John Monsell
1 Timothy 6:11-12
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fight the Good Fight LBW 461
1 Fight the good fight with all your might; Christ is your strength, and Christ your right.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be your joy and crown eternally.
2 Run the straight race through God’s good grace; lift up your eyes, and seek his face.
Life with its way before us lies; Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.
3 Cast care aside, lean on your guide; his boundless mercy will provide.
Trust, and enduring faith shall prove Christ is your life, and Christ your love.
4 Faint not nor fear, his arms are near; he changes not who holds you dear;
only believe, and you will see that Christ is all eternally.
Text: John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875, alt.
Without inviting any snarky comments about my physique, I have often admitted that I am the least spiritual pastor you could meet - spiritually “flabby” if you will! I am often a little too cool for school when it comes to witnessing to my faith. St. Paul, on the other hand, was a spiritual athlete, as was John Monsell, author of this hymn which I sang often as a child at Good Shepherd. Monsell was a gifted Anglican preacher who could hold a congregation spellbound for hours, (seriously, would any of you sit for hours during one of my sermons - don’t answer that!) He once said, “We sing, but not as we should, to Him who is the chief among 1000 and altogether lovely!” (He means Jesus in case you missed it!) This hymn was written to accompany the reading of Ephesians 4:17-32 where St. Paul outlined the nature of life in Christ, which, as it turns out, is less a sprint than a marathon! Monsell used no fewer than 10 New Testament passages in this short hymn, quoting from 1 Timothy 6, Philippians 3 & 4, Hebrews 12; 1 Peter 5, Galatians 6, St. Mark 5, St. John 6 & 14 and Colossians 3!
Prayer: Help us, O Lord, to be in good spiritual shape, that we may fight the good fight and live the life to which you have called us! Amen.