GOD BE WITH YOU ‘TIL WE MEET AGAIN [CHRISTIAN SONG OF THE MONTH ~ NOVEMBER 2013]

            In loving memory of Jeremiah Rankin, who passed away 110 years ago on this date, November 28, 1903. I will post one of the hymns he authored, "God Be with You 'Til we Meet Again". 

Jeremiah Rankin

INTERNET SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Rankin

Jeremiah Eames Rankin (January 2, 1828 - November 28, 1903) was an abolitionist, champion of the temperance movement, minister of Washington D.C.'s First Congregational Church, and correspondent with Frederick Douglass. In 1889 he was appointed sixth president of Howard College in Washington, D.C. Howard University's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel was built during Jeremiah Rankin's tenure as president (1890-1903) and named after his brother. Rankin is best known as author of the hymns "God Be with You 'Til we Meet Again" and "Tell It to Jesus." In 1903 Rankin published a fictional journal of Esther Burr (Jonathan Edwards's daughter and mother of the traitor, Aaron Burr).

Rankin was born in Thornton, New Hampshire and graduated from Middlebury College in 1848. After completing his seminary studies at Andover in 1854, he served as pastor of Presbyterian and Congregational churches in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. He was awarded a doctorate from Middlebury College in 1869. From 1870 on he was closely associated with Howard College, as trustee, professor of homiletics and pastoral theology, and president. He served twice as delegate to general conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and once to the Congregational union of England and Wales.

In 1869 Rankin became pastor of Washington's First Congregational Church. This appointment followed a split in the church over the issue of race. Those who remained with the church felt that was prepared to lead the church in a properly unbiased direction. While pastor of the First Congregational Church (1869-1884), Rankin's sermons were popular with Vice President Woodrow Wilson and numerous members of the United States Congress. Two sermons were published and circulated throughout the country ("The Bible, the Security of American Institutions" and "The Divinity of the Ballot").

Aside from his hymns, Rankin's best known poem is "The Babie," in broguish style of Robert Burns whom Rankin liked for their shared Scottish ancestry.

INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh672.sht

72. God Be with You till We Meet Again

Text: Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828-1904

Music: William G. Tomer, 1833-1896

Tune: GOD BE WITH YOU, Meter: 98.89 with Refrain (MH--no refrain)

1.            God be with you till we meet again;

               by his counsels guide, uphold you,

               with his sheep securely fold you;

               God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain:

               Till we meet, till we meet,

               till we meet at Jesus' feet;

               till we meet, till we meet,

               God be with you till we meet again.

2.            God be with you till we meet again;

               neath his wings securely hide you,

               daily manna still provide you;

               God be with you till we meet again.

               (Refrain)

3.            God be with you till we meet again;

               when life's perils thick confound you,

               put his arms unfailing round you;

               God be with you till we meet again.

               (Refrain)

4.            God be with you till we meet again;

               keep love's banner floating o'er you,

               smite death's threatening wave before you;

               God be with you till we meet again.

               (Refrain)

PLEASE SEE THESE TWO VIDEOS TO HEAR THE SONG:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNEoPysGwe0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlv_xUYATg

2013 THANKSGIVING DAY MESSAGE [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2013 TO SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2013]

NOTICE: The following article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to violate their copyright. I will give some information on them.

PAGE TITLE: CBN Daily Devotional

ARTICLE TITLE: Cultivating a Spirit of Thankfulness

DATE: 2010

AUTHOR: Dianne Neal Matthews

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Dianne Neal Matthews’ publishing credits include magazine articles, newspaper features, stories in compilation books, several Devotion books including Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. For more information, please visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com.

URL: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/matthews-thanksgiving.aspx

Thanksgiving Day Prayer (PHOTO SOURCE: http://joan4.squidoo.com/thanksgiving-songs)

“Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17b)

Even though we may stuff ourselves at the dinner table, celebrating Thanksgiving can actually make us healthier judging by recent research. Studies have shown that being thankful improves our physical and emotional health. Holding on to feelings of thankfulness boosts our immune system and increases blood supply to our heart. Daily guided exercises or the habit of keeping a weekly gratitude journal can increase our alertness, enthusiasm, and energy, and improve our sleep. People who describe themselves as feeling grateful tend to suffer less stress and depression than the rest of the population.

For all its benefits, gratitude doesn’t come naturally to us. As Jesus passed through a village one day, he was spotted by ten lepers who desperately longed to be healed (Luke 17:11-19). They kept themselves at a distance as required by law but cried out to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Instead of instantly healing the men, Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest. As the ten lepers walked off to obey, their skin disease disappeared.

One of the men turned around, shouting praises to God as he came back to Jesus. He threw himself at his benefactor’s feet. Jesus expressed amazement that only one man had thought to thank him. “Were not all ten cleansed?” he asked. “Where are the other nine?” He also pointed out that the only man who did respond was a Samaritan, a race despised by the Jewish people.

For Christians, cultivating a spirit of thankfulness is more than a good idea; it’s a direct command from God. In the Old Testament, God laid down specific guidelines for the Israelites to bring thank offerings. In the New Testament, believers are instructed to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we’re struggling with trials and difficulties, this sounds like a strange command, especially since we live in a culture that encourages us to act on the basis of how we feel. But God knows that when we focus on our blessings, it’s easier to keep our problems and concerns in the right perspective.

King David never lost his keen awareness of all that God had done for the nation of Israel and for him personally. Even though he experienced disappointment, pain, and heartache, David often poured out his feelings of thankfulness to his Creator and Lord. That gratitude became the foundation of his worship of God.

Cultivating a spirit of thankfulness honors God and strengthens our faith. It also strengthens our relationships with other people. We can’t be in a right relationship with God or with anyone without a spirit of thankfulness. No matter what problems we’re struggling with, we don’t want to be like the nine former lepers who forgot to say “thank you” to their Healer.

I will give thanks to you with all my heart, O Lord my God. I will honor you forever because your mercy toward me is great. Psalms 86:12-13 (God’s Word translation)

Ask yourself: How often do I express gratitude to God or to other people?