We have a great gathering last week. This week our gathering will be a bit more participatory. We will be singing and discussing five hymns on Tuesday. In anticipation of our discussion, please take the time to read over the hymns this weekend (if you don’t do the work, please come anyway). For each hymn I have linked to the Hymnary.org discussion of the hymn which gives a brief overview of the author, notes of scriptural references, bulletin notes, and different tunes to which the hymn may be sung. I have also linked to a YouTube video of a performance of the hymn. And I have attached the notes from Robert Morgan’s Then Sings My Soul which provides a wonderful brief story about each hymn itself.
The hymns we are singing and discussing this week are:
- “All Creatures of Our God and King” by St. Francis of Assisi (1982 Hymnal 400) (Hymnary) (YouTube)
- “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken” by John Newton (1982 Hymnal 522) (Hymnary) (YouTube)
- “O Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand” by Samuel Stennett (Hymnary) (YouTube)
- “Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard (Hymnary) (YouTube)
- “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman (Songfacts) (YouTube)
SCHEDULING: On October 3, we will look at Christmas Hymns. If you have a favorite Christmas Hymn (“White Christmas” isn’t a hymn), please let me know.
Dinner is at 6. The Menu is baked potato bar. Discussion and Singing about 6:45. Hope to see you here.
Praise the Lord from the earth, *
Psalm 148:7-13
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and wingèd birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens, *
old and young together.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *
for his Name only is exalted,
his splendor is over earth and heaven.