Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Happy Reformation Day!


REFORMATION DAY, October 31, 2009
John Calvin @500

The following is a hymn text that I wrote with Paul Jones on the 5 solas of the Reformation. Note the allusions to the 5 solas in each stanza and corresponding refrain, Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria. Further note the allusion to John Calvin's inscription on his personal seal: "My heart I offer Thee, O Lord, promptly and sincerely," rendered in his original Latin in the title of Paul's tune, Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere.

Creator God, our Sovereign Lord,
The heavens tell, the stars have shown,
Your splendor, might, and Deity,
But Truth lies in your Word alone.

My heart to you, O God, I give,
And by your Word I live.

In Truth your Word reveals my guilt,
My lost, unworthy self makes known,
But now made new I’m justified
And live and move by Faith alone.

My heart to you, O God, I give,
And now by Faith I live.

Before you made the world you chose,
In love, to send your only Son
To ransom me and make me one
With Christ, my Lord, by Grace alone.

My heart to you, O God, I give,
And now by Grace I live.

O Christ, Redeemer, Savior, King,
Subdued by grace, I am your own;
Enthrall my soul and make me free,
Reformed, redeemed by Christ alone.

My heart to you, O God, I give,
And now in Christ I live.

O glorious God, who reigns on high,
With heart in hand, before your throne,
We hymn your glory ‘round the world
With psalms adoring you alone.

My heart to you, O God, I give
And for your glory live.

Copyright, Douglas Bond, October 31, 2007
COR MEUM TIBI OFFERO Paul S. Jones, 2008





You can follow hymn developments at http://www.bondbooks.net/NEW%20HYMNS.htm and at http://douglasbondbooks.blogspot.com/. I'm working on writing another article to submit to Modern Reformation—this one on hymnody for the Modern Reformation. I have audio lectures on poetry and hymnody at http://www.douglasbond.webs.com/ as well as audio examples of some of the new reformation hymns. A lecture that might be of interest is available for listening or download here: http://www.box.net/shared/lru1ruvxqf

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