St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

God - his holiness and majesty

The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth.
He comes and will not be silent:
in majesty he shines forth.
"Gather to me my people,
set apart by sacrifice.
I will judge my chosen ones:
their virtue and their vice."

O Israel, hear the LORD:
"I do not need your bulls:
All beasts are my own possession,
the cows on a thousand hills.
I have no need of slaughter:
keep your vows to God Most High!
Pray to me when trouble comes:
I answer those who cry."

O evil ones, hear the LORD:
"How can you speak my laws?
You hate my commands and statutes,
with robbers you join your cause.
Slander and lies come from you,
and you think I do not hear?
I am not like you," says God,
"and you deserve to fear."

"Consider this," says the LORD:
"mend your heart and your mind.
The evil I'll tear to pieces,
with no-one to heal and bind.
Those who will turn and thank me,
honour me and seek my face:
they will find their way prepared
and they will see my grace."

Words copyright © John Hartley 2007.
Based on Psalm 50.
There’s a tune on our web site.

Trinity Sunday is often subtitled “The holiness and majesty of God”. Maybe because the traditional reading is from Isaiah 6:1-8, where the prophet has a vision of the Lord God in the temple. He realizes God is far above him, pure and perfect, and he is overcome by realizing his own sinfulness and unworthiness in comparison to God.

And as a vicar I sometimes wish that more people realized God is not just exactly like them. When we see that God has higher standards than we do, it makes us see ourselves as we really are. It brings home the Christian message that we are all lost in our sin, that we all need a rescue, and that we need to come to God and lay hold of that rescue for ourselves - quick, before it’s too late.

So here’s a hymn rewritten from Israel’s hymn-book - Psalm 50 in the Old Testament. I don’t know all about its background - I was too late on the scene to remember! But I do know that the two groups of people it speaks to: the evildoers (in verse 3), and the religious who think they’re OK because they go through the right motions (in verse 2), both need to hear the message. God is real, pure, and angry about sin. But he’s full of love and forgiveness for those who want to enter a relationship with him.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2007, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (June 2007) Trinity, Sidesmen, Pray for the sick, DCF, Hymn. Music for this song. Other hymns.	God - his holiness and majesty The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth. He comes and will not be silent: in majesty he shines forth. "Gather to me my people, set apart by sacrifice. I will judge my chosen ones: their virtue and their vice." O Israel, hear the LORD: "I do not need your bulls: All beasts are my own possession, the cows on a thousand hills. I have no need of slaughter: keep your vows to God Most High! Pray to me when trouble comes: I answer those who cry." O evil ones, hear the LORD: "How can you speak my laws? You hate my commands and statutes, with robbers you join your cause. Slander and lies come from you, and you think I do not hear? I am not like you," says God, "and you deserve to fear." "Consider this," says the LORD: "mend your heart and your mind. The evil I'll tear to pieces, with no-one to heal and bind. Those who will turn and thank me, honour me and seek my face: they will find their way prepared and they will see my grace." Words copyright © John Hartley 2007. Based on Psalm 50. There’s a tune on our web site. Trinity Sunday is often subtitled “The holiness and majesty of God”. Maybe because the traditional reading is from Isaiah 6:1-8, where the prophet has a vision of the Lord God in the temple. He realizes God is far above him, pure and perfect, and he is overcome by realizing his own sinfulness and unworthiness in comparison to God. And as a vicar I sometimes wish that more people realized God is not just exactly like them. When we see that God has higher standards than we do, it makes us see ourselves as we really are. It brings home the Christian message that we are all lost in our sin, that we all need a rescue, and that we need to come to God and lay hold of that rescue for ourselves - quick, before it’s too late. So here’s a hymn rewritten from Israel’s hymn-book - Psalm 50 in the Old Testament. I don’t know all about its background - I was too late on the scene to remember! But I do know that the two groups of people it speaks to: the evildoers (in verse 3), and the religious who think they’re OK because they go through the right motions (in verse 2), both need to hear the message. God is real, pure, and angry about sin. But he’s full of love and forgiveness for those who want to enter a relationship with him. John Hartley
Top of page.	This web page was last updated on 2nd August 2007.