New songs for modern missional worship, rich in Christian teaching and contextualized in modern culture. Contemporary hymns, psalms, songs of lament and praise written by members of the Louisville, KY-based Sojourn Community.
Earthquake Rattles The U.S. Midwest At 5:37 AM EST — But The Solid Rock Remains
Yikes. I woke up shortly after 5:30 this morning, feeling the tremors that rattled Louisville (and all points near, such as Cincinnatti and Indianapolis), the tail end of a 5.4 scale earthquake centering from West Salem, Illinois. Readers in many parts of the world and U.S. might say, “What’s the big deal about some tremors,” but it’s quite unusual for us here in the ‘Ville.
Indianapolis reported that tall buildings downtown shook, and 250 students at Indiana’s Vincennes University evacuated after fire alarms sounded, due to the quake. The main concern reported in Louisville right now is a damaged four-story building on Kentucky Street downtown— so far no one has reported an injury (see the photo above).
It wasn’t enough of a quake to make me get out of bed early (I love my sleep time) but I did feel some concerns about driving into work since I have to cross the Ohio River on a bridge, and since my office is on the 28th floor of a Louisville building that was built in 1970. All reports indicate that no major structural damage is expected, but I couldn’t help, as I thought about these things, to sing the old hymn, “On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand.”
So, courtesy of Drake Hatfield’s drakeaudio.com, here is an mp3 of “On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand” recorded during a live Sojourn worship gathering last fall.
Worship leader Brooks Ritter sings lead on this recording. I spoke with him early this morning and he said that he was already up during the earthquake, standing near an elevator. He thought maybe the elevator had fallen. When he found that it hadn’t, but that earth tremors had shook him, his response was “Dude.”
Worship leader Lorie King’s response to the occurance was to decide not to work out at the gym, but rather to go back to sleep.
When I called Worship Arts Pastor Mike Cosper at 5:45 AM to get a quote from him, he said, “Stop calling me all hours of the day and night, trying to get quotes for sojournmusic.com. You write for our ministry’s blog, not the Washington Post.”
I’m just kidding about the last one. Have a good day. Rest in this:
Psalm 104:31-33 (New International Version)
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
“On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand,” by Edward Mote and William Bradbury
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
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