(Sung to the tune of Take It to the Lord in Prayer)
Everyone is going through changes
No one knows what’s going on.
And everybody changes places-
But the world still carries on.
Love must always change to sorrow
And everyone must play the game,
Here today and gone tomorrow-
But the world goes on the same.
Everyone is going through changes…
Now love must always change to sorrow…
Everyone is going through changes…
Now love must always change to sorrow…
Everyone is going through changes
But the world still carries on.
Holy Karaoke – it doesn’t get much better than this! (…or DOESit ? )
Isn’t this where the expression “pull out all the stops” comes from ?
Try singing along. (And let’s hear it for decasyllabic hymnody !)
Let the Church roll on…
For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight; thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the apostles’ glorious company, who bearing forth the cross o’er land and sea, shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee: Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Evangelists, by whose blest word, like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord, is fair and fruitful, be thy Name adored. Alleluia, Alleluia!
For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye, saw the bright crown descending from the sky, and seeing, grasped it, thee we glorify. Alleluia, Alleluia!
O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, and win, with them the victor’s crown of gold. Alleluia, Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine! we feebly struggle, they in glory shine; all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia, Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong. Alleluia, Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west; soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest; sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia, Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, and singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!
Yes Virginia, words DO have meaning.
In spite of all that my postmodernist professors have said,
words have meaning… especially when arranged in sentences.
Here is a magnificent text for all you cutting-edge linguistic hipsters to deconstruct, heteroglossically demythologize, and ontologically implode through polylectic subtextual analysis.
OMG– it doesn’t get much better than this! (…or DOESit ? )
Isn’t this where the expression “pull out all the stops” comes from ?
For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight; thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the apostles’ glorious company, who bearing forth the cross o’er land and sea, shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee: Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Evangelists, by whose blest word, like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord, is fair and fruitful, be thy Name adored. Alleluia, Alleluia!
For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye, saw the bright crown descending from the sky, and seeing, grasped it, thee we glorify. Alleluia, Alleluia!
O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, and win, with them the victor’s crown of gold. Alleluia, Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine! we feebly struggle, they in glory shine; all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia, Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong. Alleluia, Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west; soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest; sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia, Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, and singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!
Pastor James Caldwell called it very well indeed at the Battle of Springfield, New Jersey on June 23, 1780:
When James Caldwell joined the battle in Springfield, the Americans were giving the British a sound beating, when suddenly one of the patriot companies ran out of paper wadding. Now wadding was just as important as powder and musket balls to the soldier. Instantly, James called for the company to retreat back to the local Presbyterian Church where he ran in and grabbed all the Isaac Watts hymnals. He rushed back outside and began slinging them to the soldiers with the admonition to “fill the British with doctrine from the hymnals” and, “Give ’em Watts, Boys!” “Put Watts Into ’em, Boys!”
[http://www.puritanboard.com]
Others, it would appear, have heard of this incident as I had – but thought it happened at Bunker Hill.
Without further ado, I give you Watts today:
Helpless Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748)
How helpless guilty nature lies, Unconscious of its load! The heart, unchanged can never rise To happiness and God.
The will perverse, the passions blind, In paths of ruin stray; Reason, debased, can never find The safe, the narrow way.
Can aught, beneath a power divine, The stubborn will subdue? Tis Thine, almighty Saviour, Thine, To form the heart anew.
O change these wretched hearts of ours, And give them life divine! Then shall our passions and our powers, Almighty Lord, be Thine!
Image from: 
CONNECT/HOOK 