One of the more contentious issues afflicting today’s evangelical churches is the question of music. What should be played? Modern worship songs? The hymns of old? A combination? Will we lose attenders if we don’t get it right? Fortunately for you, this blog is not out to discuss nor solve this issue. Though I will say that Ephesians 5:19 (“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord”) gives credence and license to both.



And I love both: the uplifting, soul-sharing message of the current worship songs as well as the theological, thought-provoking hymns of yore.

What I also enjoy are the stories behind the songs and hymns.

In a recent Sunday service, the pre-communion song was a hymn I hadn’t heard in a long time: “Jesus Paid It All.” It is such a beautiful hymn that I decided to look up the story behind it.

In short, Elvina Hall was sitting in the choir loft. Her pastor (Reverend Schrick) had just begun to preach, and when he mentioned God’s forgiveness and love, her attention moved immediately from the sermon to her own thoughts about “all that Christ has already done to provide our redemption.” She used the rest of the sermon not to listen to Reverend Schrick but to put those thoughts to pen and paper and write a poem.

Shortly after, she made this confession to her pastor and asked him if he would look at the verses while she waited.

He agreed and told her not to feel guilty, that “when the Word of God finds root in our lives . . . the Holy Spirit [can] take these talents and use them to bring a great spiritual blessing to His people.”

But the story doesn’t stop there. As he was reading, a tune his organist (John Grape) had penned and shared with him just days before came to mind. He had Elvina say the words aloud as she meant for them to be read while he played the tune in his head. According to Reverend Schrick it was a perfect match. And the rest is history.

This was not a coincidence. “Jesus Paid It All” is a collaboration of four: John Grape’s tune, the catalytic first few words of Reverend Schrick’s sermon, Elvina Hall’s poem, and the Holy Spirit who orchestrated the whole thing. That fourth member is always at work, nudging one to action, then moving this piece here and that piece there before bringing all the pieces together.

I have attached the words to “Jesus Paid It All” in case you don’t already know the lyrics and would like to see them. The site also provides the Newsboys rendition of the hymn. It has a couple of extra drums I’m sure John Grape hadn’t expected, but the tune has not been touched, albeit a tad bit louder.  Enjoy.

“Jesus Paid It All.” 101 More Hymn Stories. Regal Publications: Grand Rapids , Michigan. 1985. (pp. 160-161)

I should have known this, but I didn’t. Or I chose not to make it my primary focus.

I know why a lot of people don’t read the Bible as I have heard each of the following. “I don’t like what it says (or what I think it says since I haven’t actually read it).”  “I don’t believe in the Bible.” “It is too difficult to understand.” “It is boring.” “It is out of date and has no relevance for today.” “It’s just a list of does and don’ts.” There are some others I am sure.



But for those of us who do read the Bible, we too have our reasons: Some read to find application for today’s life.  After all, doesn’t Paul say to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16:  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Others read to find solace and comfort. Many are in search of the road to salvation. And still others want to gain historical and archeological knowledge.

All of these are worthy reasons for reading the Bible, but Alistair Begg in his January 28 devotional reminded his readers of the primary question we should be asking with each verse we read:  “God is the hero of the story and the theme of the book, and so the first question we ask of every passage ought to be this: ‘What does this tell me about God?’ The Bible was written to establish God’s dealings, character, and glory.”

Yes, the Bible offers comfort … but that is because our God is a loving God. Yes, it makes commands regarding behaviors … but that is because our God is a righteous and holy God. Yes, it offers mercy and salvation … because our God wants to have a relationship with us. And yes, the Bible holds historical and archeological truths that generations have unveiled and revealed in their time because the Bible is God’s Word.

As we we pick up our Bibles either to read in general or to search for a particular answer, let us also remember to read for what the Bible truly offers: a revelation of just who God is. This is our opportunity to see clearly who God was, who He is, and who He will always be.  “For I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

Having challenged myself by reading C.S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain for my first book on the Christian Book Reading List, I decided to go easier on myself for book two, so I went to my favorite genre––the novel––and I chose one of my favorite authors––Dee Henderson.

While I enjoy nonfiction because of its often raw reality, I love novels for the opposite reason. Poet Gwendolyn Brooks once said that poetry is “life distilled,” and I think you could make the argument that novels also do that. Poetry, short stories, novels strip life down to its essentials and let us focus on the heart of the matter and not all the noise and confusion that accompanies real life.

That said, while I do enjoy reading mainstream fiction, some of it tries too hard to be unfiltered, giving us more of what we already experience. That is why I find myself drawn to Christian novels the way some TV watchers are drawn to old westerns and some movie goers to the Star Wars series: Good triumphs over evil, and while bullets are shot and ray guns are blasted, no blood is seen. It is an opportunity just to enjoy the story, root for the hero, and enjoy the craft of the writer/director.

Now I have other favorite Christian novelists, like Jan Karon, Joel Rosenberg, and Francine Rivers, but I have been drawn to Dee Henderson’s works for a few of reasons. First, she always has both a strong female and male protagonist in each novel, not restricted to stereotypical jobs. Second, she does her homework. Though each story has a sliver of romance in it, which of course you can see coming and are rooting for, Henderson focuses on the professions and circumstances of the characters and the processes they must take––whether a fighter pilot, a psychologist, or a detective. I always come away with a greater understanding of the tasks and difficulties involved in each. Third, she unapologetically has her main characters drink sodas and tea or coffee rather than alcoholic beverages. Now I have nothing against alcoholic beverages in moderation, but I must applaud her for choosing to stay true to her own values and to think about the influence her writing has on her audience (though I must admit, I do worry about how much sugar her characters are ingesting).

I have read her O’Malley series and her Uncommon Heroes series as well as some of her stand-alones. This time I chose Taken, which focuses on the reappearance of a woman who had been abducted eleven years earlier at the age of sixteen. She seeks out a retired police officer who had had to navigate a similar scenario with his own daughter years earlier. The novel unveils the intricacies and difficulties for the main character’s safety and well-being as she re-enters society as well as the impact on her family and all of those trying to keep her safe and bring the case to a close.

We all have our own tastes, and Henderson’s may not by yours, but I would love to hear what Christian novelists you enjoy reading. I always have room on my bookshelf and my kindle.

Nothing feels better than a good night’s sleep. And sometimes, nothing is harder to come by. So much can rob us of restful sleep: to do lists, excitement, strange beds, unfamiliar surroundings, anxiety, pain, worry, stress, heartache.

And yet sleep is so important to our heath and well-being. In fact, “Neuroscientist Matthew Walker believes that lack of sleep is the greatest public health challenge we face in the 21st century. He says the lack of sleep is making us sick, making us fat and making us dumb.” (A neuroscientist explains the power of sleep)

But sleep is what God promises us in Psalm 127:2b “. . . he grants sleep to those he loves.”

Tim Challies wrote a beautiful blog based on this verse which you can read by clicking on the title, (He Gives His Beloved Sleep). I can not recount his entire blog, but there is one quote I do want to take from him. He said, “What would we give to those we love if we had all the power of God Almighty, if we could dispense any gift from his endless storehouse? We would give the courage of a hero, the voice of an angel, the wealth of a king, the strength of a champion. God makes no such promises. Rather, the promise God makes is this: He gives his beloved sleep.”

As much as we wish others a good night’s sleep, we have no power to ensure it. Only the God who created rest can grant it. But we can play a part, for Isaiah 26:3 states, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon you, because he trusts You.”

During those difficult hours, when your mind wants to run hither and yon, keep it on and trust the God who promises us peace . . . and sleep.

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash