Monthly Archives: Sep 2023

How Good Is It To Sing (Psalm 147)

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In his own words, Stuart Townend describes this song as “it a great, fun song of praise that will work in a number of different contexts. It’s based on Psalm 147, a Psalm which explores the dynamic image of God’s power and might expressed in the words of Scripture and creation, but married to His care and concern for the weakest and the most vulnerable among us. To see His power expressed in the icy blast (Psalm 147 v17) and power of creation, and to recognise simultaneously that He cares for the orphan and the refugee (expressed as the ‘exiles’ in the Psalm) is a profound and wonderful message for all of us, and encourages everyone to put their hope fully in God1.” Enjoy this upbeat one!

How good it is to sing, 
To bring our praise to Him
Whose love and mercy knows no end.
He brings the sun and rain, 
He calls each star by name, 
The universe resounds with praise.

Refrain
O shout for joy to God and sing a new song,
Extol the Lord of life for His provision,
And He delights in those who love and fear Him,
All those who put their hope in God.

He gathers families,
Orphans and refugees,
And binds the wounds of those who mourn;
The humble lifted high,
The proud He casts aside,
His justice faithful as the dawn.

Refrain

What friend or foe can last
Before His icy blast?
The winds and waves obey His voice.
Yet mercy will prevail,
His love will reconcile
The nations of the earth to Him.

Refrain

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I Will Sing of My Redeemer

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Near the end of 1876, Philip P. Bliss and his wife were traveling to Chicago to sing for the evangelistic services led by Daniel W. Whittle at Dwight L. Moody’s Tabernacle. But a train wreck and fire en route claimed their lives. Their trunk, which was spared, contained this hymn text by Bliss. The text was set to a gospel tune by James McGranaham, who subsequently succeeded Bliss as song leader for Whittle. The text and McGranaham’s tune were published in Welcome Tidings, a New Collection far Sunday School, compiled by Robert S. Lowry, William H. Doane, and Ira D. Sankey in 18771. Enjoy!

I will sing of my Redeemer 
and his wondrous love to me; 
on the cruel cross he suffered, 
from the curse to set me free. 
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! 
With his blood he purchased me; 
on the cross he sealed my pardon, 
paid the debt, and made me free. 

I will tell the wondrous story, 
how my lost estate to save, 
in his boundless love and mercy, 
he the ransom freely gave. 
I will praise my dear Redeemer, 
his triumphant power I’ll tell: 
how the victory he gives me 
over sin and death and hell. 

I will sing of my Redeemer 
and his heavenly love for me; 
he from death to life has brought me, 
Son of God, with him to be. 
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! 
With his blood he purchased me; 
on the cross he sealed my pardon, 
paid the debt, and made me free. 

1hymnary.org/text/i_will_sing_of_my_redeemer

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Behold the Saviour of Mankind

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This Good Friday song comes from the father of two famous Wesleys – Rev. Samuel Wesley. On 9 February, 1709, Samuel Wesley was sitting in the Rectory when he wrote this hymn. That night the Rectory caught fire and the whole building, as well as all its contents, were destroyed. In one room slept 5 year old John Wesley with his little siblings and nurse. The nurse called out to the children to follow her as she fled with the young baby, but little John stayed fast asleep. He of course escaped, when a man climbed on the shoulders of his father Samuel and reached him from the window. Samuel Wesley exclaimed “Let us kneel down; let us give thanks to God! He has given me all my eight children; let the house go; I am rich enough!” Later on, someone walking in the Rectory garden near the ruined house, noticed a piece of paper lying on the ground. It was this hymn, blown through the open window from the burning house and saved from the fire!1 Enjoy the words to this one.

Behold the Saviour of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!

Hark, how He groans, while nature shakes,
And earth’s strong pillars bend!
The temple’s veil in sunder breaks;
The solid marbles rend.

‘Tis done! the precious ransom’s paid!
“Receive my soul!” He cries;
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head and dies!

But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain,
And in full glory shine;
O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love, like Thine?

1W.J. Limmer Sheppard, Great Hymns and Their Stories, page 157-159

By The Saviour’s Power

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This song I recently found whilst browsing through songs on Spotify. Anchor Hymns is described as “a multigenerational collective of artists creating songs of substance from both a lyrical, theological, and musical frame…drawing from Neo Soul, Indie Rock, Brooklyn Fusion, (Blues, Jazz, RnB, Soul)”1. This song really has an old gospel-style feel to it, and the words are great to think about to. Enjoy!

Lyrics: Oh the grave that I was in
Oh the crushing weight of sin
Bear beneath the crashing waves
Sinking ne’er to rise again

Jesus pulled me to the shore
And grace abounded all the more
And I was changed that very hour
Rescued by the Saviour’s power

Refrain
Oh Jesus, Our redeemer,
Great defender, Overcomer
Christ the victor
There’s no other
Praise his name forevermore

With my last and final breath
Passing through the door of death
I will pray just like your son
Not my will but yours be done

And as I sail to heaven’s shores
I will trust you all the more
And leave this life This fleeting flower
Resting in the Saviours power

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Oh the mighty Great I am
Rules with victory in his hands
Oh He will crush the gates of hell
And bring us with him to dwell

And with all who’ve come before
We will praise you evermore
For death is swallowed up forever
Conquered by the Saviours power

1integritymusic.com/anchor-hymns

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Lord, Have Mercy

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If you’ve been following the blog from the beginning, you may notice I post quite a few recommendations of Emu Music. And for good reason; with solid biblical lyrics and wonderful melodies, they are one of my favourite music groups. They recently released some singles from their new album including today’s song. Although I have not explicitly heard it from them, I believe this song is based on a confession of sin found in the Book of Common Prayer (since I know most of the members of the group attended an Anglican Church in the UK). You can read the original here under Confessions and see how similar the words are. Although I am not confessionally Anglican, I appreciate the history and influence of the Book of Common Prayer, and think some of the words within it are beautiful. I hope you enjoy this one!

Almighty God of mercy,
We’ve strayed like wayward sheep
Our hearts inclined to wander,
Your laws we’ve failed to keep
We’ve chosen sin and darkness,
Left acts of love undone
There is no health within us:
Have mercy through your Son

O good and gracious Father,
We ask to be made new
Obedient and righteous,
To live afresh for you
As we confess our failings,
Restore our broken lives
According to your promise,
In our Lord Jesus Christ

Refrain
Lord, have mercy and forgive us
Christ, have mercy and deliver us
Lord, have mercy and renew us
We ask with full assurance
Because of your great love
According to your promise
Have mercy through your Son

Almighty God and Father,
You promise to forgive
We turn to you for pardon,
We come that we might live
O grant your Holy Spirit
To purify our souls
And bring us home to Jesus,
Our glory and our goal

Refrain

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Let All Things Now Living

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Katherine Kennicott Davis studied at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she was also a teaching assistant in music. From 1921 to 1929 she taught singing and piano in private schools in Concord, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After 1929 she devoted herself largely to music composition. She wrote some eight hundred pieces, most of which were choral (often writing under several pseudonyms). One of her most popular songs is “The Little Drummer Boy,” originally called “Carol of the Drum” (1941)1. Enjoy reading this one as a poem.

Let all things now living
A song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us,
Protected and stayed us,
Who still guides us on to the end of our days.
His banners are o’er us,
His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished
And darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces,
The stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains,
The rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing
Our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a song let us raise
Till all things now living
Unite in thanksgiving:
“To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!”
Amen.

1hymnary.org/text/let_all_things_now_living_a_song_of_than

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Lo, He Comes

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In 1750 John Cennick, a friend of John and Charles Wesley, wrote an Advent hymn that began, “Lo! he cometh, countless trumpets blow before his bloody sign!” Cennick’s hymn was published in his Collection (1752). Charles Wesley completely rewrote the text and published his version in Hymns of Intercession for all Mankind (1758) with the title “Thy Kingdom Come” (changed to “The Second Advent” in other editions). Though later hymnals occasionally mixed Cennick’s lines with Wesley’s, the Psalter Hymnal includes most of Wesley’s original text1. Enjoy!

Lo he comes in clouds descending,
Once for helpless sinner slain!
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
All the Angels cry amen.

Ev’ry eye shall now behold him,
Rob’d in dreadful majesty,
Those who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierc’d and nail’d gim to the tree.
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

Ev’ry island, sea, and mountain,
Heav’n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate him, must confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day;
Come to judgment, come to judgment, come to judgment,
Come to judgment come away.

Now redemption long expected,
See, in solemn pomp appear!
All his saints by man rejected,
Now shall meet him in the air!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
See the day of God appear.

Answer thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten Lord, the gen’ral doom,
The new heav’n and earth t’ inherit,
Take thy pining exiles home,
All creation, all creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids thee come.

Yea, amen let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne!
Saviour, take the pow’r and glory;
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
O come quickly, O come quickly, O come quickly,
Hallelujah! come Lord, come.

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1hymnary.org/text/lo_he_comes_with_clouds_descending_once

The Love of Christ Is Rich and Free

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In 1793, Gads­by joined the Bap­tist Church at Co­ven­try, and in 1798 be­gan to preach. In 1800, a cha­pel was built for him at Des­ford, Lei­ces­ter­shire, and two years lat­er an­o­ther in the town of Hinck­ley. In 1805, he moved to Man­ches­ter, be­com­ing min­is­ter of a cha­pel in Roch­dale Road, where he con­tin­ued un­til his death. His works in­clude: The Naz­a­rene’s Songs, Be­ing a Com­po­si­tion of Orig­in­al Hymns; A Se­lect­ion of Hymns for Pub­lic Wor­ship; Hymns on the Death of Princess Char­lotte, and Selection of Hymns for Sun­day Schools. Enjoy this version by Sandra McCracken.

The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on his own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as he lives, his own he’ll love.

His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
’Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.

Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love his own to endless day.

Love has redeemed his sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.

He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught can him from Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make his love from her depart.

At death, beyond the grave, he’ll love;
In endless bliss, his own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.

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My Jesus I Love Thee

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The writer of today’s hymn, William Ralph Featherstone (1846-1873), is believed to have written “My Jesus I Love Thee” at the age of 16! Featherstone, a Weslyan Methodist from Montreal, wrote the text at the time of his conversion and sent it to his aunt in Los Angeles. Somehow, the poem made its way to England where it was published anonymously in The London Hymn Book two years later. Adoniram Judson Gordon (1836-1895), who was compiling a Baptist hymn book, liked Featherstone’s text, but decided it needed a better tune than the one that was used in The London Hymn Book, so he wrote a new tune for it which he published in The Service of Song for Baptist Churches1. enjoy this version by HeartSong at Cedarville University.

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love thee because thou hast first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now. 

1hymnary.org/text/my_jesus_i_love_thee_i_know_thou_art_mi

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God of Every Grace

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Writing about the story of this hymn, Keith and Kristyn Getty explains “the new hymn “God of Every Grace” began with a melody and some lyrics from our friend Bryan Fowler. The song spoke of walking through struggle with faith. It spoke of God as the God of every grace, calling us to see even our trials as somehow, mysteriously, serving God’s good purposes according to his good plans. It resonated with us. Alongside Bryan and Matt Boswell, we continued to shape the verses and add the chorus over a couple of months. We felt strongly about keeping the lyric directed to the Lord, personal and honest. The line “all your children home together” was a very moving thought for me as a mother—that desire for a family to be all together again. Only in Christ is this possible.”1 Enjoy!

O let not this world of sorrows
Steal my only hope away
For the power of Your gospel
Shines within this jar of clay

In affliction, You bring wisdom
That my comforts can displace
How my true and greatest treasure
Is in You, the God of grace

Refrain
Now to the God of every grace
Who counts my tears, who holds my days
I sing through sorrows, sing with faith
O praise the God of every grace

Weary with the weight I carry
Give me wings of faith to rise
For You know each grief that lingers
Through the watches of the night

Surely, You have borne our sufferings
At the cross took up our pain
And You lead us on to glory
As we trust You, God of grace

Refrain

There’s a dawning hope before us
That I know is soon to break
As I wait upon Your mercy
Which will swallow every ache

Cries of joy and songs of victory
When we enter heaven’s gates
All Your children home together
All with You, the God of grace

Refrain

O praise the God of every grace
O praise the God of every grace

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