Singing Songs History and RBCC Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord ID: 532578
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Slide1
Singing, Songs, History and RBCCSlide2
Singing, Songs, History and RBCC
Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
(Colossians 3:16).
Why do some churches (including Redondo Church of Christ) teach that it is wrong to use musical instruments to accompany our singing during Christian worship assemblies?
Over the
next
several weeks
, we’ll look at this and favorite songs and the history
behind
them…..Slide3
Singing, Songs, History and RBCC
Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
(Colossians 3:16).
Why do some churches (including Redondo Church of Christ) teach that it is
wrong to use musical instruments
to accompany our singing during Christian worship assemblies? Slide4
OT Music
In
Worship- Scripture
Psalm
95:1
ESV
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Psalm
150:1-6
ESV
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! ...
Psalm 71:23 ESV
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.
Psalm 33:3 E
SV
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
Psalm 100:1-2 ESV
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with
gladness
! Come into his presence with singing! Slide5
OT Music
In Worship- Scripture
Psalm 9:2 ESV
I will be glad and exult in you; I will
sing praise
to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 149:3 ESV
Let them
praise his name with dancing
, making melody to him
with tambourine and lyre!
Psalm 150:4 ESV
Praise him with
tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
2 Samuel 6:5 ESV
And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with
songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
Exodus 15:21 ESV
And Miriam sang to them: “
Sing to the Lord
, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Many more OT examples of songs and instruments.Slide6
OT Music, Dance and instruments
In Worship
Psalm 9:2 ESV
I will be glad and exult in you; I will
sing praise
to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 149:3 ESV
Let them
praise his name with dancing
, making melody to him
with tambourine and lyre!
Psalm 150:4 ESV
Praise him with
tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
2 Samuel 6:5 ESV
And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with
songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
Exodus 15:21 ESV
And Miriam sang to them: “
Sing to the Lord
, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Many more OT examples of songs and instruments.Slide7
NT Music
In
Worship
Lacks Dance and Instruments!
Hebrews
2:12
ESV
Saying
, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will
sing your praise
.”
Ephesians
5:18-20
ESV
And
do
not
get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs
,
singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart
, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Matthew
26:30
ESV
And
when they had
sung a hymn
, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
There are many more NT verses on singing similar to these.Slide8
NT Music
In Worship- Scripture
Hebrews
2:12
ESV
Saying
, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
Ephesians
5:18-20
ESV
And
do
not
get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Matthew
26:30
ESV
And
when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Slide9
NT Music
In Worship- Scripture
1
Corinthians 14:15
ESV
What
am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
John
4:24
ESV
God
is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Hebrews
13:15
ESV
Through
him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
1
Corinthians 14:26
ESV
What
then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Slide10
NT Music
In Worship- Scripture
Ephesians 5:19 ESV
Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
Acts
16:25 ESV
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
James 5:13 ESV
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Romans 15:9 ESV
And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” Slide11
Music In Worship- Scripture
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
(Colossians 3:16).
Why do some churches (including
Redondo Church
of Christ) teach that it is wrong to use musical instruments to accompany our singing during Christian worship assemblies when the above verses don't precisely forbid it?
Most
will agree that God has specifically instructed (even "commanded") Christians to sing as part of the worship that He expects
.
Since He has not commanded nor even suggested to us to play musical instruments in worship, we can be absolutely certain that if we don't use musical instruments, then He will be pleased with Christians singing if their worship comes from the heart.
RBCC believes
the human singing voice, that musical instrument created by God Himself, is the only music that our Creator requires of us during a Christian worship assembly. Adding musical instruments to the worship service, therefore, seems as inappropriate as adding fish to the Lord's Supper. That, too, is not clearly forbidden in the Word of God, but most disciples of Christ would agree that this would not be proper. Slide12
Music In Worship- Scripture
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
(Colossians 3:16).
Why do some churches (including
Redondo Church
of Christ) teach that it is wrong to use musical instruments to accompany our singing during Christian worship assemblies when the above verses don't precisely forbid it?
Most
will agree that God has specifically instructed (even "commanded") Christians to sing as part of the worship that He expects
.
Since He has not commanded nor even suggested to us to play musical instruments in worship, we can be absolutely certain that if we don't use musical instruments, then He will be pleased with Christians singing if their worship comes from the heart.
RBCC believes
the human singing voice, that musical instrument created by God Himself, is the only music that our Creator requires of us during a Christian worship assembly. Adding musical instruments to the worship service, therefore, seems as inappropriate as adding fish to the Lord's Supper. That, too, is not clearly forbidden in the Word of God, but most disciples of Christ would agree that this would not be proper. Slide13
Music In Worship- Scripture
Most
will agree that God has specifically instructed (even "commanded") Christians to sing as part of the
worship.
Since
He has not commanded nor even suggested to us to play musical instruments in worship
, we can be absolutely certain that if we don't use musical instruments, then He will be pleased with Christians singing if their worship comes from the heart.
The
human singing voice, that musical instrument created by God Himself, is the only music that our Creator requires of us during a Christian worship assembly.
Adding musical instruments to the worship service, therefore, seems as inappropriate as adding fish to the Lord's Supper. That, too, is not clearly forbidden in the Word of God, but most disciples of Christ would agree that this would not be proper. Slide14
Music In Worship- Scripture
As further proof that we should expressively forbid the use of musical instruments in worship, we know from the first several centuries of church history that singing was unaccompanied in all Christian worship. The Latin phrase "
a cappella
" comes to us from ancient times with the meaning of singing without instrumental music. Literally translated, "
a cappella
" means "at chapel."
Since we cannot be absolutely certain that God finds the use of musical instruments an appropriate form of worship, then it seems quite foolish to risk His wrath by adding something which He did not clearly authorize us to do during collective worship.
Jesus
Christ is
the
head of
the
church (Ephesians 1:22-23) and as such, He is the head of the worship of the church. Therefore, the Head would have to authorize the instrument of music in worship, and without His authorization, one would be usurping the authority of Christ!Slide15
NT Music
In Worship- Scripture
The omission of the instrument in our worship is
not
the result of preference,
nor
of taste,
nor
is it the result of wanting to be different, but it is wholly a matter of faith!
Our
worship is based upon God's Word and in the light of God's teaching.
Christians
are commanded to praise God in song (Colossians 3:16).
The kind of music God has commanded for His church is vocal music only, that is, singing. There is no command or example anywhere in the New Testament for the use of mechanical instrumental music in Christian worship
.
Our reason is wholly Scriptural and out of a sincere desire to worship God as He has directed in His Word, the Truth
………… If
this is wrong, where is right?Slide16
History of Hymns
Hymn HighlightsSlide17
History of Hymns
The New Testament tells us that hymns (from the Greek word '
hymnos
' meaning songs of praise) were sung by Jesus and
the disciples
(Matthew 26:30) and that hymns are different from Psalms (Ephesians 5:19). Other than that
not much is known about Christian hymns during the first three centuries of the
Church.
There are records of hymns dating from the 4th and 5th centuries that are still sung in Catholic churches today. In the 6th century, Benedict of
Nursia
(480-547), founder of the Catholic Benedictine Order of Monks translated many of the existing hymns into Latin and formatted them into Gregorian Chants. With few exceptions, these hymns sung primarily by monks, remained the acceptable Christian church music for many years.Slide18
History of Hymns
In
the early 16th century
the Protestant Reformation brought about many changes, including hymns being translated from Greek and Latin into languages of the common pe
ople
, and songs being written with familiar folk rhyme and
rhythm
easy to sing and
memorize
In
England,
the church determined to adapt all their new hymns from the Holy Scriptures
, primarily the Psalms. In Germany, Martin Luther (1483-1546) created songs based on scriptural principle but not taken directly from the Scriptures. The most famous of his hymns,
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
lives on in hymnals of this century
.
The song styles of Watts and Wesley (early 18
th
century England) form the foundation of contemporary Christian music. Their words still ring true today and their melodies still ring out from many churches around the world. The hymns of past centuries are here to stay.Slide19
History
of Hymns
Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748) was instrumental in motivating England to expand their hymn base when he wrote and distributed such beautiful and thought provoking hymns as
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
and
Joy to the
World.
In
the early 18th century Charles Wesley took hymns to another level altogether. He wrote and published more than 100 songs designed to appeal to the emotions and salvation experience of the Christian.
O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing, Hark the Harold Angels Sing, Christ the Lord is Risen Today
, and his other songs quickly became popular first within the Methodist church and then within other
denominations.
The
song styles of Watts and Wesley
(early 18
th
century) form
the foundation of contemporary Christian music. Their words still ring true today and their melodies still ring out from many churches around the world. The hymns of past centuries are here to stay.Slide20
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
(The Doxology
)
Blue Book P 66
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
AmenSlide21
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
(The Doxology
)
Blue Book P 66
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
Headmaster Thomas
wrote a three stanza hymn --
one verse to be sung upon waking
and
one before bed
. The
third verse was to be sung at midnight
, if a boy found sleep difficult.Slide22
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (The Doxology), the Song and the Story
-
Composor
Thomas
Ken
Thomas Ken (1637-1711) was an Englishman and an ordained Anglican priest. He served as Rector of several parishes, was briefly chaplain to Princess Mary, and later to the British fleet. He published many poems, along with a Manual
for Prayers.
After
his parents died, Thomas was enrolled by his sister into an all- boy's school, Winchester College. He would return to the same school as Chaplain many years later. In order to motivate his students in their devotions, Thomas wrote a three stanza hymn -- one verse to be sung upon waking and one before bed. The third verse was to be sung at midnight, if a boy found sleep difficult
.Slide23
Today, the writing of this hymn may seem an innovative way to motivate teenage boys. In Thomas' day however, the writing of this hymn for such a purpose was somewhat revolutionary. For centuries hymns of the church were sung only by monks. Although at this point in history protestant churches in some countries were beginning to introduce hymns into congregational singing, it would be several years before England would officially sanction the practice
.
For this reason, Thomas Ken has been called 'England's first hymnist
.‘
The
refrain to all three verses of Thomas' hymn has since become one of the most widely-sung songs in the world, and is referred to in many circles simply as,
The
Doxology.
Towards
the end of his life, Thomas Ken was imprisoned by King James II, for his forward Protestant thinking. Upon his release, he quietly retired from the priesthood and went to live with some friends until his death, on March 11, 1711. When he was buried at sunrise,
The Doxology
was sung at his funeral.Slide24
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God
Almighty
Composer
Reginald Heber
- Blue Book P 47
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,
bless'd
Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons,
bless'd
Trinity!Slide25
“
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
”
(Revelations
4:8)
The
Christian doctrine of the Trinity; the three in one personage of God: the Father, the Son (God incarnate in Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. It is scheduled on the first Sunday after
Pentecost
in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and on the Sunday of
Pentecost
in Eastern Christianity. Slide26
Pentecost
definition:
A
Christian festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the
descent of the Holy Ghost upon the
apostles.
In the New Testament, the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Jesus.
Pentecost is the Greek name for Shavuot, the spring harvest festival of the Israelites, which was going on when the Holy Spirit came.
The disciples were together in Jerusalem after Jesus' Resurrection and return to heaven, fearful because he had left them. On that morning, however,
“there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Because of the festival, crowds of visitors were in Jerusalem, speaking many languages, but the disciples of Jesus moved among them and spoke to them all, and “every man heard them speak in his own language” about “the wonderful works of God.”
Peter then made a powerful speech to the crowds in the city, and many were baptized as new followers of Jesus. (Acts 2). Slide27
He
Hideth
My
Soul
Blue Book P 508
Refrain:
He
hideth
my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He
hideth
my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He
hideth
my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He
holdeth
me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.
With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!Slide28
He Hideth
My Soul
When clothed in His brightness,
transported I
rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high.
“
Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while My glory
passeth
by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by.”
(Exodus 33:21,22)
Slide29
He
Hideth
My Soul
the Song and the Story
Composer
by
Fanny Crosby
She
could not see
with her natural eyes, but
she could see with her heart.
She could not explain what a human face looked like,
but she knew the face of God
. Blind from six weeks old because of a surgical mishap, her life was different than most, but it was not worse than most.
Fanny
Crosby (1820-1915) supported herself as a teacher at a blind school, she had dear and close friends around the world, and
she wrote and published thousands of beautiful hymns
, many that are still sung today. Regarding her plight in life she wrote the following words:Slide30
“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow
I would not
accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me
.”
For
those who have natural sight, but are blind to the things of God, Fanny Crosby's songs bring a sense of His PresenceSlide31
Blessed
Assurance
Composer
Fanny
Crosby
-
Blue Book P 480
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect
submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long
.Slide32
Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) is heralded as one of the world's most prolific and talented hymn composers. Blind from shortly after birth,
Fanny nonetheless
wrote
8,000
hymns.
One day Fanny overheard her friend and fellow musician Phoebe Knapp playing a new composition on the organ. Phoebe told Fanny the tune was called
Assurance
. Fanny replied:
'Blessed Assurance! Jesus is mine!
' And so began the collaboration that was to become one of Christendom's most beloved hymns.
Blessed Assurance
was published in 1873.Slide33
All Hail the Power of Jesus,
the Song and the Story
Composer
Edward
Perronet
-
Blue Book P 162
A
ll hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Ye chosen seed of Israel's race,
ye ransomed from the Fall,
hail Him who saves you by His grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go spread your trophies at His feet,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Let every kindred, every tribe
on this terrestrial ball,
to Him all majesty ascribe,
and crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe,
and crown Him Lord of all.
O that with yonder sacred throng
we at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
and crown Him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song,
and crown Him Lord of all. Slide34
Reverend E. P. Scott
(
not our Composer
) was
a missionary, living in India during the 1800s. At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, but against advice of his fellow missionaries, Scott set out alone to visit a remote village
. He was determined to share the Gospel with a dangerous savage
tribe
.
Several
days into his journey. Scott was met by a large
group of warriors who quickly surrounded him
, each one pointing a spear towards his heart. Expecting to die, Scott made a decision to use his
last few breaths to glorify God
, and to hopefully stir something within the hearts of his captors. He took out his violin (which he always carried on him), closed his eyes, and
began to play and sing
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
, in the native language of the warriors.Slide35
After singing the
first verse
, the
second
, the
third
,
and then beginning the
fourth
, Rev. Scott realized he was still standing, and that
all around him was a peaceful quiet.
Opening his eyes he saw every spear lowered. There stood those mighty warriors, with tears in their eyes.
Throughout
the remainder of his life,
Scott spent much time with this tribe, sharing the love of
God
.
All
Hail the Power of Jesus Name
has been hailed as the "National Anthem of Christendom."
It
was written in 1779 by Rev. Edward
Perronet
(1726-1792) The music was composed by Oliver Holden (1765-1844). The hymn has been translated into almost every existing language.Slide36
Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing
Composer Robert
Robinson -
Blue Book P 226
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I've come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.Slide37
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Composer Robert Robinson
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
Slide38
Robert Robinson (1735-1790) was eight years old at the time of his father's death. He was a very bright,
headstrong boy who became increasingly more difficult for his mother to handle.
When Robert turned 14, she sent him to London for an apprenticeship with a barber. Robert proceeded to get into even more trouble, taking on a life of drinking and
gambling.
At
17, Robert and some of his drinking buddies decided to attend an evangelistic meeting, with a plan to make fun of the proceedings. When George Whitfield began to preach,
Robert felt as if the sermon was just for him
. He did not respond to the altar call that night, but the words of the evangelist would haunt him for the next three years.Slide39
On Dec. 10, 1755, at age 20, Robert finally
yielded his life to Christ
, and very soon thereafter answered a call to the ministry. Three years later, as he was preparing to preach a sermon at the Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, Robert wrote
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
to complement his sermon. The music for the hymn was composed by Asahel Nettleton in
1813.
The
song has since been included in most protestant hymnals of England and the U.S., has been recorded by several artists, including Jars of Clay and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and is a recurring background theme of the film Love Comes Softly, which is based on a Janet
Okey
novel.Slide40
My Jesus I Love
Thee
Blue Book P 701
William Ralph
Featherson
Writes a Legacy of Love
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.
I
love Thee because Thou has first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.
I love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou
lendest
me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now.
In Mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.Slide41
The
lives of most people are not captured in the history books
. Memories are left to the hearts and minds of family and friends, and then all too soon fade into the tapestry of times past.
And so it was with William Ralph
Featherson
.
He
was born without fanfare on July 24, 1846, in Montreal Canada, and he died in the same city, just before his 27th birthday.
Little else is known of his short life except for the fact that some time during his 16th year of life William put pen to paper to record a love poem.
The
love he expressed was deep and true
. The words of that poem have lasted more than a century beyond
Featherson's
life and death.Slide42
In 1876, three years after
Featherson's
passing,
Adoniram
Gordon put music to this love poem and added it to a hymnal which was published that same year.
Featherson's
poem
My Jesus I Love Thee
has since been recorded in most evangelical hymnals of the past 130 years, and is loved and sung by millions of Christians yet
today.
“
We love Him because He first loved us.”
(1 John 4:19)Slide43
When peace, like a river,
attendeth
my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though
Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
It is Well with My Soul
Composer Horatio
Spafford - Blue
Book P 490Slide44
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even
so, it is well with my soul
.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
“
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7) Slide45
Horatio
Spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son.
He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures.
His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the
day.
At
the very height of his financial and professional success,
Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son
. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago
Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment
that Spafford had.Slide46
In 1873,
Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation
and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an
evangelistic campaign
in England.
Spafford
sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received
notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned;
only his wife had survived
.
With
a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words,
When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my
soul…..Slide47
Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including
Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning
, and
Jesus Loves Even Me
, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he
composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics.
The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in
1876.
For
more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing
,
It Is Well With My Soul.
Slide48
Just As I
Am
Composer Charlotte
Elliott – Blue Book P 924
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou
bidst
me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings
and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.Slide49
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Slide50
Just As I Am
has been around since 1835. It was made especially popular in the 20th century as the 'official' altar call song of the Billy Graham Crusades. Many souls have found Jesus as Savior in response to the simple beauty of this
song.
When
poet Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was 46 years old, an elderly man approached her at a dinner party and asked if she was a Christian. Slide51
She considered him
rude and unkind, and that his question was inappropriate.
After the man walked away,
Charlotte could not get his question out of her mind so she went to find the man, and to ask how to become a Christian
.
That night she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior
. Soon thereafter
she wrote
Just As I Am
as a testimony to her newfound faith, and as a tribute to the man who had told her that
she could come to Christ, 'just as she was'.
Over
the remainder of her life Charlotte wrote 150 hymns.
Just As I AmSlide52
Great is Thy
Faithfulness
Composer
Thomas
Chisolm – Blue Book P 57
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou
changest
not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Summer
and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.Slide53
Pardon for sin and a peace that
endureth
,Thine
own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
bright
hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten
thousand
beside
!
Refrain:
Great
is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
“
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.”
(Psalm 89:1) Slide54
Thomas
Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had a difficult adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends
meet.
After
coming to Christ at age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and provide his needs.
Lamentations
3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures:
“
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness
.”Slide55
While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William
Runyan
, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters.
Runyan
found one of Williams' poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
was published in
1923.
For
several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the
college.
It
was not until 1945 when George Beverly
Shea
began to sing
Great is
Thy Faithfulness
at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.
Thomas
Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns including
O To Be Like Thee
and
Living for JesusSlide56
O Worship the
King
Composer Charles
Grant - Blue Book P 144
O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old;
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.Slide57
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to worship Thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.
“
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
(Psalm 95:6) Slide58
Charles Grant (1778-1838) was born in India. His family moved back to England when he was seven years old. He became a lawyer at age 29. He became a member of Parliament at 48 and was elected Judge Advocate General at 54. At age 56 he was knighted and then appointed Governor of Bombay, India. He died at the age of 60, while serving in
India.
Grant
was a politician and a public servant of England. He was also a devout Evangelical Christian who took every opportunity to share the
Good News
. He was a financial supporter of missionaries, and was loved by the people of India, who established a Medical College in his honor.
Several
of Grant's writings, prose and poetry, were published during his lifetime. After his death, his brother gathered 12 of Grant's poems into a book titled
Sacred Poems
. One of those poems,
O Worship the King
was set to music by Johann Michael
Hadyn
(1737-1806), and has appeared in church hymnals ever since.Slide59
How Great Thou
Art
Composer
Carl
Boberg
Blue Book P# 76
Blue Book P# 76
Slide60
The hymn
How Great Thou Art
traveled a long road before it ended up a favorite edition to English hymnals. The original version was a poem written by a Swedish pastor, Reverend Carl
Boberg
in 1886, and entitled
O
Stor
Gud
.
Boberg
published the poem in his periodical
Sanningsvittnet
. Several years later he was surprised and delighted to hear his poem being sung by a church congregation, to the tune of an old Swedish folk
melody.
Boberg's
poem was soon thereafter translated into German by Manfred von
Glehn
, who entitled it
Wie
gross
bist
Du.
In 1925, an American Reverend E. Gustav Johnson translated the Swedish poem into an English version that is somewhat different than the one popular today. For instance, the first line of Johnson's hymn reads
Oh mighty God, when I behold the wonder.
.Slide61
In 1927, I.S.
Prokanoff
translated
Glehn's
German version into Russian, to be enjoyed by that culture also. Throughout all of these translations, the original Swedish folk tune remained the
same.
In
1933, English missionaries to the Ukraine, Reverend and Mrs. Stuart K. Hine heard the song for the first time, fell in love with it and sang it often throughout their missionary journeys. As they traveled the Carpathian Mountains, the couple was inspired by the incredible beauty to translate the first three verses of the song into English.
When
WWII broke out in 1939, the Hines returned to England carrying
How Great Thou Art
to its new home. After the war they wrote the fourth verse and arranged the original Swedish folk tune to be published in English hymnals.Slide62
In
the 1950s, the song was copyrighted and widely published in America, becoming more and more popular. When George Beverly Shay and the Billy Graham gospel choir, directed by Cliff Barrows, began to sing the song at virtually every crusade event,
How Great Thou Art
soon became one of the most recognized songs around the world.
It
was also recorded by several popular artists, including Elvis Presley. A poll conducted by the
Christian Herald
magazine in 1974 named
How Great Thou Art
the most popular hymn in America.
“
O Lord, how great are Thy works!”
(Psalm 92:5)Slide63
All To Jesus I
Surrender All
Composer Judson W. Van
DeVenter
–
Blue Book P 662
All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust
Him,
In
His presence daily live.
All
to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now
.
Refrain: I surrender all; I surrender all;
All to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art
mine
All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.Slide64
Judson W. Van
DeVenter
(1855-1939) was raised in a Christian home. At age 17, he accepted Jesus as his Savior. He graduated university with a degree in art and was employed successfully as a teacher and administrator of high school art. He traveled extensively, visiting the various art galleries throughout Europe.
Van
DeVenter
also studied and taught music. He
mastered 13 different instruments, sang and composed music.
He was
very involved in the music ministry of his Methodist Episcopal church
and eventually found himself torn between his successful teaching career and his desire to be a part of an evangelistic team. This struggle within himself lasted for almost five years.Slide65
In 1896, Van
DeVenter
was conducting the music of a church event. It was during these meetings that he finally surrendered his desires completely to God -- He made the decision to become a full-time evangelist. As he
submitted completely to the will of his Lord
, a song was born in his heart.
I
Surrender All
was put to music by Winfield S.
Weeden
(1847-1908 ), who published this and many other hymns in several volumes.
Weeden
so loved this song that the words
I Surrender All
were put on his
tombstone.
The
words and melody of
I Surrender All
have appeared in virtually every English hymnal, and are just as readily sung in churches that prefer contemporary music.Slide66
O
Come
, All Ye
Faithful
Blue Book
P#997
Words: John Francis Wade (c. 1711/2-1786), circa 1743/4 ;
Music:Adeste
Fideles
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels;
Chorus:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God,
Light of Light;
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb:
Very God,
Begotten, not created; Chorus.
Sing, choirs of angels;
Sing
in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God
In the highest; Chorus.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning:
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Late in flesh appearing; Chorus.Slide67
John Wade was a man of God caught in the middle of a Holy War. In 1745, at the age of 35, Wade’s life was on the line. Strife between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church was at an all time high.
Many practicing Catholics were forced to take their faith underground. To avoid prison or death, many priests fled Britain, including John Wade.
Wade made his way to
D
ouay, France, where in a city inundated by English Catholics and those opposed the British
r
oyal family,
Wade was given an important job. Since records were lost in the conflict with Britain, Wade’s job was to research and identify historical church music, then carefully record it and preserve it for future generations. Wade reclaimed old pieces but also was inspired to write new hymns. Slide68
In 1750, Wade put the finishing touches on what would become the most famous tune, “
Adeste
Fideles
”. He published it in his own book,
Cantus
Diversi
, the next year.
A decade later,
W
ade completed the lyrics to his melody. Yet somehow, even though it was published two different times with John Wade being the composer, credit for writing “
Adeste
Fideles
” remained a mystery when the lyrics were translated into English in 1841. At about that time, many legends about the song’s author began to take seed, but none of them names John Wade.
Nearly a century later, a guy named Maurice Frost sifted through all the legends and finally uncovered the song’s real writer. Even though Wade was living in a time of great conflict, forced to give up the country he loved as a sacrifice
of faith, and made to work long hours trying to preserve church records that others were trying to erase for all time, Wade fully reveled in his role as a servant to his Lord.Slide69
In every word and verse of “O Come , All Ye Faithful”,
the
composer’s faith is not just verified, it was magnified. At a
time
when the church was
literally
at war, only someone who
truly believed in
the holiness of Christ could have
written a carol that would bring all Christians together to the same place each Christmas – bowing before Christ the Lord!Slide70
Rock of
Ages
Blue Book P 454
Rock of ages, cleft for me
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me
pure.
Not
the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I
die.
While
I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.Slide71
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me, the Song and the Story
AM
Toplady
Writes Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Music Thomas Hastings
Augustus Montague
Toplady
(1740 to 1778), was an unusual child. His father died when he was very young and so he was raised by his mother who adored and spoiled him. He was not very well liked by his peers or his relatives, partly because they did not relate to his extreme intelligence, and partly because he was sickly and
neurotic.
Controversy
followed
Toplady
throughout his short 38 years of life, but he did not let that stop him. At a very young age he showed a keen interest in developing a relationship with God. By
age 12 he was preaching sermons
, and at
age 14 he began writing hymns
. He was
ordained as an Anglican priest at the age of 22
. Although some thought him to be arrogant and obstinate, excerpts from his writings verify that he was a devoted and humble follower of Christ.Slide72
An excerpt from his personal journal, at age 27:
O
, my Lord let not my ministry be approved only, or tend to be no more than conciliating the esteem and affections of my people to thy unworthy messenger; but to do the work of thy grace upon their hearts: call in thy chosen; seal and edify thy regenerate; and command thy everlasting blessing upon their souls! Save me from self-opinion, and from self-seeking; and may they cease from man, and look solely upon
thee.
Toplady
was a staunch Calvinist, and a very
outspoken opponent of John Wesley's Arminian theology
. In 1776, two years before his death, he wrote an article on God's forgiveness. The purpose of this publication was to rebut statements made by Wesley. The article concluded with
Todlady's
poem,
Rock of Ages
; a poem that would many years later find its way into the very same hymnals as many of John's brother, Charles Wesley's (Arminian) songs
.Slide73
Go Tell it on the Mountain-Version 3
John Westley Work, 1907 and Based
on an African-American Spiritual, early
1800s Blue Book P 1012
The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior's birth.
Refrain
Down
in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That
blessèd
Christmas morn.
Refrain
Refrain
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.
RefrainSlide74
The contribution of unknown African American slaves to Christian music is remarkable. As a uneducated people, longing for freedom, suffering incredible cruelty and humiliation, many still somehow managed to encounter the powerful touch of the Holy Spirit in ways that manifested themselves in songs of unparalleled majesty and beauty.
Even more amazing than the songs themselves is the fact that any of them survived at all. Many of these composers of spirituals could not read nor write. Their works were unpublished for decades and passed along only in the oral tradition. Slide75
A few songs were spread from the fields to small slave churches along roads via work gangs and eventually to white churches and even larger concert halls in the North and South. Many however were lost, their inspirational lessons in song forgotten, as were their testimonies.
Not long after the Civil War, a man named John Westley Work was an African American church choir director in Nashville, TN. A scholar as well as a musician, Work had a deep interest in music that defined the experience of the Negro in America. Work ‘s work was eventually taken over by his son (Work Jr) and then by his son (Work III).
According
to George Pullen Jackson, the
tune ”Go tell It” is
closely related to the spiritual "We'll March Around Jerusalem." The tune has similarities to "Oh, Susanna" and "Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching," by George F. Root
. Slide76
To
black slaves in the United States, the birth of a Savior who would set all men free was a miracle to be sung about. And when there was something so notable to tell, what better place to tell it from than a mountain, just as Jesus had chosen for His Sermon on the Mount
.
"Go Tell It on the Mountain," an authentic spiritual that dates probably from the early 1800s, was first popularized in 1879 by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. This chorus traveled throughout the United States and Europe at the end of the last century, earning scholarship-fund money for Fisk, a school founded to educate freed slaves
.
Using notes, arrangements and
r
esearch, Work (III) took the old song and reworked it one more time, adding a new stanza. Its unknown if Work composed these new lyrics or simply found them during his research, but it fit perfectly with the
Fisk
Jubilee Singers had sung 50 years before.
The final song we are familiar today was published in 1940.Slide77
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Words: Bishop Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), 1868.
Music: "St. Louis," Lewis Henry
Redner
(1831-1908), 1868.
Blue Book
P#996
1. O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by:
Yet in thy dark streets
shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.
2. For Christ is born of Mary;
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth;
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
3. How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
4. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.Slide78
The Civil War was raging in 1863. Phillips Brooks was only six years into his ministry and he was already recognized as one of the most dynamic Christian voices in America. His messages were powerful and dramatic. The Philadelphia Holy Trinity Church grew by leaps and bounds under Brooks watch.
In May 1865, Brooks was called upon to give the funeral message for President Abraham Lincoln. That solemn honor, in tandem with leading the congregation through the bloody years of the war had
taken its toll on Brooks
.
The Civil
War wore on as everyone knew someone that had lost a son in the war.
Worn out and badly needing a spiritual rebirth, Brooks took a sabbatical and left the USA to tour the Middle East.Slide79
It
was the sight of Bethlehem itself, one feels very sure, that gave Phillips Brooks the impulse to write this hymn.
He
had spent a year’s vacation traveling in Europe and the East
.
It was Christmas Eve, 1865 in Jerusalem
“After an early dinner, we took our horses and rode to Bethlehem,”
“
It was only about two hours when we came to the town, situated on an eastern ridge of a range of hills, surrounded by its terraced gardens. It is a good-looking town, better built than any other we have seen in Palestine. . . .
He recalled the story of the Saviors birth, and by being present in the place in the place where Jesus was born, was able to add vivid detail to the scripture he was all to familiar with. Slide80
Before dark, we rode out of town to the field where they say the shepherds saw the star. It is a fenced piece of ground with a cave in it (all the Holy Places are caves here), in which, strangely enough, they put the shepherds. The story is absurd, but somewhere in those fields we rode through the
place that the shepherds
must have been. . . .
As we passed, the shepherds were still “keeping watch over their flocks or leading them home to fold.” Mr. Brooks returned in September, 1866, and it must have been while meditating at home over what he had seen that the carol took shape in his mind. Slide81
“As Christmas of 1868 approached, Mr. Brooks told me that he had written a simple little carol for the Christmas Sunday-school service, and he asked me to write the tune to it. The simple music was written in great haste and under great pressure. We were to practice it on the following Sunday. Mr. Brooks came to me on Friday, and said, ‘
Redner
, have you ground out that music yet to “O Little Town of Bethlehem”?’ I replied, ‘No,’ but that he should have it by Sunday.
On the Saturday night
previous,
Redner
brain was all confused about the tune.
“
I
thought more about my Sunday-school lesson than I did about the music. But I was roused from sleep late in the night hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece of music paper I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and on Sunday morning before going to church I filled in the
harmony”.
Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.