SONG STUDIES: BIBLE STUDIES BASED ON HYMNS AND SONGS

SONG STUDY (11) An Interlude: Some Great Welsh Hymns I am not of Welsh descent, but I find the Welsh hymns very stirring. I'm sure this is true of many of you. Here is a short list of videos and a video on the Welsh Revival of 1904/5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6UZF8_BQL    Love Divine All Loves Excelling, to the tune Blaenwern. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm93QW08yZQ    Guide me O thou Great Jehovah to the tune Cwm  Rhondda with soloist Harry Secombe. This begins with Harry singing overlooking the Rhondda valley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIep17oeV20&list=RDpIep17oeV20&start_radio=1   Guide me O thou Great Jehovah, sung in Welsh by a male choir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHVmcSQjHTE  Here is Love, Vast as the Ocean. Sometimes called the love hymn of the 1904/5 revival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMcsNEHVGdU J Edwin Orr speaking about the revival of 1904/5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM4mIlY...

STUDY  (10) THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION Th e author,  Samuel John Stone , was born in Staffordshire UK in 1839.   In 1874, he succeeded his father as vicar of St. Paul's, Haggerston. In 1890 he became rector of All Hallows-on-the-Wall in London.  St. Paul's Haggerston was in a poor section of London.   S tone would open the  church at 6:30 in the morning so that  commuters, frequently poor working girls, arriving  early could have a brief service and prayer, then have  time to rest, to read or to sew. He built numerous  churches; his belief was that poor people deserved  beautiful churches in which to worship. His  thoughtfulness earned him the title of "the poor  man's pastor". Source: " The Center for Church Music. " Samuel Wesley , composer of the tune Aurelia, to which the hymn is usually sung. Famous in his lifetime as one of his country's leading organists and choirmasters, he composed almost exclusive...

SONG STUDY (9) AMAZING GRACE! John Newton         John Newton Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me; I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed! Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun.   This is one of the best known hymns in the English language. Although there are other  tunes which fit the words, the one nearly always used is called "New Britain". John Newton appears to have written the words in 1772 (first published in 1779) whereas the melody  was coupled with the words in 1847.  A great deal has been wri...

STUDY (8) WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS J                   Charles Converse (Melody)      Joseph Scriven (Lyrics) Joseph Scriven grad­u­at­ed from Trin­i­ty Col­lege, Dublin.   A ft­er his fi­an­cée drowned the night be­fore they were to mar­ry, he moved to Can­a­da in 1846. There he taught in Wood­stock and Brant­ford, On­tar­io, and was a tu­tor for the Pen­gel­ly fam­i­ly near Bewd­ley. It was there he met and be­came en­gaged to Eliza Roche, a rel­a­tive of the Pen­gel­lys. In what seems too amaz­ing to be co­in­ci­dence, Eliza died short­ly before their we d­ding. Following the death of his second fi­an­cée, Scriven joined the Plym­outh Breth­ren, help­ing the aged members of the community.                                           Scriven wrote this hymn in 1855 to comfort his mother, who was across...

SONG STUDY (7) GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS Thomas O Chisholm This hymn was written in the early twentieth century with words by T.O. Chisholm and music by W.M. Runyan. The major passage of Scripture which the author had in mind is Lamentations 3: 19 - 33, where the writer (Jeremiah?) is working through the anguish of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the loss of all that he held dear.  G reat is Thy faithfulness, O God                                  my Father,                T here is no shadow of turning with  Thee;               Thou changest not, Thy compassions                         they fail not,                 As...

 SONG STUDY (6) TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Fanny Crosby 1820-1915 This is another of Fanny Crosby's hymns. She is responsible for many of the songs in our hymn books. She was blind physically, but far seeing spiritually.                            To God be the glory! Great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin And opened the life-gate that all may go in. 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! O perfect redemption, the purchase of                    blood! To every believer the promi...

Song Study (5) HOLY HOLY HOLY Reginald Heber 1783-1826 This hymn was written by Bishop Reginald Heber around 1810. As an Anglican clergyman in England he wrote many hymns of which this is probably the best known. In 1823 he was made Bishop of Calcutta in India , a huge territory which included Australia in those days. He lived only another 3 years. The familiar tune is by Dr JB Dykes, composer of quite a few well known hymn tunes. Its theme is the absolute purity and supremacy of God. Videos:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwuDSw-9cUQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHrNNM23p8   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! All the saints adore Thee,       ...