was delighted to find that a tune commonly used for this carol right after the American Revolution was composed by William Billings, perhaps the greatest early American composer.

The lyrics are below. You can listen to the first and last stanzas sung to Billings’ tune via this link.

The first two stanzas are spoken by the angel to the shepherds, proclaiming the coming of the King of kings – but this king sits on a humble throne. So the angel invites these humble shepherds to kiss the Son (echoing Psalm 2:12).

The whole company of angels then gives glory to God in the third stanza.

In the fourth stanza, Isaac Watts addresses us: Angels are praising God in song – shouldn’t we men do the same? He then writes one of the greatest lines in all hymnody:

O may we lose these useless tongues
When they forget to praise!

God created us for His glory. He gave us tongues so that we might praise and glorify Him – including in speech, in song, in counsel, and in comfort.

So do so this season! Join Christians across the centuries by praising Him with old carols! And express our culture’s different forms of praise by singing new carols! And then also: praise Him through this new old carol from centuries past, that reminds us why we have tongues.

‘Shepherds, rejoice! lift up your eyes
And send your fears away;
News from the region of the skies:
Salvation’s born today!
Jesus, the God whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you;
Today he makes his entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

‘No gold, nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for his cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.
Go, shepherds, where the Infant lies,
And see his humble throne;
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.’

Thus Gabriel sang, and straight around
The heavenly armies throng;
They tune their harps to lofty sound
And thus conclude the song:
‘Glory to God that reigns above,
Let peace surround the earth;
Mortals shall know their Maker’s love
At their Redeemer’s birth.’

Lord! and shall angels have their songs
And men no tunes to raise?
O may we lose these useless tongues
When they forget to praise!
‘Glory to God that reigns above,
That pitied us forlorn!’
We join to sing our Maker’s love,
For there’s a Saviour born.