Gives Reformed Worship to Seminary Students
Thank for sending copies of Reformed Worship to give to my seminary students in “Dynamics of Christian Worship,” a course I teach at Bethel Seminary of the East. I wanted to supply the students with some practical resources as well as a solid biblical and theological foundation. I have enjoyed Reformed Worship for several years. Thank you for your fine publication and your commitment to ministry.
Partricia L. Grimm
Director of Worship and Music
Valley Community Baptist Church
Avon, Connecticut
More Back Issues
This is even tougher than my decision to retire a couple of years ago from the pastorate, but I reluctantly have to drop my subscription to your excellent and useful magazine. I was a charter subscriber and have kept all my back issues, which I will be glad to send to anyone who wants them at my own expense.
John C. Oliphant
Denver, Pennsylvania
Ed. note: This is the third set graciously offered by retired pastors; shortly before this, we received a set from Rev. Al Hoksbergen in Spring Lake, Michigan. Thanks!
Two of several letters on “There Is a Redeemer”
I enjoy reading Reformed Worship and enjoy the lead time it provides between the mailing date and the celebrations enclosed within. As I was browsing through your article “Songs for Lent, Healing, Palm Sunday, and Easter,” (RW 58) I noted that you state on page 28 that Melody Green wrote “There Is a Redeemer” shortly after the death of her husband, Keith Green. I respectfully suggest that this information is inaccurate. I have several tapes recorded by Keith Green and this piece, word for word, is sung by him on at least one of those tapes. The copyright may have been placed after Keith’s death, but he certainly sang it before the tragic air accident. Thanks for your care and attention. God’s blessing on your ministry at Reformed Worship.
Rev John Maich
St. Anthony United Church
St. Anthony, Newfoundland
Thank you for your brief article (on the song “There Is a Redeemer,” RW 58, p. 28). I hope and trust that God blesses you as you write such articles. I did, however, want to point out somewhat of an inaccuracy. Melody did not write this song just after Keith’s death. She actually wrote it over five years earlier. In fact, Keith recorded it on his fourth album, “Songs for the Shepherd,” in early 1982. Melody had written just one verse, and she wrote in her book: “Keith loved it, but wanted to add another verse. . . . ‘When I stand in glory . . .’ I liked it—but the verse seemed slightly out of place with the rest of the song. It even seemed a little odd that Keith took the song in that direction, going from thanking God to meeting him face-to-face.”
What struck Melody was the amazing foreshadowing of Keith’s death that he himself supplied (or God through him) with the additional verse, and the potent presence of God in the studio when Keith sang the song. Just think, he was only a Christian for seven years! As Leonard Ravenhill said at his funeral, Keith did more in his seven years as a Christian than most do in seventy.
Perry P. Daciuk
Langley, British Columbia