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This coming Sunday: The First Sunday of Lent

Join us this Sunday for Evensong at 4:00 PM for the first in a sermon series on Psalms 113-118, the “Hallel” or “Songs of Praise” sung as a unit by observant Jews on the evening of the first night of Passover, just prior to the meal. Thus the Hallel became known as the “hymn” that Jesus sang with his disciples at the Last Supper, and why it is often part of services when churches keep the Lord's Supper. We will consider their Old Testament context, their significance in the Upper Room, and for believers today. We begin with Psalm 113.

My plan is to have you read along with me this year as I share a section of their discussions and the spiritual insights from the evangelical ministers who regularly gathered in London in the wake of the great evangelical revival of the 18th century. I hope you will find the time to read further around the section, so I have found the original volume for you in Google Books/Google Play. You can find the text by clicking this link.

I want to begin by briefly sketching some of the members of the society with whom we will become familiar this year. By the time the notes were published all the members had died.
Some members kept a notoriety after their deaths:
   •    Rev. John Newton, whose published Letters and Olney Hymns are still a solace to believers today.
   •    Rev. Thomas Scott, known for a practical commentary on the entire Bible, A Commentary On The Whole Bible and The Force of Truth. The Force of Truth is still available in reprint.)A Commentary On The Whole Bible and The Force of Truth. The Force of Truth is still available in reprint.
   •    Rev. Richard Cecil, whose “Remains” (the title given to a miscellany of a person’s works that included a recollection or memoir of his life and character) remained popular with committed Christians for many years.
   •    Rev. Josiah Pratt who as the first secretary of the Church Missionary Society founded by the pastors of the Eclectic had an influence for the cause of the gospel all around the world. It was his son John who edited and published the minutes in 1856.
   •    Rev. John Venn, who was the vicar of Clapham and the middle generation of a clergy dynasty. He was the son of Henry Venn one of the founders of the Clapham Sect, and the father of Henry Venn, the greatest missionary strategist of the nineteenth century. The son expounded the basic principles of indigenous Christian missions. These were much later made widespread by the Lausanne Congress of 1974.
But there were other members were simply local pastors’ beloved of their congregations:
   •    Rev. H. Foster whose consideration in his preaching upon death and eternity were so influential among his people that William Wilberforce used to say that he was the most eloquent man he knew on those occasions.
   •    Rev. G. Pattrick, someone who was very much the introvert, as we would say today, but whose deep godliness was still spoke of by his people 30 years later.
   •    Rev. W. J. Abdy, known for his patient longsuffering disposition, he quietly brought about the reformation and revival of his parish back to gospel soundness after many years of opposition that amounted to almost persecution.

What we as believers can learn from this brief thumbnail is how God’s work extends way beyond our time, and that there are many more witnesses than ourselves, it doesn’t all depend upon us. We therefore need to understand what we are for is to find our place in the great strategy that God has and to be content with it for the season that he has us here – and to trust that he actually knows what he is doing. God’s work goes on in stages, and those stages can be very different from each other. God has called you to live for his glory and to spend yourself in his service in the here and now.