Introduction
Jesus says in John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "out of his inner most being will flow rivers of living water." I think one of those rivers is a song. I remember once I was looking at some hymns and songs from Eastern Europe. All of a sudden, a short song came to me, and I stood up, praising and singing to God:
Sing praises unto God, sing praises.
Sing praises unto God, sing praises.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Sing praises unto God, sing praises.
The Hebrew word for praise in Psalm 150 is "halal." It can mean to shine, be boastful, praise, be clamorously foolish, or celebrate. A song can shine a light in a dark time, or it can celebrate a victory. And most important of all, it honors the God who is sung about. I hope to share a variety of hymns and praise songs, and look at them from different perspectives.
Books used as sources of information. (Some information found online, also.)
1. The Bible.
2. Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck.
3. The Complete Book of Hymns: Inspiring Stories about 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen & Ardythe Petersen.
4. I Could Sing of Your Love Forever by Lindsay Terry.
5. Great Is His Faithfulness: Stories of God Inspired Crusade Hymns by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
6. Then Sings My Soul: 250 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories by Robert J. Morgan.
7. Forty Gospel Hymn Stories" by George W. Sanville.
8. The Story of Our Hymns by E. E. Ryden.
9. My Life and Sacred Songs by Ira D. Sankey & Theodore L. Cuyler.
10. Our God Reigns and Celebrate Jesus by Phil Christensen and Shari MacDonald.
Note:
I am in the process of moving many of the songs and videos on the front page to the menu pages. They will be easier to access. I plan to use the front page for some seasonal hymns and songs. Blessings!
"For the Beauty of the Earth" (Thanksgiving)
For the beauty of the earth
For the glories of the sky
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies
These words came to Folliet Pierpoint as he strolled in his native town of Bath, England one day in the late spring of 1864. He taught at the college there. The thanksgiving and praise continued to pour out for other blessings--family, friends, church, and God:
Folliet intended the poem to be used for the Communion Service. The original poem had eight stanzas, with each stanza concluding with, "Christ our God, to Thee we raise/This our sacrifice of praise."
When it came to America, it became a Thanksgiving hymn. The last line of each stanza changed to:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
You might recognize the melody. The tune was written by Conrad Kocher of Germany, and is also used in the Christmas hymn, "As with Gladness Men of Old."
The words to stanzas 2-5 of "For the Beauty of the Earth" are:
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light:
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight:
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
For the church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love:
For Thyself, best Gift Divine!
To our race so freely given;
For that great, great love of Thine.
Peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
.
"Because He Lives" (Easter)
On Sunday, we celebrated Christ's resurrection. "Because He Lives" was written by Gloria Gather. She shared the background to this song with Robert Morgan for his book on hymns. She said:
When Bill and I started our family in the sixties, racial tensions were tearing the country apart. Civil rights activists had suffered and some had been killed. The Vietnam conflict was claiming thousands of lives, and tensions boiled over on university campuses. Many young people were growing disillusioned and "dropping out."
In this climate, Bill and I sought to write songs with lasting answers to the turmoil of the human spirit. But in the fall of 1969, several things happened to test the reality of our own convictions. We realized we were expecting another baby. Though we had always intended to have another child, we weren't planning on a baby so soon. My body hadn't quite recovered from the last pregnancy. Making matters worse, Bill contracted mononucleosis, which left him exhausted and depressed.
This combination of national turmoil and personal trouble discouraged us, and we occasionally asked each other, "If the world is like this now, what will it be in fifteen or sixteen years for our baby? What will this child face?"
While pondering and praying about these things, we came to realize anew that our courage doesn't come from a stable world, for the world has never been stable. Jesus Himself was born in the cruelest of times. No, we have babies, raise families, and risk living because the Resurrection is true!
Our baby arrived safe and sound, and we named him Benjamin, which means "most beloved son." A few weeks later, "Because He Lives" was born in our hearts and poured from souls:
How sweet to hold our newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still, the calm assurance--This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
Over the years this song has reassured us that our Lord's Resurrection is the central truth of life. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow. Many times since, as our children grew, our business-life changed, our fortunes shifted, or our direction clouded, our family has found assurance in this very personal song.
It's "our song," but we're grateful others have loved it, too.
Verse one says:
God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive,
He lived and died to buy my pardon.
Am empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
"Christ Arose" (Easter)
There is everyday joy in the fact that Christ rose again.
In 1874, Robert Lowry wrote "Christ Arose" around Easter. He was having devotions, and was impressed with the simple words, "He is not here, but is risen" in Luke 24:6-8. He had a pump organ in the living room, and the words and music to the song came.
In writing music, Lowry has said, "Sometimes the music comes and words follow. I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home, or on the street, I jot it down. My brain is sort of a spinning machine, there is music running through it all the time."
Robert Lowry was a pastor, as well as a publisher. Ira Sankey said of him, "Dr. Lowry will continue to preach the gospel in his hymns long after his sermons have been forgotten." Lowry also wrote hymn, "Nothing But the Blood."
"He Lives! He Lives" (Easter)
Alfred H. Ackley was a minister of the Gospel and musician who conducted evangelistic meetings in the early 1900's. At one meeting, a sincere young Jewish student asked, "Why should I worship a dead Jew?" Ackley replied: "He lives! I tell you, He is not dead, but lives here and now! Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands."
Afterwards, Alfred reread the gospels and thought more about the resurrection. The words and tune of "He Lives" formed in his heart. He said, "The thought of His ever-living presence brought the music promptly and easily."
Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He's always near.
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair,
I know that He is leading thru all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
"Were You There" (Good Friday/Easter)
The song, "Were You There" is an African-American spiritual that has made its way into some hymnbooks. The author is unknown. In 1899, it was first published in William E. Barton's "Old Plantation Songs" in the section, "Recent Negroe Melodies." There it consisted of four stanzas:
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there, when they pierced him in the side?
Where you there when the sun refused to shine?
As it began to be used in hymnbooks, other stanzas were added:
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
There is an interesting story to this spiritual. The African-American pastor, author, and civil rights leader, Howard Thurman, writes about a trip he and his wife made to India in his book, "With Head and Heart." There, they met Mahatma Gandhi. After a wonderful conversation he writes the talk took a surprising turn as the Thurman's prepared to leave. Thurman notes, "But before we left, Mahatma Gandhi asked, "Will you do me a favor? Will you sing one of your songs for me? Will you sing, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" They sang the song for him. Gandhi continued, "I feel that this song gets to the root of the experience of the entire human race under the spread of the healing wings of suffering." Somehow, the spiritual had gotten his attention.
When the focus of the song is on the crucifixion, the writer shows his response to be:
"Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble."
When the focus is on the resurrection, another response is given:
"Oh! Sometimes I want to shout, "Glory, Glory, Glory."
"Mary, Did You Know" (Christmas)
I never get over the fact that God would become man. That is expressed with amazement in the song, "Mary, Did You Know."
In 1984, Mark Lowry was asked by Dr. Jerry Falwell to write the Christmas program for that year in their church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Mark wanted to catch the wonder of that first Christmas. A comment his mother, Bev, made about Mary caused him to think about Mary more. The lyrics came to the song, "Mary, Did You Know?"
However, it would take seven years before Mark would have the music. One weekend, he was in a tour bus with Buddy Greene, a gospel music songwriter and harmonica player in the Southern Gospel music scene. He wrote down the lyrics and gave them to Buddy.
On Monday morning, Buddy Greene came to him with the music for the song. In about thirty minutes, he had written the music.
Verse one says:
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.
"Silent Night" (Christmas)
"Silent Night, Holy Night" establshes in our minds and hearts a memorable scene of the night of Jesus' birth. In a midst of a fallen world, angels appeared to shepherds, announcing the good news. Verse two, famiiar to many, describes what happened:
Silent Night! Holy Night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar; heav'nly hosts sing alleluia--
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born.
I've included a video that tells the story of this hymn. Two Austrians, Joseph Mohr, a priest, and Franz Gruber, a village schoolmaster and organist, wrote the song together. Franz Gruber accompanied the song with a guitar on Christmas Eve, because the parish organ needed repair.
The video tells how Joseph Mohr was pressed to write something because of the situation with the organ. This video tells how he found a poem he had written two years before with six verses. The six verses are on the website, "silent-night-museum.org." The first, second, and six verses are the verses we are familiar with.
The other two verses are more about what was happening where he lived. Joseph wrote the poem in 1816, which marked the end of the Napoleonic wars. Salzburg was the last state to be liberated from Bavarian occupation and Mohr experienced the liberation. Verse four says:
Silent Night! Holy Night!
By His love, by His might
God our Father us has graced.
As a brother gently embraced
Jesus all nations on earth.
Jesus all nations on earth.
Verse five continues on with th a theme of freedom:
Silent Night! Holy Night! Long ago, minding our plight
God the world from misery freed
In the dark age of our fathers decreed:
All the world is redeemed
All the world is redeemed
Those verses are really thanksgiving for what God did where he lived in 1816.
Two years later, when Joseph was thinking of Christmas Eve, he chose the three verses that spoke of Christ's birth. I have given verse 2. The remaining verses are:
Silent Night! Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright;
Round yon virgin mother and Child,
Holy Infant, so tender and mild--
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent Night! Holy Night! Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace--
Jesus Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
"Angels From the Realms of Glory" (Christmas)
On Christmas Eve, 1816, James Montgomery opened his Bible to Luke 2.Verse 13 stood out out to him, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying."
He wrote a poem about the verse, and published it in the "Sheffield Register," the newspaper he was editor of in England. He titled it, "Good Tidings of Great Joy to All People." The first four verses addresses the angels, shepherds, sages, and saints. The fifth verse, which is omitted in in some songbooks, addresses all creation. It particularly points to his original title.
Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth.
Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light.
Sages, leave your contemplations;
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
All creation, join in praising,
God, the Father, Spirit, Son;
Evermore your voices raising,
To th' eternal Three in One.
Come and worship, come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
The composer of the music is Henry Smart, a blind organist. He was known in England for the organs he designed.
"O LIttle Town of Bethlehem" (Christmas)
Lyrics and tune together make a song. Pastor Phillips Brooks wrote the words to "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and his organist, Lewis Redner, wrote the tune.
Phillips Brooks wanted to write a hymn for children to sing during their annual program. Three years before, he had gone to Israel on a trip, and had been in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. "I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem," he later said, "close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God." Reflecting on this scene, he wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in an evening.
Brooks took the poem to his organist, Lewis Redner, and asked him to write a tune. Redner was unable to write the tune till the night before the program. He awoke during that night with the music ringing in his soul, and jotted down the melody. The next day, a group of six Sunday school teachers and thirty-six children sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
Phillips Brooks wrote five stanzas to the hymn. The fourth stanza, which usually is not in our hymnbooks, says:
Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door;
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.
The stanzas we are familiar with are:
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above the deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by,
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heave'n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.
Oh holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.
"O HOly NIght" (Christmas)
In thinking about the title of the Christmas song, "O Holy Night," one of the meanings of "holy" is to set apart. Every year, Christmas helps to engrave in our hearts that scene when Christ came to earth, and to celebrate his birth in Bethlehem.
The writing of this song goes back to 1847 in France, when a priest asked a French poet to write poem in celebration of the church's new organ. The poet, Placide Cappeau, wrote the words to "O Holy Night."after reading Luke's account in the Bible of the birth of Christ. The beautiful music was composed by a Jewish man, Adolphe Adam, that same year.
In 1855, an American writer, John Sullivan Dwight, discovered the song and was inspired by its powerful lyrics. He revised the words to the version we know today.
There are three verses to the song. The two most common verses are:
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
"Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne" (Christmas)
I tend to remember when someone tells me of a hymn or song they like. I can still see the tears in the eyes of a friend as she shared the words to "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne." The title causes you to think of Jesus in heaven before He came to earth.
Emily Elliot (1836-1870) was the niece of Charlotte Elliot, the writer of "Just as I Am." She wrote the text for the children at her father's church in Brighton, England. The simplicity of the choruses and the meaning of the stanzas have appealed to all ages, however.
The chorus for the first four stanzas is:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus--
There is room in my heart for Thee.
The chorus of the fifth stanza changes, as the fifth stanza talks of Jesus' second coming in victory:
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me!
It is a beautiful hymn of adoration and praise, with the first two stanzas talking about Jesus' birth. It continues on about His life on earth and victory for us. The five stanzas are:
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming thy royal decree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree,
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn
They bore Thee to Calvary.
When the heav'ns shall ring and the angels sing
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying, "Yet there is room--
There is room at My side for thee."
At this time of year, we hear the story of Jesus' birth. We like stories, and this one is true. In 1867, William Doane composed a song, "Tell Me the Old, Old Story." The second verse says:
Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.
William Doane found these words in a poem written in 1865-66 by A. Katherine Hankey, who lived in England. While being bedridden for a year at the age of 30, Katherine wrote a very long poem. It was simply worded, with two sections: "The Story Wanted" and "The Story Told." William heard the first section, and composed music to four heartfelt verses. Verse 3 says:
Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save!
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.
A year later, in 1868, William G. Fisher wrote "I Love to Tell the Story," composing music for four verses from the second section of Katherine's poem. William was a well-known church musician in Philadelphia, who would lead the choir for the great Moody-Sankey meetings in that city. Of the two hymns, "I Love to Tell the Story" is probably the most known.
Katherine Hankey did recover from her illness, and lived to the age of 77. I'm sure she was glad that she could continue to share the gospel. Her words to the song, "I Love to Tell the Story" are:
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
I love to tell the story, 'tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own Holy Word.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Chorus:
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
"He Holds the Keys"
Some praise songs are written as a declaration of a truth. "A Mighty Fortress is our God" is a strong declaration written by Martin Luther. The melody accents the declaration in the song.
Another song that dramatizes a truth is "He Holds the Keys," written by John Mohrs, who is a former member of the Gaither Vocal Band. In 1982-83, John and Steve Green were in the band together, and were friends. Steve Green later produced an album with the title, "He Holds the Keys," singing and highlighting this song with the album.
What a truth it is--Jesus holds the keys to our salvation. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus appeared to John while he was confined on the island of Patmos, alone. Jesus said, "I am He that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death."
The song opens with the scene of the crucifixion:
Death rides blackened clouds across the sky
The Son of man lays down to die
With every pounding blow upon the nail
Thunder rumbles all through hell
And from death's barren womb the captives cry
Who is there to free us should He die
His grave becomes a door, He enters in
To face the author of all sin
Defying death and grave He takes the keys
And with them every captive frees
And from death's barren womb the captives cry
Arise for our redemption draweth nigh
What appears to be the weakness of the cross is the greatest battle ever won! Jesus faced the author of all sin, Satan, and defeated him. Jesus said, "I am alive forevermore," and we are free to be alive with Him. That is why we praise Him.
And to all the things that have kept you away
That keep you defeated day after day after day
The heartache that nobody sees
That eats at your soul like a cruel disease
He who set the captives free
It is He, it is He who holds your keys
Chorus:
He holds the keys
He holds the keys
And though we've been held captive
At long last we are free
For He holds the keys
"A Perfect Heart"
We hear the prayer, "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus." Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." In 1980, Dony and Reba Rambo McEntire wrote a song together titled, "A Perfect Heart."
Dony and Reba were invited to vacation with some friends on a houseboat near Nashville. On the last morning being there, Dony got up early to catch a catfish. But instead, a melody came to him. It was a beautiful morning on the lake, and he sat down to play the melody on his small electric piano. As Reba listened, the words to the song came to her. The words of the verse are:
Morning sun light of creation
Grassy fields of velvet floor
Silver clouds a shimmering curtain
He's designed a perfect world
I'm amazed at His talents
I stand in awe of One so great
Now my soul begins to sing out
To the source from which it came.
All the things God made were perfect. Blessing and praise follow in the song for the creation God has designed. But then, the focus in the chorus changes to the promise that He can make a perfect heart. Is there anything greater that we could want? We inherited a sin nature, but God, through Christ, promises us a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26.) The chorus says:
Bless the Lord Who reigns with beauty
Bless the Lord Who reigns with wisdom and with power
Bless the Lord Who reigns my life with so much love
He can make a perfect heart.
The love that God has shown us causes us to bless Him. Psalm 96:2 says, "Sing to the Lord, bless His Name. Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day." The song continues with praise:
Praise the Lord Who reigns with beauty
Praise the Lord Who reigns with wisdom and with power
Praise the Lord Who reigns my life with so much love
He can make a perfect heart.
He is our source--and He reigns.
"In My Heart There Rings a Melody"
Songs can help the word of Christ live in our hearts. Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ richly in you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God."
One of the first spiritual songs Elton M. Roth wrote was "In My Heart There Rings a Melody." Elton was a singing evangelist and song leader for evangelistic meetings. He composed this hymn in 1923 while conducting meetings in Texas. He shared that one hot summer afternoon, while on a walk, he paused at a church on a corner. The door was open, and he went in. Everything was quiet, with a sense of God's presence. He walked up and down the aisle and began singing, "In My Heart There Rings a Melody," and hurried to the pastor's study to find some paper. He stayed there for an hour, writing both words and music. That evening, he introduced the song to over 200 boys and girls at an open air meeting. It became a song that is appreciated by all ages.
I like the line in the chorus, "In my heart there rings a melody with heaven's harmony." In God's kingdom, there is harmony. The words to the song are:
I have a song that Jesus gave, it was sent from heaven above;
There never was a sweeter melody, 'tis a melody fo love.
I love the Christ who died on Calv'ry, for He washed my sins a way;
He put within my heart a melody, and I know it's there to stay.
'Twill be my endless theme in glory, with the angels I will sing,
'Twill be a song with glorious harmony, when the courts of heaven ring.
Chorus:
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven's harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody of love.
"God and Man at Table are Sat Down"
In the 1970's, Dr. Robert Stamps wrote the song, "God and Man at Table are Sat Down." He was chaplain at at Oral Roberts University , and a United Methodist minister. A student, David Searman, added to the tune. What a wonder that God would want to commune with man in our condition, as the title says. The song is often used for Communion, which is also called "The Lord's Supper" and Eucharist. One of the verses says:
Who is this who spreads the vic-try feast?
Who is this who makes our warring cease?
Jesus, Risen Savior, Prince of Peace.
God and man at table are sat down.
Matthew 10:10 in the Bible says, "And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples." The Pharisees asked His disciples why Jesus ate with publicans and sinners? Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Dr. Stamps and David Stearman later gave a second title to the song, "In Christ, There is a Table Set for All." A verse says:
Beggars, lame and harlots also here;
Repentant publicans are drawing near,
Wayward sons come home without a fear.
God and man at table are sat down.
David wrote in the 23rd Psalm, "Thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of my enemies." The other verses tell how God's plan of salvation was foretold, and that we worship and commune in His Presence today by His Spirit. One day, there will be a feast of love in heaven. Selah. Think on it.
O welcome, all ye noble saints of old,
As now before your very eyes unfold
The wonders all so long ago foretold,
God and man at table are sat down.
Elders, martyrs, all are falling down;
Prophets, patriarchs are gath'ring round.
What angels longed to see now man has found,
God and man at table are sat down.
Worship in the presence of the Lord,
With joyful songs and hearts in one accord.
And let our Host at table be adored,
God and man at table are sat down.
When at last this earth shall pass away,
When Jesus and His Bride are one to stay.
The feast of love is just begun that day,
God and man at table are sat down.
"You Gave Me Love"
There are hymns and praise songs that share truths that can be sung by the church as a whole. There are other songs that speak of one's personal experience with God. One of these songs is "You Gave Me Love," written by Jordan Archie and Claire Cloninger, contemporary songwriters. It was made popular in a gospel album by B J. Thomas in 1979.
The song opens with the words:
You gave me time when no one gave me time of day,
You looked deep inside while the rest of the world looked away,
You smiled at me when there was just frowns everywhere,
You gave me love when nobody gave me a prayer.
I remember a story about a man on death row. One day, a chaplain was passing by his cell, and the prisoner called out to him. The chaplain was on his way to an appointment, but took time to call back to him, "Just call on Jesus." As the chaplain was walking, he heard the man cry out, "Jesus!" Jesus answered. People around him could see a change.
That's why I call You Savior...that's why I call You Friend,
You touched my heart...You touched my soul,
And helped me start all over again.
That's why I love You, Jesus...that's why I'll always care.
You gave me love when nobody gave me a prayer.
In John 15:15, Jesus said to his disciples, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father, I made known to you." The Gospels are full of times when Jesus stopped and talked personally to someone.
The second verse talks about God giving laughter. Both Abraham and Sarah, in the Bible, laughed when God said they were going to have a child in their old age. God said to Abraham, "Did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for God?" (Genesis 17:17 and Genesis 18:12-15). So what did they name their son when he was born? They named him "Isaac," which means "laughter".
You gave me laughter, after I cried all my tears,
You heard my dreams while the rest of the world closed its ears.
I looked in Your eyes, and I found the tenderness there,
You gave me love when nobody gave me a prayer.
That's why we call Him, "Savior." That's why we call Him "Friend."
"In that Great Gettin' Up Morning"
My high school choir concerts would usually include an African-American spiritual, and I would enjoy them. They are spirited. And often, they had an eternal perspective that would have encouraged the slaves in their long days of work.
One day, I was thinking of chorus:
"Fare thee well. Fare thee well."
"In that great gettin' up morning."
"Fare thee well. Fare thee well."
"Fare thee well" means farewell, and it is used to express good wishes in parting. Another line says, "Good news, chariot's a-comin'", which speaks of looking forward to going to heaven. In the Bible the prophet Elijah, went to heaven in a chariot.
An opening line to this spiritual is, "I'm a-gonna tell you 'bout the comin' of the judgment." A judge sets things right, and God is the Eternal Judge.
"There's a better day a-coming."
"Fare thee well." "Fare thee well."
We have hope as we trust in our Savior. There will be no more sin or death. A new heaven and earth. The scenario the Bible gives is big! But we have a big God.
One finds some variation in words to this song. It dates back to pre-Civil War times. And like many spirituals, it is anonymous.
"Mercy Came Running"
Ephesians 2:4 in the Bible says, "But God is rich in mercy, because of His great love for us." Psalms 107:1 says, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endures forever."
Phillips, Craig, and Dean wrote a contemporary song about God's mercy. The first two verses of "Mercy Came Running" are:
Once there was a holy place
Evidence of God's embrace
And I can almost see mercy's face
Pressed agaianst the veil
Looking down with longing eyes
Mercy must have realized
That once His blood was sacrificed
Freedom would prevail.
What a picture of God, waiting for the moment when the veil in the temple would be torn in two from top to bottom, symbolizing reconciliation with man. That moment happened when Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus "endured the cross for the joy set before Him." That joy was our salvation.
Phillips, Craig, and Dean are pastors as well as musicians. They all three have churches, and travel with their music ministry. They have been doing this for ever two decades.
The chorus to the song says:
Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures
To the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me
"O Glorious Love"
Melody is important in a song. I first heard "O Glorious Love" as a solo, and was struck with the thanksgiving and praise in the melody and words. I think of Mary's song in Luke 1:46, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."
The hymnwriter, John W. Peterson, wrote both the words and the music. In his autobiography, "The Miracle Goes On," he wrote about his process of writing a song. He said, "Sometimes a wordless melody will take form in my mind, but if it becomes a song I shape the tune to enhance the text, not vice versa. No matter how appealing a melody I create, If words don't come through, I've failed."
He said in his book that once a secular publisher became interested in a song he had written. However, the publisher wanted him to eliminate the reference to Jesus and develp the idea of heaven further. John could not shun the name of Jesus Christ, and turned the offer down. On the way home, a new song began to take shape in his mind. He called it "My Song."
I have no song to sing
But that of Christ my King;
To Him my praise I'll bring forevermore,
His love beyond degree,
His death that ransomed me,
Now and eternally, I'll sing it o'er.
John Peterson studied music at Moody Bible Institute. His grandson sings "O Glorious Love" in this video.
"Majesty"
The Bible teaches about God's kingdom. Psalm 145:10-12 says, "All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power: to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom."
In 1977, Jack Hayford wrote a song entitled "Majesty." It was the year that England was celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Everywhere he and his wife, Anna, traveled in England and Wales and the northern parts of Scotland, they noticed the symbols of royalty. But it was after their visit to Blenheim Castle, where Winston Churchill had been born, that Jack began to think that if we are awestruck by the royalty of earthly kings, how much more should we be in awe of the King of kings.
As they drove along, the opening lyrics and melody of "Majesty" came to Jack's heart. When they returned to their home in Van Nuys, California, he completed the song. The words are:
Majesty, worship, His majesty--
Unto Jesus be all glory, power, and praise--
Majesty, kingdom authority flow from His throne
Unto His own, His anthem raise.
So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus;
Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus, the King.
Majesty, worship His majesty--
Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.
"O Worship the King"
The word "worship" is a contraction of an old expressionin the English language, ""woerth-scipe," denoting the giving of reverent praise to an object of superlative worth. When Robert Grant, (1779-1838), wrote "O Worship the King," he was talking about the King of kings.
Robert was acquainted with the majesty of British royalty. He came from a distinguished British political family, was a member of the Parliament of Scotland, and a governor of Bombay, India for a time. He supported the missionary outreach of his church and a medical college was established in Bombay in his honor.
One day, he was meditating on Psalm 104. He read, "O Lord, my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty." Filled with the words of this psalm, he penned "O Worship the King:"
O worship the King, all glorious above.
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavillioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
I have seem six verses to this hymn. This video has five verses, and adds a short bridge.
A sixth verse that is missing is:
The earth with its store of wonders untold
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old
Hath established it fast by a changeless decree
A round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.
"10,000 Reasons"
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" is a worship song co-written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. It was released in 2011.
Psalms 34, 103, and 104 are three of the many places in the Bible that use the word "bless." The Hebrew word for "bless" is "barak," and it also means "to kneel." The Greek word for bless is "eulogeo," which means "to speak well of."
The inspiration for the song came from Psalm 103 and the 19th century English hymn, "Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven," written by Henry Frances Lyte. Matt told "Worship Leader" magazine, "Jonas played me an idea for some of the chorus melody, and I found it immediately inspiring. In fact, it felt like a perfect fit for a song based on the opening of Psalm 103. The song came together really quickly--a good chunk of the song was actually a spontaneous moment." He added, "We live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and very day we're given reason after reason why Jesus is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion."
The words to the song are:
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I worship Your holy name
The sun comes up; it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
You're rich in love and You're slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find.
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more
"In the Cross of Christ I Glory"
The cross of Christ is central for Christians. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
John Bowry wrote the hymn, "In the Cross of Christ I Glory," in the 1800's. Some say he was influenced by the sight of a cross on a cathedral's wall left standing after a typhoon on the island of Macao near Hong Kong. John was sent by England to be governor of Hong Kong at that time.
In the first verse, he wrote:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gather round its head sublime.
Many were saddened by by the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The building had been standing for over 800 years. Buildings don't endure forever, but what Christ did does. Jesus said, in John 2:19, "Destroy this temple, (referring to His physical body, not the structure built by Herod), and in three days, I will raise it up." (This speaks of His resurrection three days after His death.)
The other three verses of this hymn are:
When the woes of life o'er take me,
Hopes deceive and fears annoy;
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! It glows with peace and joy.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way;
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that thro' all time abide.
"Crown Him with Many Crowns"
"Crown Him with Many Crowns" is based on Revelation 19:12 in the Bible, where it says, "And on His (Jesus') head were many crowns." The verse is speaking about when Jesus comes again.
A crown can show sovereignty, victory, and great achievement. In 1851, Matthew Bridges wrote six stanzas to this hymn that spoke of crowns Jesus would be wearing. Twenty three years later, Goodfrey Thring added six more stanzas. This video has three stanzas to the hymn. The other nine stanzas start with: Crown Him the virgin's Son, the Lord of years, the Lord of Heaven, with crowns of gold, the Son of God, the Lord of light, Lord of lords, and Lord of heaven.
What a contrast to the crown of thorns that the Roman soldiers place on Him to mock Him! But He was victorious. Because He was obedient unto God the Father, Philippians 2:9 says that God has given Him the name which is above every name.
Here are the three stanzas in this video:
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing of Him who died for Thee;
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
Crown Him the Lord of love: Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear the sight,
But downward bends his wondering eye at mysteries so bright.
Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose power a scepter sways
For pole to pole, that wars may cease, and all be prayer and praise;
His reign shall know no end, and round His pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.
"We are the Reason He Gave His Life"
It can take faith and waiting on the Lord to write a song. David Meece demonstrated that in the writing of "We are the Reason He Gave His Life." David tells an interesting story about writing this song.
In the summer of 1980, David was in a studio recording his fourth album. He played some music he had written for the producer, and the producer liked it. The music was recorded without the lyrics.
As the days went by, they worked on the album until it was almost finished. The producer said he needed the words to the song by the next day. But David still didn't have them. He had four sets of lyrics to the music, but they didn't seem right.
So David went to his hotel room and prayed. He had the assurance in his heart that God had something to say in the song. but he didn't know what.
He explained what happened next:
"I finished praying and picked up my Bible and began to read in the book of John. All of a sudden the phrase "We are the reason He gave His life" just popped into my head. "We are the reason He suffered and died." He began to write as fast as he could.
In about 15 minutes, he had the whole song. He knew they were the lyrics he needed, and the Lord for the song.
The words to the chorus are:
We are the reason that He gave His life.
We are the reason that He suffered and died.
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live.
"My Faith Has Found a Resting Place"
The hymn, "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place" expresses the joy of having found a resting place. The Bible talks about the simplicity that is in Christ in II Corinthians 11:3.
The hymn writer used a pen name, Lidie H. Edmunds. Her real name was Eliza Edmunds Hewitt who lived from 1851-1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsyvania. In those days, hymnists often used pen names because publishers didn't like having too many hymns from one author in their books. Fanny Crosby, for example, published under the names Carrie Hawthorne, Maud Marion, Lois W. Tilden, Lilliam G. Frances, Mrs. Edna Forest, Eleanor Craddock--and many others.
Eliza Hewitt was friends with Fanny Crosby. She wrote a tribute for her one year for her birthday. They both shared a friendship with William Kirkpatrick who arranged the Norwegian folk melody for this song.
Eliza's faith was in "the Everliving One," and she writes a tribute to Him. The video is an instrumental. Here are the words:
My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed;
I trust the Everliving One, His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves, This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul, I come to Him, He'll never cast me out.
My heart is leaning on the Word, The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's name, salvation through His blood.
My great Physician heals the sick, the lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed, for me His life He gave.
Chorus:
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.
"Nothing But the Blood"
I started to make a list of choruses from hymns and praise songs that stand out to me. And I find there are many.
In looking at the hymn, "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus," I found this video of a group singing just the first verse, and chorus, and the song became like a chorus.
There is a simplicity to the tune of this hymn. Robert Lowry, (1826-1899), wrote both the words and tune. He was both a pastor and professor of literature in the United States. One writer notes that the song has a five-note range, and used only two basic guitar chords. Yet it has caught the attention of contemporary singers. Both Matt Redman and Hillsong have used it in songs.
When this hymn was published in 1876, the attached Scripture was from Hebrews 9:22: "Without shedding of blood, there is no remission." There are six verses to the song, although hymnals usually have four:
What can wash away my sin? (Nothing but the blood of Jesus.)
What can make me whole again?
For my pardon, this I see,
For my cleansing, this my plea.
Nothing can for sin atone,
Naught of good that I have done.
This is all my hope and peace,
This is all my righteousness.
Now by this, I'l overcome,
Now by this, I'll reach my home.
Glory! Glory! This I sing,
All my praise for this I bring.
Chorus:
O! Precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know; Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" is a well known hymn. . In 1799, it appeared in "The Gospel Magazine," as an anonymous hymn entitled "On the Resurrection, the Lord is King." Later, the author was revealed--Rev. Edward Perronet.
One source says the original last verse that Edward Perronet wrote was:
Let every tribe and every tongue
That bound creation's call,
Now shout in universal song
The crowned Lord of all.
It is also an everlasting song, as John Rippon says in the variation he added. This variation is used today:
O that with yonder sacred throng,
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Rev. E. P. Scott, a missionary to India, told of how he saw the power of Jesus' Name. When Scott learned of an unreached tribe in the mountains, he packed his suitcase and violin, and went to them. Friends warned him not to, and it was a perilous journey. After traveling several days, he suddenly was surrounded by a number of tribesmen with their spears pointed at him.
Believing he would die, the missionary nevertheless took out his violin. With a prayer to God, he began to sing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!" He closed his eyes as he sang, expecting any moment to feel the spears pierce him. When he reached the stanza, "Let every kindred, every tribe," he opened his eyes. He saw every spear lowered, and many of the tribesmen moved to tears! He was able to stay and work with the tribe.
The video to the right shows some scenes depicting this story together with the hymn. Both videos are sung to the coronation tune. There are several other tunes used for this hymn, also.
"Here is Love"
In thinking about the song, "Here is Love," I saw it answered a question: "What does God's love look like?" Verse 2 says:
On the mount of crucifixion, fountains opened deep and wide:
Through the flood gates of God's mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers poured incessant from above,
And Heav'ns peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love.
This song was said to be the love song of the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905. God did amazing things in Wales. What happened there was felt in our country and other places in the world. The opening lines to the song reflect this:
"Here is love, vast as the ocean."
Evan Roberts and a team of singers travelled across Wales during the revival. Annie Davies was one of the singers, and helped to make the song known. She was 18, and had some vocal training.
Robert Lowry wrote the tune we use today, and the words were translated into English by William Edwards. A different tune was used at the time of the revival.
The writer of the song, William Rees, wrote the first two verses. One source says there was a third verse added by William Rees, that was written by William Williams, another Welsh hymnwriter and revivalist, who lived a century before. Richard Gillion translated this verse into English:
O depths of wisdom!
O vast depths of grace!
O unsearchable secret,
Forever above their finding out.
The seraphs of heaven are looking
With wonder every one
On the depths of divine love,
God dying for man!
Today, it is sung by contemporary artists, with variations.
"Old Rugged Cross"
Al Smith, the writer of "Treasury of Hymn Histories," met George Bennard personally. In the 1940's, after singing at Mel Trotter Mission in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he walked over to Walgreen's drugstore to get a sandwich. George Bennard was there, and introduced himself. Al said God was answering "a desire of his heart" because he wanted to get the story of "The Old Rugged Cross" firsthand.
George told Al Smith that John 3:16 had always been a favorite verse of his. The more he quoted it, the more alive it was and seem to take on deeper meaning. But always there was with it a vision of a cross--not a beautiful gold-colored one, but a rough and rugged one for me. One day, as he was again reviewing this scene in his mind's eye, he began to compose a song. A complete melody came in a matter of minutes, but all I could get of the words was, "I'll Cherish the Old Rugged Cross."
For the next several months, he would take it out and work on it. He did by then have a completed chorus but the words of the stanzas did not seem to gel right.
During this time, he had meetings in churches in Sawyer, Wisconsin, and Pokagan, Michigan. At both places, he sang what he had completed of the song. But he wasn't satisfied with it yet.
His next meetings were in New York State, where he chose to major on the cross. At each service, many were coming to Christ, and the Lord was showing him the true meaning of His love as shown at Calvary. He was thrilled.
When he got home, George sat down at the kitchen table, and immediately was able to rewrite the stanzas of the song without so much as one word failing to fall into place.
After they finished their conversation, Al Smith said George excused himself saying, "I must get back to Albion tonight for it isn't good for a young fellow like me (he was then over 75) to be out too late after dark."
I found this video of Johnny Cash singing the first verse and chorus of "The Old Rugged Cross." I wish the picture was clearer, but I appreciate it enough to overlook that.
The second, third, and fourth verses of this song are:
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction to me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.
In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see;
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true. Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away, where His glory forever I'll share.
"When We All Get to Heaven"
One of the themes of hymns and praise songs is the joy of heaven. "When We All Get To Heaven" was written together by two women in 1898. Eliza Hewitt and Emily Wilson looked forward each summer when they went to a conference in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
One summer, Eliza brought along a poem she had written. Since Emily was a musician, she asked her to write the music for it. The result was a song that both encourages us here, and causes us to think more about heaven. The second and third verses of the song say:
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will over spread the sky;
But when trav'ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving ev'ry day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.