Worship Arts Notes
The text of Major Daniel Webster Whittle’s hymn “I Know Whom I Have Believed” is a direct quotation from 2 Timothy 1:12: “. . . I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (KJV). In this letter, the apostle Paul has been imprisoned, yet he feels empowered in his suffering because it mirrors the suffering of Jesus Christ. Paul uses his plight to encourage his fellow Christian Timothy to remain strong in his faith, no matter the difficulties he is facing. Paul would argue that even though he feels that he may not be able, he is made able through the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. Like in the first stanza, while we are unworthy, “Christ in love” has “redeemed me for his own.”
Each stanza discusses a faith issue with which Christians struggle. The first stanza addresses how we cannot understand God’s saving grace; the second stanza addresses how we cannot explain our faith in the Word; the third stanza addresses how we cannot comprehend the work of the Holy Spirit; and the fourth stanza addresses how we cannot clearly perceive the future of our earthly lives. The refrain contrasts with these stanzas by reminding us that even if we cannot fully know the mysteries of our faith, we are fully known by God and we do know by faith that God is true to his word.
God has wondrously blessed our Christ Methodist Church congregation in numerous ways in leading us to our current home for Christ Methodist Church at the Southern Homes and Gardens building. Christ Church Anglican has been very generous and welcoming to us as we begin our adventure as a new church family. Christ Church will be having their Christmas Market inside the Southern Homes and Gardens building on November 21-24 and we will meet for worship in the North Greenhouse on Sunday, November 24 at 9:30 (No Sunday School). We will need everyone’s help in moving all of our chairs, tables, hymnals, choir music, robes etc. into the Greenhouse after worship on November 17.