ORSBORNAGAIN (26)
A devotional series by Major Rob Birks
ORSBORNAGAIN is meant to introduce the poetry of the first Poet General, Albert Orsborn (1886-1967) to a new audience and to reintroduce his works to dyed-in-the-(tropical)-wool Salvationists.
These are not new songs.
However, the lyrics are jam-packed with new life, which may be missed during corporate worship. Re-examined through scripture and experience, Rob Birks intends through an examination of these scared songs to renew the spiritual fervor of believers, and point seekers to their Savior.
In their appointed days
All things their maker praise,
For all are lovely in their time
And in their varied ways;
Yet true it is to say,
All beauty fades away
Save that which in the heart resides
And cannot know decay.
As gently falling dew
Bids nature smile anew,
So does the beauty of the Lord
True comeliness renew;
It glorifies our Lord,
Shows forth the living word,
So men beholding must confess
The saving grace of God.
Come, Saviour, and refine
This sinful heart of mine,
Removing everything that mars
The loveliness divine;
O make and keep me clean,
Spare not one lurking sin,
So shall my life each day proclaim
The Christ who dwells within.
Albert Orsborn
494 The Life of Holiness – Consecration and Service – Not in 2015 edition of The Salvation Army Songbook
I have a gift (some family members might argue it’s more of a curse) for noticing song similarities. If a song comes on, I will often recognize a musical or lyrical portion of it that reminds me of another song. This gift impresses me to no end, but it produces very different reactions from those who are trying to listen to and enjoy the song that’s playing.
Some song similarities are more obvious than others. Some, I’m sure, are accidental. Others, I assume, are intentional nods to the work of other songwriters. Some songs are similar because they have the same muse, or source of inspiration. There are similar songs about romance, friendships, cars, even days of the week. Take Mondays for example. For that one day alone, I just thought of six songs (with the help of my daughter, Lauren): “Rainy Days And Mondays” by the Carpenters; “Monday, Monday” by The Mamas & The Pa- pas; “Manic Monday” by The Bangles; “Monday” by Wilco; “Monday Morning” by Death Cab For Cutie; and “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats. All six are very different songs, written and recorded by very different artists. Each one, however, is based on the same premise—Mondays are very different from the other six days of the week.
Reading this beauty on beauty from Orsborn reminds me of the lyrics of a modern day worship classic from composer James Curnow:
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
Worship the Lord in the spirit of praise,
Bow down before him,
Love and adore him,
Come let us worship in spirit and truth.
These two songs have obvious similarities. Both works focus on praising God, and both works make it clear that the praise that pleases God is that which flows from a pure heart, a lovely life. There is no chance that these two pieces are accidentally similar. Since Curnow was raised in The Salvation Army, I suppose his piece could be a bit of a nod to Orsborn’s earlier work. However, the strongest evidence points to the fact that both of these songwriters were well versed in Scripture, and found their inspiration in 1 Chronicles 16:29: Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness (KJV).
What does holiness beauty look like? One thing’s for sure, it’s not only skin deep. After all, we tend to look at outward appearances, while God looks for and sees a beauty that runs much deeper (1 Sam. 16:7). Wait, here’s another thing that’s for sure about holiness beauty—it’s not only in the eye of the beholder. Our holiness is not beautiful because some- one else sees something in us they like. It’s beautiful because our Savior refines our sinful hearts, “removing everything that mars the loveliness divine.” Also, the worship expressed by a holiness beauty may not look or sound like what we or OTHERS are expecting.
Several years ago, I was in a gathering where the speaker played a video in which of a lot of beautiful, apparently well- off, seemingly happy white people were worshipping together. However, the video’s sound was muted. Instead, Stevie Wonder’s “Village Ghetto Land” played through the chapel speakers. That song described scenes that were anything but beautiful. The contrast of the images we saw and the lyrics we heard was convicting. Holiness beauties worship, like Curnow wrote and the Bible teaches (John 4:24), “in Spirit and in truth.” And the truth is, worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness begins with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:4) and continues in our chapels and sanctuaries.
But holiness beauty must also make its way into the schools we attend, our places of business, the streets and parts of town we’ve tried to avoid, the “Village Ghetto Land.” God’s not as interested in 60-minute worship services as he is in 24/7 services of worship. To borrow from another modern day songwriter, Sara Groves, our beautified lives should “add to the beauty” around us.
Lauren Scruggs knows about both superficial and sanctified beauty. She is the model and fashion blogger whose life was changed dramatically the night she walked into the spinning propeller of a plane she had just exited. She lost an eye and an arm, and her face will never be what it once was. After a long and difficult rehabilitation, however, her holiness beauty still shines for all to see. She cites her faith in Jesus as her salvation and strength.
It seems to me this is exactly what Orsborn is getting at in these three verses—a formerly marred life, purified by the Spirit, praising God, and proclaiming the beautiful Christ within.
This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful. —Sara Groves