Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, Diane Bish on pipe organ

After leaving Ravensbruck [concentration camp] in Germany, Corrie Ten Boom learned she had been released from prison by a mistake, and that all the women of her age in the prison had been killed. She had so much to be thankful for and spent the rest of her life praising the Lord Jesus for it in such books as The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord.



I didn't intend to write about Corrie Ten Boom at this time, but the tie to her in this music is just great! This is written on the website devoted to sharing her remarkable life:

"Corrie was raised in the Dutch Reformed church and had a good education. It is said the Ten-Boom family attended big, beautiful St. Bavo Church which is at the edge of the town square and a block or so from their home. She has told stories of playing in the church as a child. The pipe organ in the church is immense and very famous. It was once played by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and also by George Frederic Handel."

This video was filmed in the St. Bavo Church in Haarlem, Holland, which Corrie Ten Boom wrote about in The Hiding Place. It is the same organ the flamboyant Diane Bish is playing. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called the organ the "King of instruments" - now you will see why.

Lyrics:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Supporting Scriptures:
"Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases..." Psalm 103:1-3

"[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began..."
2 Timothy 1:9

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" Ephesians 2:8

"He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty, sung by the Purdue Varsity Glee Club

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition:

PRAISE, v.t. [L. tollo, extollo; pretium.]

1. To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of personal worth or actions.

"We praise not Hector, though his name we know

Is great in arms; 'tis hard to praise a foe."

2. To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works.

"Praise him, all his angels, praise ye him, all his hosts." Ps.148

3. To express gratitude for personal favors. Ps.138

4. To do honor to; to display the excellence of.

"All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord." Ps.145

As the Purdue Varsity Glee Club performs, I hope you enjoy the rousing blending of all male voices. I am particularly fond of hearing men sing alone. I went for years to piano lessons where the seminarians would gather for worship in song in the vaulted chapel adjoining us. It brings back sweet memories.

The original hymn was written by Joachim Neander in 1680, and it was translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth in 1863. The video I have presented here has different words than I learned as a girl. Even though praiseworthy, I prefer the ones printed below.

Lyrics:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
The King of creation
O my soul, praise Him
For He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration

Praise to the Lord
Who o'er all things so wonderfully reigneth
Shelters thee under His wings
Yea, so gladly sustaineth
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth

Praise to the Lord
Who doth prosper they work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath
Come now with praises before Him
Let the 'amen' sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him

Supporting Scriptures:

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Ephesians 5:18-20

"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord." Psalms 150:1-6

Hallelujah Chorus, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir/Bonhoeffer

"In New York they preach about virtually everything, only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin and forgiveness, death and life." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ~1930

"[The Union seminary students] talk a blue streak without slightest substantive foundation, and with no evidence of any criteria...they are unfamiliar with even the most basic questions. They become intoxicated with liberal and humanistic phrases, laugh at the fundamentalists..."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ~1930

One of the greatest influences on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's adult life was a visit to the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the Harlem district of New York City. He had come to the U.S. from pre- WWII Germany seeking to find an 'alive church'. "Bonhoeffer had no idea what he was walking into at the Union Seminary, but the bloody battle royale between the liberals and the fundamentals was in full swing in 1930...One notable exception, however, was in the 'negro churches'." There in the distressed African American community, Dietrich would see the full power of the Word of God manifested under the preaching of Pastor Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Eric Metaxas, author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, continues, "Starving from the skim milk at Union (seminary), Bonhoeffer found a theological feast in this N.Y. African American church that spared nothing." (see Now Let Us Come Before Him and The Mark Of A Man, Jan 2011, for more on Bonhoeffer's life)

1965 photo - 25 years after Bonhoeffer's 6 month in New York

What you will hear below is much like the music Bonhoeffer experienced and loved. My husband and I heard the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir back in the early days of my coming to faith in Jesus (80s). We were impressed with the teaching of the Word and the powerful singing! It went deep, bringing a longing to be filled with the joy of God from the inside out! This may not be your style or cultural background, but if you don't find yourself joining in on the worship, your kindling may be wet! If you love Handel's Messiah, as I do, this should be great fun.


Lyrics:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
And hath redeemed us to God by His blood
To receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
Wo-o-o-o-rthy
And hath redeemed us to God by His blood

Men:
Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto Him, be unto Him
That seated upon the throne
And to the Lamb

All:
Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto Him, be unto Him
That seated upon the throne

Men:
O That seated upon the throne
All:
That seated upon the throne
Men:
Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto

All:
The Lamb

Solo: Ha -
All: Blessing and honor
Solo: Lelujah
All: Blessing honor and power
Solo: Ha aaaaaaaaaa
All: Wisdom and strength and glory

Solo: Lelujah

All; Hallelujah Hallelu

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah [2x]

Men: For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Halle halle
Hallelujah

For the Lord God omnipotent r-e-i-gneth
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, halle – e- e- lujah
The kingdom of our Lord
And of his Christ [X2]
And He shall reign for ever and ever [2X]

Solo: King of Kings
All: for ever and ever, hallelujah hallelujah
Solo: and Lord of Lords
All: For ever and ever
Solo: King of Kings
All: For ever and ever, hallelujah hallelujah
Solo: Lord of Lords
All: For ever and ever
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Solo: King of Kings
All:For ever and ever,
Solo: Lord of Lords
All: For ever and ever
Hallelujah

Halle – lu jah

Supporting Scriptures:
"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain!”Revelations 5: 11-12

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"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelations 7:9-12
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"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelations 11:15