sunday hymn

A few weeks ago, I posted my top ten hymns for Semicolon's Top 100 Hymns project. Since then she has tabulated the results and been posting them. What a gorgeous project! She accompanies every hymn with a recording, some historical background as well as lyrics. It's not only inspirational but educational too.

Here for your Sunday listening pleasure is the beautiful "Children of the Heavenly Father." I found this version on (where else) Semicolon!

top 100 hymns

Sherry has tabulated the results of the 100 top hymn meme she got going some weeks ago. She's posting results throughout June. Keep track of the countdown here.

Are you finding many of your favorites on the list? I certainly am!

promptings top ten hymns countdown - 2, 1

(This is my fifth and final post of favorite hymns for Semicolon's top 100 hymns project.
#1, #2, #3, #4)


2. "Of the Father's Love Begotten" - 413
by Aurelius C. Prudentius, Translated by John M. Neale 1818-1866 and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977. "Divinum mysterium", Plain-song tune, 12th century

I first heard this song sung by the Amadeus Children's Choir when our daughter sang in it. At the beginning of the Christmas concert the children entered the auditorium singing it in their clear, pure voices. What a heavenly sound!

Since then it has become one of my favorite hymns. Its beautiful lyrics and plaintive tune make it unforgettable.





1. "A Mighty Fortress" - 1529
Text: Martin Luther Trans. by Frederick H. Hedge
Music: Martin Luther Harmony
Tune: EIN' FESTE BURG

"In the forward of a book, Luther once wrote: 'Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treaure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts and spirits.'

...Luther's most famous hymn is "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott," -- "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Based on Psalm 46, it reflects Luther's awareness of our intense struggle with Satan. In difficulty and danger, Luther would often resort to this song" (p. 15, Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan).

I would say it never fails to encourage me too!



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

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.

promptings top ten hymns countdown - 6, 5

(This is my third post of favorite hymns for Semicolon's top 100 hymns project. Here is #1 & #2.)

6. "O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus" - 1875
by Samuel Trevor Francis, tune by Thomas J. Williams

Though Samuel Francis was brought up in a Christian home, he experienced a crisis of faith as a young man. One dark night crossing a bridge on his way home, he had the temptation to end his life. In the shock of the moment he realized, I do believe, and put his whole trust in Jesus as Savior.

He went on to become a London merchant but what he really lived for was hymn writing and preaching in open air meetings. "O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus" is one of the hymns he wrote.


Here Praise in Motion does liturgical dance to Selah's rendition of the song.



5. "In Christ Alone" - 2001
Words and music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music,
P.O. Box 75, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6NW, UK.

This is one of the beautiful new hymns of the church. I gained a greater appreciation of what Christ's death and resurrection means through "In Christ Alone" when I memorized it as part of this year's Easter Sunday choir program.



(For more new hymns by Keith & Kristyn Getty check out their website. To hear more songs, visit their MySpace site - or buy "In Christ Alone" through itunes - I just did)

promptings top ten hymns countdown - 8, 7

(This is my second post of favorite hymns for Semicolon's top 100 hymns project. The first is here.)

8. "Be Thou My Vision" - 8th Century
Tune - Traditional Irish tune "Slane"

"In the eighth century an unknown Irish poet wrote a prayer asking God to be his Vision, his Wisdom and his Best Thought by day or by night.

In 1905, Mary Elizabeth Bryne, a scholar in Dublin Ireland, translated this ancient Irish poem into English. Another scholar, Eleanor Hull of Manchester England took Byrne's translation and crafted it into verses with rhyme and meter. Shortly thereafter it was set to a traditional Irish folk song, "Slane," named for an area in Ireland where Patrick reportedly challenged local Druids with the Gospel."

7. "Holy Holy Holy" - 1826
by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Reginald Heber, a graduate of Oxford and a friend of Sir Walter Scott enjoyed poetry. His desire to publish a collection of his hymns was nixed by the Bishop of London at the time, but Heber kept writing anyway.

One hymn he wrote, "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" expressed another desire of his, to go to "India's coral strand." In 1822, at age 40, he was sent to India to oversee the Church of England's ministries. One day in 1826 after spending hours preaching in the hot sun, he went for a swim in cool water, suffered a stroke and drowned. His widow discovered a collection of 57 hymns in his trunk. The majestic hymn"Holy, Holy, Holy" was one of them.

Here it is sung by Keith Green - another man who died in his prime.




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

promptings top ten hymns countdown - 10, 9

I've decided to join in Semicolon's top 100 hymns project. But rather than put up my ten in one long post, I will put up two a day every other day, aiming to have them all up by the deadline date of May 31st.

So here is my Top Ten Hymn Countdown, starting with...

#10. "Holy Spirit Rain Down"
by Russell Fragar 1997

This song reminds me of the time of personal spiritual renewal my husband and I experienced around the year 2000. We listened to and sang this song a lot. Here it is sung by Darlene Zschech from Hillsongs Australia.




#9 "Christ the Lord is Risen Today"
Lyrics by Charles Wesley - 1739, tune from Lyra Davidica

This song typifies Easter Sunday morning for me. I love its joyous energy.

Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan is a book of 150 of the world's greatest hymn stories. It says of this song:

"John and Charles Wesley found themselves out of favor with many fellow Anglican ministers who spurned their fiery evangelistic preaching. Many pulpits were closed to them.

A friend from his Oxford days, George Whitefield, 22, who was having the same trouble, began preaching in the open air. In London, he asked Charles to stand with him as he preached to thousands in the open air at Blackheath, and Charles too got a vision for reaching the multitudes...

[...] Charles Wesley still preaches today in much the same way through his ageless hymns which are sung around the world each Sunday. Perhaps his most exuberant anthem is the one he simply called, "Hymn for Easter Day" published in 1739. It originally consisted of 11 stanzas and the "Alleluias" were added later.

Steve Green sings this up-tempo version.

sunday quote - a hymn this time

I don't normally post hymns, but yesterday we were at Missions Fest - Vancouver and sang this grand old one. What a wonderful reminder of how God continues to work even when we're perplexed about where we are and what's next -- maybe especially when we're perplexed and finally still enough to let Him take over.



Be Still My Soul Hymn

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Lyrics: Katharina A. von Schlegel - 1752
Music: Finlandia, Jean Sibelius - 1899

Below is a beautiful version of "Be Still" sung by Selah.
(To turn off automatic player click on '' of the Playlist - sidebar top right.)