Farm to Table and Faithfulness
"Great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23b
My writing time has been limited the last few weeks. Life happened fast this summer as we hosted an extended family reunion at our family lake house, spent 10 days at the beach with our daughter's family, and returned to attend a beloved uncle's funeral in Huntsville. Additionally, our youngest son and his new wife are visiting this week from New York and cooking has been my top priority. Daniel's only food request was "summer fresh." That is Evans code for fresh vegetables: creamed corn, field peas, fried okra, and summer squash. I laugh each time I read or hear the current phrase "farm to table." Sixty years ago, my grandparents owned a 40 acre farm and our "farm to table" experience was to go to Granny's garden; pick our corn, peas, okra, and tomatoes; wash and cook them; and then eat -- all in the space of an hour! All of that to say, we were living "farm to table" before farm to table became cool!
I really wasn't prepared for how my Uncle Elgin's death affected me. All of us had just seen him two weeks before at the Muir lake family reunion. Uncle Elgin was ten years younger than Daddy, but when he came in the door with his ball cap and plaid shirt, laughing and blue eyes dancing, he looked just like my Dad used to. Two weeks later Uncle Elgin died suddenly, apparently from a blood clot after having dinner with his own family. At his funeral, my aunt selected several songs including Amazing Grace and It Is Well with My Soul. On our way home, I informed my brother and sister that I've selected Great is Thy Faithfulness and Be Thou My Vision as my own two favorite hymns. I realize those are unusual selections for a funeral service, but those are my favorites. I don't want to ever forget- and I don't want my children and grandchildren to forget- how faithful God has been, especially as we've parented James Bruce. Be Thou My Vision reminds me to keep looking up at God and not to my circumstances, good or bad. The words from both hymns have sustained and blessed me through the years.
One of the highlights of The 2018 Gospel Coalition Women's Conference (TGCW18) held in June was the singing of Great Is Thy Faithfulness to close the conference. John Piper couldn't find the "perfect" hymn to accompany his final teaching session. Great is Thy Faithfulness almost fit the bill, but John felt like something was still missing. Alone in his hotel room Friday afternoon preparing to teach for Saturday's final session on "Listen and Live" from Deuteronomy, John Piper penned two additional verses for the great hymn. He asked the Austin Stone worship team to add those two verses to their slide set and they agreed to do so. No one mentioned to the conference attendees that the two unfamiliar verses were new additions penned by Piper. Afterwards, however, social media blew up with inquiries asking, "Where did those verses come from?" How can we get those words that we just sang? Who wrote those words? Why haven't I heard those verses before?"
Austin Stone worship has now released the conference video with John Piper's additional lyrics. My favorite hymn has taken on a whole new level of meaning with the addition of John Piper's two new verses. It still amazes me that one pastor, searching for just the right words to accompany his sermon, quickly penned words that "fit" both his sermon and the old hymn's original lyrics. I hope these words encourage you today:
Great Is Thy Faithfulness Lyrics (John Piper verses in italics)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my FatherThere is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail notAs Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulnessMorning by morning new mercies I seeAll I have needed Thy hand hath providedGreat is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
I could not love Thee, so blind and unfeeling;Covenant promises fell not to me.Then without warning, desire, or deserving,I found my Treasure, my pleasure, in Thee.
I have no merit to woo or delight Thee,I have no wisdom or pow’rs to employ;Yet in thy mercy, how pleasing thou find’st me,This is Thy pleasure: that Thou art my joy.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrowBlessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulnessGreat is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
You can find the Austin Stone Worship TGCW18 video at this link: https://www.austinstoneworship.com/music/great-is-thy-faithfulness/
Great is His faithfulness!