~ Hymns and Powder Pink Sunrises ~

I love hymns. They have grown somewhat obsolete as the contemporary style of worship has taken over, and part of me is really glad because I am so not a pew sittin’, organ sing-a-long type girl. I love believers who are and I respect you, if you happen to be one who is ministered to by that kind of music ministry. But give me some guitars and drums, keyboard, and throw in a bass and I am there. Especially if the hymns end up sounding country in style. Give me a different melody even, but speed that baby up and I am listening to the words. I realize as I listen that those people got who God is and what the relationship is between Him and us.

This morning, my mom and I had an early start and we were driving as the sun was coming up. The air was brisk and clean, the clouds were few but God turned them the most beautiful shade of pink. They reminded me of my old phone; a friend called it a powder pink phone when he saw it. THAT is my favorite color and God accommodated me with that beautiful color as we got closer and closer to the mountain range. The mountains were a salmony pink. And no, I have no pictures of it. I don’t think I would have been able to take a picture and convey what I felt when I saw the creation lit up in MY favorite color. It’s a “you’d have to have been there and you’d have to know me to know how it blessed me to get it” kinda moment.

Add to that the majesty of worship music sung by Susie Luchsinger- I hate to do this, but she’s Reba McCyntire’s sister; I know she has her own identity, but for you to get the magnitude of her voice if you’ve never heard it, it’s a sweeter version of Reba’s. And I love Reba’s voice. It was a morning to behold. I didn’t just hear the hymns and see the beauty of God’s creation. I felt it to the core of me. I experienced God’s beauty this morning and I worshipped Him as I listened to the words of people who knew God that way. The blind Fanny Crosby, knew God this way when she wrote, “Blessed Assurance”-

“Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blessed: watching waiting, looking above, I’m filled with His goodness, lost in His love.” (I couldn't find a youtube video with Susie singing this, so Third Day will have to do and I'd have to say, they do a darn good job.)


Horatio G. Spafford knew intimately the God who gives and who takes away and who in his own way said, “Blessed be Your name” as he wrote “It Is well”-

“My sin- Oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t: my sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” (and yes, to my Facebook friends who saw my status this morning, I butchered that line as only I can, haha!! Please forgive me!!) This video, while more of the "pew/organ" variety, explains his journey.



The hymn writers of that day had beautiful ways of expressing their worship and their God. From them we can learn something. They embraced their pain by writing love letters to God. I’m not against today’s writers, if you keep up with my blog, most of the stuff I post is from the modern worship of today. But there’s just something about the old words sung in new ways and with such SOUL that just touches my soul and I just had to share it with you. So, whatever your style of music for worshipping the Lord, I’d love to encourage you to listen to the old words of some hymns and be blessed. And if you happen to live in the great state of Colorado and you saw this morning’s sunrise, remember your God who created all of that, loves you more. If you are blessed by nature and your soul is just filled to the brim by experiencing it, it’s God saying, “I love you. I would trade all of creation just for you, you are mine.”

Since I couldn't find the hymns above on youtube sung by Susie Luchsinger, I had to add this one as a bonus. I absolutely love this song written by John Newton and Chris Tomlin, and I love Susie's voice and style.