Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
When I survey the wondrous cross is a great song to concentrate on as we near Easter and remember the true meaning of the season. Jesus death on the cross is the greatest gift God could give to us and is a gift we can continue to accept today as we accept his salvation. However, the song was not originally […]
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The Doxology is a short hymn many of us that grew up in church sung during the offering. Today some churches have moved away from this tradition while others continue to maintain this tradition. So, where did the Doxology originate? Doxology is a Greek word that is described as a “short hymn of praise to God”. Today the Doxology […]
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Leaning on the Everlasting Arms was published in 1887. The lyrics were written by Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. The music was also written by Showalter. Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died. When writing letters of consolation, Showalter was […]
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“Standing on the Promises” was written and composed by Russell Carter in 1886. Carter was a professor at the time at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, a school in which he had been a member of the first graduating class. Carter had a variety of jobs from sheep herding to professor of Natural Science, Civil Engineering, Chemistry and Mathematics. While sheep […]
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Kum ba Yah is a spiritual song dating back to at least the 1920s, when the earliest known recordings took place. According to the Library of Congress the two earliest versions were both collected in 1926. Both of these versions now reside in the Library of Congress American Folklife Center. It is unknown when in 1926 either version was recorded […]
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We have all heard of the great flood. In every culture there is a story about the flood that covered the earth. To this day, many still try to find the Ark, which is believed to be resting on the mountains of modern day eastern Turkey and the Mount of Ararat. However, no one has ever been able to prove […]
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Love Divine All Love Excelling was written by Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley was born in 1707 Lincolnshire, England to Samuel and Susannah Wesley. He was the youngest of eighteen children {although nine of his siblings died as infants}. Charles and his brother, John, were founders of the Methodist movement. Often John would edit his brother’s lyrics and words. It is […]
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Rescue the Perishing was written by Fanny Crosby in 1869. This hymn became the theme song for the home mission’s movement. Crosby was attending weekly meetings by the interdenominational New York City Mission in July 1869. A young man was converted through her testimony, which inspired Crosby to write the words to Rescue the Perishing. The title was based on […]
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Recently, I heard Dr. David Jeremiah discuss the origins and popularity of this song and it sparked my interest. So, I thought this would be a wonderful time to explore this beautiful hymn. Kurt Kaiser, born in 1934 Chicago, made a career in music as a composer and author with over 60 tunes to his credit, after attending The American […]
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All the Way the Savior Leads Me is one of the songs that runs through my mind at times. The hymn was written in 1875 by Fanny Crosby. “A frequently told story about this hymn relates that it came to Fanny as a result of a prayer. Struggling financially, she desperately needed some money. As her usual custom, Fanny began […]
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In honor of Epiphany, which we just celebrated, I thought We Three Kings would be a great song to take a closer look at. We Three Kings describes the journey of the Wise Men to see the baby Jesus. The names of the kings, passed down through tradition are Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. The kings presented the Christ Child with […]
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As we wrap up our series on music next week,let’s discuss what does the Bible say about music? Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” The book of Psalms is 150 songs of praise to God. Even when David starts out downtrodden, he turns to praising […]
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Sweet Little Jesus Boy finds it’s roots in the African-American spirituals. The song was written by Robert MacGimsey. According to legend, MacGimsey left the midnight Christmas Eve service he’d been attending that cold night in 1932’s New York City. Walking the final blocks to his one room apartment, he passed the open doors of a private club. Glancing inside he […]
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The words and music of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” developed separately. The original text, which was in Latin, was first documented in 1710 in Germany. The tune has it’s origins in 15th Century France. In the early church something called O Anitphons were used. An antiphon is a response by the choir or congregation and used in the form […]
Read more What Child is This? was written by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 in England. Dix worked as a manager for an insurance company before being afflicted with a severe illness that left him bedridden and severely depressed. This near death experience brought about a spiritual renewal in him while he was recovering. During his recovery he would read the Bible […]
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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear was a Christmas poem written by Edmund Sears. This is a Christmas Carol that doesn’t focus on the holy family, but the song of the angels. Luke 2:14 says the angels said “Peace on the Earth, good will to men.” Edmund Hamilton Sears was born in 1810. He earned a degree from Harvard Divinity […]
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When searching for a Thanksgiving hymn, I was surprised we have not discussed this hymn yet. Count Your Blessings is a hymn written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman, Jr. Oatman was born on April 21, 1856 in Lumberton, NJ to Johnson and Rachel Oatman. His merchant father was considered to be the “best singer in town” although the young […]
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Faith of Our Fathers was written in 1849 by Frederick William Faber. He began as a priest for the Church of England, but later seceded to the Catholic Church. He published a number of articles in defense of the Catholic Church, however his hymns were published only after becoming a Catholic priest. He is also reported to have a deep […]
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Since Jesus Came into my Heart was written by Rufus Henry McDaniel. McDaniel was born in 1850 in Ohio. By the age of nineteen he was already preaching and eventually became a minister of the Disciples of Christ Church in 1873. McDaniel wrote, “I feel in my soul that God has something for me to do in brightening the experience […]
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He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands is a traditional American spiritual. As a spiritual this song was probably around for a long time before it was recorded and written down. The song was first published in the 1927, paper bound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New. In 1933, Frank Warner collected the song from Sue Thomas while she […]
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