Hymn Story: I Have Entered Beulah Land
Isaiah 62:4 says, “You will be called Hepzibah, and your land Beulah.” Fanny Crosby wrote the lyrics to the hymn “I Have Entered Beulah Land.” The song was first published in 1886. John R. Sweney…
Hymn Story: No One Knows but Jesus
William Howard Doane was a prolic composer providing the melody for over two thousand hymns. He wrote with many of the leading hymn writers of his day including Fanny Crosby, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt, and Edgar…
Hymn Story: By Simple Faith
The hymn “By Simple Faith” was written by Edgar P. Stites. The hymn first appared in an 1881 hymnal. Prehaps it was inspired by Ephesians 2:8-9, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that…
Hymn Story: Into the Depths of the Sea
Eliza Edmunds Hewitt spent most of her life as an invalid as she suffered from spinal issues. However, she was also a prolific hymn writer. In 1905, the words of the prophet Micah, inspired her…
Hymn Stories: Glorious Shepherd of the Sheep
Henry Francis Lyte wrote the hymn “Glorious Shepherd of the Sheep.” Lyte was born in 1793 in Ednam, Scotland. While at University at Trinity college in Dublin, Ireland, he made a name for himself when…
Hymn Story: More Love to Thee
Elizabeth Prentiss knew a lot of pain and loss in her life. Born in 1818 Maine to a minister, her father died when she was about nine. The family would later moved to New York…
Hymn Story: Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me
“Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me” was written by Julie Katharina von Hausmann. She was born in 1826 in Riga, Latvia. She worked as a governess, but later cared for her father, who had…
Hymn Story: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Dorothy A. Thrupp wrote many hymns, often under a pseudonym. One of her best known hymns is “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us.” She was born in London on June 20, 1779. Little is known…
Hymn Story: At the Name of Jesus
Caroline Marie Noel was born in 1817 England to an Anglican clergyman and hymn writer. As a teenager, Caroline Noel began to write hymns. By the time she reached adulthood health issues prevailed and she…
Hymn Story: Take Time to Pray
Alfred Barratt wrote the him “Take Time to Pray.” Sometimes it goes by the first line “O weary heart take time to pray.” Barratt was born in Lancashire, England on October 25, 1879. He immigrated…
Hymn Story: Jesus Whispers Peace
Jesus Whispers Peace was written by Della McChain Warren and Paul Mickelson. I’ve been unable to find any additional information on the songwriters. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your…
Hymn Story: Lead, Kindly Light
John Henry Newman wrote a poem “The Pillar of the Cloud” in 1833. The poem was first published in the British Magazine the following year. Charles H. Purday’s “Tune” was married to the poem. It…
Patriotic Song: The Stars and Stripes Forever
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” is a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa. Sousa is considered America’s “March King”. “In his autobiography, Marching Along, Sousa wrote…
Hymn Story: Face to Face
Carrie Ellis Breck wrote “Face to Face with Christ my Savior” in 1898. Throughout her career she wrote numerous poems and hymns, but this is her most well-known. She was born on January 22, 1855…
Hymn Story: An Evening Prayer
The hymn “An Evening Prayer” was written by C. Maud Battersby. I’ve been unable to find any additional information on Battersby. The hymn is sometimes referred to by the first line “If I have wounded…
Hymn Story: I Have Found a Friend
Happy Father’s Day! “I’ve found a Friend” was written by James G. Small. Small’s was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1817. In 1847, he became the minister of the Free Church at Bervie. He wrote…
Hymn Story: When they Ring those Golden Bells
Daniel de Marbelle wrote “When they Ring Those Golden Bells” in 1887. The song describes a phrase found in the Bible with a “golden bells” a reference found in Exodus 39:25. “And they made bells…
Hymn Story: Old Time Religion
The Jubilee song, “Old Time Religion” has a long and complicated history that’s not very clear. Whether it originated as an English folk song or a spiritual is up for debate. It is believed that…
Hymn Story: Day by Day
Lina Sandell wrote the hymn “Day by Day (and with Each Passing Moment)” in 1865. Several years earlier she’d witnessed the tragic drowning of her father. She was a prolific Swedish hymn writer. The hymn…
Hymn Story: Somebody Bigger Than You and I
The song “Somebody Bigger Than You and I” was written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath, and Sonny Burke. The men were American composers. Mahalia Jackson released the song on her 1960 album “I Believe.” Other…