In _____ We Trust

Welcome back to “Worship Notes,” I hope that you all had a great Holiday season as you were able to celebrate as best you could despite the COVID-19 Pandemic!  I am looking forward to the year ahead as we continue to see how our Worship is connected to how we believe and how we live.  The founding principle behind this blog series is based around a quote from Gordon Fee: “Show me a church’s songs, and I’ll show you their theology.”  As we talked about last Sunday, our Theology and Doctrine are worthless unless they are put into practice in how we live and work every day.

After the terrible events of yesterday (1/6/21) in our nation’s capital, the song that has been on repeat in my mind’s soundtrack has been Cornerstone, which is a modern treatment of the hymn The Solid Rock.  In the early 19th century, Pastor Edward Mote wanted to write a hymn that summarized the “gracious experience of a Christian.”  He began with the familiar chorus and quickly finished four verses.  The text of that great Hymn is written below:

     My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness
     I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name

          On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand
          All other ground is sinking sand.
     
     In every rough and stormy gale my anchor holds within the vale
     When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay

     Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest on His unchanging love
     I trust His righteous character, His counsel, promise and His power.
     
     When He shall come with trumpet sound, o may I then in Him be found
     dressed in His righteousness alone – faultless to stand before the Throne!

It is easy to see how quickly we can lose our focus and reliance on the only true, sure foundation.  The world looks to political systems, social movements, and powerful personalities to provide the safety and security that every person truly longs for.  In a world of chaos, we want safe harbor!  If anything, we have seen how putting our hopes in these “shifting sands” ultimately let us down. 

​Psalm 20:7 says “Some trust in Chariots, some in Horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD, our God.”  As we look at the turmoil in our culture today, I encourage you to pray for our nation.  Not that a favored political party, movement, or figure gains or retains power in order to provide security – but that they would find the true assurance and peace that comes in knowing Jesus. 

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (Food, Shelter, Clothing, etc.) will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its trouble.”  -Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)

For His Glory,
-Pastor Zach