At the urging of my wife—and because I really needed it and needed to do it—I’ve taken some vacation time and have returned to my childhood home to spend time with my mom. Between my father’s death in February and my father-in-law’s death this past August, it had been about a year since I’d taken a real vacation. So Faith sent me off on my own, and I’ve enjoyed my time back in Western New York so far, hanging out with Mom, spending time with friends, and enjoying not having to think very hard for a few days.
I’ve also been somewhat productive. I won’t be posting a sermon this week, but I’ve drafted another two hymn texts for the Easter Vigil project. I’m not quite ready to debut the second one, but the first is one I’ve been working on since the Southern Illinois District Convention in February, where I wrote the first verse. Life happened, and so the progress stopped for a while. Then I wrote the second verse during the Southern Illinois District Pastors Conference (funny how that works!), and I thought maybe it would work better as a short stand-alone hymn text instead of part of the Vigil project Then I decided that it needed more than just the two verses (even if I divided the two verses into four verses), and I reverted back to the original idea, a hymn based on the Daniel 3 text in the Easter Vigil. If you look at verses 1 and 10, you can probably see what made me think they might stand along as a text, especially considering the virulent protests for the right to murder infants in the womb after the leak of the Supreme Court document which could undo Roe v. Wade. And with events like the supermarket shooting in Buffalo yesterday, we see evil manifested clearly in the acts of sinful mankind.
Because this is a project I’m working on with another writer, I haven’t done anything about tunes yet. That’s something that can be worked on when the texts are all completed. Anyway, here it is. Feedback is love.
The Evil Seek the Downfall
1. The evil seek the downfall
Of all who will not kneel
Before the golden idols
Of silicon and steel.
Man’s sin-perverted reason
Confuses wrong from right.
God’s children must be faithful
To walk within the light.
2. The king produced an idol,
An image formed of gold.
He ordered his officials
This idol to behold.
The king said, ”O my peoples,
Bow down at my command
And praise the golden image
Commissioned by my hand.”
3. The people knelt in worship.
But three did not pay heed.
Three Jews refused the order
The king himself decreed.
Chaldeans then came forward.
“O king,” they said with zeal,
“These Jews refused to listen.
These men refused to kneel.”
4. The king called out with fury,
“Young men, now answer me.
You saw my god, all golden;
Did you not bend the knee?
What other god could save you?”
The king commanded, stern:
“Now kneel before my idol,
Or you will surely burn.”
5. “O king,” the young men answered,
“Our God is strong to save.
The flames will not consume us.
We shall not face the grave.
Our God will guard and keep us;
His might He shall reveal.
We will not bow to idols.
O king, we will not kneel.”
6. The king became indignant.
The men he ordered tied.
The soldiers stoked the furnace
And threw the men inside.
Those soldiers died in torment,
By heat and flame were doomed;
The Jews, instead of burning,
By grace were not consumed.
7. The king was thus astonished.
“Did we condemn just three?
Behold the great inferno:
Now four men do I see.
The flames have failed to harm them.
What is this awesome sign?
My people, see this wonder:
The fourth man looks divine!
8. “Come forth, young men, I pray you,
Who serve the Lord Most High.”
The governors, the prefects
And council gathered by.
They saw, unburnt, the clothing.
They smelled no smoke or flame.
The hair, not singed, bore witness
Unto the young men’s claim.
9. “My people, hear my order.
Pay heed to my decree:
The Jews in flesh gave service
To God most faithfully.
The Lord has sent His angel
To spare them from the rod.
Give honor to their master;
Blest be their mighty God.”
10. The day is surely coming
When truth will be a crime.
The Gospel, still a scandal,
Remains our light sublime.
God grant that we be faithful
To face the fiery test,
To stand in bold confession
When faith is sore oppressed.
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