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Hymn #40: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Aug11

Lyrics: Author unknown. Translated to English by John Mason Neale, 1851.

Music: Unknown composer. Arranged and harmonized by Thomas Helmore, 1854.

Theme: And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith THE LORD. Isaiah 59:20.

Brandon at Siris: “no single human hand sat down and wrote it, and it has been sung by countless people across the centuries and the continents, its format adapted and re-adapted many times, and yet the message is still crystal clear and the hymn itself still exquisite.”

Amanda: “I have a thing for Advent. Waiting for Jesus.”

According to a book we own called Color the Christmas Classics, this Christmas carol dates back to the time of Emperor Charlemagne of France. It was originally sung in Latin and was an antiphon, “a short liturgical text sung in response to a psalm or other spoken text.” The carol was sung over a period of seven days, from December 17th to the 23rd, in response to a scripture about the brith of Christ read by the priest. You can go to this website to see all seven antiphons (or verses) in Latin and in various English translations.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Hymn #41: This Is My Father’s World

Aug10

Lyrics: Maltbie Babcock, 1901.

Music: TERRA BEATA by Frank L. Sheppard, 1915.

Theme: The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1.

Steve Webb’s Lifespring Hymn Stories: This Is My Father’s World.

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

Maltbie Babcock: “Good habits are not made on birthdays, nor Christian character at the new year. The workshop of character is everyday life. The uneventful and commonplace hour is where the battle is lost or won.”

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

Maltbie Babcock’s original poem consisted of sixteen verses, but these are all I could find. Babcock himself was a Presbyterian minister in addition to being a swimmer, a baseball player, a singer/musician, and a poet. He also liked to walk and to hike, and he often told his secretary or his wife, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world!” His somewhat lengthy poem about his Father’s world was published posthumously, and his friend, Frank Sheppard, set it to the music of an old English folk tune.

Sources:
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck.
The Center for Church Music: This Is My Father’s World.
Wikipedia: Maltbie Davenport Babcock.
Anchor for the Soul: This Is My Father’s World.
Wordwise Hymns: Maltbie Babcock Born.

Hymn #42: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Aug9

Lyrics: Joseph Mendicott Scriven, 1855.

Music: ERIE by Charles Converse, 1868.
Alternate tune: CALON LAN

Theme: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised, Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing, all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded, there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship, will be our sweet portion there.

Joseph Scriven’s first fiance drowned the night before their wedding was to take place. He moved to Canada (from England) where he met and became engaged to another young woman, Eliza Roche. Eliza contracted pneumonia and died shortly before the wedding. Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and spent the rest of his life serving the aged and the poor. Unfortunately, Mr. Scriven also died tragically, by drowning, either a suicide or an accident.

This monologue by Christian comedienne Chondra Pierce is an excellent commentary on this hymn and on the faithfulness of our Lord:

It seems odd and mildly humorous to me, but this hymn is said to be a very popular wedding song played at Japanese weddings. A Japanese poet’s (secular) words have been set to Mr. Converse’s tune, but usually if the words are sung, they’re a Japanese translation of Mr. Scriven’s lyrics. I’m trying to imagine “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer” in Japanese and at a wedding. Incongruity anyone?

The tune has also been used, particularly during World War I for other, more bawdy, lyrics, but you don’t want to go there, do you? Me neither. I’m still stuck on the Japanese wedding song thing. If you’re wanting to get that picture out of your imagination, go back and listen to Chondra Pierce again. It’s worth another listen.

Sources:
What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Lindsay Terry in Christianity Today.
Seiyaku: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Hymn #43: Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Aug8

Lyrics: Joseph Hart, 1759.

Music: RESTORATION arranged by William Walker, 1835, from The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
Also BEACH SPRING arranged by Benjamin Franklin White, 1844 from The Sacred Harp.
These two were competing hymnals, both using “shape notes“. (Here’s a shape note rendition of this hymn.) Benjamin F. White was William Walker’s brother-in-law. Unfortunately, although the two men worked together at first in collecting and composing hymn tunes, they refused to share credit for the collections they produced. So they were estranged for the rest of their lives.
Or you could go back to Indelible Grace for this tune by Darwin Jordan or this one by Matthew S. Smith. Brown Bear Daughter, who has a predilection for minor key tunes, insists on retaining the traditional Southern Harmony RESTORATION tune, and I’ll admit that I’m with her.

Theme: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.

Refrain:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

Baker Church:

“The verses of the hymn were composed much earlier (1759) by English pastor Joseph Hart. Two years before he wrote this hymn, Hart was converted to Christianity following a Moravian service he attended on Pentecost Sunday. Despite his rearing in a Christian home, Hart entered a stage of rebellion in his early twenties characterized by a lifestyle of carnality and a philosophy of anti-Christian sentiments. He was known as an enemy of the cross, and went to great lengths to discredit Christianity and its followers. Hart published a pamphlet entitled, “The Unreasonableness of Religion” as a response to one of John Wesley’s sermons, earning him a reputation not unlike that of Saul. Hart fell into a depression in the 1850s(sic1750s). It was during this time that he developed a Spiritual conviction that eventually led him to the Moravian meeting in 1857(sic1757) and his eventual conversion. Filled with the Holy Spirit and anxious to share his experience, Hart took to writing poetry, from which the text of our hymn was derived.”

Here’s yet another tune by CCM artist Todd Agnew:

Sources:
Rebecca Writes: Sunday’s Hymn.
Baker Church Media: Come Ye Sinners.

Hymn #44: Just As I Am

Aug7

Lyrics: Charlotte Elliot, 1835.

Music: WOODWORTH by WIlliam B. Bradbury is the traditional tune for this hymn.
I like the tune, found in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal, called TABERNACLE by Phillip Landgrave, 1968. Unfortunately, I can’t find a good midi or mp3 of this tune. Here’s the only one I found, but it’s played way too fast and peppy for my taste.

Theme: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14.

Billy Graham: “That well-known Gospel hymn has been used by God in crusades all over the world to draw people to Himself, not only in English but also in other languages as well.” (Graham chose this hymn’s title as the title of his 1997 autobiography.)

Rev. H.V. Elliott, Charlotte’s brother: ‘In the course of a long ministry I hope I have been permitted to see some fruit for my labours; but I feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister’s”.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, tho’ tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind-
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find-
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thy love unknown
Has broken ev’ry barrier down,
Now to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Sources:

Workers for Jesus: Just As I Am.

STEM Publishing: Miss Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871.

Hymn #45: Immortal, Invisible

Aug4

Lyrics: Walter Chalmers Smith, 1876. Read more about Walter Chalmers Smith.

Music: ST DENIO from a Welsh melody arranged by John Roberts, 1839.

Theme: “NOW UNTO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, THE ONLY GOD, BE HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.” —1 TIMOTHY 1:17

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above,
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but nought changeth Thee.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see:
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

To do a study of this hymn in your homeschool, check out Hymn Studies: Immortal Invisible.

Hymn #46: The Church’s One Foundation

Aug3

Lyrics: Samuel John Stone, 1866.

Music: AURELIA by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1844.

Theme: For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 3:11

Center for Church Music: “The Reverend Samuel John Stone . . . was concerned about people saying the Apostles Creed in a perfunctory manner, saying the words without a clear understanding of what they were saying. He wrote a series of twelve hymns, each explaining a section of the creed and defending the fact of the inspiration of Scripture. ‘The Church’s One Foundation’ explains the ninth article – ‘I believe in the Holy Catholic (Universal) church, the communion of the saints.’ This series of hymns was printed in Lyra Fidelium (Lyre of the Faithful) in 1866.”

The church’s one Foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word:
From heav’n he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.

Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food.
And to one hope she presses,
With ev’ry grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain and cherish
Is with her to the end;
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

‘Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With the God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee.

Additional verses that were part of the original hymn text, but have been altered or omitted:

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!

Not a praise and worship hymn. Not a reworked psalm hymn. Not a gospel hymn. A teaching hymn. I like that. I may use this one as one of the hymns we learn in school this year.

The pictured book covers are some of my favorite books about The Church. However, as I chose books to be pictured, I realized that I haven’t read that many books that are specifically about the Church. Can you suggest any other must-read books about the Church (Baptist/evangelical/mere Christian perspective)?

Joy to the World: A Different Take

Aug3

It seemed almost sacrilegious to post this blast from the past along with the hymn from which it borrows a line and a title, but on the other hand, I couldn’t resist. So I’m giving the Three Dog Night version of Joy to the World, lyrics and tune by Hoyt Axton, its own post. It’s not praise and worship, but I’ve always been a sucker for a catchy tune with some silly lyrics.

By the way, Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World was the top hit single of 1971.

Hymn #47: Joy to the World

Aug1

Lyrics: Isaac Watts, 1719.

Music: According to Wikipedia, “The music was adapted and arranged by Lowell Mason from an older melody which was then believed to have originated from Handel [1], not least because the theme of the refrain (And heaven and nature sing…) appears in the orchestra opening and accompaniment of the recitative Comfort Ye from Handel’s Messiah, and the first four notes match the beginning of the choruses Lift up your heads and Glory to God from the same oratorio. However, Handel did not compose the entire tune.”

I didn’t know that.

Theme: No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:3-5.

I don’t know what either Handel or Lowell Mason would have thought, but I like Mannheim Steamroller:

My urchins prefer the Jonas Brothers.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the Earth! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

C.S. Lewis: “I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.”

Pope Benedict XVI: “But let us also think of those, especially young people, who have lost the sense of authentic joy, and who seek it in vain where it is impossible to find: in the exasperated race for self-affirmation and success, in false amusements, in consumerism, in moments of drunkenness, in the artificial paradise of drugs and of other forms of alienation.”

Louise Bogan: I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy!

Emily Dickinson: ‘Tis so much joy! ‘Tis so much joy! If I should fail, what poverty! And yet, as poor as I Have ventured all upon a throw; Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so this side the victory!”

Samuel Shoemaker: “The surest mark of a Christian is not faith, or even love, but joy.”