God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending
Written in 1961, this text by Robert Lansing Edwards has a clear focus on our responsibility to be good stewards of all God has shared with us. The text outlines these gifts: the wonder of creation, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and our talents for preaching the gospel are foremost. The tune comes from The Sacred Harp, a tune book published in 1844 that helped to pave the way for shape-note singing in America, a tradition that continues to this day.
Lord of All Good
Another hymn with a concerted emphasis on stewardship, this text by Congregational pastor Albert Frederick Bayly encompasses the way in which we are to fully devote ourselves to God’s “holy purpose.” It’s not only our monetary gifts, but our minds, our “hands, eyes and voices” as well.
Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound
It is good to have a thorough understanding of this hymn’s history to understand the significance of it. From The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion:
John Newton was born in London and at age eleven went to sea with his father. his mother had die when he was six. By age seventeen he was in the British Royal Navy assigned to a man-of-war. After serving as a sailor on a slave ship, he became a captain, transporting Africans to port where they could be sold for the best price. In 1748 he was caught in a storm at sea and experienced a spiritual awakening…At age forty Newton was ordained in the Church of England despite his formal education.
With William Cowper, Newton penned Olney Hymns (1779), from which the four stanzas we’ll sing today come. The fifth stanza is actually the tenth stanza of another hymn, “Jerusalem, My Happy Home,” which was included in another hymn collection; it is unclear when it was added to the four originals by Newton. The hymn was not paired with the tune NEW BRITAIN until 1835.
Response: They’ll Know We Are Christians
Peter Scholtes wrote this hymn based on John 13:34-35 and Ephesians 4:4-6 in 1966. Since its initial publication, the work has been included in 19 collections, including PCUSA’s Sing the Faith, the supplement to the 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal. The first three stanzas emphasize our Christian unity both in faith and in action; the final stanza serves as a doxology to the Trinity. Over all, of course, is the refrain, which speaks for itself: “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
10:55 Worship Service
Gathering Song/Response: They’ll Know We Are Christians
Peter Scholtes wrote this hymn based on John 13:34-35 and Ephesians 4:4-6 in 1966. Since its initial publication, the work has been included in 19 collections, including PCUSA’s Sing the Faith, the supplement to the 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal. The first three stanzas emphasize our Christian unity both in faith and in action; the final stanza serves as a doxology to the Trinity. Over all, of course, is the refrain, which speaks for itself: “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending
Written in 1961, this text by Robert Lansing Edwards has a clear focus on our responsibility to be good stewards of all God has shared with us. The text outlines these gifts: the wonder of creation, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and our talents for preaching the gospel are foremost. The tune comes from The Sacred Harp, a tune book published in 1844 that helped to pave the way for shape-note singing in America, a tradition that continues to this day.
Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound
It is good to have a thorough understanding of this hymn’s history to understand the significance of it. From The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion:
John Newton was born in London and at age eleven went to sea with his father. his mother had die when he was six. By age seventeen he was in the British Royal Navy assigned to a man-of-war. After serving as a sailor on a slave ship, he became a captain, transporting Africans to port where they could be sold for the best price. In 1748 he was caught in a storm at sea and experienced a spiritual awakening…At age forty Newton was ordained in the Church of England despite his formal education.
With William Cowper, Newton penned Olney Hymns (1779), from which the four stanzas we’ll sing today come. The fifth stanza is actually the tenth stanza of another hymn, “Jerusalem, My Happy Home,” which was included in another hymn collection; it is unclear when it was added to the four originals by Newton. The hymn was not paired with the tune NEW BRITAIN until 1835.
 |
| K. Lee Scott |
Anthem: Who At My Door is Standing?
A minister’s wife and teacher, Mary Slade was assistant editor of The New England Journal of Education. Slade has had around one hundred hymn texts and poems published in various collections and hymnbooks. This text, written circa 1875, has been included in at least seventy-nine collections, ranging from camp meeting songbooks to denominational hymnals. The text is tied to Revelation 3:20, which reads, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”
No comments:
Post a Comment