Category: Hymns

Amazing grace — Mars Hill Church

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me;
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow;
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

A baptismal service (3)

I must also thank God for his help with the children today. Both Esther and myself were afraid that they would be disruptive. I was leading the service, and she was playing the piano. But it went amazingly well. Maxime sat with Maria Hartiel to start with, and eventually fell asleep. Jean-Baptiste sat with a boy from the church. He did start to get bored and play around with his car after a while. He was also singing a discretely. But Maria Hartiel went to get him and he sat with her and another lady from the church. He kept quiet for the rest of the service, and seemed to comply when they were telling him something. We thank God for these ladies, and for his help. We’ve thanked the children as well.

Singing Psalms

In our family worship, we’ve started learning some Psalms from the Huguenot Psalter. It is a great exercise, and a real help to grasp the message of these Psalms, and a tool to meditate on them later. The tunes are easy to remember, and can be sung without accompaniment (which is a change from modern tunes). Here is the first Psalm in modern French.

1. L’homme qui fuit le conseil des trompeurs
Sans s’arrêter au chemin des pécheurs
Ni sur le banc où les moqueurs s’asseyent
Mais que la Loi du Seigneur émerveille
(Loi dont il est jour et nuit désireux),
Certainement, celui-là est heureux!
2. Il semblera un arbre grand et beau,
Planté le long d’un clair courant ruisseau;
En sa saison, on voit le fruit qu’il porte
Sans que jamais sa feuille tombe morte.
Le vrai croyant et tout ce qu’il fera
A l’avenir toujours prospérera.
3. Mais les pervers n’auront pas ces vertus;
Ils deviendront semblables aux fétus,
A la poussière au gré du ven chassée…
Aussi leur cause sera renversée
Au Jugement, quand tous ces réprouvés
Au rang des bons ne seront pas trouvés.
4. Car l’Eternel connaît les hommes droits,
Prenant soin d’eux sur le chemin étroit;
Ils recevront le vrai bonheur qui dure.
Une autre voie aux pécheurs semble sûre,
Mais les voilà dans la direction
Où, avec leurs projets, ils périront.

You can listen to the tune here.

I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art

This hymn has been attributed to John Calvin. Any one has got the French words?

I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust and Savior of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place;
So come, O King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive;
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness;
O grant to us the grace we find in Thee,
That we may dwell in perfect unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;
Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;
Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,
That in Thy strength we evermore endure.