Day 110 | Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Day 110  |  Tuesday, 7 July 2020

I do not know how many of you are familiar with the song “Sanctuary”, words and music were written by John Thompson and Randy Scruggs with arrangement by Nylea L. Butler-Moore.

 “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
 pure and holy, tried and true.
 With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”

 This is one of those catchy praise tunes that is fairly easy to remember.  When I was leading worship, I would have the congregation sing this just before preaching the sermon.  It is listed in The Faith We Sing hymnal under personal holiness.

 Personal holiness is an interesting title.  Is that not what we try to achieve for ourselves on a daily basis, growing closer to Jesus the Christ and his love for us.  I do not interpret personal holiness as becoming so pious that I am no earthly good – whoops, my halo slipped.  Personal holiness is my growth as a Christian as I exist in this world.  It is growth that happens every day of my life until God calls me home. 

 Here is another song under the personal holiness theme.  This one is the words of St. Patrick’s Breastplate; adapted by James Quinn.  The music is a traditional Gaelic melody.

1.   “Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me – King of my heart;
Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me never to part.”
2.   “Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand, Christ all around me shield in the strive; Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising light of my life.”

 Scott Wesley Brown wrote the words and music to “More Like You”

          “More like you, Jesus, more like you.  Fill my heart with your desire to make me more like you.  More like you, Jesus, more like you.  Touch my lips with holy fire and make me more like you.  Lord, you are my mercy.  Lord you are my grace.  All my deepest sins have forever been erased.  Draw my in your presence.  Lead me in your ways.  I long to bring you glory in righteousness and praise. Moore like you, Jesus, more like you.  Fill my heart with your desire to make me more like you.  More like you, Jesus, more like you.  Touch my lips with holy fire and make me more like you.”

 Jean and Jim Strathdee wrote “Love the Lord Your God’ following Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)

          “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart.
          Love the Lord, your God, with all your soul.
          Love the Lord, your God, with all your mind.
          Love the Lord, your God, with all that you are.”

 Lord, our God, thank you for the creative spirit of those who compose songs for us to help us in the growing of our spirits and our personal holiness.  We are so grateful for those individuals and those aids that help us grow because we know that we cannot do this on our own.  Lord, hear our prayers.  Amen
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Today: what are you doing for your personal holiness?