Thursday 13 October 2011

Everything changes...

When I was at primary school - under 11 - we had assembly most days. There would be a hymn and a short talk, usually from Mr Ward, the Headmaster. One hymn that has never left my head goes like this:

"
Ev'rything changes,
But God changes not;
The power never changes
That lies in His thought:


Chorus: Splendours three, from God proceeding,
May we ever love them true,
Goodness, Truth, and Beauty heeding
Ev'ry day, in all we do.

Truth never changes,
And Beauty's her dress,
And Good never changes,
Which those two express:

Perfect together
And lovely apart,
These three cannot wither;
They spring from God's heart:

Some things are screening
God's glory below;
But this is the meaning
Of all that we know:"

The meaning in this little hymn is lost on many. Yet it's based on scripture. Hebrews 13:8 to be precise.
I was reminded of it again earlier today when a friend said to me that we should remember the world is changing, and we need to change with it.

That is a lie.

We need to base ourselves on something better than the current whims of the world.

At one point in Holland, tulip bulbs were worth more than houses. Then the world changed and they weren't any more. In the Roman empire at one point tin was the most valuable metal. Things changed. Through the whole of history only one thing has remained constant. God.

God's values don't ebb and flow with the tide of popular opinion. He will always hate Sin, no matter how it is dressed. Even when the world's view is that it isn't sin any more.

I remember reading a story of a man in his late 90's who applied to be re-patriated to England from Australia. He had been in the country for decades, and had never left since his arrival almost 70 years previously. When asked why he now wished to go back to England, he reportedly replied that as a young man when he arrived he was informed the penalty for homosexuality was death, by the time he was 40 it was 20 years hard labour, by 60 it was a fine, and it was legalised a little while after that. When the debate about gay marriage began he decided to leave before it became compulsory...

The world changed, but God didn't.

Sodom and Gomorrah had the opinion of the modern world regarding sexual sin. God judged them. The Greek and Roman empires both fell as they became more and more obsessed with appearances than substance. Israel fell into the trap more than once in scripture. The world's views change constantly, like shifting sands. We build on them at our peril.
 

25 comments:

  1. I too remember this hymn well from my primary school days over 40 years ago. In fact it was the one I sang when auditioning for the school choir. I got in too��

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  2. This song has stayed with me too from my school days..well over 40 years ago. It is comforting to see it here & read the message. Thank you Eagle's Wing Ministries.

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    1. Thanks :) You can follow the blog now at www.eagleswingministries.wordpress.com

      We've been there a couple of months now. It'd be great to hear from you there!

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    2. Thank you verymuch. l lost this short Hymn for 55 years ever since l left my High School.l felt lost but now l"m found.

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  3. I searched this hymn online because it suddenly sprung to my mind as I was attempting to sing my son to sleep. 27 years after high school and I can remember it word for word. But I was hoping to find an online copy of Golden Bells. I haven't yet, but hopeful I might.

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  4. I remember this song very well, but not all the words. I believe there is great comfort in this song as well as warning.

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  5. First heard this song 25years ago and it stayed with me. Clearly I had no meanings to its lyrics but I now understand them. It's truly a changing world and we need to be cautious.

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  6. This was my primary school hymn. If anybody knows the tune and can let me know that would be great.

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  7. It's indeed a very nostalgic moment for me to read all these comments and to know the bible passage that is attached to this beautiful song. We sang it in my high school days over 36yrs ago. I was looking for a tune or a bible passage that best captured my testimony and this song came to my thoughts.

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  8. Oh my goodness!!!I equally sing this hymn unconsciously usually when alone .Infact I got used to it when I was in Primary school. I mean UPS in Ghana.Nostalgic feeling all over.

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  9. Suddenly reminded of this song which we sang during morning assembly in my secondary school days over 50years ago. So delighted to find it on this platform. I could recall all except the third verse. The words have guided me all through life. Truly, God is immutable!

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  10. I loved singing this hymn at secondary school in the late 70's, the chorus has never left me, but I had longed to find the verses again. Thank you for posting it.

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  11. This song is part of our merry Mayflower songs book and we sing it at our community gathering every Sunday. Just remembered it now and I searched for it. God bless Eagles wing ministry

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  12. I'm still searching for the tune we sang to this hymn when I was in High School. The Vice Principal taught us on a Thursday, as it was her practice to teach us a new hymn on Thursdays. I haven't heard it anywhere since that time - over 30 years ago.

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    1. GUN HILL by Martin Shaw is the tune I sang it to at school.

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    2. J. Ellis, would be kind to share a copy of the tune you mentioned?. I've searched for GUN HILL in all my music books without success.

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  13. We used to sing this song in morning assembly in mid 70s. Wow so nice to sing to the lyrics, thank you for posting this!!
    In Kenya

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  14. Hi all ...... I loved this song and it was a regular at school assembly back in the 60's...... so around 50 years ago.
    I think I can remember the tune, but I'm struggling to find anything online ....tried you tube as you do, but can't find anything. Any help would be much appreciated

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  15. I have been searching for this hymn after hearing a few lines spoken in a TV drama ( Truth never changes). I’m so grateful to find the whole hymn which I see is in my old school hymn book , which I still have -and it has the music score Thank you !

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  16. In primary school in the 70s I sang and loved this song. Lately, it came to my memory and I wondered why I’ve not heard it in church or elsewhere all these years. Trying to sing it, I realized that I’ve forgotten some lines. So I went online to search for it. Am I glad that I found it? Thank you so much. I will not part with it again .

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  17. This morning I woke up singing this hymn. Have not thought about it in many years and my Primary School days are about 65 years behind me, so I decided to Google it! In this ever-changing world, what a blessing to know that there is one constant - Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever!

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  18. Thanks for this. I knew the hymn ìn my secondary School days. But,needed It's stanzas, and got it here. God bless you real good. Esther

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  19. This song has stayed with me since primary school, what a blessing. I can remember the tune to the first line but not the rest of it , I've been searching for years .what a mighty God we have , He has been a constant in my life. This was one of the songs that really spoke to ke about him.Hes the same yesterday,today and forever. Hallelujah!🤍🙏

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  20. Does anyone remember the school hymn book that it was written In?
    God bless you.

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