#LIGHTtheWORLD Worshiping the Father.

There are so many ways that we can worship God, as many as there are people on earth.  While I worship God the Father, through His Son, on this day I encourage all to turn to God,  recognizing that there are many different faiths.  What matters is that we all turn to a power greater than ourselves, to join with humanity in worship.

Today, I will attend church, I will participate in the ordinance of the Sacrament, to renew my covenants with God.  I join with millions around the world in participating in this specific ordinance.
I also had the opportunity of putting together a musical number for our annual High Priest Quorum meeting.  You knew it would be a song, didn't you?  I find music to be one of the purest forms of worship. I will sing praises to the Father all the days of my life.

#49  Adam-ondi-Ahman
1. This earth was once a garden place,
With all her glories common,
And men did live a holy race,
And worship Jesus face to face,
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
2. We read that Enoch walked with God,
Above the pow'r of mammon,
While Zion spread herself abroad,
And Saints and angels sang aloud,
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
3. Her land was good and greatly blest,
Beyond all Israel's Canaan;
Her fame was known from east to west,
Her peace was great, and pure the rest
Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
4. Hosanna to such days to come,
The Savior's second coming,
When all the earth in glorious bloom
Affords the Saints a holy home,
Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Text: William W. Phelps, 1792-1872. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.
Music: Anon., Southern Harmony, 1835

And of course it is W.W. Phelps.  A beautiful melody referring to the gathering place prior to the Millennium, where all the Priesthood Keys will be gathered in to be returned to the King, Jesus Christ.  To look forward to such a day is the prayer in many hearts, when evil will be banished, earthly governments subject to the one true King.  Suffering, sickness, grief, all gone. Who would not want that?

This week, I will continue to worship not only through my daily prayers and scripture study, but to sing praises to Him in our Stake's Come to Bethlehem performances., Worship how you will.  That is all that is asked, it is easy!  You will find peace.  Peace on earth, imagine the difference we can make.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peering through the fog.

The opinion is my own, and in no way do I pretend to speak for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Church, to avoid lengthy repetition) Yesterday, November 5, the Salt Lake Tribune (a newspaper not know for sympathy to the church) reported on a change to Handbook 1, which access is limited to Stake Presidencies, and Bishoprics. Never mind that the change was reported through an excommunicated member that some how got access to the book, the PR spokesman for the church confirmed the change.   To sum it up, the church has defined same sex, or gay marriage, as apostasy, and as such, certain conditions are placed on the families, in particular the children.  Children of same sex marriages are not allowed to be named, blessed, or baptized as children.  And when they turn 18, to be baptized, they must not be living in the household, and must disavow the lifestyle.  They must also get permission from the First Presidency of the church.  The last...
Read more

a masterpiece

I received an invitation from a good friend to sing in a choir for an upcoming conference.  Of course, I am kind of a closet groupie for the director and her husband, and so the answer was easy.  But then it became irresistible. My favorite arrangement of my favorite hymn in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' hymnal.  I missed the first rehearsal, but attended tonight, and will next week as well. I would probably walk over broken glass on top of burning coals to sing that song.  Okay, not really, but if memory serves, I think I have sang it in performances one season, my first with the Heartland of America Community Choir and Orchestra, in 2004.  Fourteen years.  Now, those who have had me as a choir director know that as we sang songs I would say this was my favorite, or that one was, but really there is only one favorite. (no don't cue the Highlander music).  Know what it is? The lyrics and music were written by a frequent duo in th...
Read more

December 7, 1941, a day that will live in Infamy. How will yours be? #LIGHTtheWORLD

Seventy Five years ago, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II.  A war that literally spanned the globe.  Hundreds of millions of people with their lives directly impacted.  An attack that its architect knew would doom his homeland, and yet out of duty to country and to his Emperor, planned and executed it. This is very important to understand. While I know that it is extremely unlikely that the actions that I take will impact more than a handful of people, I have come to realize that it is those small interactions, replayed billions of times the world over every day, by billions of people, that make a lasting difference.  It doesn't matter whether we pay attention or not, the mere actions we take do ripple across the world. So much hatred in the world. So much fear.  So much anger.  It was these emotions that resulted in such destruction.  But what can I do?  What difference can I make? Right now...
Read more