Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Worship (04/02/26)
-
TITLE: Still So Sweet | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marilyn Borga
04/08/26 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The sounds of shuffling feet and friendly greetings filled the air. My eyes focused on the wood attendance board mounted on the cream-painted wall. Last week’s attendance was 93. The offering, $454.82. This week's hymns were numbers 400, 247, 344, and 241.
In the entrance, someone pulled on the thick rope that hung down from the bell tower. The joyous toll signaled the call to worship. Crystal King sat at the upright piano lightly fingering the keys. Mrs. Dynes, our song leader, strode down the aisle, her sensible two-inch heels clicking on the hardwood floor. We lifted our hymnals from the seat backs.
“Good morning, dear friends,” she said. We’ll begin with ‘At Calvary’.”
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.
Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.
Joyful enthusiasm made up for any lack of skill or harmony. We continued through the morning’s selections with Fanny Crosby’s “He Hideth My Soul.”
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me,
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
And then “My Faith Looks up to Thee” by Ray Palmer:
My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
“This song by Louisa M. R. Stead was my mother’s favorite,” Mrs. Dynes beamed.
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
I couldn’t articulate the myriad of tender emotions that filled my soul: yearning and sorrow, joy and peace, assurance and trust. My heart settled for “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus!“
~~~~~
I was jolted from my reverie by the squeal of the sound system gone awry as the praise band warmed up for the first service. “Testing, testing.” An electric guitar let out a screech and the drummer tapped out a rat-a-tat rhythm. Shafts of blue and purple LED lights cut through the darkened sanctuary. The projector screens came to life. The ceiling lights brightened as the overhead fans and air conditioning clicked on. I shifted on the comfortable padded seat as I waited for my friends to arrive and checked to make sure I’d silenced my phone.
“Nothing stays the same," I mused as I remembered the cherished country church of my youth. But no, I was wrong about that. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The time, place, and circumstances will change, but He will not. Still savior, still friend, still sweet to trust. Still the tie that binds all who call on His name.
*****
The hymns “At Calvary” by William R. Newell, “He Hideth My Soul” by Fanny Crosby, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee” by Ray Palmer, and “‘Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus” by Louisa M. R. Stead are in the public domain.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
