ORSBORNAGAIN (3)

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.

Here’s the piano music for the song below:

Spirit of eternal love

Guide me, or I blindly rove;

Set my heart on things above,

Draw me after thee.

Earthly things are paltry show,

Phantom charms, they come and go;

Give me constantly to know

Fellowship with thee.

Fellowship with thee,

Fellowship with thee,

Give me constantly to know

Fellowship with thee.

Come, O Spirit, take control

Where the fires of passion roll;

Let the yearnings of my soul

Center all in thee.

Call into thy fold of peace

Thoughts that seek forbidden ways;

Calm and order all my days,

Hide my life in thee.

Thus supported, even I,

Knowing thee forever nigh,

Shall attain that deepest joy,

Living unto thee.

No distracting thoughts within,

No surviving hidden sin,

Thus shall Heaven indeed begin

Here and now in me.

Albert Orsborn

325 – The Eternal God – God the Holy Spirit – the work of the Holy Spirit

Along with other prominent authors and thinkers of his day, G.K. Chesterton was once asked by a newspaper to write an essay response to the question: “What’s wrong with the world?” Chesterton’s reply had to be the shortest of them all:

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,

G.K. Chesterton

“Fellowship with Thee” seems to be written in that same spirit. In fact, this song of Orsborn’s would serve well as his answer to the same question that was posed to Chesterton. Orsborn is alarmingly transparent here in his confession of blindly roving for “earthly things” and “phantom charms,” his rolling “fires of passion,” his “thoughts that seek forbidden ways,” and his “hidden sin.” This is serious stuff! It’s possible that having sung this song so many times, we’ve become anesthetized to the power and punch of the poetry. This song gets to the heart of the matter, which, as many have said, is a matter of the heart.

When examined closely, the words of this song echo the words of the Apostle Paul from 1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV), when he referred to himself as the “chief” (in NIV, the “worst”) of sinners. When examined honestly, the only right response is to raise our guilty hands with Orsborn, Chesteron, and with Paul, and say, “What’s wrong with the world? I am.” I see that hand.

Paul also warned believers to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11 KJV). John follows up with: everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). It is painfully clear then, from scripture and from our own experience, that whatever the systems of this world have to offer us is trash. It doesn’t come from the Father. The harder truth is that, if we’re honest, we often want to have fellowship with that junk, those “unfruitful works of darkness.” And those “distracting thoughts within,” if left unchecked, will lead us to death.

This all leads us to the good news of this song. Orsborn goes on to answer the unasked question: What’s the answer to what’s wrong with the world? It’s this: Instead of having fellowship with what a fallen world has to offer, we’re offered fellowship with God the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of eternal love.” Only this Spirit will set our hearts on things above. Only this Spirit will call our chaos into the fold of peace. Only this Spirit will calm and order all of our days. Only this Spirit will hide our lives in Christ. Only this Spirit will begin heaven “here and now in me,” and in you too!

Give me constantly to know

Fellowship with thee.