WORTH IT ALL

Memorial Day is Monday, and my husband and his sisters will go to a little country cemetery to "take care of" their relatives' graves there. I cannot do the same for my parents, but from time to time I stop at our city cemetery to reflect at this grave marker for my "spiritual grandma," an older lady from my church who loved on me like the daughter she never had. She lived almost the same time as the author of a hymn about heaven that continues to comfort many.

On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, a 41-year-old Swiss man died soon after standing on top of Mount Everest. He had just achieved his goal of reaching the summit of all seven of the world's highest mountains. But he didn't live to come home and celebrate. And he wasn't the first to succumb to the mountain's thin air and brutal weather. Every year, the death toll rises.

Was it worth it all? Esther Kerr Rusthoi had her answer to that question, but it had nothing to do with mountain climbing. Instead, she was looking in the distance to that final breath between earthly life and eternal life. She had reason to wonder. Born in 1909, she suffered poor health and died in 1962 at 53. But her life was filled with more than illness. She was known as an author, poet, composer, singer, and evangelist. She served as an associate pastor at the Angelus Temple on Los Angeles. With her husband Rev. Howard Rusthoi, a military chaplain, she was known as a “revival broadcaster.”

Probably her best-known legacy, however, was a hymn that revealed her yearning for heaven. Its begins talking about days that are too long, trials too hard to bear, and the temptation to complain, murmur and despair. Except—someday, Christ will appear to take us away to our eternal home. The song's chorus broke out in victory:

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So bravely run the race 'til we see Christ.

Two more verses affirm the joy when we cross that “great divide to Glory, safe at last.”

But Esther's story is not complete without telling about her three-years-older brother, Phil Kerr, a music evangelist credited with more than 3,000 songs and choruses. The twosome were born to parents who did missionary work in Arizona and Old Mexico, and at San Pedro (Calif.) rescue missions. Esther and Phillip were exposed at young ages to informal evangelism through music. Their parents would invite neighbors over for a program that included music, games and Scripture quizzes.

After Phillip grew up to be a talented pianist and conductor, and an ordained minister, he found his niche in revival services and crusades. In 1945, Phillip started “Monday Musicals,” a Christian music talent show to encourage young Gospel musicians, held at large venues in southern California. He also gathered Gospel songs into a hymnal that sold more than a million copies. One of his books, Music in Evangelism (1939), was widely used as a text in music departments of Bible schools.

In 1949 Phillip and another Gospel musician were asked to help with music at the Christ for Greater Los Angeles crusade. It was the first big crusade for a young evangelist named Billy Graham, who would go from there to a life of worldwide evangelism.

Phillip died in 1960, two years before his sister Esther. One of his friends described the Gospel songs Phillip wrote as “light and lilty”--with titles like “Melody Divine,” “I'm Glad I'm a Christian,” “This Is Why I Sing,” and “I'm In Love with the Lover of My Soul.” And as Phillip “summited” at the door to Heaven, he probably would have agreed with his sister's lyrics: “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” 

Join a group singing this song at this website:

When We See Christ it will be worth it all! - Bing video

BOLD ADVERTISING

Passing through the small Eastern Washington town of Colfax is like a step back in time. Drive down the main street, and you can't miss the old-time advertisements painted on buildings. With the value of today's “trendy” denim jeans depending on their rips and bleach holes, this sign was certainly an anachronism! Imagine the warranty in the sign's last line in today's culture: "A new pair free if they rip"!

Yet I was reminded how each of us is an “advertisement,” so to speak, of the Creator God. He created us “unto good works” that He planned long before we took our first breath (Ephesians 2:10). He intended us to be “letters from Christ” to our world (2 Cor. 3:3). His teachings are to be on the tablets of our hearts (Proverbs 7:3). His truth is “rip-proof.” But sin ripped up the original, perfect plan.

Christ offers the “new pair”: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

These days, instead of building signs boasting of superior craft, our towns have graffiti, typically sprayed at night, advertising disrespect. In the spiritual realm, it's not different—and it's not all that old. The apostle Peter pleaded with his “flock” to watch their behavior because it advertised the status of their hearts: “Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (1 Peter 1:2). Those problems weren't unique to the First Century. When I've been the victim of someone's written or vocal graffiti, God often reminds me to keep examining my heart, so that I “advertise” a gracious person, not one intent on revenge.

Every day, those who claim to be Christ-followers write ads for their faith via their behavior. It may not be spread across the top of an old brick building, but it's visible in ways we may not even realize. Especially in these times of Covid precautions and complaints, our faith is on display through what we say and do, even when we least expect it.

By the way, I could use some of those replacement guaranteed jeans....mine are chore-worn and starting to look like the $100 intentionally-ragged jeans sold at boutiques—and that's not my style! It's a fashion trend I just don't understand!

MAKING THE 'GRADE'

I was sewing a little dress for my 4-year-old granddaughter when the pattern's directions reminded me of a word I hadn't heard in a while: “grade.” Reaching back to my high school home economics classes (half a century ago!), I recalled the revelation that “grade” refers to how seams on curves (like for collars or faced arm holes) needed to be clipped and then one side cut closer to the seam stitches. That way, when turned right-side out, the seam wouldn't be as bulky. So “grade” I did.

That got me thinking about how Christians need to undergo some “grading” by the Master Tailor. I'm not talking some A-B-C (like in school) of how “spiritual” you are. Rather, it's how He sees parts of our fallen personality that need to be cut away so that His better plan for our lives can be achieved. That's the point of Hebrews 12, which focuses on how spiritual discipline (trimming and cutting ungodly traits and habits) is part of God's plan to grow us as children of faith. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best,” Hebrews 12:10 says, “but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” The eventual result is to be “a harvest of righteousness and peace” (v. 11).

The Bible doesn't give a lot of ink to seamstresses, but we can rightfully conclude that hand-sewing clothes of hand-loomed fabric was an intensive process. The Old Testament priests wore specially-hand-tailored and embellished uniforms (Exodus 28). We also know about a New Testament believer, Dorcas, who gifted the poor with her sewing (Acts 9). Jesus' clothing included a seamless undergarment, so special that the soldiers who crucified Him gambled to see who'd get it (John 19:23-24).

Perhaps a better picture of the value of handcrafts comes from the construction of the temple. It wasn't thrown together haphazardly. The stones were cut and groomed to precision measurements before being taken to the temple building side. And there's the analogy. The Christian walk is not just “saying a prayer” and then making minor lifestyle adjustments. It's a radical change from the original raw “me.” It's letting God chisel away the rough and ungodly parts until we're shaped for His kingdom:

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)

To pull it back to the imagery of clothing construction, we're to be like carefully-crafted garments to reflect the holiness and beauty of God. Haphazard living—ignoring sin here and there—is like a wiggly zipper or a puckered collar. When God decides to “grade” (trim) us in the process of spiritual growth, He has good reason for it.

The little dress (sundress or jumper) I sewed my granddaughter wasn't perfect, but it was the best I could do. I made the skirt extra full so she could twirl in it and pretend she was a ballerina. She will outgrow it, of course, as I hope she will also outgrow childish ways and steadily become a woman of God. It will mandate regular “grading”--trimming away of attitudes and behaviors that are wrong—but the end result will be worth it.

Yesterday was my mother's birthday. She was born in 1919 and died at 59 in 1978, leaving behind a crammed "sewing room." 

SHEPHERD SONGS

Psalm 23--in a modern "Psalter" (notice the "page number" 
is the Psalm number)

(Part of a monthly series on hymns.)

 “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Who hasn't memorized those words that begin Psalm 23? Its words of protection and comfort are taught children and often quoted at the end of life. It's no surprise that the theme of Jesus as our Shepherd should run throughout the history of hymns.

Probably the best known hymn of the Scottish psalter, it was published four decades after the 1611 King James translation of the Bible. By adding rhyme and tune to chapters of Psalms, it was the preferred worship songbook for those (including early Calvinists) who believed only Bible passages should be sung in church. Then came reformers like Germany's Martin Luther, who felt Christians needed new songs to sing. He and others composed hymns embracing Bible truths but didn't try to squeeze Bible translation into poetic forms. Many were inspired by Psalm 23, the Shepherd song. You've probably sung many in your life. Here, in historical order, are a few:

“Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us” (1836)--Englishwoman Dorothea Ann Thrupp prepared little devotional and song books for children, usually just using her initials (D.A.T.) for published writings. But one little poem in her book, telling about Jesus' tender care and “pleasant pastures,” was left unsigned. Most believe it was hers, just an oversight of credit. American composer William Bradbury added a tender tune. How many millions have sung about “Blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us, thine we are.”

“He Leadeth Me” (1862)--Joseph Gilmore, son of a New Hampshire governor, became a minister and one day was supplying the pulpit at a Philadelphia Church. His text was Psalm 23, but when he began, he couldn't get past “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” Preaching during some of the darkest days of the Civil War, he likely felt emotionally overwhelmed. After the service, while in the parlor of his host that Sunday, a poem came to him and he scribbled words on a piece of paper. He later showed them to his wife; she sent them to a magazine, which published them. Unknown to him, well-known hymn composer William Bradbury (who did the music for the hymn mentioned above) noticed the poem and wrote a new tune for it—then put it in a hymnal! Three years after Gilmore jotted the lyrics, he opened the hymnal of a church were he was a guest preacher and discovered his poem-now-hymn. Of his poem, he remarked, “It makes no difference how we are led, or whether we are led, so long as we are sure God is leading us.”

“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”(1868)--The Welsh had their own hymn based on Psalm 23, but Anglican clergyman Henry Baker gave it a fresh translated face. It's reported that as he died, for his last words he quoted from that hymn: “Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love He sought me.” That verse ends: “And on His shoulder gently laid, and home rejoicing brought me.”

“Shepherd of Love”(1966)--John W. Peterson (1921-2000), called the “Dean of Contemporary Gospel Singers,” wrote some 1,200 Gospel songs and hymns plus many cantatas. This song, and one he wrote in 1958 with another Gospel musician, Alfred Smith, “Surely Goodness and Mercy” rely on the imagery of Psalm 23.

“The New Twenty-third”(1969)--Ralph Carmichael (b. 1927) was introduced to music at the age of four when handed a fiddle by his pastor, also a fiddler. He also studied piano, trumpet and voice and became a minister of music and composer to Billy Graham films. He began his Psalm 23 Gospel song, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything that I need.”

“Gentle Shepherd” (1975)--Prodigious performers and composers Bill and Gloria Gaither, who left teaching for Gospel music careers, translated Psalm 23 to this tender hymn with a lullaby feel to it. The couple will celebrate their 59^th year of marriage this year—a union that has produced memorable Gospel music that reached around the world.

“Shepherd Me, O God” (1986)--Representative of newer, not-as-well-known songs based on Psalm 23 is this one by Marty Haugen. One year in the 1980s while snowbound at the Holden Village retreat center in North Central Washington, he came up with his simple chorus based on Psalm 23. Full—like the original psalm—of comforting metaphors, it's been ecumenically embraced by several Christian faith traditions.

No matter which of these “shepherd” songs is nearest your heart, never lose sight of Jesus applying the metaphor to Himself:

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

Here is a video with scenic background for “Shepherd Me, O God,” composed 35 years ago in Washington's Cascade Mountains:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=shepherd+me+o+god&view=detail&mid=021A3D258D0E9415522D021A3D258D0E9415522D&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dshepherd%2bme%2bo%2bgod%26cvid%3df02daecd5a2b4ee6a16d82bfd0bc7793%26aqs%3dedge..69i57j0l6.5778j0j1%26FORM%3dANSPA1%26PC%3dU531

BRIEF BLOOMERS

Our extended family has a decades-old tradition of hunting for spring's first buttercup. It requires a keen sense of “when” and usually several trips to higher elevations where the dainty wildflowers start poking through. This year, “Buttercup Day” came later than usual in late March. But oh—the smile on my husband's face when he caught the fleeting hue of yellow along the roadside.

Sometimes my mind makes strange (but reasonable) connections—and this time it was an old quote attributed to C.T. Studd (1860-1931), a cricket-player from England who gave up wealth and comfort and went to the mission field, serving in India, Sudan, and Congo. The quote: “Only one life, twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last.”

Maybe the pandemic has me thinking more about what will be accomplished at my life's end. Maybe it's also my prayers for people I care about who struggle spiritually. In going through paper piles lately (aren't most people doing that these days?) I came across an article I'd saved from the alumni magazine of Wheaton College, where I earned my master's degree. Its alumni legacy includes “wholehearted” folks like missionary martyr Jim Elliot and evangelist Billy Graham. Plus—lots of other “regular people” (like me) who studied their hearts out in pursuing what they believed to be part of God's path for their lives.

This article featured a young woman named Anna O'Connor, who died at 26 in 2012 after struggling nine years with a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma. Doctors at first gave her a year to live, but she and her family fought on. Besides finishing her master's in psychology in 2011 at Wheaton, the article said, “in spite of her illness, and because of it, Anna established a nonprofit organization , hosted a music festival....raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research, and counseled and comforted many.”

Speaking in chapel three years before she died, Anna encouraged students not to worry so much about grades or their life's accomplishments, but rather, “My hope is that you will learn what it means to be fully alive to the presence of God.” Some 1,700 people attended her 2012 memorial service in the college chapel.*

Legacy. Like those elusive buttercups, bright but brief reminders of God's calling and mandate regarding our lives that will “soon be past." It comes down to daily choices. Questions like, “Will this activity enrich my life and bring honor to Jesus? Am I serving like Jesus? Am I seeking the best in others and building them up?”

It's said that buttercups were once known in Europe as “King's Cups” because of how they resembled a crown. I certainly see the analogy there, remembering Studd's challenge: “Only what's done for Christ [the King] will last.”

*Read the original article about her starting at page 23 at this web page: autumn2012.pdf (wheaton.edu)