Hymns of Hope: Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby, the prolific hymn writer, wrote several Christmas-themed songs. Though she's more famous for hymns like "Blessed Assurance" and "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," which she wrote after hearing the cry of a prison inmate, some of her notable Christmas works include "Christmas Carol (Cheerily Hail the Christmas Morn)," a joyful carol celebrating the birth of Jesus....

"Merrily now the bells we hear
Chiming in chorus sweet and clear
Gather and sing, gather and sing
Welcome the children's King"

Another one, "Sing Hallelujah," encourages praise for the infant Redeemer....

"Come to the feet of our infant Redeemer
Come where today in a manger He lies
Lift up our hearts in a song of devotion
Let our hosannas with gladness arise"

I encourage you to find and listen to her Christmas hymns. At six weeks old, Fanny developed an eye infection, and a doctor applied the wrong medication, which causing permanent blindness. Later, she would say that she believed it was God's plan, and that she would thank the doctor if she met him, as it led to her profound spiritual life and prolific writing.

While attending a Christian camp near Lake Erie, she said to Pastor John Sweney, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition to my Creator, it would have been that I should be born blind?” When he asked why, she said “Because, when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

In her diary, she wrote, "It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life. I could not have written thousands of hymns if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects ther would have been presented to my notice."

Fanny Jane Crosb - mission worker, poet, lyricist, composer, prolific hymnist - lived from 1820 to 1915. By the end of the 19th century, she had become a household name.

Hymns of Hope: O to be Like Thee

The words for this hymn were written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm, who lived from 1866 to 1960. He was born in a log cabin near Franklin, Kentucky. He was educated in a one room school and became a teacher at the age of 16. By the age of 21 he was an associate editor of the local newspaper. He was saved at age 27, afterwhich he penned the words to "Oh, To Be Like Thee."

The basis for his words was his desire to shape himself in the image of Christ. Soon, poor health would challenge his efforts to become a newspaper editor and an ordained minister, however he would continue writing poetry. He wrote "Living for Jesus," (Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do), but perhaps his most famous hymn is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

The words to "O to be Like Him" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" might be his personal diary. He started his spiritual journey with a desire to be like Jesus and as he neared the end of his journey on this earth he proclaimed God's greatness and faithfulness. What a testimony. May this be our experience and testimony as well. As we enter 2026, why not make it your prayer to be like Jesus in all that you do?

"O to be like Thee, O to be like Thee
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art
Come in Thy sweetness
Come in Thy fullness
Stamp Thine own image
Deep on my heart"

"O to be like Thee! full of compassion
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting
Seeking the wand’ring sinners to find"

Hymns of Hope: What a Day That Will Be

This hymn was written in 1955 by gospel singer Jim Hill of Middletown, Ohio. The inspiration for it came from two people who were in his life. One person was an orphan girl who had sung at his church. She concluded her song with the words, “What a day that will be,” a phrase that resonated deeply with Hill and stayed with him over the years. The second inspiration came from a personal family tragedy, when his mother-in-law suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. Hill struggled to comprehend why such a terrible thing would happen to such a kind and devout woman as his mother-in-law was.

One day while sitting on his porch, he founded himself reflecting on the trials she had faced, when the words to the hymn began to flow into his mind. Despite having never written a song before, he shared the words with his family. On their next visit to see his mother-in-law, Hill, his wife, and sister-in-law sang it to her and for the first time in three years, she smiled. To Hill, it was a divine confirmation that his song was blessed by God.

“What a Day That Will Be” is a song of encouragement and hope. Its message of a future without sorrow, pain or death, draws on the promise found in Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

“What a Day That Will Be” is a beautiful reminder of the eternal peace promised to believers. The second verse says it all:

"There'll be no sorrows there
No more burdens to bear
No more sickness, no pain
No more parting over there
And forever I will be
With the one who died for me
What a day, glorious day that will be"

Jim Hill sang with the Stamps and Statesmen quartets. In later years he was part of the Gaither “Homecoming Series.” He was also the worship minister and choir director at Towne Blvd Church of God in Middletown, where he was a long-time member. He passed away on Jan. 9, 2018.

America (My Country Tis of Thee)

In 1984, years before he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, 1st Lt Garlin Murl Conner of Albany, Kentucky was honored at a July 4th commemoration at Camargo Church of God in Mount Sterling for being one of the highest decorated military veterans in Kentucky. The war hero spoke to a crowd of about 365 people. There was a flag ceremony, the presentation of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and the congregation sang "The Star Spangled Banner," “America, the Beautiful” and “America (My Country Tis of Thee)."

Did you know that ''The Star Spangled Banner'' wasn't adopted as the official national anthem of the United States until 1931? Before that, the nation had a few de facto national anthems, and ''The Star Spangled Banner'' wasn't even the most popular. That honor goes to ''America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)." For a century, this was the most beloved 'unofficial' anthem of the nation.

The hymn was written In 1831 by Samuel Francis Smith, a student at the Andover, Massachusetts Theological Seminary, who had been asked to translate the lyrics in some German school songbooks into English. The "God Save the Queen" melody caught his attention, but rather than translate those lyrics, he was moved deeply by the desire to create a national hymn that would allow the American people to offer praise to God for our wonderful land. And so, in just thirty minutes, "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)" was born. The song was first performed on July 4, 1831, by a children’s choir in Boston.

All four stanzas of "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)," glorify freedom and liberty. God is the author of liberty. The hymn acknowledges no limits on freedom. The first three verses encourage and invoke national pride, while the last verse is a petition to God for His continued favor and protection of the United States of America. "Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light," 2 Corinthians 3:17 says “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (aka freedom)," which is to say Christ is where true freedom is found. It is a freedom that lasts for an eternity, not anything temporary. The kind of freedom we will never have to worry about being stolen or taken away. All four stanzas glorify freedom and liberty. God is “author of liberty” and unlike “America” the poem acknowledges no limits on freedom.

My country, 'tis of thee
sweet land of liberty
of thee I sing
land where my fathers died
land of the pilgrims' pride
from every mountainside
let freedom ring!
Click here to read more about 1st Lt. Garlin Murl Conner

The Foundation of God is my Refuge

Sunday at church, we sang "How Firm a Foundation," a fitting hymn for the day, seeing how Clear Fork was organized 221 years ago this week.

"In ev’ry condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land, on the sea
As thy days may demand
Shall thy strength ever be"

That is the second verse of the original lyrics to the hymn that was first published in London, England in 1787 in John Rippon's "A Selection of Hymns." It first appeared in America in Joseph Fund’s 1832 Genuine Church Music.

The hymn became much loved and adored. Just over a decade later, Andrew Jackson requested it be sung at his deathbed. It was sung at Confederate General Robert E. Lee's funeral in 1870. No doubt, though, it comforted people on both sides during the Civil War. It was sung by American troops on Christmas morning in 1898 during the Spanish-American war, and It was sung during the funerals of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt in 1919 and Woodrow Wilson in 1924.

Yet, with all of its notoriety, the author of the hymn is somewhat of a mystery. In the original publication in 1787, it was attributed simply to “K.” That "K" was most likely Robert Keene, who was the song leader in Rippon's church.

Regardless of the author, It is good to know that in today's world, no matter the circumstance, we can rely on God to provide us with a firm foundation to keep us calm and encouraged. God's love for us is rich and pure, measureless, strong and enduring. While I am blessed to be a part of one of the longest continuing church congregations in this region, I am more blessed to know that the foundation of god is my refuge.

No Depression (in Heaven)

The photo you see, entitled "And Now Where," by American artist Rockwell Kent, is of a print that features a man and woman atop a mountain looking dejectedly into the distance alongside their knapsacks, and was published in 1936 during America’s Great Depression. It is the property of the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1936 was also the same year the Carter Family recorded their hit song “No Depression (In Heaven).” Although A. P. Carter has frequently been credited as the author of the song, there is evidence it was written in 1932 by James David Vaughan of Pulaski, Tennessee, one of the founders of the genre we know as "Southern gospel" music. He started the James D. Vaughan Music Publishing Company in 1900 and was the first to establish a professional quartet and put them on the road for the purpose of selling his songbooks. "No Depression (in Heaven)" is in his circa 1932 songbook, "Sweet Heaven." While A.P. Carter registered it as his own work (which he did for every recording they made), the family's version is almost a straight copy of Vaughan's original song.

Alvin Pleasant Carter of Maces Springs, Virginia took up playing the violin at an early age. suffered from a physical tremor, as well as a constitutional restlessness, which his mother ascribed to a near miss by a bolt of lightning while she was pregnant. His job traveling around the Clinch Mountain area selling trees and shrubs for a nursery helped him deal with the restlessness. One day he came upon a house where he heard a beautiful alto voice, which belonged to 16-year-old Sara Dougherty. Like A.P., Sara was a musician at heart. The same could be said for Sara's cousin, Maybelle, who was learning to play the guitar, which was just becoming popular.

The rest is history. A 2005 PBS documentary credited the Carter Family's music for lifting the nation's spirits during the darkest days of the Depression. It said their lyrics captured the joys and tragedies of everyday life: loves won and lost, dreams attained and shattered, separations and reunions. The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, which led to half the country’s banks failing and 15 million unemployed Americans. The writer of "No Depression (in Heaven)" obviously saw it as evidence that the end was near. In his 2019 book, The Emotional Life of the Great Depression, author John Marsh said the Depression meant hunger and death. But for the Carter Family, and many of their listeners, the Great Depression also promised salvation.

For fear the hearts of men are failing
For these are the latter days we know
The Great Depression now is spreading
God's word declared it would be so

I'm going where there's no depression
To the lovely land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in Heaven, I'm going there

In that bright land, there'll be no hunger
No orphan children cryin' for bread
No weeping widows, toil or struggle
No shrouds, no coffins, and no death

This dark hour of midnight nearing
And tribulation time will come
The storms will hurl in midnight fear
And sweep lost millions to their doom

The Carter Family

Edison Records: Battle Hymn of the Republic

My 105-year-old recording of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," by singer Thomas Chalmers, was recorded May 29, 1917 at Thomas Edison's recording studio in Manhattan. The recording is registered with the Library of Congress.

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" first gained popularity around Charleston, South Carolina. It became known as "John Brown's Body," following the insurrection at Harper's Ferry, led by Abolitionist John Brown, whose actions, trial and subsequent execution made him a martyr.

"John Brown's body
lies a-mouldering in the grave
His soul is marching on"
By the time of the Civil War, the song had become a popular marching song with Union Army regiments. It was when Julia Ward Howe visited Washington, DC on November 18, 1861 that "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first born. Howe and her husband were active abolitionists, who had experienced first-hand a skirmish between Confederate and Union troops in nearby Virginia, and heard the troops go into battle singing "John Brown's Body." That evening in the nation's capital, Howe was inspired to write a poem that better fit the music. It began "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

This photo of Julia Ward Howe was taken in 1908.

Grandma's Kitchen Table

Charles Spurgeon once said a holy life is rich in interest, full of wonders, checkered with many changes, yet as easily ordered by providence as the improvisor arranges the details of the story. "Our lives should be illustrations of heavenly goodness," he said, "parables of divine wisdom, poems of sacred thought, and records of infinite love; happy are we whose lives are such tales."

When I think back on my childhood, I am able to recall times I went to visit my grandmother. The most vivid of all memories is of her kitchen table. Her Bible would almost always be lying there and most of the time she would be sitting there reading it, out loud if anyone was there to listen. I heard the stories of David and Goliath, the den of lions, Noah and the flood, and about how on the third day Jesus arose from the grave and what it was all about. Somedays there would even be a verse and chorus from one of her favorite old hymns.

I am thankful for this memory that provides strength and comfort to me as I travel along through life. God definitely had a plan when he placed my grandmother in my path. She lived the sort of Christian life we should all desire to live, and set an example for myself and others to follow. Of all the things I inherited from her, the mere recollection of her is more dearest to me.

Singer/songwriter Willie Nelson's inspiration when he wrote 'Family Bible' came from his childhood when his grandmother would sing 'Rock of Ages' and read from the Bible after supper...a story that echoes the same wonderful memories I have of my own grandmother.

"In memory of Dimple Speck"

"There's a family Bible on the table
Each page is torn and hard to read
But the family Bible on the table
Will ever be my key to memories"

I Need Thee Every Hour

Annie Sherwood Hawks began displaying a gift for writing verses at the early age of 14, contributing poems on a regular basis to a variety of newspapers. One morning in June of 1872, while doing her regular household tasks, she suddenly became filled with the sense of a nearness to God. Wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words were ushered into her mind:

"I need Thee every hour
most gracious Lord
no tender voice like Thine
can peace afford"
Annie was a member of Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Dr. Robert Lowry, a prominent writer of gospel songs, was her pastor. Having been encouraged at the gift he saw in her poetry, Hawks showed her verses to him. Lowry added a refrain as he wrote the music for the hymn.

"I need Thee, O I need Thee
every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee"
When it was first published in 1873, this Bible verse was included underneath the title: “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Each of the first four stanzas dwells on a different facet of our dependence on God:

Verse one: Our need for His peace "I need Thee every hour most gracious Lord, No tender voice like Thine can peace afford."

Verse two: Our inability to resist temptation alone "I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby, Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh."

Verse three: Our need to find true meaning in life "I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain."

and, verse four: Our desire to see God's promise "I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will, And Thy rich promises in me fulfill."

The fifth stanza is an intense plea for God's presence "I need Thee every hour, most Holy One, Oh make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son."

Hymns of Hope: How Long Has It Been?

In Southern Gospel music circles, songwriter Mosie Lister was a legend. His best known songs include “Where No One Stands Alone,” “Till the Storm Passes By,” “Then I Met the Master” and “How Long Has It Been?” Born into a musical family in Georgia, at an early age it appeared he was tone-deaf. Although he gradually learned to distinguish pitches, he wanted to do more than that...he wanted to write songs.

He came to fame as he began to work with southern gospel quartets; singing, arranging, writing and producing. One day he thinking about how people can drift away from the Lord. "Once upon a time, they had told God they loved Him, but they hadn’t given Him much thought in recent years," he said. Sound familiar? All of a sudden the lyrics came and he started writing as fast as he could. In ten minutes he had written "How Long Has it Been?"

"How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
and told him your hearts hidden secrets
How long since you prayed, how long since you stayed
on your knees’till the light shone through

How long has it been since your mind felt at ease
How long since your heart knew no burden
Can you call him your friend, how long has it been
since you knew that he cared for you"
Within five years, more than a million sheet music copies had been sold. Jimmy Davis was the first to release the song on record in 1956. The Blackwood Brothers released it later that same year. Jim Reeves followed in 1959, Jimmy Dean in 1960, The Statesman Quartet in 1964 and The Cathedral Quartet in 1966. Mosie said he stopped counting in the 600's.

Albert Brumley, who wrote “I’ll Fly Away,” once declared “How Long Has It Been” to be greatest gospel song ever written. When asked, “What about your song?” he replied, “It’s not in the same class.” Billy Graham’s soloist, George Beverly Shea, often closed his concerts by singing this song.

"How long has it been since you knelt by your bed
and prayed to the Lord up in Heaven
How long since you knew that He’d answer you
and would keep you the long night through

How long has it been since you woke with the dawn
and felt this day is worth living
Can you call Him your friend, How long has it been
since you knew that He cared for you"
My favorite recording of this song has to be the version Jimmy Dean recorded in 1960 and released on his album "Hymns" (Columbia Records).

Hymns of Hope: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen Lemmel, the daughter of a Methodist minister, was born in 1863 in Wardle, England. Her family migrated to America when she was 12, first to Mississippi then to Wisconsin. A gifted singer, she traveled and sang on the Chautauqua circuit, eventually, becoming a vocal music teacher at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Among her works was a hymnal used by evangelist Billy Sunday for over a decade. She and a women’s choral group she directed were part of his evangelistic crusades at the peak of his career. Lemmel died in Seattle, Washington in 1961.

Originally known as "The Heavenly Vision," "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (the first line of the chorus) was inspired by a missionary's tract Lemmel had read. First published as a pamphlet in England in 1918, she included it in a collection of hymns, called "Glad Songs," in 1922, and then in an American collection, entitled "Gospel Truth in Song," in 1924. Today the hymn, especially the chorus, is widely known and has become a standard reprinted in many hymnals.

O soul, are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

His Word shall not fail you
He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell

Hymns of Hope: There is a Redeemer

(Photo by Kelly Latham)
I am always fascinated by the stories behind the writing of hymns, especially the great old ones. Although it sounds old, "There Is a Redeemer" is a praise and worship song written by Melody Green in 1977 and popularized by her husband, contemporary Christian musician Keith Green, on his 1982 album, "Songs for the Shepherd," the last album to be released before a plane crash on July 28, 1982 claimed the lives of Keith, 28, and two of his children, ages 2 and 3. Nine others were also onboard and perished. They were visiting church planters, John and Dede Smalley and their six children. The Robertson STOL-modified Cessna 414 leased by Last Days Ministries crashed after takeoff from a private airstrip located on the LDM property. Melody was left with a one year old and expecting their fourth child at the time of the accident. The final verse was added by Keith. The song appears in numerous hymnals and has been described as a classic. We sing it quite often at my church. Like "How Deep The Father's Love For Us," this is another one of those hymns that sounds old, bit it isn't. The lyrics and the melody are beautiful.

There is a redeemer
Jesus, God's own son
Precious lamb of God, Messiah
Holy one

Chorus:
Thank you oh my father
For giving us your son
And leaving your spirit
'til the work on earth is done

Jesus my redeemer
Name above all names
Precious lamb of God, Messiah
Oh, for sinners slain

When I stand in glory
I will see his face
And there I'll serve my king forever
In that holy place
Today, Melody Green operates Last Days Ministries online where all of her husband's writings are free and his music can be found. She also maintains the Keith Green Facebook page to honor Keith.

Hymns of Hope: Be Still My Soul

The very powerful words to the hymn, "Be Still My Soul," were written in 1752 and translated into English in 1855. The first verse is perfect for this trying time we are in.

"Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to your God to order and provide. In ev'ry change, he faithful will remain. Be still, my soul, your best, your heav'nly friend, through thorny ways leads to a joyful end."

The verse tells us that God is over all creation, but instead of using His sovereign power to destroy us, He sustains our lives. Instead of crushing us as we deserve, He is merciful. He is patient. He is good.

'Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still know His voice.' I love that line in verse two. It means don't let anything shake you. God is in control.

"Be still, my soul, your God will undertake to guide the future as He has the past. Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake. All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below."

Verse three offers the assurance that God loves us. We are His children and in the midst of troubled times, 'we shall know His love.'

"Be still, my soul, when dearest friends depart and all is darkened in the vale of tears. Then shall you better know His love, His heart who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears. Be still, my soul, your Jesus can repay from his own fullness all he takes away."

Verse four is about God's promise of what lies ahead if you are saved. That, one day, grief, disappointment and fear will be gone. Hallelujah!

"Be still, my soul, the hour is hast'ning on when we shall be forever with the Lord. When disappointment, grief and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul, when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed, we shall meet at last."

The writer of the hymn was Ka­tha­ri­na A. von Schle­gel, who lived in the German city of Cothen, where Johann Sebastian Bach lived for a short time. She wrote a number of hymns that combines biblical doctrine with living a vigorous Christian life. "Stille meine Wille," or “Be Still My Soul,” gives us assurance that, in the midst of the storm, our souls are secure and we can rest easy because God is in control.

Exultate Singers , a choir based in Bristol, UK that was founded by conductor and composer David Ogden, performs a beautiful version of “Be Still My Soul.”

Hymns of Hope: "How Deep the Father's Love For Us"

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 8:38-39

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

In today’s worship writing it is a rare and wonderful thing to find a hymn or even a Christian song filled with BOTH theological depth and poetic expression than "How Deep the Father's Love For Us," written by Stuart Townend, an English Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music.

He said, "I’d been meditating on the cross, and in particular what it cost the Father to give up his beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross. And what was my part in it? Not only was it my sin that put him there, but if I’d lived at that time, it would probably have been me in that crowd, shouting with everyone else ‘crucify him.’ It just makes his sacrifice all the more personal, all the more amazing, and all the more humbling."

Happy Easter!

On a Hill Far Away Stood an Old Rugged Cross

Evangelist George Bennard wrote the first verse to "The Old Rugged Cross" after being heckled by several youth at a revival meeting in Albion, Michigan in the fall of 1912. Troubled by their disregard for the gospel, he was reflecting on the work of Christ on the cross when he wrote,

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame."

He finished the hymn during a revival in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin that began in late December that year. The song was popularized in Billy Sunday's evangelistic campaigns by singers Homer Rodeheaver and Virginia Asher. They were the first to record it in 1921.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

O that old rugged cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary

In that old rugged cross stained with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away
Where his glory forever I'll share

Now, more than ever, we need to cling to the cross. We haven't been living in the world the Lord intended for us to live in. So, now that He has gotten our attention, we need to change. Pray for change, pray for each other. Instead of putting down our leaders, pray for them, and yes, even the President. After this pandemic is over, if we go back to the way things were we will have lost the lesson. We must rise up and do better. I can't think of a better place to start than by clinging to the old rugged cross.

Hymns of Hope: Because He Lives

One of the most famous Christian songs of our time is "Because He Lives," but do you know the story behind the writing of it? In the late 1960's, while expecting their third child, Bill and Gloria Gaither were going through a rather traumatic time in their lives. Bill was recovering from a bout with mononucleosis. It was a special period of anxiety and mental anguish for Gloria. The thought of bringing another child into this world, with all of the "craziness," was taking its toll on her.

On New Year's Eve, she was sitting in their living room, in agony and fear. The educational system was being infiltrated with the God is dead idea, while drug abuse and racial tensions were increasing. Then suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, she was filled with a gentle, calming peace. It was as if her heavenly Father, like an attentive mother bending over her baby, saw his child and came to her rescue. The panic gave way to calmness and an assurance that only the Lord can impart. She was assured that the future would be just fine, left in God's hands.

Shortly after the baby was born, both Bill and Gloria remembered that the power of the blessed Holy Spirit seemed to come to their aid. Christ's resurrection, in all of its power and affirmation in their lives, revitalized their thinking. To Gloria, it was life conquering death in their daily activities. Joy once again dominated the fearful circumstances of the day.

Those events gave rise to one of the most famous Christian songs of our time, "Because He Lives."

(Written by Lyndsay Terry, St. Augustine Record, 2015)

God sent His Son
They called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Chorus:
Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives

And then one day I'll cross that river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know he lives

Hymns of Hope: He Leadeth Me

It was a Wednesday evening and Joseph Gilmore, the son of New Hampshire governor Joseph A. Gilmore, was preaching at a mid-week prayer service. “I set out to give an exposition of the 23rd Psalm," he would later write, "but I got no further than the words ‘He leadeth me.’ Those words took hold of me as they had never done before. I saw in them a significance and beauty of which I had never dreamed. At the close of the meeting a few of us kept on talking about the thoughts which I had emphasized; and then and there, on a back page of my sermon notes, I penciled the hymn just as it stands today, handed it to my wife, and thought no more of it."

Without his knowledge, and using a pseudonym, Gilmore's wife sent the lyrics to the Watchman and Reflector magazine. The magazine first printed it on Dec. 4, 1862.

Three years later, Gilmore went to preach at Rochester, New York. "Upon entering the chapel," he said, "I took up a hymnbook, thinking, ‘I wonder what they sing.’ The book opened up at “’He Leadeth Me" and that was the first time I knew that my hymn had found a place among the songs of the church.”

Musician William Bradbury saw the lyrics the magazine had printed and wrote the melody for it. He added the last line of the refrain to fit his tune. When Ira Sankey, the musician for evangelist Dwight Moody heard Bradbury’s version of the hymn, he included it in several editions of 'Sacred Songs and Solos,' thus assuring its fame.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought
O words with heavenly comfort fraught
Whate'er I do, where'er I be
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

He leadeth me, He leadeth me
By His own hand He leadeth me
His faithful follower I would be
For by His hand He leadeth me

Sometimes mid scenes Of deepest gloom
Sometimes where Edens flowers bloom
By waters calm o'er troubled sea
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

Lord I would clasp Thy hand in mine
Nor ever murmur nor repine
Content, whatever lot I see
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me

And when my task on earth is done
when by Thy grace the victory's won
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee
Since God through Jordan leadeth me

Hymns of Hope: "It Is Well with My Soul"

Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a lovely family - a wife, Anna, and five children. However, they were not strangers to tears and tragedy. Their young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more.

On Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters. Although Mr. Spafford had planned to go with his family, he found it necessary to stay in Chicago to help solve an unexpected business problem. He told his wife he would join her and their children in Europe a few days later. His plan was to take another ship.

About four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, the Ville du Harve collided with a powerful, iron-hulled Scottish ship, the Loch Earn. Suddenly, all of those on board were in grave danger. Anna hurriedly brought her four children to the deck. She knelt there with Annie, Margaret Lee, Bessie and Tanetta and prayed that God would spare them if that could be His will, or to make them willing to endure whatever awaited them. Within approximately 12 minutes, the Ville du Harve slipped beneath the dark waters of the Atlantic, carrying with it 226 of the passengers including the four Spafford children.

A sailor, rowing a small boat over the spot where the ship went down, spotted a woman floating on a piece of the wreckage. It was Anna, still alive. He pulled her into the boat and they were picked up by another large vessel which, nine days later, landed them in Cardiff, Wales. From there she wired her husband a message which began, "Saved alone, what shall I do?" Mr. Spafford later framed the telegram and placed it in his office.

Another of the ship's survivors, Pastor Weiss, later recalled Anna saying, "God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why."

Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next available ship and left to join his grieving wife. With the ship about four days out, the captain called Spafford to his cabin and told him they were over the place where his children went down.

According to Bertha Spafford Vester, a daughter born after the tragedy, Spafford wrote "It Is Well With My Soul" while on this journey.

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

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul)
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

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

Hymn: God Leads Us Along

George A. Young was an obscure 19th Century preacher and carpenter who spent a lifetime serving in small rural communities. Often his financial support was small, and it was hard on his family. But through all the ups and downs his faithful wife never wavered in her loyalty to God and to her husband. After a long struggle, the family was able to move into their own small home (which George built himself). But then, on an occasion when George was away preaching, some local thugs—who didn’t like his Gospel preaching—set fire to the house, and it was totally destroyed. It was out of that experience that Young reaffirmed his faith in God by writing God Leads Us Along.

Metropolitan Quartet - I Will Sing Of My Redeemer (1914)

Played on my 1919 Edison Phonograph