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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “Rock of Ages”
[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. Please leave your favorite hymns (up to 3) in the comments, and we’ll add them to our list.] ——————————– A classic song, “Rock of Ages” was written in 1773 by Augustus Montague Toplady, and was first published in 1775. Though he lived to be just 38 years old, Toplady’s hymn has far outlived him. In fact, Robert J. Morgan quotes an anonymous source in stating that “Rock of Ages” is “the best known, best loved, and most widely useful” hymn in the English language (page 75). While not able to be proven, there is a theory as to how…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. Please add your favorites in the comments and we’ll put them on our upcoming list.] ——————————— One of the most well-respected hymns of all time, Isaac Watts’ “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was first published in 1707, and continues to be sung around the world. In fact, it is reported that Charles Wesley once stated that he would have given up all his other hymns to have written this one. (cyberhymal.org) “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was one of the earliest songs in English hymn history to break from simply singing Scripture or paraphrases of Scripture. While…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “There’s a Rainbow in the Cloud”
[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. Our list is now down to less than 12 songs, so if you want your “in queue,” leave a comment with up to three suggestions and we’ll add them to our list for upcoming posts!] ————————————— Taking the picture of God’s promise to Noah and giving it a modern application, Alton Howard’s 1973 song “There’s a Rainbow in the Cloud” is a great song of faith and trust in God. While not sung in many parts of the country (as far as I can tell), the song has a similar message to many others hymns which show our faith…
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Friday Links Roundup: More from Vance Perry Edition
Yesterday, we posted our Thursday Hymn Reflection on “And Can It Be?” and I included a video that was by Vance Perry. Neal Pollard left a comment that “we” watched that video, making me think Bear Valley may have shut down for about 3 minutes! This is not the only song Vance has done in this manner. He records all sorts of songs, from hymns to pop songs, and uploads them to YouTube. So, for an “encore,” thought I’d post one of his pop songs that is truly remarkable. Enjoy! Now, with that stuck in your head, enjoy this week’s links: 1. On the Riverchase Teen Ministry blog, Brandon Edwards…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “And Can It Be?”
[NOTE: Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. If you would like to add yours to our list–which is now dwindling!–leave a comment with up to three of your favorites, and we’ll add them to our upcoming schedule.] Originally six verses from the pen of Charles Wesley, “And Can It Be?” is usually three verses today, and has two very distinct tunes that are usually associated with it. In most hymnals, the music is from Thomas Campbell, while the more “devotional” version is usually not attributed to anyone except an “arranger,” because it has just developed over the years. This classic hymn has the singer marveling…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “Be Still, My Soul”
[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. If you would like us to write about your favorite hymns, just leave a comment with up to three of your favorites, and we’ll write about them.] Okay, so today’s hymn was not suggested by a reader. Instead, it is one of my favorites, and I was reminded of it again this week. Leah and I (finally) went on our anniversary date, and we went to hear the Nashville Symphony play in Centennial Park. One of their selections for the night was a piece from Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. If you look in your hymnal under the song “Be…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “On Zion’s Glorious Summit”
[NOTE: Every Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. If you would like to add your favorites to our list, leave a comment with up to 3 songs, and we will add them in the future. Thank you.] Written in 1803, John Kent’s words are powerful and are still sung with great fervor. “On Zion’s Glorious Summit” is a song that is always sung with great passion. When I sing the song, I cannot help but think of two sections of Scripture. First, I think of Hebrews 11-12. Chapter 11 lists all those great faithful men and women who served God despite extreme difficulties. Then, as chapter…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: “The Battle Belongs to the Lord”
[Each Thursday, we reflect on a hymn suggested by our readers. To add yours to our list, please leave a comment with up to 3 songs. BY THE WAY, we have less than 20 left in our list, so we need to “build up” our suggestions again.] Today’s hymn is quite unique. For starters, the song changes back and forth from major to minor. Also, part of the song is sung in unison, while part of the song is in “regular” four-part harmony. Also, it is a fairly new song (written in 1984), but is popular with both young people and many adults. While the music is interesting, we never…
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11 Reasons We’ve been Married 11 Years
Saturday, Leah and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. I love Leah. She is my best earthly friend, and I’m thankful that she puts up with me! 11 years is not long compared to many couples we are around often, but many have no idea how to survive just a few years, much less have a thriving marriage! I want to share 11 reasons we’ve continued (and hopefully improved) our marriage over these 11 years. 1. God is at the center. Many think that, because I’m a preacher, we “have” to have God as our focus and we “have” to attend worship. The truth is we enjoy worship and…
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Thursday Hymn Reflection: O Holy Night
[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. If you would like us to add your favorites to our list, leave a comment with up to three songs and we’ll reflect on them in the future.] Written in 1847 in France, “O Holy Night” is a song that is usually associated with the season around Christmas, since the lyrics focus on the birth of Jesus. However, if we are going to think about the entire life of Christ, we need to sing this song throughout the year. The original poem has lyrics that are very deep and theological. Here are the words of the final verse in…
