Hymns to the Beloved: A Call for Sacred Love

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Alfred Publishing February 28, Language: Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Showing of 11 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I really liked the challenge of learning the arrangements in this book. Just about perfect for my type of playing. One person found this helpful. Don't like any jazz elements but this is minimal.

My daughter and I both play piano for churches, and both of us love Melody Bober's arrangements and use them frequently. As soon as I see a new book of hers for sale, I call my daughter and tell her about it. This is another good one. The love theme is always appropriate for services of any kind, so this book is especially useful.

I have advanced and intermediate level books of hers, and I like them all. Some arrangements are more challenging than others, but all are attainable with some focused practice in a relatively short time. If you've never had a "Bober Book" as we call them, try one! I wish she would put out a book of patriotic pieces. It was a gift for my sister and she loves it! Love the arrangements in this one. Very joyful songs, pleasant arrangements, easy to sight read.

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The arrangements were not as I had hoped. I recommend using this book.

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It did not achieve much popularity until the great English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, wrote what is considered one of his best tunes for it. Written by a mischief-maker turned pastor in the mid-eighteenth century, this beloved hymn speaks of the redemptive love of God for his wandering sheep. Using imagery taken from throughout the Bible, this powerful text acts as confession, assurance, and dedication, making it a versatile and beautiful hymn for worship at any time.

This hymn was written in a rural village dependent on agriculture. It used a common image for the villagers to illustrate the truth of the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, but has since been reduced to a carefree harvest song. Though we usually sing this hymn during Advent, it was originally written for a summer day — St. John the Baptist's Day on June This classic hymn reminds all who sing it of the good things we have been given despite moments of discouragement or difficulty.

This slightly awkward collaboration has since led to a beautiful and festive hymn of praise. The Navy Hymn was a favorite of Franklin D. Roosevelt and was played at his funeral in and that of John F. One popular myth about this hymn is that it is from the time of the Crusades. The story is that, in the twelfth century, a group of German children were inspired to form a crusade to recapture the Holy Land, and that they sang this hymn as they marched.

The truth is that it was likely written a few centuries later in more ordinary circumstances. Did you know that the popularity of this hymn did not take off until it was paired with a tune by the great English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams? In fact the original tune can scarcely be found in any hymnal today!

This text was at the center of a tune battle in the middle of the twentieth century between an old folk tune and a new hymn tune. The old tune won, and this thanksgiving hymn became popular because of it. This ecumenical hymn about issues of social justice was used at the 25th anniversary celebration of the United Nations in Geneva. Have you ever wondered what significance the host of angels appearing to the shepherds at Christ's birth had beyond a mere announcement of his arrival?

In this hymn, Joseph Cook gives us one answer. This African-American spiritual was the first of that genre to be published, appearing in This well-known and often used Christmas spiritual has been recorded on over forty gospel, pop, bluegrass, and country Christmas albums, and remains a treasured Christmas hymn. With a variety of styles and genres to choose from when arranging, this hymn is a versatile, yet classic choice for a Christmas Day service.

James Montgomery's poetical retelling of the final days of Jesus' life puts us close to our Savior, watching and learning from His example as He fulfilled the mission for which He was born. This hymn was written by a very depressed man, yet it continues to inspire hope in the hearts of believers.

Written by a controversial preacher from the early twentieth century, this hymn emphasizes the need for God's presence with His people. Not all dreams are equal: Charles Wesley wrote several well-known hymns for the major church feasts extolling the glory and power of God. This hymn was written for Ascension. This ancient processional hymn is derived from a sixth-century Latin poem that was handed down through the Middle Ages. Though it has been adapted for nearly every feast in the church calendar, modern versions are usually customized for Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost.

Hymnary Friends,

It must be a bit of a surprise to come across something you wrote years ago, now published and being sung by hundreds of people. Sometimes the most beautiful things come out of the most troubled times, and the great hymn "Holy!

What if we all suddenly began to do the exact same, no matter what age we are? It would certainly seem strange, but that enthusiasm and carefree excitement is what author Jeannette Threlfall invites us to experience in the words of her beautiful Palm Sunday hymn. Though neither the text nor the tune are usually presented in their original form, this hymn by Robert Lowry has survived as a reminder that circumstances cannot dampen the true joy that only Christ can give.

While the authorship of this hymn is disputed, the power of the words is not. This great text of the faithfulness of God has assured Christians for the last two centuries of the power of Christ and the certainty of hope. This hymn of commitment was most likely created by a Christian convert in India facing persecution.

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Out of tragic circumstances comes an amazing classic Christmas hymn by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. When a grandparent is a good storyteller, grandchildren love to beg for a story, even if it is one they have heard before. This hymn is a great reminder that Jesus, and Jesus alone, can help us bear the burdens of the world. This hymn was written by a housewife who happened to be Robert Lowry's parishioner. It has become one of our most-loved hymns of devotion.

Judson Van De Venter wrote this hymn after he surrendered to God following a long struggle against a call to full time ministry. This hymn broke new ground in the world of church music and technology. It was one of the very first songs ever recorded on the phonograph, newly invented by Thomas Edison in , one year after this hymn was written. Francis Rowley was asked to write this hymn for a revival. The author of this hymn knew no end of economic trials: Have you ever been suddenly startled by a light so bright it blinds you?

This hymn uses such a metaphor for God in an overflowing expression of praise. While many Christmas hymns focus on the glorious visit of the angels or the sweet innocence of a baby, this hymn by Christina Rossetti concentrates on the reality of the Incarnation — God came from the glory of heaven to a cold-hearted world. One legend about this hymn is that the author, Sir John Bowring, was inspired by a visit to the ruined cathedral on Macao Island near Hong Kong, on top of which stood a blackened cross.

Hymns to the Beloved - A Call for Sacred Love (Electronic book text)

While he did not visit China until twenty-four years after the hymn was written, his hymn remains a favorite in many churches. This widely popular gospel song has met with less than eager reception from hymnal editors due to its highly emotional language, yet it is based on an important moment in the Resurrection account of John The childlike language of this spiritual connects some of the fruit of the Spirit to everyday images.

This comparison illustrates how these qualities may be displayed in a Christian's life. This hymn text comes from a little-known German writer, but it is famous because of a musical setting by J. Bach, which is popular for weddings. Hall probably did not think she would be remembered over a hundred years after her death when she started writing a hymn during church one Sunday morning in , but her hymn has outlived her and continues to touch our lives. One of the best-known arrangements of this hymn is J. The hymn stanzas alternate with verses from Romans 8, contrasting devotion in the physical and spiritual worlds.

Isaac Watts was quite the revolutionary. While his contemporaries stuck within the boundaries of hymnody and Scripture paraphrasing, Watts jumped outside of the box and used the Bible as a launching point for his hymn texts — the foundation upon which he placed his own thoughts. This simple, yet powerful hymn has exalted the Savior for almost a thousand years and has been published in nearly as many hymnals. The Berkshire Mountains were my inspiration.

The tune for this song is well-known as a jazz number, but its lyrics are clearly a Christian prayer for God's help in life's difficulties. High praise from a family member: Far from being the simple campfire song that it appears to be, this spiritual has quite a history, from its disputed origins to the many recordings made by singers of different genres. In a world seemingly fraught with war and violence, it should both make us uncomfortable to sing anything with battle imagery, and also comfort us, knowing that we have the God of all power and might fighting for us against the powers of darkness.

Ernest Shurtleff makes that beautifully evident in this hymn. Have you ever seen a small child react to a frightening situation? His first reaction is to run into his parent's arms. This hymn was written as an expression of the peace that a child of God can find in his heavenly Father's arms. What does facing the rising sun on your knees have to do with taking Communion? For slaves belonging to Anglican families in the antebellum South, the connection might have seemed obvious.

Frances Havergal lived in God's peace, and even death did not frighten her. This hymn stems from the prophecies in Isaiah about the branch coming up from the stump of Jesse, and so you might wonder how we ended up singing about a rose. Among all the hymnals published in the last half of the twentieth century, it would be difficult to find one hymn that is included in every single hymnal.

The refrain of this Robert Lowry hymn is a vivid, joyful depiction of the event we celebrate every Easter morning — Christ arose! The author of this hymn died tragically in a train accident when he was only thirty-eight years old. This hymn is the last thing one of his good friends, Ira Sankey, heard him sing in this life. What a beautiful piece of music to be remembered by. Elizabeth Prentiss didn't show this hymn to anyone — not even her husband — for many years after it was written, but we are glad she eventually did, for it is a wonderful prayer of devotion to Christ.

Palmer, you may live many years and do many good things, but I think you will be best known to posterity as the author of 'My Faith Looks Up to Thee. William Featherstone wrote it when he was just sixteen years old! Attempting to re-write or add to a text so universally well-loved as Psalm 23 can be quite the daunting challenge, but Isaac Watts did it with grace and beauty, providing us with a wonderful hymn text that captures the comfort and simplicity of the beloved psalm.

Fanny Crosby is known for the thousands of poems she wrote during her long life, of which many are still sung as hymns. This one is in the top ten for popularity. This hymn was a favorite of President William McKinley, who is reported to have spoken the words on his deathbed after he was shot in This hymn about the redeeming power of Jesus's blood is one of Robert Lowry's best-known songs. There is a popular story that says this hymn was sung at the Peace of Westphalia at the end of the Thirty Years War.

Though it would be a good tale, this is rather unlikely. While we all pretend to hate those Christmas gifts that come wrapped in eight boxes and three bags all stuffed inside of each other, we also love the thrill of anticipation and the laughter that ensues. It certainly cannot be said of Charles Wesley that he was ever at a loss for words - his great hymn of praise "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," originally contained 18 stanzas! This hymn is so popular in Great Britain that is has become known as the second national anthem of England! This hymn and its music come from separate fifteenth-century sources, and are a good example of the rich heritage of the Church that has been passed down to us.

This hymn was written for the wedding of the author's sister, and became popular when used for the wedding of the Duke of Fife and the Princess of Wales in Legend has it that one day, when Bernard of Clairvaux was meditating upon a crucifix hanging on the wall, he had a vision in which the image of Christ on the cross leaned down and embraced him in acceptance of his devotion.

It was this vision that apparently inspired Bernard to write verses of prayer to the crucifix, part of which is the foundation for this hymn text. Not very many Easter hymns focus on the disciples' response to the astounding story that their beloved Master, Jesus Christ, was no longer dead but alive.

This old hymn from France tells just that story. This Pentecost hymn looks forward to the day when the redemption of all creation is fully realized. If you have ever been to the beach on a windy day, you know the power of the waves to carry away anything in their path. In this hymn, Samuel T. Francis compares God's love to the ocean's waves. In , Margaret K. Dismore made a discovery that put one publication on hold, and another one into motion.

After a century and a half of doubt and confusion, the mystery of the composer of the tune LYONS was solved. Continue reading to find out…. Even though this hymn is most often sung at Christmastime, it actually has very little to do with the Christmas story. Rather, this hymn asserts the divine nature of Christ, something we should be singing about all the time! Although this song is heavily associated with the camp meetings of nineteenth-century America, most of the text was in fact written in England by an English clergyman.

This hymn is one example of the breadth of Christian hymnody, with stanzas by an English minister, a camp-meeting refrain, and a tune from William Walker's Southern Harmony. In , Cecil F. Alexander published a book of hymns for children, containing thirteen hymns she had written to explain the Apostles' Creed. This hymn is one of three of these that are still in common use.

Though this hymn, with its overt martial images, is rather controversial in a time when the church throughout the world prefers to focus on peace, it is still quite popular. This twentieth-century hymn text by a Presbyterian evangelist was written for one of the most popular of all hymn tunes. This short text was originally the final stanza to three longer texts, but has become one of the best-known single hymns stanzas in the English-speaking world. In this case, I think we can all agree that this king had good taste in Church music.

Charles Wesley's hymn was written to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It does not stop there, but goes on to celebrate the Ascension and anticipate the Second Coming, realizing a fuller meaning of what is celebrated at Easter. This hymn was written to accompany the procession of several assembled choirs for a choral festival at an English cathedral, and has prompted an American composer to write a modern setting for a processional in an American cathedral.

This spiritual does not tell a historically accurate story, but it contains an important message about life priorities. He concluded his article with the text of this hymn. We know very little about this hymn, except that it has blessed Christians for two centuries with its words of trust and prayer, giving us the words to ask our God to provide for us. Robert Lowry wished to be known more as a preacher than as a hymn writer, but the multitude of people who have sung this hymn, which is his most popular one, have decided otherwise.

This is by far the best known and most loved sacred Christmas carol. There are chapels and museums dedicated to it, a Silent Night Association, and more stories about how this hymn came into existence than there are words in the carol! In this very personal and well-known hymn, the singer calls to mind various places in Scripture concerning Christian love and the Holy Spirit. Do you eagerly anticipate vacations, and feel a sudden sense of relief and bliss when you head out for a trip and leave the pressures of the everyday world behind?

That is the attitude that the author of this hymn had toward the daily time of prayer.

No one is quite sure how this happened, but in the early twentieth century, this African American spiritual became a drinking song sung after rugby games in England. In , a group of school boys sang it during the last match of England against Ireland, and it quickly caught on until the whole English crowd was singing the song. In , it became the official theme song of the English rugby team, and is sung with gusto and pride today at every match.

Author Frances Havergal took her own lyrics quite seriously. William Neidlinger was best known in his time for his books of songs for young children, but this song is his only enduring work. How beloved is this hymn? This eighth-century hymn of celebration was traditionally sung at midnight on Easter in the Greek church. This carol with folk origins is one of our best-loved Christmas hymns, but despite the opening reference to the shepherds, it is all about the wise men and the star.

The original Hebrew text for this hymn was written in the twelfth century by the famous Jewish philosopher, Moses Maimonides. A Wesleyan preacher in the eighteenth century brought this Jewish song into a Christianized form. Of all the numerous paraphrases of Psalm 23, Henry Baker's is one of the most popular, and justly so. His vivid interpretation repeatedly recalls the image of Christ the Good Shepherd, wedding both Old and New Testament imagery. Both the text and tune of this hymn were based on pre-existing music, written many years before this hymn. In this beautiful adaptation of a Latin text and an Italian mass, the author and composer have given the church a beautiful Easter hymn.

Tell me truly I implore. This hymn is an excellent reminder of why music is such an important part of celebrating Christmas — the angels welcomed Jesus in song. This poignant and powerful Easter hymn has become incredibly popular over the last years and promises to remain in Easter services for centuries to come. Although this hymn is usually sung for Advent or Christmas, it really tells the story of all of Jesus' life, from His birth to His ascension.

The focus is on the contrast between Christ's divine reality and the humble way He lived on earth.

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