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Rescue me and deliver me in Your
righteousness; turn Your ear to me and save me.
Psalm 71:2
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Hey that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD,
and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,
which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven,
they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. 28 Then they cry unto the LORD in
their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so
that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they
be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31 Oh that men would
praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:23-31)
Veterans
Day is officially ushered in at 11 o’clock A.M. on the 11th day of the 11th month of November – the day and
moment the armistice was signed ending the horror of World War I in the Forest
of Compiègne, France – 1918. It was a conclusion to trench warfare that ended
the lives of many soldiers & seaman; and also maimed many veterans of that
war. The combined forces of air, ground and sea were employed in that conflict.
I
was raised in an environment far removed from the sea; however, if I could have
been convinced to part with my old familiar Blue Ridge Mountains and head out
to sea in the Navy, it would have been this majestic hymn that would have
compelled me to the decision. I envy the Navy for the beauty of their official
hymn, but the sentiments expressed are not limited to the hearts and minds of
those who “go down to the sea in ships” but to all who know and trust in
that Providential Hand that overrules the Sea of Life, who orders the billows
and tempest of life, and causes the breakers to cease their roaring.
This
glorious hymn was composed by William Whiting for one of his students who was
about to embark on a sea voyage to America in 1860. The only tune worthy of the
lyrics is that composed by John B. Dykes in 1861 – Melita. The name is after
the Island of Malta upon which Paul and all others (200 plus souls) were saved
from the ravages of an unusually brutal storm upon the sea after many days
struggle. “42 And
the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim
out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose;
and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselvesfirst into
the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken
pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to
land. 1 And
when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. (Acts 27:42-44,
Acts 28:1)
It
should be noted that this horrific storm arose on the sea after leaving an
island of absolute peace and calm called, The Fair Havens. God punctuates our
lives with alternations of safety and comfort with moments of danger and fear.
If it were not so, how could we truly appreciate those moments of safety and
comfort? Without the howling north wind, how could we know the peaceful
solitude of an open fire on the hearth!
This
Navy Hymn was sung at the funerals of at least three Presidents of the United
States – Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. To many Navy
patriots, it was the last song of the Chaplain’s Service in their memories just
before embarking on great sea battles and Naval engagements along the islands
of the sea. Many never heard another hymn this side of Jordan Banks.
Eternal Father, Strong
to Save
The Navy Hymn
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with Thy saving grace.
Thou Who supports with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight.
Lord, if the tempered winds be near,
That, having Thee, they know no fear.
O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy Word,
Who walked on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Trinity of love and power!
Our family shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect us wheresoever we go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
“Eternal
Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who biddest the
mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep; Oh, hear us when we cry to
Thee, For those in peril on the sea!” No one can call upon their father
like a child who is in great danger or need. It is not begging to call upon our
earthly fathers for help in time of trouble – it is merely that which is
‘expected.’ The same is true for the Christian who calls, in time of mortal
danger (or solitude) upon his Father in Heaven. It should be with a high degree
of reverence that we do so. God is not our ‘daddy;’ He is our Father, and,
above all else, He satisfies that title in Eternity. He could not be our
eternal Father were we not able to enjoy His LOVE and PRESENCE in eternity.
Our
Father is, indeed, strong; but unlike an earthly father whose strength
diminishes with age, our Father in Heaven is not only strong, but all-powerful. He
calls forth the gales of the sea, and with His Word, He causes them to be
silent. He has set, on the dawn of Creation, the ocean limits that the sea does
not overcome the boundaries of dry land the Lord made for our habitation. Yes,
our Father does hear us when we cry unto Him and He hears most audibly when we
waft up our prayers under mortal danger. When Peter, at the bidding of Christ,
step out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, he walked on water until he took
his gaze off Christ and looked into the danger of the swirling tide. It was
then that he began to sink. What could he do? He could do nothing! He needed a
hand that was above the Sea and stronger. In desperation, he called out, “Lord,
save me!” That was not a very fancy or well thought out prayer, but it came
directly from the soul of Peter – and it was the kind of prayer the Lord ALWAYS
hears.
“O
Christ! Whose voice the waters heard And hushed their raging at Thy Word, Who
walked on the foaming deep, And calm amidst its rage didst sleep; Oh, hear us
when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea!” When we call upon the
Lord, we are calling upon a Veteran of many storms of the sea. He did walk upon
the sea as if it were made of glass. He did sleep in the hull of a ship
throughout the raging tumult of the storm. He has been on every path into which
our feet wander. He is surprised by nothing. He is the eternal WAY, TRUTH, and
LIFE. In both perils of body and soul on the sea of life, He hears our prayers.
He knows our need before we ask. He is WITH us!
“Most
Holy Spirit! Who didst brood Upon the chaos dark and rude, And bid its angry
tumult cease, And give, for wild confusion, peace; Oh, hear us when we cry to
Thee, For those in peril on the sea!” That Divine and Holy Spirit that
officiated over the Deep at Creation, and still officiates in the lives of the
saints of God, has been our guide from ancient times to follow Christ. The
angry billows of the sea are frozen at His power, but it is not the outward
surges of the waves that are calmed always, but the storms within the hearts of
men – calmed and able to deal with the storms and chaos of life.
“O Trinity of love and power! Our family
shield in danger’s hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect us
wheresoever we go; Thus evermore shall rise to Thee Glad hymns of praise from
land and sea.” The dangers we confront in life are not removed at our
prayers, but are made subordinate to the faith we have in God to help us to
overcome them. In so doing, like the good soldier in basic training, we grow
stronger to deal with even greater challenges of life. Sadly, we do not often
hear reference to the Holy Trinity in modern churches. They have forgotten the
Father God that conceived; the Word that created that which was conceived; and
the Holy Spirit that “brooded over the face of the deep.” A child may be
fearful of going out into the storm, but when held in the arms of his father,
he is willing and able to endure it. The same is true for the saint. He may be
fearful of dangers, but he knows of his Father who is with him. The Father is
unafraid, so neither is the child afraid.
Today,
we acknowledge the sacrifice of all of our active military, wounded, KIA, and
veterans of all wars. We thank God that such men have lived who have placed
honor and personal sacrifice upon the altar of Liberty.
I
include a poem I composed for the occasion:
Call to Arms
The call to arms resounded
From sea to shining sea.
The soldier packed his knapsack
And took his final leave.
He left behind a family –
A daughter, son, and wife,
And made his roll-call muster
And then he gave his life.
The dirge sounds slow and muffled
As his comrades bear him on –
The flag-draped casket jostles
As the Caisson rolls along.
He may have been a youngster
In his early manhood bloom –
Or she may have been a doctor
Near the battle’s crash and boom.
But one and all stand honored
Amid the cross and star
As heroes of the nation
Who gave their all in war.
The Blue Star mother mourns –
The young wife bides alone –
As the nation pays its tribute
For the seeds of freedom sown.
On distant shores celestial –
The trumpet sounds alone
As freedom’s angels gather
To greet the soldier home.
©2015JOgles
In
the Anglican Orthodox Church, we share a fellowship and band of brothers and
sisters upon which the sun never sets – either literally or figuratively. Glad
hymns are lifted on high from the bush country of Africa, from Pakistan, from
southern Europe, from the Americas, and from the islands of the sea of the
south Pacific. We find ourselves in one Great Cloud of Witnesses. Will you join
with us in that old-time and primitive religion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
which has been sealed and consummated by our Lord Jesus Christ?
