Today’s hymn comes from Thomas Cotterill (1779-1823) an Anglican clergyman who became a central figure in the dispute about the propriety of singing hymns in his time. A good hymn to mediate before coming to the Lord’s Table; enjoy!

In memory of the Saviour’s love,
We keep the sacred feast.
Where every humble, contrite heart
Is made a welcome guest.

By faith we take the bread of life
Withy which our souls are fed,
The cup in token of His blood
That was for sinners shed.

In faith and memory thus we sing
The wonders of His love,
And thus anticipate by faith
The heavenly feast above.

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Today’s hymn is from German Reformer Martin Luther, who based his version from the hymn ” Jesus Christ, Our Salvation” (English translation) which is often attributed to John Huss. It’s a hymn celebrating communion, written in 1524. Whether or not you hold Luther’s view of the Eucharist, we would all do well to ponder these words before we come to the Lord’s Table. Enjoy!

Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour,
turned away God’s wrath forever;
by his bitter grief and woe
he saved us from the evil foe.

As his pledge of love undying,
he, this precious food supplying,
gives his body with the bread
and with the wine the blood he shed.

Jesus here himself is sharing;
take heed how you are preparing,
for if you do not believe,
judgment instead you shall receive.

Useless would be Jesus’ passion
if salvation you could fashion.
Do not come if you suppose
you need not him who died and rose.

Christ says, “Come, all you that labour,
and receive my grace and favour;
those who feel no pain or ill
need no physician’s help or skill.”

Then hold fast with faith unshaken
that this food is to be taken
by the souls who are distressed,
by hearts that long for peace and rest.

Praise the Father, who from heaven
unto us such food has given
and, to mend what we have done,
gave into death his only Son.

Today’s song comes from my favourite music group, Emu Music, and it’s from their new album Here We Stand. This one would be a great song to sing as a congregation to prepare your heart right before you take Communion on a Sunday. Enjoy!

Almighty God, our Father
In mercy, you did give us Christ
Upon the cross your suffering Son
Has made the perfect sacrifice 

For though our sins are scarlet
His blood has made them spotless white
We come in full repentance now
As we receive the bread and wine

Refrain
So we come to the table
And we join in the feast
We remember the sacrifice
God’s love poured out at Calvary

We come now to remember
As Jesus asked before he died
His body broken, blood poured out 
The death he died has brought us life 

With thankful hearts we receive him 
We trust that we have been made clean 
He will sustain and dwell in us 
And we will ever dwell in him

Refrain

We celebrate he is risen
That by his death he conquered death
We look ahead to the promised hope
That he is coming back again

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Today’s hymn comes from James Montgomery and was published in six stanzas in The Christian Psalmist in 1825 under the subtitle ‘This do in remembrance of me,” Jesus’ words from Luke 22:19. Reflective and meditative, the text focuses on the memorial aspect of the Lord’s Supper–each stanza concludes with the word remember¹. Enjoy this version by The New Scottish Hymns Band.

According to thy gracious word,
in meek humility,
this will I do, my dying Lord,
I will remember thee.

Thy body, broken for my sake,
my bread from heav’n shall be;
thy testamental cup I take,
and thus remember thee.

Gethsemane can I forget?
Or there thy conflict see,
thine agony and bloody sweat,
and not remember thee?

When to the cross I turn mine eyes,
and rest on Calvary,
O Lamb of God, my sacrifice,
I must remember thee.

Remember thee, and all thy pains,
and all thy love to me:
when thou shalt in thy kingdom come,
Jesus, remember me.

¹hymnary.org/text/according_to_thy_gracious_word

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In its present form this hymn was wrought out of a bitter experience in the life of Walter Shirley, who was born in 1725 in Leicestershire, England. He was a friend of Whitefield and the Wesleys, often preaching in their chapels. His brother, the Earl of Ferrars, engaged in a quarrel with one of his servants, who had long been in his employ, and in the passion of his anger he murdered the old man. Shirley journeyed to his brother’s prison and remained near him during the distressing weeks that followed. The Earl was tried, convicted, and sentenced to be hanged. After the execution Shirley, worn out by his long vigil and humiliated in spirit, returned to his church, finding comfort only in the cross of Jesus Christ. Discovering an imperfect expression of his emotions at that time in a hymn, “O How Happy Are the Moments,” by James Allen, he adapted and revised the hymn so completely that it became practically a new composition¹. This hymn falls under The Lord’s Supper in my hymnal, and would be a fitting poem for the occasion.

Sweet the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the cross we spend,
Life and health and peace possessing
From the sinner’s dying friend.

Here we rest in wonder, viewing
All our sins on Jesus laid;
Here we see redemption flowing
From the sacrifice he made.

Here we find the dawn of heaven
While upon the cross we gaze,
See our trespasses forgiven,
And our songs of triumph raise.

Oh, that, near the cross abiding,
We may to the Saviour cleave,
Naught with him our hearts dividing,
All for him content to leave!

Lord, in loving contemplation
Fix our hearts and eyes on you
Till we taste your full salvation
And your unveiled glory view.

¹hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/sweet-the-moments-rich-in-blessing/

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