31 Days of Hymns - Day 31

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

Written on 1739 by Charles Wesley, this beautiful hymn of exaltation is well suited for Easter.

Traditional version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARcGfwonwVE


Contemporary rendition by Aaron Keyes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaOVIv7Ja9k

Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!
All creation, join to say: Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high; Alleluia!
Sing, O heavens, and earth, reply: Alleluia!


Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won; Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise; Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!


Lives again our glorious King; Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia!
Once he died, our souls to save; Alleluia!
Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia!


Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head; Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise; Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!


Hail the Lord of earth and heaven! Alleluia!
Praise to you by both be given; Alleluia!
Risen Christ, triumphant now; Alleluia!
Every knee to you shall bow. Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

31 Days of Hymns - Day 30

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

 

Penned over 130 years ago by George Matheson, this beautiful devotional hymn is usually sung to the tune of St. Margaret (Peace).

Matheson said about this hymn:

"My hymn was com­posed in the manse of In­ne­lan [Ar­gyle­shire, Scot­land] on the ev­en­ing of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sister’s mar­ri­age, and the rest of the fam­i­ly were stay­ing over­night in Glas­gow. Some­thing hap­pened to me, which was known only to my­self, and which caused me the most se­vere men­tal suf­fer­ing. The hymn was the fruit of that suf­fer­ing. It was the quick­est bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the im­press­ion of hav­ing it dic­tat­ed to me by some in­ward voice ra­ther than of work­ing it out my­self. I am quite sure that the whole work was com­plet­ed in five min­utes, and equal­ly sure that it ne­ver re­ceived at my hands any re­touch­ing or cor­rect­ion. I have no na­tur­al gift of rhy­thm. All the other vers­es I have ever writ­ten are man­u­fact­ured ar­ti­cles; this came like a day­spring from on high." - Cyberhymnal.org

Listen here:

My favorite rendition by Indelible Grace:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS3o_160OhE 

Traditional version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNcZgvxqi0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiZ9xXoZ1Mk

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

More about this hymn:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/l/oltwnlmg.htm

31 Days of Hymns - Day 29

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

This great hymn rich with lyrics of God's creation and providence was written in 1876 by Walter C. Smith. It is beautifully sung to the Welsh melody St. Denio.

Listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZsSRaaHKGA 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deLc8Egb0Js 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
Of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

More about this hymn:
http://www.hymnary.org/text/immortal_invisible_god_only_wise

31 Days of Hymns - Day 28

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Beautiful hymn - one of my favorites! Penned in 1740 by Charles Wesley while he was seeking refuge from enemies.

"Mrs. Mary Hoo­ver, of Belle­fonte, Penn­syl­van­ia, whose grand­mo­ther was the her­o­ine of the sto­ry, has re­lat­ed to her pas­tor this fam­i­ly tra­di­tion: Charles Wesley was preach­ing in the fields of the par­ish of Killy­leagh, Coun­ty Down, Ire­land, when he was at­tacked by men who did not ap­prove of his doc­trines. He sought re­fuge in a house lo­cat­ed on what was known as the Is­land Barn Farm. The far­mer’s wife, Jane Low­rie Moore, told him to hide in the milk­house, down in the gar­den. Soon the mob came and de­mand­ed the fu­gi­tive. She tried to qui­et them by of­fer­ing them re­fresh­ments. Go­ing down to the milk­house, she di­rect­ed Mr. Wesley to get through the rear win­dow and hide un­der the hedge, by which ran a lit­tle brook. In that hid­ing-place, with the cries of his pur­su­ers all about him, he wrote this im­mor­tal hymn. De­scend­ants of Mrs. Moore still live in the house, which is much the same as it was in Wes­ley’s time." - from the Cyberhymnal http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/l/jlmysoul.htm

 Listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWTMyiWmiQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffUsrMJAxeQ


Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

More about this hymn:
 http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/l/jlmysoul.htm

31 Days of Hymns - Day 27

He Hideth My Soul 

Penned by Fanny Crosby in 1890, this beloved congregational hymn is sung to the tune "A Wonderful Savior is Jesus My Lord".

Listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-FT9y-k3XQ

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.

Chorus:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry thirsty land;
He hideth my life in 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,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day. [Chorus]


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!" [Chorus]


When clothed in His brightness transported I rise
To meet Him clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high! [Chorus]

Learn More About This Hymn Here:
http://www.hymnary.org/text/a_wonderful_savior_is_jesus_my_lord

31 Days of Hymns - Day 26

Arise, My Soul, Arise

"The hymn emphasizes the assurance that comes from knowing that the sufficient once-for-all sacrifice of Christ is forever made effective through the ongoing high priestly work of the same ascended Lord, who intercedes on our behalf continually.   Assurance, therefore, comes not from an inner feeling or from self-examination but from the objective reality of Christ’s fully sufficient work on our behalf.  This assurance is communicated to us through the testimony of the Spirit, who assures us of our forgiveness and adoption specifically by witnessing to the very same saving work of Christ for us. Scripturally, the hymn recalls several passages from Hebrews, notably 4:14-5:10, and chapter 10:1-25." James Pedlar https://jamespedlar.wordpress.com/tag/hymns/



Written in 1742, this great hymn by Charles Wesley has not ceased to be a popular. Through the years, it has been sung to many different melodies with some being more upbeat than others. Here are several renditions to enjoy.

Traditional versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0qZ3h_dMGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlNevQK0Pk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzhVyNLBveU
Contemporary versions:
by Twila Paris
https://jamespedlar.wordpress.com/tag/hymns/
by Indelible Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuJ7-s3gN4k
by Sovereign Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtFzhLGJAPg

Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears,
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Savior stands:
My name is written on his hands.


He ever lives above,
For me to intercede;
With his redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood was spilt for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.


Five bleeding wounds he bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly speak for me:
Forgive him, O forgive they cry!
Nor let that ransomed sinner die.


The Father hears him pray,
His dear anointed one;
He cannot turn away
The presence of his Son:
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.


To God I'm reconciled,
His pardoning voice I hear:
He owns me for his child,
I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And Father, Abba Father! cry.


A Selection of Hymns, from Various Authors, Supplementary for the Use of Christians. 1st ed., 1816

Learn more about this hymn here:
http://www.hymnary.org/text/arise_my_soul_arise_shake_off_thy_guilty

31 Days of Hymns - Day 25

Greater Grace Than Our Sin

 Listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgXYRV2B7Tk


Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder, on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.


Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.


Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss,
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the Refuge, the Mighty Cross. [Refrain]


 Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,
What can we do to wash it away?
Look! there is flowing a crimson tide;
Whiter than snow you may be today. [Refrain]


 Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe;
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive? [Refrain]

Learn more about this hymn here:
http://www.hymnary.org/text/marvelous_grace_of_our_loving_lord