Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

• Matthew 7:24-27

“1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 In ev’ry rough and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the vale.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

3 Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move;
I rest upon unchanging love.
I trust his righteous character,
his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
oh, may I then in him be found,
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

• Edward Mote, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

About a week ago, we had the hymn above as out final hymn at church.  It was great that my wife was feeling good, although she took a long nap afterwards.

But as I skimmed over the words, they looked like the words I had sung in my youth.  The liberal hymn ruining people had not trashed this one yet.

Because of COVID restrictions, the church prints the hymns into the bulletin rather than transmitting germs from one person holding the hymnal to the next person.  Thus, I only had the words, but not the notes.  The hymn was so familiar that I closed my eyes and remembered the tenor notes, but only for the refrain.

I was suddenly transported in my mind back to my high school and college days.  I was the only tenor (most of the time) in our church choir.  And most of the time, a classmate’s father was the only bass.  He was a diabetic and he was blind.  I was taught how to lead him to the stadium seat (not a pew in that choir loft).  He was blind, so he memorized the hymns and the bass notes.  I was singing the song like he had done about fifty years ago.  I could not break this moment by opening my eyes.  I was feeling a moment of connection.

It made me think of the words of the song, based on the parable of the wise and foolish builders.  In the early years, right after I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, my foundation had grown strong in part by faithful people around me and the great hymns of the church.

“On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.”

Indeed.

Our foundation is Jesus Christ and knowing Jesus better through Bible Study, prayer, hymns and worship songs, and other Christians helps to grow that foundation stronger and stronger.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.