Jesus, My Great High Priest

I'm very excited about a new hymn re-write I'm working on. The text is from "Jesus, My Great High Priest," found in the Trinity Hymnal. While on vacation this past week, I was able to play it for my brother-in-law (who, by the way, is the best musician/writer I know - also my best friend), and he not only gave me the green light, but asked for a recording when I'm through laying down a demo for our choir. Here's the text:


Jesus, my great High Priest
Offered His blood and died
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside
His powerful blood did once atone
And now it pleads before the throne

To this dear Surety's hand
Will I commit my cause
He answers and fulfills
His Father's broken laws
Behold my soul at freedom set
My Surety paid the dreadful debt

My Advocate appears
For my defense on high
The Father bows His ears
And lays His thunder by
Not all that hell or sin can say
Shall turn His heart, His love away

This song is absolutely rich in gospel truth, particularly Christ's office as Priest. I wish I could have written this new tune last year when TJ was teaching through Hebrews, because the doctrine of Christ's Priesthood is all over that book. Nevertheless, it's a text - as any gospel text is - that's appropriate for any season.

That's all for now. Christmas is on the horizon...

How Vast the Benefits Divine

So this morning I found some leftover doughnuts in the church refrigerator. They're the Publix brand (which, by the way, buying Publix brand is just as good as a commercial item). I've become anti-microwave pro-toaster oven these days, so I popped one in the toaster oven and made myself a latte from the church espresso machine. Within minutes, that kitchen smelled like a dougnhut shop. What a great start to a Monday!

This month, we introduced an old hymn with a new melody to our congregation - "How Vast the Benefits Divine". One long-term project I've been working on is finding some good texts from the Trinity Hymnal and re-writing the melody. This is one of them. It's really neat to be living in a day-and-age when people are re-writing hymns. For people like me with a slight case of A.D.D., hymns take a little longer to catch on because they're "wordy". As one who became a Christian during the contemporary Christian music explosion, I've had to train myself to see the beauty of hymn-writing (I still love contemporary music, too). Yet over the past 5 or so years, I've begun to compile a list of favorites.

Here's the 1st verse to "How Vast the Benefits Divine":

How vast the benefits divine which we in Christ possess
We are redeemed from guilt and shame and called to holiness
But not for works which we have done, or shall here-after do
Hath God decreed on sinful men salvation to bestow

I'd love to post an mp3, but I haven't figured out how to do it yet. If any of you experienced bloggers know how to do this, please let me know.

In other news, Stacy, my dad and I went and saw the new Robin Hood movie yesterday. I'm a HUGE Russell Crowe fan, but director Ridley Scott bombed this one. It's basically "Gladiator Returns." First off, the movie is extremely slow in developing a plot, and when it finally does, it doesn't go anywhere. The action is fantastic, but for me, if good action scenes aren't coupled with a good plot, I won't be buying it on DVD.