Blogging a Christian Message, continued

(NKJV) 20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Yes, they’re the words I was looking for. And the context is relationships. That’s’ what my mom was doing through her music – nurturing relationships between her resident friends and Jesus, who then joined them in their midst. That’s why Joy was there too. Well so, how could I bring this all together in some way to support mom and maybe even add to her ministry?

Later, God nudged me – to write this down and develop new words for one of mom’s favorite hymns, words which would connect parts of Matthew 18 and what mom and her friends were doing. Mom and I talked about it. Then she and I made a list of her favorite hymns. I went through those and picked "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" for its well-known music. The tune is very familiar to many people and it can be sung largely from memory.

So, I began composing new hymn lyrics, springing from Matthew 18. That 20th verse says exactly what I saw happening at Mom’s dinner hymn sings. "For where two of three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

As I began writing, I imagined – what mom may have been thinking as a “wish-message” to those in the dining room; I think it was, "Come join in." So, that became the message of the first stanza.

1 - Come and join us all to sing now,

Help our spirits chase the gloom,

Sweep away our cares with praises,

And our joys will fill this room.

And the chorus then tells us why.

And the chorus then tells us why.

For where two or three are gathered,

Together in His name,

He is in the midst among them,

Filling hearts with love's proclaim.

The second wish-message I sensed was, "We are all one big family here." So that thought became the 2nd stanza.

2 - We are all like one big family,

Leaning on each others’ days,

With a Precious time to offer,

All our voices to God's praise.

Then the third wish-message I sensed was, "Now, let's celebrate His presence." So became the third stanza.

3 - Celebrate His presence here now;

See that smile across my face.

Yes the grin is deep from within,

flowing from His loving Grace.

Well, mom played that hymn during that special sing-along event – while about 50 or so of us sang the words with her. (I sang quietly) She also played it many times at her dinner concerts – up until her death. Then, I thought these new lyrics would surely retire too, as her theme-song to gather her friends together and sing praises to the ever-present Lord. And, as far as I know, the words were silent for many years.

 

This Message concludes in the next post below.