DOUGLAS BOND BOOKS

• Creator God, Our Sovereign Lord
• King Jesus Reigns
• Our God In All Things Works For Good
• We Rise and Worship
• Triumphant Jesus
• The Lord, Great Sovereign
• If I Can Speak With Tongues of Fire
• Come Bless the Lord
• We Hail the Christ, chief Cornerstone

"...a beautiful, theologically rich hymn," Greg Bailey, Director of Reformation Trust, Ligonier Ministries (more comments)

Reforming Worship with new Psalm-like Hymnody, in Peoria, Illinois, October, 09

MUSIC SCORES

For the greater edification of God's people, when distributing these hymns for corporate worship, I urge you to consider laying out the poetry and the musical score, side by side, on the same page. Please do not alter the words and distribute with author and composer credits.

We are delighted for these new hymns to be used for private devotion and for the corporate worship of God in local churches. Drop us a brief email letting us know where and when you would like to use them in this way. For all other uses, including but not limited to choral performance, audio recording, reproducing in printed or electronic publications, please contact for rights and permission (douglas@bondbooks.net, pjones@tenth.org, rbechtel@faithtacoma.org) 

While listening to a sermon on the text "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, but to God the things that are God's," I began furiously jotting down a flood of ideas for this hymn. My wife at times scowls at me during a worship service when I begin doing this; she thinks it might be a bad example to the children. I explain to her (later, not during the service) that it's just my version of taking notes on the sermon. I don't think she entirely buys this, but I'm imminently satisfied with it. Readers of the Crown & Covenant Trilogy will hear hints and allusions reminiscent of the grand struggle of Covenanters to uphold the Crown Rights of the Redeemer in his Kirk.  

• Listen to the Audio: KING JESUS REIGNS, by Douglas Bond/Ron Bechtel

King Jesus reigns, enthroned on high!

We lift our voice and glorify

His Majesty, his power and grace,

And his high sovereignty embrace.

Though kings usurp and proud men try

Their pompous selves to deify,

Adoring praise shall never cease

For Christ, Redeemer, Prince of Peace!

King Jesus rules upon his throne

And does the wealth of nations own;

While fading things to Caesar bring,

Ourselves we render to our King.

While pharaohs, kings, and emperors boast,

The King of kings leads out his host;

The proud, one day, shall bow the knee

When Christ in triumph sets us free!

King Jesus wears his worthy crown,

Though envious men and nations frown,

And we, by grace, on eagle’s wings,

Uphold the Crown rights of our King!

His holy nation, chosen ones,

We joyful bow, and with our tongues

We hymn allegiance high and sing,

“Hail Jesus! Sovereign Lord and King!”

                Douglas Bond, Copyright, March 12, 2008

Built around Isaiah 6 when the prophet saw the Lord high and lifted up. Each stanza of the hymn follows the order of Reformed corporate worship in seven parts.

• COME BLESS THE LORD, by Douglas Bond. Listen to audio version

Come, bless the Lord and trembling rise

Before the Sovereign of the skies;

Before his majesty now raise

Adoring hymns of grateful praise!

Bow humbly down, your sins confess;

Pour out your soul, on mercy rest.

Since Christ triumphant bears your woe,

Repent, his cleansing mercy know.

Rise joyful now and Jesus bless

For his imputed righteousness,

His sovereign kindness, lavished grace,

His freely dying in your place.

Pay all your vows and cheerful bring

The gifts he gave; give back to him.

His gifts, so vast, his life outpoured—

Ourselves we lay before you, Lord.

Come, Word of Life, yourself reveal;

Your truth make us to know and feel;

Inflame our minds to love your ways;

Make us a sacrifice of praise.

Come, Jesus Christ, sweet heav’nly Bread,

And with your life this table spread,

Then grateful we will solemn dine

On hallowed bread and sacred wine.

Now go into the world in peace,

And bear the burdens of the least,

And bathe your neighbors’ feet in love,

So Christ they’ll know and praise above.

Douglas Bond, Copyright, June 4, 2008

I was asked by my friend and PCA minister, Rick DeMass, to work on a new hymn appropriate to a Thanksgiving service. My initial reaction was that I'm not a performing animal who can crank out poetry on cue. But then I began going through passages on Thanksgiving (there's heaps--a rich blessing in itself), until I came to Psalm 34, my father's favorite Psalm during his terminal illness. "O, taste and see that the Lord is good," struck me afresh, and the Eucharistic, Lord's Supper allusions and implications thrilled me. Just days before the Thanksgiving service that Rick wanted the hymn for I managed to produce the following. It seems to me that the hymn is not restricted to once a year Thanksgiving service use. Listen to two different versions specifically composed for this text.    

• Listen to the Audio: WE RISE AND WORSHIP, by Douglas Bond/Paul Jones

• Listen to the Audio: WE RISE AND WORSHIP, by Douglas Bond/Scott Johnson

We rise and worship you, our Lord,

            With grateful hearts for grace outpoured,

For you are good—O taste and see—

            Great God of mercy rich and free. 

A chosen son of God on high,           

            I trembling bow and wonder why

This Sovereign Lord—O taste and see—

            In love stooped down and rescued me.

Your Son obeyed the Law for me,

            Then died my death upon the tree.

O Jesus Christ, I taste and see

            And marvel that you purchased me.

In might, your Spirit drew me in,

            My quickened heart from death to win.

O Holy Spirit—taste and see—

           My comfort, hope, and surety.

With thankful praise our hearts we give;

            By grace alone we serve and live.

O Trinity, we taste and see

            Your sovereign goodness full and free.

Douglas Bond, Copyright, November 19, 2007

While reading CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, wherein he was waxing eloquent (as only Spurgeon can do and so often does) on the phrase "The Lord mighty in battle" from Psalm 24, the following lines came to me, considerably more rapidly and effortlessly than is remotely normal for me. Poetry is labor, not quite so extreme as that cosmic and peculiar kind God carried my wife through six times over when delivering our children into the world, but to me at times it feels sort of like that when writing. But not on this one. 

Triumphant Jesus bore the cross

Of cruel passion, curse, and loss;

He routed sin, and death, and woe,

And Satan my infernal foe.                   

Yet does the fiend still prowl and lurk,

His schemes upon my heart to work.

But God before me who can stand

When Christ in battle guides my hand?

Since Christ my Savior works within,

No more am I a slave of sin.

The hopes of hell and Satan wrecked,

No more can he charge God’s elect.

No power of flesh or demon’s might

Can snatch from me Christ’s blood-bought right.

I more than conquer by the Word

Of Christ my Captain and my Lord!

                                Douglas Bond, Copyright, December 12, 2007

Just one month before my father passed away with cancer, I managed to get these lines down, and have tweaked and revised a bit since. Romans 8 has long been and continues to be a text on which one can hazard all.

Our God in all things works for good;

His sovereign, gracious will has stood

And will through endless ages stand,

Sustained and ordered by his hand.

In goodness God stretched out the sky,

The sun and moon and stars that cry,

"Almighty God has made all things!"—

Creation groans yet shouts and sings.

From heaven’s bounty God gives food

To saint and rebel, bad and good;

Our God in all things meets men’s needs

And just and unjust kindly feeds.

When clouds descend and troubles rise,

Despair and darkness, tears and sighs,

Yet is God good in grief and loss,

And bears his own who bear their cross.

Redemption, purchased and applied

To favored ones for whom Christ died;

His lambs he grants repentance free

And eyes of faith with which to see.

All praise to God who works for good!

Whose loving kindness firm has stood

And will through endless ages stand,

Unerring, ordered by his hand.

                            Douglas Bond (Copyright May 15, 2006)

While singing one of very few poetic texts on I Corinthians 13 and feeling that there was so much left unearthed in the lines I was singing, I began working on the following. This one was labor (with apologies to my darling wife and all mothers). Over months that became years, I have worked and reworked several versions, some shorter, and one considerably longer. Look for another hymn that is a recasting of a recasting of one of the recastings of this one (and still recasting).

If I can speak in tongues of fire

Yet fail to do what love requires,

I’m nothing—though high mountains move—

I’m nothing without perfect love.

I’m nothing if I try to hide

Resentment, envy, selfish pride.                      

I’m nothing—though high myst’ries find—  

If I’m not patient, humble, kind.

His heav’nly gifts God gives to me

So Christ’s perfected love I’d see

And know—and speak, and serve and give—

And like my holy Bridegroom live.

In faith and hope, love perseveres,

No anger and no rudeness hears;

Such lovingkindness—fully blessed—

Gives foretastes of eternal rest.

I see in part like children here,

A poor reflection in a mirror;

Yet in my heart I long to find

Love more by Jesus’ love refined.

Above I’ll know, as Christ has known,

How vast his love for sinners shown!

With eyes undimmed I’ll end my race

And gaze on Jesus face to face!

                            Douglas Bond, Copyright, December 28, 2007

Paul Jones, Music Director, organist, and composer at Tenth Presbyterian, Philadelphia, and I collaborated on this hymn, he providing the excellent musical composition, and I the poetry. It's based on the five "solas" of the Reformation, sola Scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria, with a refrain based on John Calvin's personal seal, "My heart I offer thee, O Lord, promptly and sincerely." The audio is Paul conducting his Tenth Pres choir from the organ--the man's brilliant!

• Listen to the Audio: CREATOR GOD OUR SOVEREIGN LORD, by Douglas Bond/Paul Jones

Creator God, our Sovereign Lord,

The heavens tell, the stars have shown,

Your splendor, might, and Deity,

But Truth lies in your Word alone.

                        My heart to you, O God, I give,

                        And by your Word I live.                                               

In Truth your Word reveals my guilt,

My lost, unworthy self makes known,            

But now made new I’m justified

And live and move by Faith alone.

                        My heart to you, O God, I give,

                        And now by Faith I live.

Before you made the world you chose,

In love, to send your only Son

To ransom me and make me one

With Christ, my Lord, by Grace alone.

                        My heart to you, O God, I give,

                        And now by Grace I live.

O Christ, Redeemer, Savior, King,

Subdued by grace, I am your own;

Enthrall my soul and make me free,

Reformed, redeemed by Christ alone.

                         My heart to you, O God, I give,

                         And now in Christ I live.

O glorious God, who reigns on high,

With heart in hand, before your throne,

We hymn your glory ‘round the world   

With psalms adoring you alone.

                          My heart to you, O God, I give

                          And for your glory live.

Douglas Bond, Copyright, October 31, 2007

This hymn is a loose versification of highlights from Zechariah chapters 9 and 10, a passage on which I haven't seen other hymns written. The text is an example of one of many of the Bible's themes that capture male interests--guy stuff. My male protagonist, Drew, in The Accidental Voyage, the fourth Mr. Pipes book, writes it in fits and starts throughout the story.

The Lord, Great Sovereign, shall appear,

His wand’ring sheep he’ll bring,

From distant lands, through surging seas,

To shout before their King!

Deceitful shepherds, false and vain,

Have led his flock astray;

God's enemies he'll trample down,

Their lies he will repay.

With trumpet blast, the Lord appears,

His arrows flashing round;

He shields his flock, destroys his foes;

Glad vict’ry shouts will sound.

He makes his children mighty men,

They bend the battle bow;

So in God's strength, against the proud,

His foes they overthrow!

Restored, victorious, gathered in,

Their enemies o'ercome;

God’s children worship round his throne,

And in his name they run!

God’s bless’d, redeemed, and chosen ones,

His children shout and sing!

"All praise to Christ, the Cornerstone,

Triumphant, glorious King!"

 Douglas Bond, (Copyright, 2001)

I was included in the loop of a series of emails from church musicians who had attended a music symposium in Florida. They all seemed to agree that there was a dearth of hymn poetry on the theme of unity and oneness in the body of Christ as explored by Paul in Ephesians 2:11-22. I began reading the passage, cross-referencing, and gathering phrases, words, and ideas. In December of 2009, when what the Bible means about confessional unity had been wrenched from the theoretical to the wincingly real and immediate in our lives, the following lines came together as if I had been given a poetical/theological spinal block--painlessly, at least while writing the hymn.   

We hail the Christ, chief Cornerstone,

Who made us one in him alone!

Not Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free,

This commonwealth of unity.           

Our Lord has from the two made one,

And with his blood our peace has won.

Brought near in Christ, the Prince of Peace,

Our envy, strife, and warfare cease;

For tribes and tongues, and strangers all,

Our Peace has broken down the wall;

New covenant mercy he extends

To us his fellow heirs and friends.

One faith, one hope of heav’n above,

A unity of holy love;

One body made of many parts,

A unity of loving hearts;

One temple built of cast-off stone,

Made holy by the Holy One.

To Jesus Christ we lift one voice— 

The household of our Father’s choice—

Whose love makes ours for others grow

And makes the watching world to know

That our abiding Cornerstone

Has made us one in Christ alone!  

                        Douglas Bond, Copyright, December 2, 2009

"I am absolutely moved by your piece! I am not a trained musician but O how I was brought easily to sing and worship with the text and tune! Glorious! So how can we, at Faith OPC, make use of this? Any permission-granting that we need? What a treat to get the text and tune of the hymn you men did! Thanks so very much! Yours in Christ, Mark."

"Brother Doug,
     ...I am looking forward to translate them all into Albanian. I am preaching through the 5 Solas of the Reformation. A few days ago, while I was working on the bulletin and pondering over which hymns to use, it came to my mind that I could look for a hymn that mentions all of the the five solas. With Luther, I believe in the power of the singing to fuel the reformation. I am so glad to have found your page. The text is beautiful and I love the music. God has richly blessed both of you (ref: Paul Jones's composition) with e special gift. I truly thank you for the PDF file and the mp3 version.
In His Grip: Berti Kona" (national pastor in Albania)
 

"My son just sent me this e-mail about their church singing one of your hymns this morning. It is wonderful. The Lord has truly gifted you in so many ways, and I thank Him. In God's love and mercy, Selma H." Her son, pastor of an independent Reformed congregation, discovered the hymn, The Lord, Great Sovereign, after reading STAND FAST In the Way of Truth, and perusing the young men's hymnal at the end.