Lord’s Day, Vol. 3 No. 21

(1) Abide With Me

Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) pastored a poor parish church in a coastal town in England, battled asthma and tuberculosis throughout his life. Despite physical frailty, he laboured diligently and was greatly loved by the people. He once said, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

His health worsened to the point that he almost had to crawl to the pulpit for his final sermon in 1847.

Weakened from the ravages of the lung diseases and facing the sorrow of his impending departure from his beloved parish to Italy, he walked by the sea with a very heavy heart.

By the seaside he watched the setting sun, realising that his own life was ebbing to the close of “life’s little day.” In those sad moments, he pondered on his prayer and a manuscript that he was composing. He returned to his study to put the final touches on his poem, which became the immortal hymn “Abide with Me”.

He gave the poem to a friend who put it away in a trunk, where it was hidden for fourteen years. Lyte never made it to Italy, overtaken by death en route.

The poem was based on the gospel account of Christ’s appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and their request. “Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent” (Luke 24:29).

The words of this hymn are essentially about death. The imagery of the ebbing tide of life is taken from the sequences of the passing day – eventide, deepening darkness, and fading glories. The song climaxes with the shadows fleeing before the breaking of heaven’s morning. The last two lines of the song became the epitaph engraved on Lyte’s gravestone.

The tune to which we sing Lyte’s words, Eventide, was composed in just ten minutes, also in a dark night of the soul. William Monk (1823-89) wrote it while he himself was experiencing a deep personal sorrow.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

            The darkness deepens;

Lord, with me abide;

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,

            Help of the helpless,

                        O abide with me!

 

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

            Earth’s joys grow dim,

                        Its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

            O Thou who changest not,

                        Abide with me!

 

I need Thy presence every passing hour;

            What but thy grace can

foil the tempter’s power?

Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine,

            O abide with me!

 

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

            Shine through the gloom,

                        And point me to the skies;

Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain

     shadow’s flee;

In life, in death, O Lord,

            Abide with me!

 

Every believer is a traveller on the Emmaus Road. We travel that road, as the disciples of old, with our disappointments, and life’s probing questions.

However, our risen Lord is ever present with His followers in our time of need, to walk with us and talk with us along life’s road of trials and afflictions.

The Lord opens to us the glowing meaning of His word and works a mighty work to uphold and strengthen us.

Let us make the petition of this great hymn our own prayer and experience. Then we too will know the radiant presence of the risen Christ who will flood our prosaic path with His grace and glory.

[Extracted and edited from Henry Gariepy’s Song’s in the Night]

 

(2) Church Family Camp

Thank God for 45 who have signed up for church camp so far. It is indeed with much excitement as we prepare for the camp scheduled on 17 to 20 June at Hotel Jen in Johore Bahru. Our camp master is Peter Wong and the assistant camp master is Lee Kuan Hui.

The theme of our camp is “Looking for that Blessed Hope” based on Titus 2:13.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Please pray that God would send a camp doctor.

 

Yours lovingly,

Pr. Lek Aik Wee