Fairest Lord Jesus

Liturgy Lessons: January 21, 2018
Call to Worship: Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 8
Hymn of Praise: Creation Sings
Confession of Sin/Assurance of Pardon: Romans 8:1-4, 15, 31-35, 37-39
Hymns of Assurance: O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (#535); My Jesus I Love Thee (#648)
Catechism/Congregational Prayers
Reading of the Word: Luke 2:41-52 (The Boy Jesus in the Temple)
Doxology: #731
Sermon: Rev. Eric Irwin
Tithes and Offerings
Supper: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us; Here is Love Vast as the Ocean
Closing Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus (#170)
Benediction

“God is the Creator, the ultimate Artist. Every bit of natural beauty comes from His hand; our own ability to see and respond to beauty comes from being made in His image. Responding to beauty in the here-and-now, the world that God made (and called good), is a foretaste of how we will rejoice in the eternal, dynamic, unfading beauty in the redeemed creation.

The experience of worship can orient us toward that divine beauty; everything from architecture to music can preach to us something that we need to hear: that our Father loves us extravagantly and pours out His grace on us in joyous abundance, if we will but turn to Him…And as we do so, we should be reminded of our own genuine poverty of spirit. We come to God with empty hands. To be moved by beauty in worship, beauty that is intentionally oriented toward the living God, is a gift that cannot be used up. It is a vision into the very nature of God, who is the source of all that is good. It can open up a window in the heart for the light of Christ to shine into.”

– Holly Ordway, Worship and Identity, the Role of Beauty in the Church

“Something wonderful happened at the opening of Genesis. As creation was unfolding from the hands of the Master, like wet clay on a potter’s wheel, a great ovation erupted: ‘The morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). But of course. He has just finished sculpting the islands of Greece so that their white sandy beaches perfectly rim those azure seas. Then he watered the jungles of Malaysia to sustain an exotic array of orchids, after which he painted sunsets over the Sahara and hurled the Himalayas [and Mt. Rainier!] upward, treacherous peaks scraping the roof of the world.

The only way to describe this ongoing creative activity is extravagant. Thunderclouds gather over the prairies, and afterward he scatters wildflowers as far as the eye can see. He fills the oceans with orcas and urchins and who knows what. A single maple leaf is woven with greater intricacy than the finest French lace—even though it will fall with the winds of autumn. New stars are born every day; a new sunset painted and swept away each night. Such magnificent generosity. No composer ever gave so many free concerts. George MacDonald got it right when he said ‘Gloriously wasteful, O my Lord, art thou!'”

– John Eldredge, Desire

Fairest Lord Jesus
Text: Münster Gesangbuch (1677)
Music: CRUSADER’S HYMN, German folk song

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Phil. 3)

Really, Paul? EVERYTHING is counted loss compared to Christ? I mean, I get the concept, but tell me how you get from theological admission of the transcendent worth of Christ to willful surrender of gain for the sake of Christ? I want to consider it all loss, I really do. But I’m sitting on my comfortable couch, sipping a nine-dollar beer next to the lightswitch that operates our fireplace, and I’m thinking that my suburban slumber may put me at a disadvantage in truly coming to terms with this. What’s that you say? Consider this?

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Col. 1)

So you are telling me that everything was created by him, through him, and for him? He is the source of everything that I enjoy? And that he holds it all together? That Christ is the source of all that is good and beautiful? What about this warm fire and cold beer? Or better yet, the superb spectrum of color you splashed across the sky last Friday, or the sound of the wind swirling through the pines on Saturday, or the tingle and tremor in my hands raised in the doxology on Sunday? Oh, what a weekend! And best of all, the intoxicating blue of my wife’s eyes, the boyish vigor of my twin sons, the irrepressible laughter of my oldest daughter, or the irresistible delight of our 5-year-old baby girl jumping around in her footy pajamas. What about all this?

“For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Rom. 11)

Well, if that’s the case, then I agree that Jesus deserves all the glory. And, I will second you with another “AMEN!” Pray for me, Paul. That I may, like you, discover the all-surpassing worth of Christ. I struggle with that sometimes. But, there are things that help me. Reminders. Like this hymn. I love the way it echoes what you are saying, and how singing it helps not just stir the affections, but steers the heart back toward Christ, whom you have told me is more precious and beautiful than anything. As you said earlier in your letter,

“Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8)

Thank you for that strong reminder of the love of Christ expressed by his sacrifice for our sins. I know by the gift of faith that He is also Savior of our fallen race. Paul, your spirit-inspired words are deeply encouraging. Will you pray with me now?

Lord Jesus—”beautiful savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and son of man!”—composer of the cosmos and caretaker of creation, you are more awesome than we can comprehend, more loving than we can fathom, and more beautiful than anything we can behold. Thank you for your many good gifts. The moonlight and the meadows, the sunlight and the spring, these are all obvious overflows of your abundance and love. The mere gift of music speaks so deeply to us of your creative husbandry over all you have made. And we are so grateful for the gift of singing, without which we would probably explode. How else would we express to you the depth of devotion that we feel for your great mercies and loving care? Thank you for this old anonymous hymn text, and for this folk song sung by so many people over the centuries. Thank you for the way it expresses the ardor of our praise. Your works are wonderful, and all you have made is magnificent. Forgive us when we worship the gifts instead of the Giver. Forgive us when we turn to lesser things. As we sing this hymn on Sunday, may your spirit rekindle in us a fire of devotion, so that we may not prove false when we declare together “Thee will I cherish, thee will I honor, thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.”

Suggested hymn recording
Sheet music

Note: Because of the intense devotional nature of this hymn, and its anonymous background, I decided to frame the write-up differently this week. If you would like a bit more historical info or teaching on “Fairest Lord Jesus,” then I suggest the following link, which contains an audio discussion and a full transcription of the broadcast. If you have time, I highly recommend it.

Additional discussion about “Fairest Lord Jesus”