The Chancel Choir sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" on Sunday. It's one of our favorites, but contains the line "Here I Raise my Ebenezer" that also raised a few questions.
What's an Ebenezer?
Guesses ranged from images of Ebenezer Scrooge to that of a cup of good cheer. Our resident sage is a retired pastor emeritus who opined that it was an ornately carved pipe.
That still didn’t sound right, so the Google answer is:
1 Samuel 7: 12-14 -- Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."
The word "Ebenezer" comes from Hebrew and is actually two words pronounced together: Even Haazer.
Literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a "stone of help," or a reminder of God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine aid. Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help: the Bible, the Sacramental Elements, a cross, a picture, a fellow believer, a hymn – those things which serve as reminders of God’s love, God’s Real Presence, and God’s assistance are "Ebenezers."
So when we sing, "Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come..." remember that we are only here through God's help.
1 comments:
Actually, that wasn't the "google answer," that was my answer. Nevertheless, I'm flattered you liked it. Perhaps you could be polite enough to provide proper citation for the material you quote?
Dr. Gregory S. Neal
Rector, Grace Incarnate Ministries
www.RevNeal.org
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