Tag: St. Patrick

Paul’s songs: wisdom all the way back to St. Patrick

But God gives wisdom

Colossians 3:16-17 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Romans 11:33 Doxology: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

I’m posting today instead of tomorrow so you can join me in saying “Happy birthday” to my husband Dave. I’ve chosen to feature one of his favorite hymns. Having a St. Patrick’s Day birthday has meant he almost always has a cake with green icing. Here are some pics I found from a few years ago (2011).

Paul’s admonition to the Colossian church, like Ephesians 5:19-20, embraces “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” And it brings in the concept of wisdom from God, which immediately makes me think of the hymn “Be Thou My Vision.” The second verse begins, “Be Thou My Wisdom.”

I’ve received several communications from Wheaton College classmates the last few weeks asking, “Are you going?” What a delight to respond “Yes! Are you?” I’m extra-motivated because my brother’s 65th birthday falls on the same weekend, and he lives in Wheaton (when he’s not in Guatemala building his retirement home).

None of us can believe it’s been fifty years since we graduated from college. When we reminisce, someone is bound to say, “Remember singing “Be Thou My Vision” in chapel?” Two thousand voices, “all the verses, all the parts” swelling with the organ in Edman Chapel’s amazing acoustics.

I don’t know whether previous or later generations of Wheaton students hold the same regard for “Be Thou My Vision.” But I do know that Dave, who graduated three years before me, and my sister-in-law Jennie, who graduated three years after me, love this hymn as much as I do. The wisdom packed into this ancient Irish hymn has helped anchor each of us through the choices and challenges of our lives.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart

Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight,

Be Thou my Armor, and be Thou my Light

Thou my soul’s Shelter and Thou my high Tow’r

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

We learned more than knowledge at Wheaton. We gained wisdom as well.

Here’s the story of “Be Thou My Vision” told by Veronica of A Woman’s Song Ministry, taking us all the way back to St. Patrick in the fifth century.

Do you have a favorite rendition of “Be Thou My Vision”? Here are several I’ve been enjoying:

Audrey Assad

National Christian Choir (A dear friend of mine sings with this amazing choir. I had the privilege of attending one of their concerts a few years ago.)

Ascend the Hill

Keith and Kristyn Getty

Young Adelaide Voices

The Riverside

Ideas for me?

Ideas for me?

But God is three in one

Galatians 4:6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

One of the big differences between Christians and our monotheistic cousins, Muslims, is our understanding and experience of God as three-in-one, Trinitarian.

This central tenet of our faith, I find personally, is easier to experience than to explain. And now I’m wrestling with the best way to express the Trinity to children.

I’ve written a draft of a book for kids about this topic, but I’m not satisfied with it. I showed it to a theologian, who told me I emphasized too much their diversity at the expense of their unity.

So, I thought of reaching out to you who read this blog. How have you explained or illustrated the nature of the Trinity to your children?

Please email me your ideas or write them in the Comments. I would really appreciate your thoughts.

Just for fun, here’s a hilarious clip of St. Patrick explaining the Trinity.

Thanks so much! I’m headed back to Pittsburgh this evening after a week with my sister and brother-in-law in Meridian, Idaho.

In other book news, we’re coming up to the deadline for turning in all the materials for Campfire Song Stories to EA Books, to be available before Christmas. I’m excited about this book, a bringing to life of six of the stories Karis and I imagined together during long days in hospitals, to commemorate ten years since she left us. I have five young illustrators (one of them 12!) and one young vocal artist (11) working hard—I know you and your kids will love their work! Please pray for them as they each complete their assignments. Thank you.

This I Believe (The Creed)