promptings top ten hymns countdown - 4, 3

(This is my fourth post of favorite hymns for Semicolon's top 100 hymns project.
#1, #2, #3.)

4. "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" - 14th century BC
Numbers 6:24-25, Tune by Peter C. Lutkin

I love songs of blessing. I remember how safe this one made me feel when I heard it in the Mennonite church where I grew up.

The lyrics are adapted from Numbers 6:24-26. D. L. Moody, in his "Notes from My Bible," said about this benediction:

“Here is a benediction that can give all the time without being impoverished. Every heart may utter it, every letter may conclude with it, every day may begin with it, every night may be sanctified by it. Here is blessing—keeping—shining—the uplifting upon our poor life of all heaven’s glad morning. It is the Lord Himself who (gives us) this bar of music from heaven’s infinite anthem.”

This YouTube version is sung by the Central Islip High School Concert Choir Alumni (2007)



3."All Glory Laud and Honor" - 820 AD
Text: Theodulph of Orleans; trans. by John Mason Neale
Music: Melchior Teschner
Tune: ST. THEODULPH

Theodulph, Bishop of Orleans went to France at Charlemagne's request. When Charlemagne died, his son Louis I assumed the throne. Problems began when Louis started splitting the kingdom among relatives. In all the brouhaha, Bishop Theodulph (whose main interests in life were fostering education and writing hymns) was accused of conspiracy and put in prison. There he wrote this great Palm Sunday hymn - which at first had 39 verses!

Cliff Richard apparently recorded this version of "All Glory Laud and Honor" in 1967, three years after his conversion to Christianity,



Hymn stories are quoted or adapted from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan.