November 1, 2009
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O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
In commemoration of Reformation Day, I'm continuing on with some posts calling our attention to the need for reformation and revival in the Church today...
One day Dr. Luther heard a nightingale singing very sweetly near a pond full of frogs.
"Nachtigall 'Luscinia megarhynchos'" [1]It seemed by their croaking as though the frogs wanted to silence the melodious bird. The doctor said: "That's how it is in the world. Jesus Christ is the nightingale, making the gospel to be heard, The heretics and false prophets, the frogs, try to prevent Christ from being heard." [2]
"Frogs on Lily Pads" [3]8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Church, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange gospel among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of bondage.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not listen to my voice;
My Church would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that my Church would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.
Psalm 81:8-16, adaptedO, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
May we have ears to hear what the Spirit has to say to us,
May we have ears to hear the nightingale,
May we have ears to hear Christ singing to us.O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
You, O Lord God, have saved us by Your glorious Gospel,
the Gospel of Jesus Christ by grace through faith.
There is no other Name under heaven by which we can be saved.
There is neither power nor life in any other gospel.O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
Forgive us O, Lord, for being foolish,
Forgive us, O Lord, for discarding Your Gospel,
Forgive us, O Lord, for bowing to other gods,
Forgive us for having itching ears,
Forgive us for listening to the frogs croaking,
Forgive us for allowing the frogs to remain in our midst,
Forgive us for not being discerning.
Forgive us for having left You, our first Love.
Forgive us for not loving You as we ought.O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
Give us a love for You alone!
Return us to You, our first Love!
You alone have loved us!
Give us a hunger and thirst for You alone!
You alone satisfy!
May we open our mouths wide for You alone to fill.
May we submit to You alone,
Give us ears to hear the sweet singing Christ in our midst,
Give us disdain for the croaking of the false teachers and heretics!O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
We confess we have been stubborn and turned each to our own way.
For Jesus' sake, be kind to us, bring us to repentance,
Forgive us our sins, cleanse us from our unrighteousness,
Circumcise our hearts, bow our necks, bend our knees,
So we might turn from our evil ways and walk in Your ways.
Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
There is no other way,
There is no other truth,
There is no other life.O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
O, how You long to fill us with the True Bread from heaven,
O, how You long to fill us with the Living Water from the Rock.
How abominable it is for us to even consider taking anything from the hireling's hand,
Yet we confess we have done so.
Forgive us for not remaining in Your house where You have prepared a feast for us,
Forgive us that we have not continued to feast on the Lamb,
He alone has the Words of Life.
O, may we never hunger or thirst for anything but You, O Lord.
For You alone are the living God, there is no life or sustenance in any other god but You, O Lord.O, Church, to whom are we listening: the frogs or the nightingale?
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:15
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
I John 4:1
Related post: Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst![1] "Nachtigall (Luscinia megarhynchos)" accessed from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nachtigall_%28Luscinia_megarhynchos%29_v._J._Dietrich.jpg / CC BY-SA 3.0
[2] "Frogs and Nightingales" from "Martin Luther's Table-Talk" Selections, ed. David L. Scheidt (Cleveland, Ohio: The World Publishing Co., 1969).
[3] "Frogs on Lily Pads" accessed from http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyweesemoll/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Comments (4)
Amen, praying for the eyes to open and the ears to unblock to the sound of the nightingale. A sweet sweet sound indeed.
@llamalima - Yes, Jesus is a sweet sweet sound indeed! Amen.
I like this. Don't know for sure the song of the nightingale, but I would prefer it to the croaking of frogs. The song of the redeemed is a very sweet song indeed. It echoes the song of the Lamb.
@quest4god@revelife - Yes! The song of the redeemed, the song of the Lamb! (Check out Charlie Hall's "The Song of the Redeemed.")