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A MONTHLY HYMN FOR YOUR FAMILY TO LEARN AND SING TOGETHER

Facing A Task Unfinished

 
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June - Facing A Task Unfinished

Lyrics

Facing a task unfinished

That drives us to our knees

A need that, undiminished

Rebukes our slothful ease

We, who rejoice to know Thee

Renew before Thy throne

The solemn pledge we owe Thee

To go and make Thee known

Where other lords beside Thee

Hold their unhindered sway

Where forces that defied Thee

Defy Thee still today

With none to heed their crying

For life, and love, and light

Unnumbered souls are dying

And pass into the night

We go to all the world

With kingdom hope unfurled

No other name has power to save

But Jesus Christ The Lord

We bear the torch that flaming

Fell from the hands of those

Who gave their lives proclaiming

That Jesus died and rose

Ours is the same commission

The same glad message ours

Fired by the same ambition

To Thee we yield our powers

O Father who sustained them

O Spirit who inspired

Saviour, whose love constrained them

To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us

From lethargy awake!

Forth on Thine errands send us

To labour for Thy sake

Words by Frank Houghton

June Bible Memory Verse

Matthew 28:19-20, ESV

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 
 

Story Behind the Song

In the 1930s an English bishop, serving in China, longed to inspire Christians around the world to come and share the gospel there. His name was Frank Houghton. He knew that writing important thoughts into a song would help push those thoughts deeper into hearts and minds. What we sing we remember. Carefully chosen and well crafted lyrics move us. 

So he wrote this hymn, ‘Facing A Task Unfinished.’ The melody we sing with this song is also used for the other well-known hymn, ‘The Church’s One Foundation.’ He sent it out far and wide. And it did move people. Over 200 missionaries came to China at a time when it was very dangerous for Christians to live there. And over the decades since, thousands have come to know the Lord as God powerfully worked through His people. 

A number of years ago OMF, a mission organization working in China, asked if we would write a new chorus to this older hymn. We worked with our friend Ed Cash to write something that would declare the church’s mission to the world!

 
 

Something to Think About

My favorite memory of singing this hymn was in Singapore. We were doing our first concert there and a local choir had joined us for that special night. We were in a near part of the world where the impact of the missionary movement amongst the Chinese people was so significant. 

To Keith and I and to our daughters, it was incredible to be so far from home and yet feel the closeness of God’s family. We saw with our eyes and heard with our ears the hope and life and joy singing the gospel brings. We thought of those who had given up so much and sometimes everything to pass on the truth to those who had not yet heard. We remembered again that to know Christ is also to make Him known to others. They go hand in hand. 

Jesus said ‘“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). As the chorus says, there is no other name with power to save. We learn this hymn and sing it together to give us courage, to be inspired by the faithful missionaries who went before us, to remember that there is still work to be done. His kingdom is forever so as the beloved missionary C. T. Studd said,

‘One life to live

Twill soon be past

Only what is done for Christ

Will last’

 
 
 

Prayer

Father in Heaven,

Thank You for making the love of Christ known to me. Thank You that You have enabled your people to keep passing on the truth. Thank You for the incredible missionary work in China.

Lord, use our voices, our resources, our lives to serve Your Kingdom and show Your love to others. 

Lord, raise up and send out more missionaries! Open the way for Your gospel to be heard as so many are yet to believe. Revive Your church with the melody and lyrics of Your hope.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

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