Sunday's Hymn

Golden Harps Are Sounding

Golden harps are sounding, angels voices sing,
Pearly gates are opened, opened for the King;
Jesus, King of glory, Jesus, King of love,
Is gone up in triumph, to His throne above.

He who came to save us, He who bled and died,
Now is crowned with glory at His Father’s side.
From the grave arisen, nevermore to die;
Jesus, King of glory, is gone up on high.

Pleading for His children in that blessèd place,
Calling them to glory, sending them His grace;
His bright home preparing, faithful ones, for you;
Jesus ever liveth, ever loveth, too.

Refrain

All His suffering ended, joyfully we sing,
Jesus hath ascended! Glory to our King!

—Frances Havergal

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• Before the Throne of God Above at threegirldad
• Forgiveness! ‘Tis a Joyful Sound at Tried With Fire
• I Stand Amazed in the Presence at Rosemary at Home
• Mother’s Prayer’s Have Followed Me at The Happy Wonderer
• Shout for Blessed Jesus Reigns at Field Stone Cottage
• Jesus Lives! at Whatever Things
• Low in the Grave You Lay at Conjubilant with Song
• Lord’s Day 19, 2010 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Voice From the Past - May 8, 2011 at The Upward Call
• Remembering Those Who Brought the Gospel at Theology for Girls
• Sunday Prayer: Valley of Vision at Hiraeth
• Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

You Tell Me: Women and Theology

Here’s a question from my email that I don’t know how to answer. Can you help me out?

Why are so few women interested in theology?  

First, I suppose, we need to think a little bit about whether it is accurate to say that few women are interested in theology. I don’t know many other women in my real life that like theology as much as I do, so my gut feeling is that there is truth in the question. I have theologically interested friends online, but many of them feel like they are odd-women-out in their real lives, too.

We’d also need to think about whether women in general are less interested in theology than men in general. I don’t know many men who are interested in theology, either. However, I do think that men who are interested in theology have an easier time finding other men with the same interest than a woman has finding other women who enjoy theology.

Also from the email:

It just seems so sad that there are so few Marys today that really dig into God’s Word.

This statement suggests that the problem is worse now than in earlier times. Do you think this is so? I know there were women of the past who wrote doctrinally deep letters and poems and hymns, but I suspect they, too, were exceptions to the norm. And as this statement reminds us, there’s an historical account in the Bible dealing with the issue. This makes me think it’s a universal problem. People tend to make a priority out of pressing duties (and they are duties) and in the process, neglect more important ones.

Here’s a little more:

I have recently been in contact with two women who were instrumental in my conversion 30 years ago. Although both seem to have faith in the Lord, neither of them seem particularly interested in theology, and I guess that surprises me.  

So the emailer is not writing specifically about young women, who might be overwhelmed with the obligations of home and children. I’m concerned that even asking the question might add to the pressure to excel at everything that many younger women feel. But Mary yearned to know Jesus better and that’s something that should be true of all of us at every stage of life.

What do you think? 

Round the Sphere Again: Learning from Others

Those Who Don’t Look Like Us
Amy Scott encourages us to learn from people who are not exactly in our group.

[T]he more we invest our lives into learning and growing from those that don’t “look like us”, the more we’ll learn. 

(Amy’s Humble Musings)

Those on Whose Shoulders We Stand
There are so many reasons to learn about (and from) the Church fathers (The Upward Call).