Sunday Hymn: Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

Pass me not, O gen­tle Sav­ior,
Hear my hum­ble cry;
While on oth­ers Thou art call­ing,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain

Savior, Sav­ior,
Hear my hum­ble cry;
While on oth­ers Thou art call­ing,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mer­cy
Find a sweet re­lief,
Kneeling there in deep con­tri­tion;
Help my un­be­lief.

Trusting on­ly in Thy mer­it,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wound­ed, brok­en spir­it,
Save me by Thy grace.

Thou the Spring of all my com­fort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth be­side Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?

—Fan­ny Cros­by

Sunday Hymn: Who Is on the Lord's Side

Who is on the Lord’s side?
Who will serve the King?
Who will be His help­ers,
Other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side?
Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side?
Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mer­cy,
By Thy grace di­vine,
We are on the Lord’s side—
Savior, we are Thine.

Not for weight of glo­ry,
Not for crown and palm,
Enter we the ar­my,
Raise the war­rior psalm;
But for love that claim­eth
Lives for whom He died:
He whom Je­sus nam­eth
Must be on His side.
By Thy love con­strain­ing,
By Thy grace di­vine,
We are on the Lord’s side—
Savior, we are Thine.

Jesus, Thou hast bought us,
Not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life blood,
For Thy dia­dem;
With Thy bless­ing fill­ing
Each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us will­ing,
Thou hast made us free.
By Thy grand re­demp­tion,
By Thy grace di­vine,
We are on the Lord’s side—
Savior, we are Thine.

Fierce may be the con­flict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own ar­my
None can ov­er­throw.
’Round His stand­ard rang­ing,
Victory is se­cure,
For His truth un­chang­ing
Makes the tri­umph sure.
Joyfully en­list­ing,
By Thy grace di­vine,
We are on the Lord’s side—
Savior, we are Thine.

Chosen to be sol­diers,
In an ali­en land,
Chosen, called, and faith­ful,
For our cap­tain’s band;
In the ser­vice roy­al,
Let us not grow cold;
Let us be right loy­al, noble,
True and bold.
Master, Thou wilt keep us,
By Thy grace di­vine,
Always on the Lord’s side—
Savior, al­ways Thine.

—Frances Ridley Havergal

Theological Term of the Week: Heidelberg Catechism

Heidelberg Catechism
A Reformed confessional document published in 1563 in Heidelberg, consisting of a series of questions and answers used to teach Christian doctrine and practice.   

• From the Heidelberg Catechism:

1. Q. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

A. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. 

• From the preface to The Heidelberg Catechism with Scriptural Texts, written by Fred H. Klooster: 

An old tradition credits Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus as the primary authors of the catechism. All we know for sure, however, is that the Heidelberg was a team project. In his preface, the Elector mentions no specific names but tells us that the theological faculty, the superintendents, and the chief officers of the Palatinate church all took part in the catechism’s production. Of course, a team project usually relies heavily on one of two persons who prepare preliminary drafts. Most authorities believe Ursinus had this leading role in composing the Heidelberg Catechism, though some think it may have been Olevianus.

Learn more:

1. Westminster Seminary California: Text of the Heidelberg Catechism
2. Justin Holcomb: The Heidelberg Catechism
3. R. Scott Clark: Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism
4. Zacharias Ursinius: Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism
5. W. Robert Godfrey: Christ in the Heidelberg Catechism
6. Erik Raymond: Using the Heidelberg Catechism with Your Family
7. Daniel R. Hyde: Why I Love the Heidelberg Catechism

Related terms:

• Augsburg Confession
• Belgic Confession
• Canons of Dordt
• London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689
• Second Helvetic Confession
• Westminster Confession of Faith

Filed under Creeds and Confessions

---

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.