Monthly Archives: Nov 2022

Rejoice, the Lord Is King!

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The opening stanza of this well-known hymn by Charles Wesley (1707–1788) is one of unbridled exuberance. The six-line stanza contains at least seven imperative exhortations: “Rejoice,” “give thanks,” “sing,” “Lift up your heart,” “Lift up your voice,” “Rejoice, again,” “rejoice”1. The hymn is based on Philippians 4:4. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” The early Methodists experienced much persecution and hardship and Charles wrote this hymn, based on Paul’s words penned while to prison, to encourage them2.

Rejoice the Lord is King,
Your Lord and King adore.
Mortals give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.

Refrain
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice, rejoice
Again I say, rejoice!

Jesus the Saviour reigns, 
The God of truth and love.
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above.

Refrain

His Kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heaven.
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given.

Refrain

He sits at God’s right hand,
Till all His foes submit.
And bow to his command
And fall beneath his feet.

Refrain

Rejoice in glorious hope,
Jesus the judge shall come.
And take his servants up
To their eternal home.

We soon shall hear
the archangel’s voice,
The trump of God
shall sound, rejoice!

1umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-rejoice-the-lord-is-king
2hymnswelove.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-story-behind-rejoice-lord-is-king.html

We Long For That Day

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Does your theology have room for lament? If not, our lives and the Scriptures show us that we should. This song was written by Sol Fenne, Music Coordinator at 20schemes. He based it on a book written by the pastor of the church’s music ministry1. Mez McConnell’s book “The Creaking on the Stairs: Finding Faith in God Through Childhood Abuse” uses his own story of childhood abuse to tell us about a God who is just, sovereign and loving. A good Father who knows the pain of rejection and abuse, who hates evil, who can bring hope even in the darkest place2. I hope this hymn can be used in your times of suffering and sorrow.

God will judge this world so full of evil
And bring each work of darkness into light;
On that day His enemies will tremble
When the King returns in glorious might

Finally oppression will be over
Secret acts of cruelty made known;
Nowhere left to hide for the abuser
Every deed laid bare before the throne.

Refrain
We long for that day when Jesus comes again
When sorrow and pain will all come to an end;
When justice is done and evil cast away;
Oh may we all be found in Christ that day.

On that day we’ll stand before our Maker
To face our debt of sin which must be paid;
There is no-one righteous, none can measure
the perfect standard Christ alone displayed.

But there is hope for all who trust in Jesus
For all who know forgiveness in His name;
He faced the wrath deserved by ruined sinners
To save us from our anger, fear and shame.

Then as the light descended into darkness
The Son of God forsaken on a tree
In agony our Saviour died abandoned
The innocent was crushed to set us free

But on the third day Jesus rose in glory
And now He reigns in heaven from His throne
Praise the King for such an act of mercy
One day He will come to take us home

Refrain

120schemesequip.com/we-long-for-that-day/
210ofthose.com/uk/20schemes-titles

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

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Another hymn by Isaac Watts, this one is a paraphrase of Psalm 90 for his 1719 collection: “Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament”. At the time of writing, the Church of England was persecuting non-conformist Christians like Watts who worshipped in congregations outside the state-owned church. It is thought these events influenced these words. Psalm 90 and this hymn asks us to behold the God who is timeless, the One whose days and years are the same. It promises that the same God who has worked in the past, and will work in the future, is at work right now. This hymn has often been sung in times of great significance; the BBC in the UK aired it on the radio when Britain entered WW2, and again at the funeral of Winston Churchill1.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone.
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
soon bears us all away;
we fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the op’ning day.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home!

1page 164 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

Praise to the Lord, The Almighty

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“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” was written as a loose summary of Psalms 103 and 150 by Joachim Neander in 1680. He became the first significant hymn-writer in the German Reformed Church, writing 60 hymns. Most of his hymns were written during his time as a hermit living in the Neander Valley. “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” was published the same year in which he died of tuberculosis at the young age of 301. This hymn is one I often find myself humming and is one of my favourites.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation;
O my soul, praise Him,
For He is thy health and salvation.
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord,
Who o’er all things
So wondrously reigneth;
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen,
How thy desires have been,
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper
Thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy
Here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him;
All that hath life and breath,
Come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him

1christcovenant.church/thecovenanterblog/2019/3/11/praise-to-the-lord-the-almighty

Speak, O Lord

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This hymn was written by modern songwriters Stuart Townend & Keith Getty. Often today the preaching of the Word has been diminished in value – from its prominence in a service, to it’s passion; but most of all in our own expectation each time we sit down and ask God to speak to us. In writing this hymn, it was their prayer that through the power of the Spirit, this hymn would prepare people to humbly listen to the Bible being taught and respond to the huge consequences it has on their lives1. The lyrics below would be an excellent prayer for any church leader to lead their congregation with before the preaching of the Word.

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of your holy word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us
All Your purposes, for Your glory.

Teach us Lord full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility.
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise
Cause our eyes to see,
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of power that can never fail;
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us.
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time,
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises;
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, ’til your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

1facebook.com/gettymusic/posts/the-story-behind-speak-o-lordone-of-christianitys-distinctives-is-that-we-worshi/10155873712805136/

Blessed Are the Humble Souls That See

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This hymn was written by prolific hymn writer Isaac Watts, and appeared in his Hymns & Sacred Songs book is 1709. Watts preached his first sermon when he was twenty-four years old, and in 1702 was ordained pastor of the eminent Independent congregation in Mark Lane, over which Dr. John Owen had once presided. His learning and piety, gentleness and largeness of heart have earned him the title of the ‘Melanchthon’ of his day. His published hymns numbering more than eight hundred1. The hymn below originally has 8 stanzas, however the song version I have included has only the 3. Enjoy!

Blessed are the humble souls that see
their emptiness and poverty;
treasures of grace to them are giv’n,
and crowns of joy laid up in heav’n.

Blest are the men of broken heart,
who mourn for sin with inward smart;
the blood of Christ divinely flows,
a healing balm for all their woes.

Blessed are the souls that thirst for grace,
hunger and long for righteousness;
they shall be well supplied and fed,
with living streams and living bread.

1https://hymnary.org/person/Watts_Isaac

Eternal Weight of Glory

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Wendell Kimbrough is the writer of this song, whose songs are marked by strong singable melodies, steeped in the sounds of folk, gospel, and soul music. What has made his songs popular is “his use of scriptural texts for his lyrics; his tunes which are extremely useful for congregational singing; and his approach in concert, which involves teaching God’s people the music to sing”1. This is one of my favourites takes from the album Psalms We Sing Together.

Now the days and hours and moments
Of our suff’ring seem so long;
And the toilsome wait and wond’ring
Threaten silence to our song.
Now our pain is real and pressing
Where our faith is thin and weak,
But our hope is set on Jesus;
And we cling to him, our strength.

Oh eternal weight of glory!
Oh inheritance divine!
We will see our Lord redeeming
Every past and future time.
All our pains will be transfigured,
Like the scars of Christ our Lord.
We will see the weight of glory,
And our broken years restored.

For behold! I tell a myst’ry:
At the trumpet sound we’ll wake
“Death is swallowed up in vict’ry!”
When we meet our King of Grace
Every year we thought was wasted
Every night we cried “How long?”
All will be a passing moment
In our Saviour’s vict’ry song

We will see our wounded Saviour.
We’ll behold him face to face;
And we’ll hear our anguished stories
Sung as vict’ry songs of grace.
For behold! I tell a myst’ry:
At the trumpet sound we’ll wake
“Death is swallowed up in vict’ry!”
When we meet our King of Grace
Every year we thought was wasted
Every night we cried “How long?”
All will be a passing moment
In our Saviour’s vict’ry song

1http://www.wendellk.com/#about

Lord Jesus, You’re More Excellent

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This hymn is part of a collection of songs called “Rise and Worship: New Reformation Hymns” – songs for congregational singing written by Greg Wilbur and Douglas Bond. With corporate worship in mind, these hymns are intended to be sung congregationally. Greg’s desire was to compose accessible and well-crafted tunes that reflect the theological content of lyrics and that lead God’s people in worship. “We need poets!” declared Luther 500 years ago, poets to give the Church theologically and aesthetically appropriate lyrics with which to rise & worship King Jesus. In that spirit they offer New Reformation Hymns for the people of God to sing the high praises of God, soli Deo gloria1.

Lord Jesus, you’re more excellent
Than Moses’ ancient covenant:
Its Law you perfectly obeyed
And on the cross its curse you paid.

My Royal Priest is excellent
Above the dying priests who went
In yearly terror through the veil—
But once for all Christ did prevail.

Lord Jesus, you’re more excellent
Than all the guardian angels sent
To guide our steps both day and night,
Since Jesus guards with sovereign might.

Great Saviour, you’re more excellent
Than all the Devil’s arrows spent
In furious rage against the ones
For whom Christ died to make his sons.

Kind Jesus, you’re more excellent
Than doubts and troubles I invent;
Your life laid down, my victory won—
My Advocate, God’s holy Son.

O Christ, you are most excellent,
By th’new and better covenant:
Redeeming Love who took my part,
Inscribed your Law upon my heart.

O Righteous One, most excellent,
Your cross fulfilled the covenant;
O Worthy One, who took my place,
I long to worship face to face.

1nathanclarkgeorge.com/rise-and-worship

I Cannot Tell

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Today’s hymn is written by Rv William Young Fullerton who was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1857. He was raised Presbyterian, but became a Baptist preacher, administrator, and writer. When a young man he was influenced by the preaching of Charles Spurgeon, who became his friend and mentor. He became pastor of the Melbourne Hall Baptist Church. Thousands of people came to Christ under his ministry. Fullerton served as President of the Baptist Union and Home Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society. He published works, including biographies of John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, James William Condell Fegan, and Frederick Brotherton Meyer, as well as compiling several hymnals1.

I cannot tell why he,
whom angels worship,
should set his love
upon the sons of men,
or why, as Shepherd,
he should seek the wanderers,
to bring them back,
they know not how or when.
But this I know,
that he was born of Mary,
when Bethlehem’s manger
was his only home,
and that he lived
at Nazareth and laboured,
and so the Saviour,
Saviour of the world, is come.

I cannot tell
how silently he suffered,
as with his peace
he graced this place of tears,
or how his heart
upon the cross was broken,
the crown of pain
to three and thirty years.
But this I know,
he heals the broken-hearted,
and stays our sin,
and calms our lurking fear,
and lifts the burden
from the heavy laden,
for yet the Saviour,
Saviour of the world, is here.

I cannot tell
how all the lands shall worship,
when, at his bidding,
every storm is stilled,
or who can say
how great the jubilation
when all the hearts of men
with love are filled.
But this I know,
the skies will thrill with rapture,
and myriad, myriad
human voices sing,
and Earth to Heaven,
and Heaven to Earth, will answer:
Jesus the Saviour,
Saviour of the world, is King!

1hymnary.org/person/Fullerton_WY

Psalm 103

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This rewording of Psalm 103 was written by James Montgomery. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavourably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missions and the British Bible Society. He published eleven volumes of poetry, mainly his own, and at least four hundred hymns1.

O my soul with all thy powers,
bless the Lord’s most holy name.
O my soul till life’s last hours,
bless the Lord, His praise proclaim.
Thine infirmities He healed,
He thy peace and pardon sealed.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name

He with loving-kindness crowned thee,
Satisfied thy mouth with good.
From the snares of death unbound thee,
Eagle-like thy youth renewed.
Rich in tender mercy He,
Slow to wrath, to favour free.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name.

Refrain
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul

He will not retain displeasure,
Though awhile He hide His face.
Nor His God-like bounty measure,
By our merit, but His grace.
As the heaven the earth transcends,
Over us His care extends.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name.

Far as east and west are parted,
He our sins hath severed thus.
As a father, loving-hearted,
Spares his son, He spareth us.
For He knows our feeble frame,
He remembers whence we came.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name

Refrain

From eternity enduring,
To eternity, the Lord.
Still His people’s bliss insuring,
Keeps His covenanted word
Yea, with truth and righteousness,
Children’s children He will bless.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name.

As in heaven, His throne and dwelling,
King on earth He holds His sway.
Angels, ye in strength excelling,
Bless the Lord, His voice obey.
All His works across the Earth,
Bless the Lord, proclaim His worth.
O my soul! with all thy powers
Bless the Lord’s most holy name.

Refrain

1hymnary.org/person/Montgomery_James