ORSBORNAGAIN (7)
A devotional series by Major Rob Birks
ORSBORNAGAIN is meant to introduce the poetry of the first Poet General, Albert Orsborn (1886-1967) to a new audience and to reintroduce his works to dyed-in-the-(tropical)-wool Salvationists.
These are not new songs.
However, the lyrics are jam-packed with new life, which may be missed during corporate worship. Re-examined through scripture and experience, Rob Birks intends through an examination of these scared songs to renew the spiritual fervor of believers, and point seekers to their Savior.
What a work the Lord has done
By his saving grace;
Let us praise him, every one,
In his holy place.
He has saved us gloriously,
Led us onward faithfully,
Yet he promised we should see
Even greater things.
Greater things! Greater things!
Give us faith, O Lord, we pray,
Faith for greater things.
Sanctify thy name, O Lord,
By thy people here,
For the altar or the sword!
Save us from our fear
When the battle rages fast;
Help us in the fiery blast,
Let us not be overcast,
Prove thy greater things.
Every comrade, Lord, we pray,
Thou wilt richly bless;
Lead us forth into the fray,
One in holiness,
One in faith and harmony,
One in perfect charity;
Then we know that we shall see
Even greater things.
Albert Orsborn
525 Our Response To God – Salvation, Repentance, Faith and Regeneration
Jesus promised his followers would see “greater things” on at least two occasions in Scripture. The first takes place near the end of the first chapter of John’s gospel. Nathanael, amazed that Jesus knew him before they even met, acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel. Jesus replied: “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that” (v.50).
More than likely, however, Orsborn drew his inspiration for this song from John 14. Not that long after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, predicted Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial, and comforted his disciples, he schooled Thomas with a lesson on his oneness with the Father: “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves” (V. 11). He follows that pronouncement with a promise: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (v. 12). As Orsborn paraphrases it: “Yet he promised we should see even greater things.”
Greater things than these? Those “these” were pretty great! In the first 13 chapters of the book of John, Jesus had been up to amazing feats. He changed water into wine, he cleared the temple courts, he told the women at the well everything she ever did, he healed the official’s son, he healed the invalid at the Bethesda pool, he fed more than 5,000 people, he walked on water, he healed a blind man, and he raised Lazarus from the dead. That’s not too shabby. Of course, we now know that he has also “saved us gloriously” and “led us onward faithfully.” “Yet he promised we should see even greater things.” What could be greater? What kinds of greater things might Jesus have been referring to? What kinds of greater things require the kind of faith Orsborn wrote of and prayed for?
How about ending extreme poverty? Or finding a cure for HIV/AIDS? Abolishing the human slave trade would be a great thing! How about closing every sweatshop for good? That would be great! Making sure kids aren’t forced to fight in senseless wars that will take their young lives ranks up there on the list of great things that require faith. How about housing the homeless? Feeding the hungry? Educating the uneducated? Including the marginalized? All these things (admittedly, just a starter list) would qualify as great, and greatly needed. All of these tasks will require much faith, and much love as well. As Mother Teresa famously put it: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”
I love the way Orsborn, by the third verse, is asking that God would richly bless everyone, lead us in battle, and bring about unity of holiness, faith, harmony, and perfect charity. Unity is essential for greater things to be seen. Without it, we will focus on smaller things. Our thinking will be small. Our faith will be small. Our vision will be small. If we’re all together, the sky’s not the even the limit. Rupertus Meldenius (cool name, right?), a German Lutheran theologian of the early 17th century, nailed it when he wrote in a 1627 tract: “In essentials – Unity. In non-essentials – Liberty. In all things – Charity.”
So let’s definitely sing of, pray in faith for, look forward to and celebrate the greater things Jesus spoke of and the first Poet General wrote about. Let us be people of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father (Eph. 4:4-6). Let us be “one in holiness, one in faith and harmony, one in perfect charity.” And “let us praise him, every one”!
FYInspiration – The Atlanta-based band transmission has recorded a great(er) version of this song! You can listen to it at: saytunes.com/song/SAUS-7Q2SQ6