"By Gracious Powers"

I've been listening to Christian music in German of late and tonight I found "By Gracious Powers So Wonderfully Sheltered." The video below is sung by the Laki Pop Choir, but the words are by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His poem, "By Gracious Powers" follows the video.



 By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,
And confidently waiting come what may,
we know that God is with us night and morning,
and never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented,
Still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;
Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation
for which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare.

And when this cup You give is filled to brimming
With bitter suffering, hard to understand,
we take it thankfully and without trembling,
out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world You give us
The joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun,
we shall remember all the days we lived through,
and our whole life shall then be Yours alone.

If you are interested in more information on Bonhoeffer: bonhoefferblog.wordpress.com/

Yesterday

8:35 p.m.

Won't go away
Bothersome
Moments past
when
nothing
No pain
No unrest
Moment or two or more past
... many yesterdays.

Try
to put
thoughts
toward Jesus

Sometimes
hard
to do

Movement here,
there

Twinge
of pain
striking
vengeance

Don't like
where I am

Imagine
uncountable more
don't like
where they are

Seek
comfort
envelope self
within
God's
sheltering wings

Swim
head swaying
not to any tune
don't want to fall

Comfort
fails
Can't find release

Restricted.

Am reminded.

We are
one in the spirit
We are
one in the Lord

...in life
in death
in life ever more

A time will come
A season
Tomorrow

May never like
where we are
but
with Jesus
we have
hope
for a better
hereafter.

Cathy Orrick Luders

9.13.2010

Video by Jars of Clay

The Dead Sea Scrolls

If history and the Bible fascinate you, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition currently on display at the Science Museum in St. Paul, Minn., may be worth checking out. In fact, my husband Jim and I are doing just that this weekend. The exhibit, created by the Israel Antiquities Authority in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, opened March 12 and will be on display through Oct. 24. The following video presented by scroll experts and exhibition advisors Dr. Michael Wise and Dr. Alex Jassen give an overview of the exhibit.

The Sound of Music

A friend sent me a link to the following 4-minute presentation with this introduction:
This video was made in the Antwerp, Belgium Central Train Station on March 23, 2009, with no warning to the passengers passing through the station. At 8 a.m. a recording of Julie Andrews singing "Do, Re, Mi" begins to play on the public address system. As the bemused passengers watch in amazement, some 200 dancers begin to appear from the crowd and station entrances. They created this amazing stunt with just two rehearsals.

Enjoy!

Dwelling in Beulah Land

This is my husband's favorite song, with words and music by C. Austin Miles. It is on rare occasions sung at church on Sunday mornings.

Everlasting God

Last Sunday in church among the songs sung was "Everlasting God" (2005), with words and music by Brenton Brown and Ken Riley. Here is the video, followed by the lyrics.



(A) Strength will rise as we
wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
(repeat)

(B) Our God
You reign forever
Our hope
Our strong Deliv'rer
You are
the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of
the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings
like
eagles.

(Repeat A)
(Repeat B twice)