Solid Rock, my Safe Retreat

Posted on July 5, 2025July 14, 2025 by Riese

The video was taken from a tour boat from St. Johns Newfoundland in June 2025. It is set to the music of an old Dutch Hymn that was recently translated into English.

It’s a simple beautiful melody, but the words are poignantly true and touch the very depths of our human frailty.

Embracing the wonderful reality and the unspeakable comfort we have by faith in Christ Jesus the LORD and Creator of all things.

The Principles
Instruments
Psalms
Hymns
History

Reforming the Church Service: Addresses on Worship

Reforming church service, how you do this? This article explains that there are seven guidelines which must shape the liturgy of the church. Popular Michael Horton Christian Renewal 1998 3 "Liturgy." It sounds like "allergy," and that's perfect, because many Christians today have an allergy for liturgy. Actually, the idea's very basic: certain things should always be done in a worship service, other things shouldn't. And you need some set of criteria — a rationale, for what's in and what's not. Every church has a liturgy. In the Bible churches and Baptist fellowships of my youth, the liturgy was pretty much the same Sunday to Sunday, and even fairly standard from church to church. You knew what to expect and had [...]

Reforming Church Music

Reforming church music, is it needed? It is needed because worship of God should be shape by the content of scripture. This article looks at how the impact of the second great awakening and revivalism changed the focus of worship from God to man. Popular Michael Horton Christian Renewal 1998 5 In the words of the distinguished Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan, "the God of the Reformers inspired artistic works of enormous majesty, power and perfection." Columbia University professor Fugene F. Rice adds: "The doctrines of God's predestination and pardoning mercy measures the gulf between the secular imagination and the 16th century's intoxication with the majesty of God. We can only exercise historical sympathy to try to understand how it was [...]

Play Skillfully

How can the church improve her singing? Looking at congregational singing during worship service, this article explains the role of the pastor, organist, and congregation. It makes a call that they all have a role to play in improving church singing. Popular Joy Grotenhuis Christian Renewal 1998 4 We all agree we are to sing from the heart and with emphasis. As important as that is, we sometimes stop there and gloss over the rest by saying, "You know, me, I make a joyful noise." We sort of chuckle and smile at such enthusiasm. Psalm 33 says, "Play skillfully with a shout of joy." What are we to do with this phrase "play skillfully"? Does it mean that only those [...]

Music Matters

Church music is not given for the purpose of praising God only but also of making His word memorable to us. What implications does this have for church singing? Based on Colossians 3:16 the article explains… Popular Phil Grotenhuis Christian Renewal 1998 2 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thanksgiving in your hearts to the Lord Colossians 3:16 What is the role of music in worship? Many passages in Scripture address this question, but we'll limit ourselves to this passage from Colossians. The text begins, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..." Put simply, this is what it [...]

We are what we sing - searching for a balanced diet

This article reflects on how the textual and musical substances in congregational singing become the building blocks for a life of faith. Popular John D. Witvliet Reformed Worship 2001 3 Read article [...]

A Few Notes on Musical Instruments in Worship

What kind of music is appropriate in church? This article looks at the use of instruments to support congregational singing during the worship service. The author does this by examining John Calvin's reaction to the use of instruments. Popular R. Dean Anderson 4 Recently in Canada (Oct. 2014 in Burlington) there has apparently been a ‛Reformed Music in Worship Conference’. This conference has generated a number of articles in the church magazine of our Canadian sisters, Clarion about the use of music and musical instruments in worship. Both prof. A. de Visser and prof. C. van Dam have contributed to the discussion. Without going into detail on these articles, I’d like to contribute a couple of considerations to our readers here [...]

With Strings Attached: Leading Congregational Singing with the Guitar

Many congregations use the guitar to lead part of the congregational singing. This article reflects on the appropriate musical arrangements and harmonization with other instruments used. Popular Mimi Farra Reformed Worship 1998 2 Read article [...]

Giving a Hymn a Lift: When Should the Organist Change Keys?

This article gives organists advice on changing keys when leading congregational singing. Popular Jan Overduin Reformed Worship 1994 2 Read article [...]

Musical Instruments in the Public Worship

The regulative principle of worship states that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his word. Does this mean that there should be no musical instruments in public worship? This article examines reasons why Calvin and others were against musical instruments and why the church today can make use of musical instrument during worship. Popular Cornelis van Dam Clarion 2015 5 How important are musical instruments for our public worship? Does Scripture mandate them? If not, are they forbidden or do we have the freedom to choose whatever instrument we wish to have in our worship service? These kinds of questions were raised in the Reformed Music in Worship Conference in Burlington on October 25, 2014. [...]

Instrumental Music in Worship?

This article argues that musical instruments in the Old Testament pointed to the coming of Christ, and that his coming rendered them obsolete. In light of this, together with the lack of divine warrant in the New Testament to use instruments to accompany the singing in worship, the author argues against the use of instruments in public worship. Popular John W. Keddie Witness 2010 5 Very little thought is given these days to the question of the propriety of using instrumental music in public worship services. It is not questioned. The fact that instrumental accompaniment was more or less unknown in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland up to the end of the 19th Century comes as a surprise to people, [...]

Singing in the Corporate Worship of the Church

This article looks at the place of singing in the worship service. The author does this by looking first at the place of singing in the temple and synagogue services, and the role of the Psalms in shaping this singing. Singing takes a central place in corporate worship, and must be done in such a way that it is in accordance with God's word. Popular R. Dean Anderson 38 Open Download Google Drive [...]

Why Should We Sing Psalms?

Why should we sing psalms? This article looks at various benefits in psalm-singing. Basic Joel R. Beeke The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth 2016 10 Should today’s Christians sing psalms in public worship? For a long time — about eighteen hundred years — that question would not have been relevant. Throughout those years Christians of all kinds used psalms in worship. Some chanted them as prose texts in Greek or Latin, and some sang them in metrical versions (the Hebrew psalms rendered into lyrical poetry according to the forms of a given language and set to tunes suitable for congregational use). The situation began to change in the late eighteenth century, and since then psalm singing or psalmody has almost [...]

Therapeutic Praise

Why is it that psalm singing is experiencing somewhat of a revival in various places? This article suggests that the main reason is in their therapeutic value. The Psalms minister powerfully to the emotional life of the believer. Popular David P. Murray The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth 2017 2 Despite hundreds of new Christian songs of every possible genre being composed every year, the ancient Psalms are experiencing somewhat of a revival in various places. Why? I believe the main reason for this lies in their therapeutic value. In a day of so many disordered emotions, worshippers are discovering how the Psalms minister so powerfully to their emotional lives. The Psalms balance divine revelation and human emotion⤒🔗 Some Christian songs [...]

Psalm 13; Psalm 25; Psalm 33

This article introduces a number of psalms to sing in corporate worship: Psalm 13, Psalm 25, and Psalm 33. Popular Emily R. Brink Reformed Worship 1997 3 Read article [...]

Three Ways the Psalms Should Shape Modern Worship

Church music and singing are essential to the worship of the church. This article explains three ways in which the Psalms should shape the worship songs of the church. Popular Adriel Sanchez Core Christianity 2018 2 Read article [...]

In Praise of "Thee" and "Thou"

Should the language of old English hymns be change? Should the church today in her hymnal language use Thee and Thou? This article gives seven reasons for keeping these personal pronouns Popular Geoff Thomas Christian Renewal 2002 3 If some hymn-writers today are more at peace and conscious of God's glory using the pronoun "you" in hymns then we have few objections to their doing so and can sincerely sing good modern hymns and metrical versions of the psalms and paraphrases referring to God as "you", nor do we object at all to men who use "you" in their praying. We also have no problems at all with hymns which refer to God as "thee" and "thou" nor do 60,000 [...]

"By Grace Alone"

The lyrics of the hymn "By Grace Alone" Popular Paul H. Treick Christian Renewal 1997 2 1.Thou art our God, and we Thy race Elected by Thy sovereign grace. Not by the works which we have done But by the cross the victory's won. Oh keep this truth within my heart, That from it I may ne'er depart 2. By nature we depraved did dwell Under Thy curse - deserving hell – Sinful, corrupt in every part, Not one pure motive in our heart. Hadst Thou not looked on us in grace We would remain a perished race. 3. In love eternal Thou didst choose To save Thy sheep; their bonds to loose. No good did we within us have [...]

Songs for Ascension, Pentecost, and Professing Our Faith

This article introduces a number of hymns that can be used in corporate worship for Ascension, Pentecost, and profession of faith. Popular Bert Polman Reformed Worship 2004 2 Read article [...]

My Grandmother Saved It, My Mother Threw It Away, and Now I'm Buying It Back

Why are hymns connecting with young people? This article reflects on the resonance older hymns find with the younger church generation. Popular Kevin Twit Reformed Worship 2003 2 Read article [...]

Songs for Intercession, Ordination, and Trinity Sunday

The article introduces a hymn and a psalm for use in public worship at ordination and on Trinity Sunday: "God the Spirit, Guide and Guardian" and Psalm 29, respectively. Popular Emily R. Brink Reformed Worship 2003 3 Read article [...]

The Genevan Tunes: An Introduction

What are Genevan Tunes? What is their origin and purpose? Popular Dennis W. Royal Christian Renewal 2002 3 Every loving husband believes his wife to be beautiful. The loving wife thinks her husband to be smart and good looking. Loving parents are sure that their children are the smartest kids around. And we know what we like to sing in Church! These are some of the most common subjective areas of life. It is with respect to the singing of the Church that this article will deal. More particularly, in this article we hope to introduce the subject of the Genevan Tunes. What are the "Genevan Tunes?" Are the so-called Genevan Tunes more "biblical" than other tunes? Is there some [...]

Revivalism and Christian Music

Is the appeal to contemporary worship a revival of church worship? This article looks at how revivalism impacted church music. Popular Michael Horton Christian Renewal 1999 2 "I Need Thee Every Hour." "In The Garden." "I Surrender All." These are among the many hymns that came into existence because of that celebrated American institution: the Revival Meeting. Moving from churches to huge tents and now to giant stadiums across the country and to the globe via TV broadcasting, revivalism is now a world-wide phenomenon. No longer are the major international universities the most important influence in shaping the worldwide church; today, it is Tulsa, not Tubingen, that rules the world. But while the revivals hit the frontier, the secular literati [...]

Oh, for a Thousand Tunes: A Bicentennial Tribute to Lowell Mason (1792-1872)

The hymns and tunes of Lowell Mason are among the best known and best loved in English hymnals. Mason, for example, was the composer of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "Joy to the World." This article is a tribute to Mason. Popular Sherman Vander Ark Reformed Worship 1992 2 Read article [...]

With Reservations: A Review of Three Influential Books on the Praise and Worship Movement

Where does the Praise and Worship movement come from? This article reviews three influential books on the movement. Popular Harry Boonstra Reformed Worship 1991 2 Read article [...]

"Sinners Jesus Will Receive": The British Reception of Neumeister's Hymn

Erdmann Neumeister (1671-1756) was a Lutheran court preacher and composer of church cantatas. One of his most popular hymns was first published in 1718, "Jesus Nimmt die Sunder An." This hymn's reception in Britain is considered in this article. Semi-Technical John S. Andrews Evangelical Quarterly 1983 8 Read article [...]