Lent : He's Always Been Faithful

'He's Always Been Faithful'

by Sara Groves

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine.
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways.
All I have need of, His hand will provide;
He’s always been faithful to me.

I can’t remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain.
I can’t remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand.
All I have need of, His hand will provide;
He’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song;
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long.
God has been faithful, He will be again;
His loving compassion, it knows no end.
All I have need of, His hand will provide;
He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful
He’s always been faithful to me.

Lent : I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

I was first introduced to this hymn on the Isle of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. It was written by a Scottish minister in the nineteenth century.

'I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say'

as performed by Joanna Hogg

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"Come unto Me and rest;

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,

Thy head upon My breast."

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad;

I found in Him a resting-place,

And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"Behold, I freely give

The living water; thirsty one,

Stoop down and drink and live."

I came to Jesus, and I drank

Of that life-giving stream.

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"I am this dark world's Light.

Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise

And all thy day be bright."

I looked to Jesus, and I found

In Him my Star, my Sun;

And in that Light of Life I'll walk

Till traveling days are done.

(This version is a bit slow for my tastes, but I couldn't find a better. My favourite arrangement is by Fernando Ortega, but it doesn't have words.)

Lent : I've Always Loved You

'I've Always Loved You'

by Third Day

I don't know how to explain it.
But I know that words will hardly do.
Miracles with signs and wonders
Aren't enough for Me to prove to you.

Don't you know I've always loved you?
Even before there was time?
Though you turn away,
I'll tell you still.
Don't you know I've always loved you?
And I always will.

Greater love has not a man
Than the one who gives his life to prove
That he would do anything,
And that's what I'm going to do for you.

Don't you know I've always loved you?
Even before there was time?
Though you turn away,
I'll tell you still.
Don't you know I've always loved you?
And I always will.

Lent : O, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

Once again, the Welsh give us an amazing visual of the love of Christ... This would be an amazing song to sign, the words and the signs that illustrate them are so evocative of their meaning.

'O, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus'

as sung by Selah

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne!

[O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!]

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee!

Lent : You Cannot Lose My Love

The following song was originally written from a parent to a child.

But I have always thought that the words were beautifully illustrative

of the love that God the Father has for His children. Unfailing,

unending, and overwhelming...

'You Cannot Lose My Love'

By Sara Groves

You will lose your baby teeth.
At times, you'll lose your faith in Me.
You will lose a lot of things,
But you cannot lose My love.

You may lose your appetite,
Your guiding sense of wrong and right.
You may lose your will to fight,
But you cannot lose My love.

You will lose your confidence.
In times of trial, your common sense.
You may lose your innocence,
But you cannot lose My love.

Many things can be misplaced;
Your very memories be erased.
No matter what the time or space,
You cannot lose My love.

You cannot lose,
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose My love.

Lent : Love Song

I first heard this song in high school. I vividly remember sitting in my friend Michelle's van in a Denny's parking lot. She put this tape in and said: 'This is supposed to be Jesus. Singing to us.' The very idea of Christ singing His love to us--that His life, death and resurrection is his Love Song--was amazing. And still is.

'Love Song'

by Third Day

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain

Just to be with the one he loves.

How many times has he broken that promise

It has never been done.

I've never climbed the highest mountain

But I walked the hill of Calvary.

Chorus:

Just to be with you, I'd do anything.

There's no price I would not pay.

Just to be with you, I'd give everything.

I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean

Just to be with the one he loves.

But all of those dreams are an empty emotion.

It can never be done.

I've never swam the deepest ocean,

But I walked upon the raging sea.

Chorus:

Just to be with you, I'd do anything.

There's no price I would not pay.

Just to be with you, I'd give everything.

I would give my life away.

(Bridge) I know that you don't understand

the fullness of My love,

How I died upon the cross for your sins.

And I know that you don't realize

how much that I gave you.

But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything

There's no price I did not pay

Just to be with you, I gave everything

Yes, I gave my life away.

Lent : The Father's Song

'The Father's Song'

by Matt Redman

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all

The Father’s song
The Father’s love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It’s written on my heart

CHORUS:
Heaven’s perfect melody
The Creator’s symphony
You are singing over me
The Father’s song
Heaven’s perfect mystery
The King of Love has sent for me
And now You’re singing over me
The Father’s song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
[Sounds above them all]

The Father’s song
The Father’s love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It’s written on my heart

CHORUS

It’s Heaven’s perfect mystery
The King of Love has sent for me
And now You’re singing over me
The Father’s song

The Father’s song
The Father’s love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It’s written on my heart
[It’s written on my heart]

The Father’s song
The Father’s love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It’s written on my heart
It’s written on my heart
You sing it over me
Father

Lent : My Beloved

'My Beloved'

by Chris Tomlin

My beloved mine, I His,
My beloved mine, I His,
My beloved mine, I His,

His precious blood was spilled,
His precious blood was spilled,
His precious blood was spilled,
My beloved mine, I His,

He raised my life up from the dead,
He raised my life up from the dead,
He raised my life up from the dead,
My beloved mine, I His,

When my eyes shall see His face,
When my eyes shall see His face,

When my eyes shall see His face,
My beloved mine, I His,

Mighty God, Faithful One,
My Beloved, my Beloved,
You're the Lamb of God,
You're the Holy One,
My Beloved, my Beloved, my Beloved,

My Beloved mine, I His,
My Beloved mine, I His,
My Beloved mine, I His.

Lent : Your Grace Still Amazes Me

Speaking of continually being amazed by God... He is deeper. He is wider. He is stronger than anything my eyes have seen...

'Your Grace Still Amazes Me'

by Phillips, Craig and Dean

My faithful Father, enduring Friend

Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end

It overwhelms me, covers my sin

Each time I come into Your presence

I stand in wonder once again

CHORUS:

Your grace still amazes me

Your love is still a mystery

Each day I fall on my knees

Your grace still amazes me

‘Cause Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour, You make me whole

You are the Author and the Healer of my soul

What can I give You, Lord, what can I say

I know there’s no way to repay You

Only to offer You my praise

It’s deeper, it’s wider

It’s stronger, it’s higher

It’s deeper it’s wider

It’s stronger, it’s higher

than anything my eyes can see

Lent : Here Is Love

I first encountered the following song on the Passion album 'Hymns Ancient & Modern' (2003/4). The album was a project by a group of well-known worship leaders, putting modern twists on some classic hymns. I had never heard 'Here Is Love' (sung by Matt Redman) before. But I have since heard it many times while living in Scotland, as it is an oft sung British hymn (of Welsh origins) and it has become a favourite. The imagery of the second verse gets me every time, especially the last line: 'And Heaven's peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love'. Every time.

Here is love, vast as the ocean

Lovingkindness as the flood

When the Prince of Life, our Ransom

Shed for us His precious blood

Who His love will not remember?

Who can cease to sing His praise?

He can never be forgotten

Throughout Heav'n's eternal days

On the mount of crucifixion

Fountains opened deep and wide

Through the floodgates of God's mercy

Flowed a vast a gracious tide

Grace and love, like mighty rivers

Poured incessant from above

And Heav'n's peace and perfect justice

Kissed a guilty world in love

Chorus:

No love is higher, no love is wider

No love is deeper, no love is truer

No love is higher, no love is wider

No love is like Your love, o Lord

My favourite rendition is Matt Redman's version from 'Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern', but I couldn't find a decent link, so you'll have to search for it on your own.

But you can click here for a link to a more traditional version, performed in both English and Welsh.

Lent : Oh, How He Loves Us

I could not get this song out of my head. All day long it played over and over again--on my computer, on my ipod, in my head. Rather fitting, as today marks the first day of Lent. Over the next 40 days, Christians around the world, across denominations, will be embarking on a season of prayer, fasting, and self-denial, culminating in a weekend-long observance commemorating and celebrating the single greatest Act of Love the world has ever known.

Oh, how He loves us all.

He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realize just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves us,

How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realize just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,

Oh, how He loves us,

How He loves us all

He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don't have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

'How He Loves' by the David Crowder*Band (2009): For those of you who are interested, here's a link to the song: