Here is another collection of worshipful music for you to enjoy singing at home, or wherever you may be!
May the Scripture, music, stories, and images shared here edify and encourage you today and during the upcoming week.
PRELUDE
In Christ There is No East or West
Words by William J. Dunkerly (a.k.a John Oxenham), "McKee" hymn tune adapted by Harry Thacker Burleigh. Arranged for solo piano by Anthony Giamanco
This hymn of Christian unity was written in 1908 by British journalist, novelist and poet William J. Dunkerly (1852-1941), who frequently used the pseudonym "John Oxenham." The tune matched with Dunkerly's text here was an Irish melody adapted by African-American slaves and associated with the spiritual "I Know I've Been Changed." In 1939, Harry Thacker Burleigh (featured in last week's post) arranged this tune, and this version was named after Elmer M. McKee, rector of St. George's Episcopal Church in New York where Burleigh was a baritone soloist for over 50 years. You can read more about the history of this hymn here.
Matthew 8:11
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
In Christ there is no east or west,
In him no south or north,
But one great fam'ly bound by love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
In him shall true hearts ev'rywhere
Their high communion find;
His service is the golden cord
Close binding humankind.
Join hands, disciples in the faith,
Whate'er your race may be!
Who serve each other in Christ's love
Are surely kin to me.
In Christ now meet both east and west,
In him meet south and north,
All Christly souls are one in him
Throughout the whole wide earth.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING AT HOME
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Words by Robert Robinson. "Nettleton" hymn tune (anonymous, first appeared in John Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part 2 in 1813)
Robert Robinson (1735-1790) was a British Baptist preacher and scholar who wrote the text for "Come Thou Fount" at the age of 22. Robinson had a difficult early life: his parents' marriage was troubled and their family suffered from extreme poverty. As a teenager he was sent to London to train as an apprentice to the barber trade, but toward the end of his apprenticeship, he felt called to the ministry and eventually settled in Cambridge where he served as a pastor at St. Andrew's Street Baptist Church for over three decades. There are many unanswered questions about Robinson's beliefs toward the end of his life (e.g. "was he 'prone to wander'?"): there are excellent articles on this topic here and here. Here is a beautiful choral arrangement of this hymn.
1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Michigan-born Judson Van DeVenter (1855-1939) was trained as an artist and worked as an art instructor after graduating from Hillsdale College. He was also fascinated with music and learned to play 13 instruments. He felt a pull toward evangelism, and later spoke of the moment at evangelist George Sebring's home in 1896 when God's call on his life became clear.
Romans 6:13
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
In him no south or north,
But one great fam'ly bound by love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
In him shall true hearts ev'rywhere
Their high communion find;
His service is the golden cord
Close binding humankind.
Join hands, disciples in the faith,
Whate'er your race may be!
Who serve each other in Christ's love
Are surely kin to me.
In Christ now meet both east and west,
In him meet south and north,
All Christly souls are one in him
Throughout the whole wide earth.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING AT HOME
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Words by Robert Robinson. "Nettleton" hymn tune (anonymous, first appeared in John Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part 2 in 1813)
Robert Robinson (1735-1790) was a British Baptist preacher and scholar who wrote the text for "Come Thou Fount" at the age of 22. Robinson had a difficult early life: his parents' marriage was troubled and their family suffered from extreme poverty. As a teenager he was sent to London to train as an apprentice to the barber trade, but toward the end of his apprenticeship, he felt called to the ministry and eventually settled in Cambridge where he served as a pastor at St. Andrew's Street Baptist Church for over three decades. There are many unanswered questions about Robinson's beliefs toward the end of his life (e.g. "was he 'prone to wander'?"): there are excellent articles on this topic here and here. Here is a beautiful choral arrangement of this hymn.
1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise:
teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;*
hither by Thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home:
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above.
There is a powerful final verse of this hymn that is not included in most published versions.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
*Ebenezer comes from a Hebrew phrase that means, "stone of help." See 1 Samuel 7:12 above.
I Surrender All
Words by Judson W. Van DeVenter, Music by Winfield S. Weeden
tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise:
teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;*
hither by Thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home:
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above.
There is a powerful final verse of this hymn that is not included in most published versions.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
*Ebenezer comes from a Hebrew phrase that means, "stone of help." See 1 Samuel 7:12 above.
I Surrender All
Words by Judson W. Van DeVenter, Music by Winfield S. Weeden
Michigan-born Judson Van DeVenter (1855-1939) was trained as an artist and worked as an art instructor after graduating from Hillsdale College. He was also fascinated with music and learned to play 13 instruments. He felt a pull toward evangelism, and later spoke of the moment at evangelist George Sebring's home in 1896 when God's call on his life became clear.
For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, he caused me to sing.This personal experience was the basis for "I Surrender All," which was matched to a tune by singer Winfield Weeden (1847-1908), Van DeWinter's associate and assistant. Here is more information on the history of this hymn, and here is a wonderful recording by CeCe Winans.
Matthew 16:24-25
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.Romans 6:13
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
There are three verses shown here: we'll add a fourth (listed below).
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now. [Refrain]
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,
May I know Thy pow'r divine. [Refrain]
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
Words by Frederick W. Faber, Music by Lizzie Tourjee
This hymn, which speaks of God's vast mercies toward us, was written by Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863), an Anglican (later Catholic) priest who was good friends with British poet William Wordsworth. Faber is also known as the author of the hymn "Faith of our Fathers."
There have been many hymn tunes matched with Faber's text: the tune shown here (and featured on our piano accompaniment recording) was written by Lizzie Tourjee (1858-1913). Tourjee's father, Eben Tourjee, was the founder of the New England Conservatory of Music. 18-year-old Lizzie wrote this melody in 1876 as the class song for her high school graduation. She married in 1883 and served as a music teacher and organist for the rest of her life. You can read more about this hymn here.
Psalm 33:4-5
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Lamentations 3:22-23
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| Public domain. From Hymnary.org |
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now. [Refrain]
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,
May I know Thy pow'r divine. [Refrain]
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
Words by Frederick W. Faber, Music by Lizzie Tourjee
This hymn, which speaks of God's vast mercies toward us, was written by Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863), an Anglican (later Catholic) priest who was good friends with British poet William Wordsworth. Faber is also known as the author of the hymn "Faith of our Fathers."
There have been many hymn tunes matched with Faber's text: the tune shown here (and featured on our piano accompaniment recording) was written by Lizzie Tourjee (1858-1913). Tourjee's father, Eben Tourjee, was the founder of the New England Conservatory of Music. 18-year-old Lizzie wrote this melody in 1876 as the class song for her high school graduation. She married in 1883 and served as a music teacher and organist for the rest of her life. You can read more about this hymn here.
Psalm 33:4-5
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
I'll play the hymn all the way through once before the first verse on the recording so that you can get a feel for the tune if it is new to you.
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
I'll play the hymn all the way through once before the first verse on the recording so that you can get a feel for the tune if it is new to you.
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| Public domain. Via Hymnary.org |
There's a wideness in God's mercy,
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in His justice,
which is more than liberty.
There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in His blood.
But we make His love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify His strictness
with a zeal He will not own.
For the love of God is broader
than the measure of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more simple,
we could take Him at His word;
and our lives would be more loving
in the likeness of our Lord.
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in His justice,
which is more than liberty.
There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in His blood.
But we make His love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify His strictness
with a zeal He will not own.
For the love of God is broader
than the measure of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more simple,
we could take Him at His word;
and our lives would be more loving
in the likeness of our Lord.
POSTLUDE
Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow)
Words by Thomas Ken. "Old Hundredth" hymn tune from Genevan Psalter (1551), attributed to Louis Bourgeois. Arranged for solo piano by Mark Hayes
A doxology, comprised of the Greek words doxa (glory, splendor, grandeur) and logos (word, speaking), is an expression of praise to God: there are many doxologies, including the "Greater Doxology" from Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill among men."
The text commonly referred to today as "The Doxology" or "The Common Doxology" was originally a stanza attached to three hymns in a 1695 devotional book for morning and evening worship by Thomas Ken, written for students of Winchester College.
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
