Why it sometimes sucks to be Protestant

There are times I need things that Protestantism simply isn't interested in.

• There are days when it would be nice to know that on any given day of the week there would be a prayer service with Eucharist, for me to hear the forgiveness of sins and receive Christ's body and blood.
  
• There are days when it would be nice for the church to speak with one prophetic voice to the world.
  
• There are days when it would be nice to know that when I or someone else find ourselves in broken communion with the church that we wouldn't be able to just go down the street and find people in a church who didn't give a rat's you-know-what about what sin we were up to.
  
• There are days when it would be nice to know that people actually cared about what Christians who came before us had to say.
  
• There are days when it would be nice to not have to worry about whether or not I would hear the message of Christ crucified, died, and risen for my sins when I went to church, anywhere, anytime I went.

I'm not suggesting I'm ready to swim the Tiber, because they have a long list of things they can't do for me either (and they don't really do most of the things on this list the best either). But it does have its advantages.

Power in the Blood

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Famous One

You are the Lord
The famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the Earth
The heavens declare 
You're glorious, glorious!
Great is Your fame beyond the Earth

And for all You've done and yet to do
With every breath I'm praising You
Desire of nations and every heart
You alone are God

You are the Lord
The famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the Earth
The heavens declare
You're glorious, glorious!
Great is Your fame beyond the Earth

The morning star is shining through
And every eye is watching You
Revealed by nature and miracles
You are beautiful
You are beautiful

You are the Lord
The famous One, famous One
Great is Your name in all the Earth
The heavens declare
You're glorious, glorious!
Great is Your fame beyond the Earth

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
 Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Liturgy

There's something about it... not sure what it is. Maybe I'm going through a phase. But I'm increasingly drawn back to it.

Tragedy has a tendency to drive you strongly in one direction or the other. For me, the tragedy was a long time ago (well, relatively speaking). However, I've observed from my experience and that of others that tragedy will either drive you away from God or toward him.

In my case it drove me toward him. Not just toward God, but deeper into the traditions that have formed me since my youth. I still believe that so many of my Lutheran brothers and sisters are dead in terms of their evangelistic fervor. However, I have grown tired of happy-clappy worship that revolves around my emotions and how I feel instead of the story of what God has done in Christ.

That doesn't mean I reject contemporary worship forms. In fact, the places where I've attended the past few years have carefully chosen "praise and worship" choruses that have glorified Christ, his work on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, and his coming return and renewal of heaven and earth rather than focus on me and my changing emotions. However, even so, I feel drawn to the ancient forms that I heard since I was a young child.

That probably has more to do with what's comforting than anything else. Which, of course, brings things back to my emotions, not Jesus. Hence why I think it might be a phase. 

I remember almost two years ago, at around the time my personal tragedy was coming to a close, when I went to a conference for church leaders with my best friend. On the last night of the conference, there was a long prayer time, occasion for confession of sin, and the Lord's Supper. I remember going up for confession (because boy I needed it), receiving absolution, and then receiving the Supper. I then went back to my seat to pray, feeling refreshed. There was worship music still going on as I prayed. Then the band started to play:

Jesus, what a friend for sinners;
Jesus, lover, of my soul!
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Hallelujah, what a Savior,
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end!

I broke down bawling. Like, literally, on the floor, crying. I remember singing that so many times in the church where I grew up. And the words just cut straight through to my heart, it was exactly what I needed. I remember going to bed that night at peace, very odd because of what was supposed to happen the next day.

It was comforting because it was familiar. We can make the familiar into an idol, yes. And we can depend on it rather than Jesus. But maybe this was (and is) something else. Maybe this is Jesus taking me down, down, back to the basics. Back to the "heart of worship," if you will. Stripping away all of my foolish pretenses about being holy and good and all of that, and bringing me back to the place where I cling to him for life, indeed, for life eternal.

Jesus, I do now receive him,
More than all in him I find!
He has granted me forgiveness,
I am his, and he is mine!
Hallelujah, what a Savior,
Halleluhah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end!

Famous One

You are the Lord
The famous one
Famous one
Great is your name
In all the earth
The heavens declare
You're glorious, glorious
Great is your fame
Beyond the earth

And for all you've done
And yet to do
With every breath
I'm praising you
Desire of nations
And every heart
You alone are God
You alone are God

You are the Lord
The famous one
The famous one
Great is your name
In all the earth
The heavens declare
You're glorious, glorious
Great is your fame
Beyond the earth

What does your pastor read?

The great thing about where I go to church is that I know exactly what my pastor is reading besides the Bible. Why? Because before he goes off on some big idea he names the person he got the insight from. I don't want to label ideas by the person they come from, but it does help me get a bearing on whose thought is influencing the guy who brings the Word of God to me every Sunday. And that is very good.

Incidentally, this is why being part of a historic tradition actually means that you are probably less prone to wander away from the Bible, because at least if you're a Lutheran or a Calvinist or a Baptist or whatever at least you know where your ideas (and hence your biases) about the Bible come from. If you're nondenominational, where do your biases come from? Basically your pastor. Where does he get  his ideas about the Bible from? Whatever he's been reading; this year, this month, or maybe even this week.

People who say things like "you have Luther, we have only the Bible" drive me nuts.

How many?

"How many do you worship on a Sunday?"

"Three, or one, depending on how you count Him."

Mighty To Save

Boy, did I need this one today...

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave. (x2)

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus (x2)

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave. (x2)

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus. (x4)

Lift High the Cross

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
our King victorious, Christ the Son of God.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Each newborn soldier of the Crucified
bears on the brow the seal of him who died.


Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Let every race and every language tell
of him who saves our souls from death and hell.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

From farthest regions let their homage bring,
and on his Cross adore their Savior King.


Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Set up thy throne, that earth's despair may cease
beneath the shadow of its healing peace.


Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name!

Just change a word or two...

Some funny parodies of worship music... see how easy it is sometimes? Unfortunately, the "health and wealth" and "it's all about me" gospels are alive and well these days.

How Marvelous! How Wonderful!

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Refrain

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain

How great?

When Christ shall come....
With shout of acclamation....
And heal this world....
What joy shall fill my heart....
Then I shall bow....
In humble adoration....
And there proclaim....
"My God, how great Thou art!"