Category: Uncategorized

Here’s a Profound Hymn You Don’t Hear Every Day.

Growing in Christ will bring you unimaginable joy, peace, and love. Here’s a hymn which describes that journey as well as any. I first heard “Deeper and Deeper” while visiting Contra Costa Christian Fellowship, where I met my beautiful wife. Listening to her sing that lovely hymn at our initial meeting was miraculous.  Click here to listen to “Deeper and Deeper I Go.  
INTORDUCTORY SLIDE

New Wine in Old Bottles?

How do you feel about alternative hymn melodies?  (Please share your views in the comments section below.)   For example, Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Redeemed” can be sung with either the Kirkpatrick tune or the newer setting by A. L. Butler. I love both compositions and am happy to lead the congregation using either.  By contrast, when it comes to the Charitie Bancroft hymn “Before the Throne of God Above,” I feel the newer Vikki Cook tune better suits the words, even though I love Bradbury’s “Sweet Hour” melody, which perfectly fits the “Sweet Hour of Prayer” text. “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” is a marvelous poem, but Gretry’s melody plagiarizes “Solid Rock,” and to me, his rhythms feel stilted. I offer you this new musical setting. Do you feel it works well with the text?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exKGoZCyYfM

COVER SLIDE

Another Classic Hymn

This classic hymn tells of Jesus’ redemption and renewal to all who invite Him in.

TITLE SLIDE COMPRESSED

I Must Tell Jesus

1.  Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior;

Struggling alone with no one to care;

I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;

He all my shame and sorrow will share.

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

I cannot bear my burden alone;

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

2   O how the world to evil allures me!

O how my heart is tempted to sin!

I must tell Jesus, and He will help me

Over the world the victory to win.

 

I must tell Jesus that I am sorry.

I  haven’t  prayed or looked to His Word.

I  haven’t  loved my neighbors and brothers.

Though He has called me, I haven’t heard.

 

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

I need forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

There is no peace away from His Face.

 

Like a good shepherd, You came and saved me

Out in the desert, hopelessly lost.

You broke the chains that bound and enslaved me.

You paid my ransom, You paid the cost.

 

I sing to Jesus!

I sing to Jesus!

Worship and thank Him all of my days.

I sing to Jesus!  

I sing to Jesus!

He is my Lord, most worthy of praise !

 

The Truth Will Set You Free

BIBLE STUDYClick here to watch the video of this message.
Have you ever returned to a familiar passage of Scripture and discovered that the words speak to you in a new, refreshing, dramatically impactful way?

Recently, while teaching The Epistle to the Hebrews in a small Bible study, Hebrews 5:14 suddenly jumped off the page and caused my spirit to soar with its encouragement and profound theological implications :

TITLE SLIDEBut solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.   HEBREWS 5:14

Pondering that phrase”distinguish good from evil” made me curious as to how this Hebrews verse might correspond to the words of the serpent in Genesis 3:5 :

EVE…the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.   For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  GENESIS 3:4, 5

On first glance, these two verses may seem related.  However, the profound difference is unearthed by contrasting the word “knowing” in Genesis against the word “distinguish” in Hebrews. Continue reading “The Truth Will Set You Free” →

Psalm 100: “Make a Joyful Noise!”

CB - Make A Joyful Noise - Cover Art - 4-5-2021(3)Psalm 100 has been beloved by billions of worshipers for the past 3,000 years.  Here is a brand new musical setting of this encouraging text.  “Make a Joyful Noise! (Psalm 100)” is Craig Buhler’s latest composition for Peninsula Men’s Gospel Singers.    The piece was composed for second tenor-baritone-bass (TBB) voices with piano accompaniment and was featured at the PMGS Spring Concert in June, 2021.   An optional additional part is available for flute, alto saxophone, or clarinet.

To view and hear this piece, click here.

Copies may be purchased for $2.85 U.S. each plus $5.00 per order shipping within the USA.  For orders outside the USA, an appropriate postage rate will be supplied.
To order, please click on the “contact” link found at the upper right corner of this page.

GOD’S GOT A SENSE OF HUMOR!

GODS SENSE OF HUMOR

While swimming in the Strait of Juan de Fuca last week, the vastness of the ocean, the myriad sand, rocks, shells, and marine life struck me with the awesome grandeur of God’s amazing creation.  This realization inspired further reflection on the mind-boggling complexity of God’s conception for this tremendous universe.

Before formulating the stupendous biodiversity of the plant and animal kingdoms, God first had to invent the 108 elements populating the periodic table of chemical elements, each with its own unique properties and personality.  But before that could take place, the laws of physics (gravity and all those other complex interactions) which govern His universe needed first to be established.  Oh, and it goes without saying that physics, chemistry, astronomy, and biology are all founded upon the mathematical principals which God also devised.

As a musician, the closest I can come to envisioning a project as overwhelming as the formation of our intricate habitable universe is imagining Beethoven composing his Ninth Symphony.  More recently, when viewing the serpentine structure of a Jacob Collier video, the question arises, “Which track did he lay down first.”

I was on the verge of asking God the question, “Lord, what did you speak into existence first?” …when He – as always – anticipating my concern before it was articulated, chimed in:  “First, I laid down a rhythm track before doing anything else.”  Then, without missing a beat, He whispered in my ear, “…Next, I called out with a mighty, earthshaking voice, ‘More Cowbell!’”

I laughed so hard, the snorkel dislodged from my mouth!  I caught a huge gulp of salty seawater before I could catch my breath! 

So it seems to me that God does have a fabulous sense of humor, although it’s hard to see during times when we’re embroiled in hardship, trial, tragedy, or tribulation.  It’s only in those brief moments of repose, when we’re able to ponder not only His Power, His Wisdom, and His Love, but also the lighthearted way He sometimes takes us by the hand and helps us to witness the lighter side of creation 

Praise God Almighty!