Monthly Archives: Feb 2023

We Rise and Worship

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Taken from a collection of new hymns sung by Nathan Clark George, and written by Greg Wilbur and Douglas Bond, these songs are written particularly for congregational singing and intentionally have well-crafted tunes that reflect the theological content of the lyrics. This one is one of my favourite from the collection, and sure will be yours too.

We rise and worship you, our Lord,
With grateful hearts for grace outpoured,
For you are good—O taste and see—
Great God of mercy rich and free. 
                                                       
A chosen son of God on high,
I trembling bow and wonder why
This Sovereign Lord—O taste and see—
In love stooped down and rescued me.
 
Your Son obeyed the Law for me,
Then died my death upon the tree.
O Jesus Christ, I taste and see
And marvel that you purchased me.
 
In might, your Spirit drew me in,
My quickened heart from death to win.
O Holy Spirit—taste and see—
My comfort, hope, and surety.
 
With thankful praise our hearts we give;
By grace alone we serve and live.
O Trinity, we taste and see
Your sovereign goodness full and free.

I Need Thee Ev’ry Hour

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The words to this hymn were written by Annie Sherwood Hawks (1836-1918) and the chorus was added by Robert Lowry (1826-1899). When this hymn was first published in 1873, this Bible verse was included underneath the title: “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5 KJV). Speaking of the hymn, Annie wrote “I remember well the morning, many years ago, when in the midst of the daily cares of my home, then in a distant city, I was so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him either in joy or pain, these words “I need thee every hour” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me…For myself, the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experience at the time it was written, and I do not understand why it so touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long years after, when the shadow fell over my way—the shadow of a great loss—that I understood something of the comforting in the words I had been permitted to write and give out to others in my hours of sweet security and peace.1” I found a lot of versions of this hymn and couldn’t pick one! Do you have a favourite? Please send my way 🙂

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Refrain
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

Refrain

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Refrain

1hymnologyarchive.com/i-need-thee-every-hour

Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace

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The song was written by Daniel Herbert (1751-1833), a congregational minister who served at Sudbury in Suffolk. Not much is known about him, apart from a few volumes of hymns he wrote, and what information can be gleaned from his obituary. The editor of Gospel Magazine said of him after his death in 1833: “He was a plain, unadorned, though faithful and honest, messenger to dispense the word of eternal life to the helpless family of Zion.” In the preface to his 1801 volume of hymns, Herbert says: “I flatter myself that the hymns will be received by those who know the plague of their own hearts and have felt the power of efficacious grace. While the poor saved sinner, who is enabled to credit the report of the gospel of salvation, full and free, without money and without price, will find satisfaction in reading these lines, whatever the man untaught of God may say will give the writer no concern”1.

Come boldly to a throne of grace,
Ye wretched sinners come;
And lay your load at Jesus’ feet,
And plead what he has done.

“How can I come?” some soul may say,
“I’m lame, and cannot walk;
My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth;
I sigh, but dare not talk.”

Come boldly to the throne of grace,
Though lost, and blind, and lame;
Jehovah is the sinner’s Friend,
And ever was the same.

He makes the dead to hear his voice;
He makes the blind to see;
The sinner lost he came to save,
And set the prisoner free.

Come boldly to the throne of grace,
For Jesus fills the throne;
And those he kills he makes alive;
He hears the sigh or groan.

Poor bankrupt souls, who feel and know
The hell of sin within,
Come boldly to the throne of grace;
The Lord will take you in.

1breadforbeggars.com/2013/07/come-boldly-to-the-throne-of-grace-performed-by-jason-waller/

All Creatures of Our God and King

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A monk in search of reform, Francis Assisi lived a humble, simple lifestyle in service to God and to his fellow man from around 1181-1226. He is said to have loved nature, travel, and would preach to anyone who’d listen, even if it was a group of birds in a cave. His love of nature and his love for the Creator of nature is what birthed his “Song of Brother Sun and All Creatures,” or “Cantico del frate sole.” It was one of several popular laude spirituale, or popular spiritual songs in Italian for use outside of the liturgical context. Francis is believed to have written this poem near the end of his earthly life, during a period of tremendous pain and suffering. And among its more salient details are the tone with which Francis writes, a tone that expresses a desire for man and nature to be one, a love of the earth and all God’s creatures in it and is based in part upon Psalm 1481.

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,

Refrain
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice:

Refrain

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright
that givest us both warmth and light,

Refrain

All ye who are of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
sing his praises, Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care,

Refrain

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
and praise the Spirit, Three in One,

Refrain

1medium.com/congregational-song/hymn-reflection-all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king-fd4d2ff960c1

All Praise To Our Redeeming Lord

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This hymn by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was included in Hymns for Those that Seek and Those that have Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ (London, July 1747), a volume of 52 hymns published by William Strahan (1715-1785). Though issued anonymously, the majority of the hymns can be traced to Charles Wesley. This collection also included the better-known hymns, “Love divine, all loves excelling” (No. 9) and “Come sinners to the gospel feast” (No. 50). Christian friendship or fellowship was a primary topic for Charles Wesley. who devoted 55 hymns to this theme.For the Wesleys, “there was no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness. In other words, faith always includes a social dimension. One cannot be a solitary Christian”1.

All praise to our redeeming Lord,
who joins us by his grace,
and bids us, each to each restored,
together seek his face.

He bids us build each other up;
and gathered into one,
to our high calling’s glorious hope,
we hand in hand go on.

The gift which he on one bestows
we all delight to prove;
the grace through every vessel flows,
in purest streams of love.

Even now we think and speak the same,
and cordially agree;
concentered all, through Jesus’ name,
in perfect harmony.

We all partake the joy of one,
the common peace we feel,
a peace to sensual minds unknown,
a joy unspeakable.

And if our fellowship below
in Jesus be so sweet,
What height of rapture shall we know
When round his throne we meet.

1umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-all-praise-to-our-redeeming-lord

Now Thank We All Our God

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Martin Rinckart (1586-1649) was an accomplished musician who studied at the University of Leipzig and then spent most of his career as a musician and archdeacon in the city of Eilenburg. Germany during the Thirty Years’ War. British Hymnologist J.R. Watson accounts that as one of the last surviving ministers in the city, Rinckart had to stretch personal resources to take care of refugees and spend most of his time performing nearly fifty funerals per day at the height of the plague. This experience during the Thirty Years’ War had a profound impact on Rinckart’s poetry, just as it did for his hymnwriter contemporaries. Lutheran scholar Carl Schalk observes that the “cross and comfort” hymnody of the time reflected life situations of the people with greater metrical regularity, smoother language, and a theology relatable to everyday life. For someone in Rinckart’s dire situation, this expression of abundant gratitude is fitting for a man who lived in constant fear of starvation, the plague, and invading armies1.

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

1umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-now-thank-we-all-our-god

May the Mind of Christ My Saviour

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Little is known about Kate Wilkinson. Born in 1859, she was a member of a Anglican church in London and was involved in helping young women on the west side of the city. This hymn was first published in an English children’s hymnbook called Golden Bells in 1925. In 1968, the president of Wheaton College, Dr Hudson T. Armerding, included this text in the commencement program, where it has continued to be used every year. He considered it to be particularly important for the young’ “who have so much potential”. It was regularly sung at the conclusion of Wheaton College’s chapel services1. Below is a very simple acoustic version; why don’t you make this your prayer today?

May the mind of Christ my Saviour
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow’r controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of Christ dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His pow’r.

May the peace of Christ my Saviour
Rule my life in every thing,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

1 page 253 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

Jesus I Will Walk With You

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“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them” Luke 24:15. This encounter on the Emmaus road wonderfully shows the Christian life as a walk with Jesus. This song expresses our heart’s desire to walk with Jesus, and reminds us that this privilege is available only because he first chose to walk with us: ‘Jesus I will walk with you… for Jesus walks with me’1. Enjoy this lovely song by Joyful Noise

Jesus I will walk with you
Companion for the way
My constant friend and faithful guide
Beside me every day
Through times of winter harsh and bare
Through summer’s gentle breeze
I’ll walk with faith and hope and love
For Jesus walks with me

Jesus I will walk with you
Attentive to your voice
In every written word you speak
And make my heart rejoice
Though now I walk an unseen road
In prayer I know your peace
And walk with persevering faith
For Jesus walks with me

Jesus I will walk with you
The way of victory
The stranglehold of sin is gone
Your blood has set me free
And though my sin is deep and dark
Your spirit’s power will be
My daily strength to walk with you
For Jesus walks with me

Jesus I will walk with you
Salvation’s ancient way
Where countless saints have walked before
And triumphed by your grace
Your faithfulness their victory song
Their joyful voice agrees
There is no better way to walk
For Jesus walks with me.

1joyful-noise.bandcamp.com/track/jesus-i-will-walk-with-you-2