Definition of HYM

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious and partially coincident with devotional song,
specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or
deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος
(hymnos), which means "a song of praise". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist. The
singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody. Collections of hymns are known as
hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment.

Although most familiar to speakers of English in the context of Christianity, hymns are also a
fixture of other world religions, especially on the Indian subcontinent (stotras). Hymns also
survive from antiquity, especially from Egyptian and Greek cultures. Some of the oldest
surviving examples of notated music are hymns with Greek texts.

Jesus, keep me near the Cross, Hymn story

Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915) was the author of over 8,500 gospel songs. Though blind at 6
weeks of age, Crosby began composing texts at age 6. She later became a teacher at the New
York School for the Blind, where she was a student. A friend of several presidents, Crosby
became one of the most important advocates for the cause of the blind in the United States.

Her texts were set to the compositions of some of the most prominent gospel song composers of
the day including William Bradbury, William Doane and Ira Sankey. Crosby composed under a
number of pen names. She married blind musician Alexander Van Alstyne. British hymnals
identify her as Frances Van Alstyne, her married name.

This hymn first appeared in the collection Bright Jewels (1869), compiled by Bradbury, Doane,
W.F. Sherwin and Chester G. Allen, at least two of whom were famous writers of gospel song
tunes. Indeed, it was Doane who wrote the music and then gave it to Fanny Crosby to add the
text—a practice that was not uncommon in their relationship.

UM Hymnal editor Carlton R. Young notes: “It is one of many texts by Crosby that combine
vivid imagery (she was blinded in her childhood) and powerful biblical and evangelical
metaphors: the Cross, a fountain of healing streams, free grace, the daily walk of faith, God’s
pursuing love and mercy, Jesus, the Lamb of God, beyond the river of death—heaven with its
golden streets—and rest for the post-Raptured souls.”

The glory of the Cross, a theme of the refrain, is a common metaphor of Romantic-era hymnody.
The Cross, a place where the pain of earth and the joy of heaven come together, is a kind of
spiritual altar to which we might draw near for refuge and solace. From it flows a “precious
fountain”—an image perhaps borrowed from the 18th-century poet William Cowper and his
hymn “There is a fountain filled with blood” (UM Hymnal, No. 622).

Though an instrument of cruel punishment and torture, the Cross is a source of a “healing
stream” (stanza one) and a place where “the bright and morning star sheds its beams” on us
(stanza two).

Stanza three invites us to meditate upon the Cross—“bring its scenes before me.” The “shadow”
of the Cross falls on my daily path. This image is reminiscent of another Romantic-era poet,
Elizabeth C. Clephane, who in 1872 wrote “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” (UM Hymnal, No. 297).

Many writers have commented on Fanny Crosby’s ability to employ the technique
of hypotyposis—painting a vivid scene as if it were present—even though she was blinded soon
after birth.

The famous evangelist Dwight L. Moody was said to have asked Crosby the following question
toward the end of her life: “If you could have just one wish granted, what would it be?”

Moody expected her to ask for sight. Sensing this she is said to have replied, “If I could have one
wish, I’d wish that I might continue blind the rest of my life.” Moody was taken back and asked,
“How can you say that?” Crosby was said to have responded, “Because, after being blind for all
these years, the first face I want to see now is the face of Jesus.”

The eschatological theme of “Near the Cross” captures the hope and joy of heaven that is so
characteristic of Crosby’s hymns: “Till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.”

History of Hymns: "I Am Thine, O Lord

Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915) “set the standard for the ‘successful’ writing of gospel hymns,”
according to UM Hymnal editor Carlton R. Young. She was the author of over 8,500 gospel
songs.

Blind at six weeks of age, Crosby began composing texts at age 6. At 12 she began her study at
the New York School for the Blind, a school she later served as a teacher. A friend of several
presidents, she became one of the country’s most important advocates for the cause of the blind,
addressing a session of Congress on the topic.

Her texts were set to the compositions of some of the most prominent gospel song composers of
the day including William Bradbury, William Doane, Robert Lowry and Ira Sankey. Crosby
composed under a number of pen names. She married blind musician Alexander Van Alstyne,
and British hymnals have always used her married name, Frances Van Alstyne.

This hymn is one of many collaborations between Crosby and composer William Doane (1832-
1915). The late Baptist hymnologist William J. Reynolds provides the context for the
composition of the hymn in 1874 during a visit by Crosby to Doane’s home in Cincinnati:

“One evening she and Doane talked at length about the nearness of God in their lives. When
Fanny went to her room, her mind and heart were flooded with ideas from their conversation.
Before she went to sleep, the lines of “I am thine, O Lord” were in her mind. . . . The next
morning she recited the words to Doane, who wrote down the stanzas and composed the tune.”

The text appeared with the following inscription from Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water.” (KJV)

Carlton Young points out that Crosby seems to mix her cleansing metaphors intentionally—
“pure water” and “bleeding side.” The connection becomes clearer when one reads the previous
verses in Hebrews 10:

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and
having an high priest over the house of God. . . .”

Like so many of Crosby’s hymns, “I am thine, O Lord” is written in the first person—a personal
testimony of her relationship with Christ. Stanza one begins with a total surrender to Christ, “I
am thine, O Lord,” and the desire to “be closer drawn to thee.” The second stanza appropriately
draws upon the closeness of this relationship as an impetus of service: “Consecrate me now to
thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine.”

Stanza three defines the relationship further as one forged in prayer: “When I kneel in prayer,
and with thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend!” In the final stanza, Crosby
acknowledges that her relationship will not be complete until she reaches heaven (“cross the
narrow sea”) and then she will find “rest in peace with thee.”

The refrain is the theological hub around which the spokes of the stanzas all connect: “Draw me
nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.”

In this case, it is Christ’s blood that cleanses and perfects the relationship. Fanny Crosby is
thoroughly Wesleyan in her understanding of grace and perfection.
The great physician, Hymn stroy

William Hunter
I have known The Great Physician Now Is Near since I was a child. I remember singing this
song when we went to visit the sick in hospital. It is such a beautiful hymn and has comforted
many a soul.

The author of this hymn was William Hunter who was born near Ballymoney, Country Antrim,
Ireland in 1811. He, later on, moved to America in 1817.

He was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. Before pastoring he was the Professor of
Hebrew in Alleghany Colleg.

He is reported to have composed over a hundred hymns which appeared in Minstrel of

Zion,1845; Select Melodies, 1851; and Songs of Devotion, 1859.

Some of his famous hymns include, My Heavenly Home Is Bright And Fair; A Home in Heaven;
and What a Joyful Thought.

This song is based on Matthew 9:12 - "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick".
Jesus came not just to heal from physical illnesses but more importantly to heal us from the curse
of sin.

We need to remember that he is the sympathizing Jesus who understands what we are going
through as He became a man. We can, therefore, trust Him to treat us fairly.
Let us put our trust in Him and He will never fail us.

The Story Behind the Hymn— “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing!”

The hymn “There Shall be Showers of Blessings” was composed by Major Daniel Webster
Whittle. Born on November 22, 1840 in Chicope Falls, Massachusetts. He would later move to
Chicago, Illinois in 1857. He then began attending a Congregational Church and became a
regular Bible class attender. “In 1862, he married Abbie Hanson.”[1] He was converted During
the Civil War. He gave testimony to his conversion experience in the book Twice Born Men. He
relates how:

When the Civil War broke out, I left my home in New England and came to Virginia as
lieutenant of a company in a Massachusetts regiment. My dear mother was a devout Christian,
and parted from me with many a tear, and followed me with many a prayer. She had placed a
New Testament in a pocket of the haversack that she arranged for me.

We had many engagements, and I saw many sad sights, and in one of the battles I was knocked
out, and that night my arm was amputated above the elbow. As I grew better, having a desire for
something to read, I felt in my haversack, which I had been allowed to keep, and found the little
[New] Testament my mother had placed there.

I read right through the book – Matthew, Mark, Luke, to Revelation. Every part was interesting
to me; and I found to my surprise that I could understand it in a way that I never had before.
When I had finished Revelation, I began at Matthew, and read it through again. And so, for days
I continued reading, and with continued interest; and still with no thought of becoming a
Christian, I saw clearly from what I read the way of salvation through Christ.
While laying [sic] in the hospital, a young man begged a nurse to pray for him, but she refused.
He then begged Daniel who said “I can’t pray. I never prayed in my life. I am just as wicked as
you are.”

The young man begged Daniel to pray for him. He felt God speaking to him, so he knelt at the
boy’s bedside confessing first his sins and then praying for the young man. By the time he
finished, the young man had peacefully passed from this life. [2]

Whittle recounted later, “I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few
broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He
did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I
prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace
had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to
the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet
him in heaven.” [3]

Whittle was granted the rank of Major towards the end of the conflict. This procured for him the
title of “Major” thereafter. “Following the work [war] he went to work for the Elgin Watch
Company.” [4]

Eventually he went joined the well-known Evangelist Dwight L. Moody as an associate

evangelist and hymn writer. In addition to There Shall Be Showers of Blessing he composed I
Know Whom I Have Believed.[5]

Whittle’s daughter married Moody’s son. Moody would laud Whittle saying, “I think Major
Whittle has written some of the best hymns of the century.” [6] Whittle died March 4, 1901.
James Mc Granahan, who often traveled sharing the gospel with Major Whittle, composed the
music for There Shall Be Showers of Blessings.[7]

Tell it to Jesus Hymn story

I guess when you are young you never think about the challenges of getting old. But most of us
someday will experience the physical changes which we all face during our senior years.
However, I doubt that few people ever think of the challenges one will face upon the loss of
family members and close friends. At least I never thought about it until it happened. Sometimes
when the problems seem to roll in, I long to be able to talk to my parents, or to my brother, or to
my close friend Jim. But alas, they are all now in heaven. And, with the exception of my wife,
I've reached the point where I no longer have that special person here on earth with whom I can
share my burdens. A few weeks ago when I was feeling this need I turned on the radio and
found that they were playing this week's hymn choice. It was a special reminder to me at that
time that I can always share my burdens with Jesus. He is never on vacation or too busy to
listen. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. And He is faithful to keep all of His
promises to us. The original text of this hymn was written in German and was composed by
Edmund Simon Lorenz (1854-1942). Lorenz was born in North Lawrence, a small village near
Canton in Stark County, OH, and he studied music at Otterbein University in Westerville, OH, at
Yale, and in Europe. The English translation was made by Jeremiah Eames Rankin, who is
sometimes incorrectly listed as the author. An interesting sidelight of Lorenz's background is
that he served as president of Lebanon Valley College from 1886-1888. I find that interesting
since my one grandson just began his college experience at Lebanon Valley. Eventually, Lorenz
settled in Dayton, OH, where he remained for the rest of his life, and founded the Lorenz
Publishing Company, for which he wrote several books and composed a number of sacred
works. Now I don't know the circumstances that brought him to compose this hymn but I can't
help but believe that it must be his testimony of his life experiences. Maybe today you are facing
the difficult challenges of life and you may feel overwhelmed. You are fortunate if you have a
friend here on earth who can bare these challenges with you. But please remember that the best
place to take your challenges is straight to the Lord. Are you weary, are you heavy laden, are the
tears flowing, are you anxious about tomorrow, are you worried about dying? Then take it to
Jesus in prayer.

History of Hymns: "Trust and Obey"

"Trust and Obey"

John H. Sammis.
Many readers of this column grew up singing this familiar gospel song in Sunday School classes,
worship services, revival meetings and other gatherings of the church.

Gospel songs often take a kernel of Scripture and weave a personal or first- person reflection
around the chosen passage. We are not sure of the text upon which the author, John H. Sammis
(1846-1919), based his hymn. Some sources suggest 1 John 1:7, but, as UM Hymnal editor
Carlton Young points out, there does not appear to be any substantial resemblance to this passage
and the content of the hymn.

Hymnologist Kenneth W. Osbeck cites 1 Samuel 15:22: “And Samuel said, ‘Hath the Lord as
great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken better than the fat of rams.’” Perhaps this is the best
we can do in this case.

The hymn was inspired in 1886 when the composer of the music, Daniel B. Towner (1850-
1919), was the music leader during one of Dwight L. Moody’s famous revivals. Towner
provided the following account cited by Moody’s musical partner, Ira D. Sankey, in his
biography, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns:

“Mr. Moody was conducting a series of meetings in Brockton, Massachusetts, and I had the
pleasure of singing for him there. One night a young man rose in a testimony meeting and said, ‘I
am not quite sure—but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.’ I just jotted that sentence
down, and sent it with a little story to the Rev. J. H. Sammis, a Presbyterian minister. He wrote
the hymn, and the tune was born.”

Sammis is said to have composed the lines of the refrain upon receiving the letter:

“Trust and obey—for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

As is the case with most gospel songs, these lines provide the central theme around which all of
the stanzas were written. The text and tune first appeared in the 1887 collection, Hymns Old and
New, and the hymn has been included in countless hymnals since then. Methodist hymnals in the
United States have carried it since 1897.

Sammis was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was a successful businessman in Logansport, Ind.
Through his work with the YMCA he was called to the ministry, attended McCormick and Lane
Seminaries, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1880. After serving congregations in
Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota, he joined the faculty of the Los Angeles Bible Institute.

I can imagine that many a sermon has been based on these three words, and following the
singing of this hymn at the conclusion of the sermon, many worshippers have headed home
humming or whistling the refrain, providing a lyrical way to take the theme with them.

Dr. Young points out that this hymn “is concerned with the rewards of trusting God’s word and
obeying God’s will.” The ultimate reward, a heavenly one so common in hymnody, appears in
the final stanza when the hymn writer muses that “in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet.

History of Hymns: Standing on the Promises

“Standing on the Promises”

R. Kelso Carter
Russell Kelso Carter (1849-1928) was a man of diverse interests and abilities. A native of
Baltimore, Md., Carter was known as an outstanding athlete in his younger days. The Methodist
Holiness camp meeting movement had a profound impact on his life and he was ordained into
ministry in 1887.

Carter held a number of teaching posts at the Pennsylvania Military Academy including
professor of chemistry, natural science, civil engineering and mathematics. Not only did he
teach, but he also published text books in his various disciplines and even authored several
novels. Other interests included sheep-raising and practicing medicine.

If this were not enough, Carter also edited hymnals. He assisted A.B. Simpson in the compilation
of a hymnal for the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Hymns of the Christian Life
(1891), a collection that contained 68 of his tunes and 52 of his texts.

“Standing on the Promises” was composed in 1886 while Carter was teaching at the military
academy. He was a member of the first graduating class in 1867 and had a strong affinity for the
school. Author Phil Kerr makes a connection between the music and the military academy in his
book, Music in Evangelism, stating that Carter’s military experience was reflected in the martial
musical style of the hymn.

Published the year it was written in the collection, Songs of Perfect Love, edited by John K.
Sweeny and Carter, the original text had five stanzas. The missing stanza reads:

Standing on the promises I now can see

Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

The second line of this stanza has a particular Wesleyan tone with its focus on perfection and
cleansing blood. The Rev. Carlton Young, editor of the UM Hymnal, notes: “As in other single-
theme evangelical hymns and songs of this period, the biblical source of the hymn is not clear.
‘Stand firm’ from Ephesians 6:14 has often been cited as the theme of the hymn, although the
word ‘promise’ tends to be reinforced as well.”

Thus, two passages of Scripture seem to undergird the central premise of this gospel song:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place. . . .” (Ephesians 6:14). Several passages relate to the promises of God
including 2 Samuel 22:31: “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; he is a
buckler to all them that trust in him.”

Dr. Young points out that this hymn was not included in authorized hymnals for Methodists (or
in the 1957 hymnal of the Evangelical United Brethren Church) until the current hymnal. He
states, “Its place in our hymnal came from its inclusion in a list of hymns determined to be
widely used by evangelical United Methodists.”

As is the case of many gospel songs, this song revolves around its refrain. The stanzas, rather
than serving to develop a sequential train of thought, are more like the spokes of a bicycle—all
serving as an entry point to the refrain from various perspectives. One could reorder the stanzas
and not lose any train of thought.

Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck places the hymn in its context: “The hymn has been widely used
in the great evangelistic crusades throughout the past century.” It is in this context that its single
focus and rousing, martial music may be best suited.

History of Hymns: “God is Here”

BY CATHERINE NANCE

Fred Pratt Green

God is Here
by Fred Pratt Green
May we find in fuller measure
What it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us,
All our varied skills and arts
Wait the coming of the Spirit
Into open minds and hearts.*
*© 1979 Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In 1978, Russell Schulz-Widmar, who at the time served at University United Methodist Church
in Austin, Texas, requested that Rev. Fred Pratt Green write a hymn text to be sung at a festival
on worship, music, and the arts, in which the church would dedicate chancel furniture and
rededicate themselves to God.1 An interesting additional request was made of Rev. Pratt Green,
including the information in the following correspondence from Schulz-Widmar:
We would prefer a metre of 8.7.8.7.D since we could then use your text to introduce the tune
ABBOT’S LEIGH to our congregation. (Letter from Russell Schulz-Widmar to Fred Pratt Green,
December 1977)2
Born in England and ordained a Methodist minister, Rev. Pratt Green wrote numerous plays and
hymns. His hymns reflect his rejection of fundamentalism and show his concern with social
issues. They also include many works that were written to supply obvious liturgical needs of the
modern church, speaking to topics or appropriate for events for which there were few traditional
hymns available. As well as writing his own hymns, Green produced translations, notably
translating one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s late poems as the hymn, "By gracious powers so
wonderfully sheltered."

Rev. Pratt Green’s scrapbooks and hymnbook collections are now held in the Pratt Green
Collection at Durham University. A collection of related materials at the Pitts Theology Library
at Emory University consists of scrapbooks maintained by Fred Pratt Green from approximately
1971 to 1988. The scrapbooks contain drafts of hymns, photographs, correspondence, bulletins,
and programs from services that used his hymns, announcements, newspaper and journal
clippings, and handwritten notations by Green describing when a hymn was written and reprinted
and why, and for whom the piece was written.

This magnificent text represents Rev. Pratt Green’s amazing ability to work within some
stringent guidelines: 1) emphasize worship arts 2) dedicate new chancel accoutrements 3) engage
the congregation in a renewal of their mission as God’s people through Jesus Christ and 4)
construct the text to a particular hymn tune unfamiliar to that church. This is quite a tall order for
even the likes of a hymn writer and poet already well established for his great abilities.

Because of its meter, this hymn could be sung to a variety of tunes (it is the same meter as the
tunes HYFRYDOL, AUSTRIA, and BEACH SPRING, to name just a few). However,
ABBOT’S LEIGH, written in 1941 by Cyril V. Taylor, although famous in England, was
probably not as well known in the U.S. and specifically not known to the church for whom the
hymn was written. The birth of the hymn tune, as described by the composer, arose from the
desire to create an 87.87.D tune as an alternative to the German hymn tune AUSTRIA, which
was not favored during World War II. This tune, then, became a voice for two particularly
special hymns, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” and “Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens, Adore
Him,” during a painful time in history.

ABBOT’S LEIGH was and likely is much less familiar than many other hymn tunes with the
same meter. With generous, acrobatic interval leaps and two surprise accidentals within the
melody, it is a more challenging melody for the average congregant to readily learn.

The United Methodist Hymnal committee for the 1989 hymnal (as other denominations’ hymn
committees), in response to the range of the tune, and the interval of a 9 th, lowered the key of the
hymn tune from D major to C major, thus taking a risk of dulling the brightness represented by
the original key. Suggestions for compensating for the key change’s negative aspects are found
in the Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal, along with a clear directive to maintain a
stately, not waltz tempo.3 Despite this challenge, the text painting, particularly the first three
notes/words of each stanza are authoritative in nature, outlining the tonic chord in descending
order. On the last note of this opening chord, the tonic, lands a most important word with each
and every stanza: “God is HERE” (st. 1), “Here are SYMBOLS” (st. 2), “Here our CHILDREN”
(st. 3), “Lord of ALL” (st. 4).
Certainly, the text stands on its own and could be used with any of the corresponding-metered
hymn tunes available, but considering the nature of the birth of the text, ABBOT’S LEIGH
merits trying with a congregation at least once or twice.

Concerning the text of the hymn, right away in the first three words of the hymn, "God Is Here,"
we acknowledge something that so often we forget—God is here in worship and calls us first.
We thank God for the gifts in the church, through Christ, and remember together that we bring
thanks to God for the “varied skills and arts” as we invoke the “coming of the Spirit” into “open
minds and hearts.” Note the poet, in stanza 1, succeeds in acknowledging the Trinitarian God, as
well as ending the stanza referencing our United Methodist ethos with the words, “open minds
and hearts.” In stanza 2, by way of reminding us of the outward symbols of our “need of grace,”
Rev. Pratt Green manages to incorporate a list of those symbols in a natural, unforced way, then
moves into the preaching and hearing of the Word, emphasizing its importance to each
individual. In stanza 3, the inclusive word, “children,” reflects the importance of hospitality in a
biblical sense, the common Table, and the need to extend this hospitality into daily life. The text
of Stanza 4 acknowledges the timelessness of “change and doubt” with faithfulness to the gospel
as assurance. With a brief reference to the special day for which the text was written that does
not over-personalize the event, Rev. Pratt Green proclaims the essence of our faith in the last
words, “We believe!”

The comforter has come

This hymn was written in 1890 by Francis Bottome (1823-1894). Bottome, was born in
Derbyshire, England, May 26, 1823. In 1850, having moved to America, he entered the ministry
of the Methodist Episcopalian Church; and in 1872 he received a degree in Theology. He has
written several other hymns but not much is known about the circumstances that led to the
writing of this hymn. We also know however that Bottome was one of the modern spiritual
movements. The songs and hymns of a spiritual movement often offer the deepest insight into its
mood and theology. One of the many songs which catch up the movement’s eschatological
vision of the church is Francis Bottome’s Pentecostal hymn, “The Comforter Has Come.” It
swells all the notes of victory and triumphalism which marked the ethos of the revival: of the
early 1900s.
What I love the most in this hymn is the focus on the Holy Spirit and Pentecost immediately
comes to mind. One of the great days of memory for Christians is the day of Pentecost when the
promised Holy Spirit came upon the church. Pentecost Sunday is observed fifty days after Easter.
The colour associated with Pentecost Sunday is red and the symbol is generally of the dove.
Other symbols of the Holy Spirit include:
 Oil- It is the Holy Spirit that anoints and sets the believer apart for service.
 Water – It is the Holy Spirit that cleanses Christians from the power of sin
 Light – It is the Holy Spirit that guides us in steps of truth and righteousness
 Fire – It is the Holy Spirit that purges and sets our devotion for God ablaze
 Wind – It is the Holy Spirit that refreshes our often parched hearts
Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the Counsellor, the Comforter, the “paraclete”- the one
who would reside in each believer and always be ready to help and guide in times of need.

Following the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the disciples’ awareness of the
Holy Spirit in their lives changed them from fearful discouraged disciples into powerful
proclaimers of the gospel. This same awareness and giving of the Holy Spirit’s enabling power is
still a most necessary ingredient for any Christian to be effective in ministry.

Some comments about the lyrics:

Oh, spread the tidings ’round,– It is a response to the call – Go ye therefore, preaching the
gospel everywhere. Just as the disciples did once they had received the Holy Spirit, we too must
go everywhere and proclaim the good news. We are saved to serve!
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound” – Wherever man is found is a good
description of the world because that is where people live. Wherever. Means do not choose
where to spread the tidings. In any place where a human being abounds. In hospitals, prisons, on
the plane on the bus wherever.
Where human woes abound. The troubles of man are many – they are simply fit to be called
human woes. Crimes indescribable. Man breaths sin in every breath and has caused woes to
himself. The place where the tidings must be spread includes the most sinful dungeons. In the
midst of troubles where weeping and trouble is found to bring peace and comfort to the world.
There go and spread these tidings. In those woes there is good news i.e. the Comforter is here.
He has come. The Holy Spirit our Comforter is available any time, any place, any where. He is
right there in the middle of abounding woes. Providing grace. Providing peace. And yes,
providing comfort.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound –There is no one exempt from
proclaiming the joyful sound. Every toungue of a Christian should do so. You do not need
special talents. Just the fact that Jesus has saved you is enough message to take round. It is a
joyful sound so it must be proclaimed. Just as we often will not keep quiet when we have
interesting news, so is it with salvation in Christ.
The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last – We have waited long in our sins and
for companion on this pilgrim way. Finally when Christ is come into our hearts and the Holy
Spirit resides in us, we rest from the weary burden of since and look forward to the final
redemption when he comes.
O boundless love divine! What a challenge to realise that the magnitude of the love of God is
beyond my own comprehension. It is boundless. This love is limitless, without boundaries it can
reach to the highest mountain and go to the lowest valleys to find any sinner in need of God.
How shall this tongue of mine – To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine –Now
how shall this mouth of mine ever begin to explain the great love of God. Thank God for the
Holy Spirit, He gives us utterance and ability to do what any human being cannot do. Speak of
the wonderful love of God which is beyond human comprehension
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine! – This is hard for me to comprehend – how
that as a person who was destined for hell, I should now shine in the righteousness of Christ
although not my own and be acceptable in the sight of God. Oh Lord help me understand it what
it meant to you to take away my sin. That me who is only fit to go to hell because of my sin, God
is able to make me shine like I never sinned before. The old is past and the new has come? Yes,
God is infinitely loving, infinitely merciful, and infinitely compassionate. God wants to find a
way to save everyone. That is the work of the Comforter the Holy Spirit. I can not comprehend
it. How can this be! Just how!
Through the vacant cells – The story of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail comes to mind
when reading this line. The Holy Spirit was with Paul and Silas that night. How else could they
be praising God in the midst of dirty prison cell after being beaten almost to death. But by the
power of the Holy Spirit, they praised God. By the comfort of His presence, they were able to
praise God in spite of their circumstances. And then, they were freed from prison. They were
set free by the power of God. The cell that once contained them as prisoners was now vacant.
The same is true for us. We have been set free by the grace of God. We have been ransomed by
His blood. And now, through the vacant cells, we hear the triumphant praise of God’s redeemed
people.

I am so glad that my father

Philip P. Bliss (b. Clearfield County, PA, 1838; d. Ashtabula, OH, 1876) left home as a young
boy to make a living by working on farms and in lumber camps, all while trying to continue his
schooling. He was converted at a revival meeting at age twelve. Bliss became an itinerant music
teacher, making house calls on horseback during the winter, and during the summer attending the
Normal Academy of Music in Genesco, New York. His first song was published in 1864, and in
1868 Dwight L. Moody advised him to become a singing evangelist. For the last two years of his
life Bliss traveled with Major D. W. Whittle and led the music at revival meetings in the
Midwest and Southern United States. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey published a popular series of
hym…

The Lily of the Valley" ("I've Found a Friend in Jesus") is a Christian hymn written by
William Charles Fry (1837–1882) in London for the Salvation Army.[1] Ira D. Sankey arranged
the words to the music of "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane" composed by Will Hays.The
Lily of the Valley is a standard gospel song which has appeared in many protestant hymnals. It
was written by Charles W. Fry reflecting his experience with the Salvation Army.
Fry and his family were members of the Salvation Army organization founded by William
Booth which was then was in crisis. It is recorded that Fry did not like the abuse he saw hurled at
the Salvation Army when they established their ministry in 1878 in Salisbury, where the Fry
family lived. Mr. Fry, who was a bricklayer, and his three sons offered to serve as bodyguards
for the Salvation Army workers. The next day the four men arrived with their “weapons". These
weapons consisted of two cornets, a trombone and a small tuba. In between fighting off the
troublemakers, the Fry men played, and their music attracted a crowd for the Salvation Army
preachers. This was the first Salvation Army brass band with Mr. Fry as the leader of the band as
inscribed on his grave stone.
Fry took the term "Lily of the Valley" from the book of Song of Solomon 2:1 < I am the rose of
Sharon, the lily of the valley …>. He used this verse of Scripture to represent the message of the
preacher William Booth to the people during the protests of 1881 describing a personal, intimate
relationship with Jesus. Those words were first published in the December 29, 1881, edition of
the Salvation Army national magazine, the War Cry. Charles Fry died the year after publishing
the hymn, on August 24, 1882, in Park Hall, Polmont, Scotland. American evangelist Ira D.
Sankey adapted Fry's words to the music of "The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane" composed in
1871 by Will Hays for a secular minstrel show.

History of Hymns: “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”

Reginald Heber
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
by Reginald Heber;
The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 64
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
“Holy, Holy, Holy” by Reginald Heber (1783-1826) is unique in many regards. Indeed, it spans
many Christian traditions and centuries, unifying them in four timeless stanzas. Not only that,
but Heber was an Anglican bishop whose ministry spanned continents and races, placing him as
one of the heroes of the Christian faith.

Perhaps the most intriguing characteristic of the hymn is how the text does not initiate praise, but
instead encourages the singer to join in an endless song. Both Isaiah 6:1-5 and Revelation 4:2-11
inspire this hymn, spanning the Testaments, reminding us that the Trisagion (thrice holy) has
been uttered in worship for centuries. Isaiah received his vision in the eighth century B.C.; John
the Apostle recorded his revelation in the first century C.E.; while Reginald Heber composed his
hymn in 1826, in the nineteenth century.

Congregations continue to be inspired by Heber’s text in the twenty-first century. It is safe to say
that songs of praise, begun by the seraphim and cherubim, have been echoing throughout the
millennia through the voice of the people.

What makes this hymn so special? First, the rhyme scheme is unique since all four lines of each
stanza rhyme with the word “holy.” One won’t easily find another hymn written this way.
Another reason why “Holy, holy, holy” is such a timeless hymn is its pairing with the well-
known tune NICAEA. Written by John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876), NICAEA has a unique
elegance and magnificence, which in turn complements Heber’s stately language. There’s no
cheap emotionalism and subjectivity apparent in the music or the words. Named after the
Council of Nicaea, where the nature of the Trinity was shaped theologically, NICAEA is also a
classic example of Victorian hymn tune writing, notably with its solid harmonies and subtle
chromaticism.

Heber is careful to describe the Trinity without encroaching upon its mystery. This is especially
evident with the phrase, “though the darkness hide Thee” in stanza 3, and this separation
between God and man is exacerbated by sin (“though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not
see”). Though we may not see or completely understand the Trinity in its fullness in this lifetime,
Heber’s and Dykes’s collaboration reminds us those are not reasons that preclude our worship of
the Triune God.

One particular characteristic of “Holy, holy, holy!” is the unusual meter of 11.12.12.10. This
distinguishes it from most English texts that preceded it, especially those of Isaac Watts (1674-
1748) and Charles Wesley (1707-1788), who wrote in relatively short stanzas including CM
(8686), SM (6686), and LM (8888). This unusual meter, however, is finessed by Dykes’s
craftsmanship with the rhythm.

Along with the rhythm, the melody was masterfully constructed. The tune commences with a
rising third, which could easily symbolize the Trinity, and continues with a chant-like character
(there are few leaps and many consecutively repeated notes). Hymnals have left the original
four-part harmony of Dykes's untouched, although most of them have transposed the key down a
whole step from the original of E Major.

Reginald Heber was born in Cheshire, England, in 1783, with a precocity toward poetry. By the
time Heber was twenty, he had already penned a poem titled “Palestine,” which won the
prestigious Newdigate Prize. Four years later, he was writing numerous hymns while he was
vicar of Hodnet, Shropshire. This is the most probable time he composed “Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty,” as he stayed there fifteen years.

Most of his hymns, though, were not published until he passed away in 1826. His widow
published Heber’s impressive volume of hymns, which are arranged according to the church
year, Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Service of the Year (1827). This, along
with A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for the Parish Church of Banbury (Third Edition, 1826),
brought his most eminent hymn into the spotlight.
Heber intended for “Holy, Holy, Holy,” written for Trinity Sunday, to be sung between the
sermon and the creed by his parish in Hodnet. This was iconoclastic at the time, since hymn
singing was prohibited in Church of England liturgies. In contrast, the Methodist societies in the
eighteenth century were known for their hymn singing, along with the dissenting churches that
had been using the hymns of Isaac Watts for nearly one hundred years. Consequently, then,
British hymnology scholar J. R. Watson notes Heber was a man who “helped to dispel the idea
that hymns were associated with Methodists and extreme Evangelicals” (Canterbury Dictionary
of Hymnology). Unfortunately, he failed to persuade church authorities within the Church of
England to grant permission for hymn singing during Sunday services while he was alive.
In 1826, Reginald Heber died in British India from a stroke while bathing (often referred to in
India as coup de soleil), leaving an impressive legacy within Christianity. That was because
Heber was the Anglican bishop over all of British India from 1823-1826. He worked tirelessly to
build a training school for local clergy and traveled extensively around India preaching the
gospel. He also embodied nineteenth-century British missiology, which purposed to use Britain’s
divine right and calling to evangelize the rest of the world. This is seen in Heber’s hymns “From
Greenland’s Icy Mountains” and “Brightest and Best,” two other of his commonly sung hymns.
Heber had continued to write a few hymns, although most of his corpus was written during his
Hodnetvicarship.
John Bacchus Dykes was not quite as copious in his output with hymn tunes as Heber was with
hymn texts, but of his hymn tunes, NICAEA was his best-known work. He worked as the choir
director of the Durham Cathedral for most of his life and passed away in northern England at the
age of fifty-three. It is safe to say Dykes would be pleased his NICAEA has stood the test of time
paired with “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty,” and may that it “evermore shalt be.

History of Hymns: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"

 Joachim Neander
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Joachim Neander; translated by Catherine Winkworth
The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 139
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;
join me in glad adoration.
The author of the original German text is Joachim Neander (1650-1680), who studied theology
in Bremen. His life was cut short by tuberculosis. His text first appeared in A und Ω Glaub-und
Liebesübung in 1680.

Neander was a Calvinist schoolmaster who was influenced by the pietist theologians Philipp
Spener (1635-1705) and Johann JakobSchütz (1640-1690), the latter also a hymnwriter. In 1674,
Neander became the rector of the Latin School at Düsseldorf, a Calvinist German Reformed
institution.

In a curious historical coincidence, Joachim Neander's move to Düsseldorf placed him in a

region of Germany now called Neandertal or sometimes "the Neander Valley" where nearly 200
years after Neander's untimely death the skull of the first example of Homo neanderthalensis was
discovered in 1856 by workers in a limestone quarry named Neandershöhle (Neander's Hollow)
after pastor Joachim Neander. "Neander" is the Greek translation of the family name
"Neumann", both of which mean"new man." Pastor Neander is said to have loved the natural
beauty of this valley named for his family and it inspired many of his hymns.

For example, selected stanzas from the following hymn, "Heaven and Earth, and Sea, and Air,"
published in German in 1680 as "Himmel, Erde, Luft und Meer" and translated by Catherine
Winkworth, may well reflect the splendor that Neander found in one of his many walks in this
region:

Heaven and earth, and sea and air,

All their Maker's praise declare;
Wake, my soul, awake and sing:
Now thy grateful praises bring.

See how he hath everywhere

Made this earth so rich and fair;
Hill and vale and fruitful land
All things living, show his hand.
 North Rhine-Westphalia
See how through the boundless sky
Fresh and free the birds do fly;
Fire and wind and storm are still
Servants of his royal will.

The adjacent map is of the North Rhine-Westphalia region located in the northwest area of
Germany. The country directly to the west of this region is the Netherlands.

Catherine Winkworth brought this text to the English-speaking world almost three centuries
later. Winkworth, the daughter of Henry Winkworth of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was born in
London on Sept. 13, 1827, and died near Geneva, Switzerland, on July 1, 1878. She is the
forerunner of 19th-century translators of German hymns. Most hymnals will contain at least five
or six of her translations

History of Hymns: "To God Be the Glory"

"To God Be the Glory"

Fanny J. Crosby

Fanny J. Crosby

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 98

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory, great things he hath done.

How hymns travel throughout space and time is fascinating. “To God be the glory” was included
in William Doane’s Songs of Devotion in 1870, indicating that it was written at least five years
earlier than the 1875 date that is usually cited.

Ira Sankey probably saw the hymn in Doane’s collection and incorporated it into the first edition
of his Sacred Songs and Solos (1875). Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey helped to establish the
hymn’s popularity during their revivals in Great Britain in the late 19th century. It also appeared
in some British hymnals including the Methodist Hymn Book (1933).
However, it was not until the 1954 Billy Graham Crusade in Nashville that Cliff Barrows
introduced this song to congregations in the United States. Mr. Graham and Mr. Barrows had
learned the song during the 1952 revivals they had conducted in Great Britain.

A hymn's journey

Hymnologist William J. Reynolds, writing in his hymnal companion Hymns of Faith (1964),
documented the return of this hymn to the USA: “It is most extraordinary that this long-forgotten
American gospel song should have been imported from England and become immensely popular
during the last decade.”

Frances Jane Crosby’s hymns have historically been among the most popular songs sung by
Methodists. Crosby (1820-1915), who became blind as an infant, was a lifelong Methodist.

She began composing hymns at age 6, became a student at the New York Institute of the Blind at
15 and joined the faculty of the Institute at 22, teaching rhetoric and history. Her hymn texts
were staples for the music of the most prominent gospel songwriters of her day.

In this hymn, the primary focus of God’s actions is on the redemption of humanity through Jesus
Christ. The second line of the first stanza, “So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,”
echoes John 3:16.

The second stanza, though referring to “the promise of God,” centers on Christ, the “perfect
redemption, the purchase of blood.” In the third stanza, the pronoun “he” is somewhat vague in
its reference: Is “he” referring to God or to Jesus? The focus is again on Christ who is “our
wonder [and] our transport,” and the one that we long to see in glory.