Hymns have been penned in the midst of incessant affliction. “Great is Thy Faithfulness” has no such story. In fact, the life of Thomas O. Chisholm was rather unassuming.
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CloseMusic Ministry
The primary purpose of the Music Ministry is to lead God’s people in adoring praise to our triune God (Ps.2) with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col.3). The second purpose of the worship ministry is to empower members of the fellowship whom God has gifted with talents both vocally and instrumentally to employ those talents to His glory and the edification of His church (1 Cor.12).
God is seeking a certain type of worshiper. Jesus taught us that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). When it comes to the worship of God through song, it can be easy for us to sing to God with our mouths, without giving Him our entire heart (including our emotions and thoughts). An all too familiar example of this is when we sing words, but do not think about the truths that we are singing. The aim of the Songs of Zion section is to help us gain an understanding of some of the hymns that we sing to God, so that we will be better equipped to offer acceptable praise to Him from our hearts. Each month, we will learn about the history and theology behind some of our favorite hymns.
Dec 31
Helen H. Lemmel was born in England, but lived most of her life in America. She was a talented soloist, teacher, writer, and wrote hundreds of hymns and poems. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus flowed from her soul after having been touched by a tract written by Lilias Trotter.
Nov 30
Being a lover of God-honoring music, Heber sought to write hymns that corresponded to the different occasions of the year.
Oct 31
The hymn, How Great Thou Art, began as a poem written by Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940). Mr. Boberg was a Swedish pastor, editor, and member of the Swedish parliament.
Aug 31
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer living in the city of Chicago. He was a family man, a devout Christian, and a diligent student of the Scriptures. The Lord had blessed him and his wife Anna with a son and four daughters.
Jul 31
Elizabeth Payson was born in Portland, Maine, on October 26, 1818. Her father, Edward Payson, was a well-known and greatly revered pastor in their home town. Under her father’s teaching, Elizabeth gave her life to the Lord at a young age.
Jun 30
It is fitting that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was marked by numerous miracles. It seems natural that when the One, Who alone possesses immortality, yielded up His spirit, that the earth would shake and the rocks split, and that graves were opened.
May 31
In the early 17th Century, the church in Germany found itself cold, dormant, and having no evangelistic impact in the land. But in the latter half of the century God lit the fires of revival and the Piestic Revival in Germany was born, very similar to the Puritan and Weslyan movements in England. Out of this revival many rich theological songs were composed and congregational singing rediscovered. Katherine von Schlegel was one of the gloriously regenerated souls as a result of this revival movement.
Until a short time before his death, it was not known that he had a poetic gift. A neighbor, sitting up with him in his illness, happened upon a manuscript copy of ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’ Reading it with great delight and questioning Mr. Scriven about it, he said that he had composed it for his mother, to comfort her in a time of special sorrow...
Apr 2
Psalm 139 was written by David, who both knew and dearly loved God. Verses 23 and 24, upon which the hymn “Cleanse Me” is based, express the attitude of the true believer.
Mar 5
Some of the most inspiring hymns ever written were composed by individuals during times of trial and suffering, or whose lives were continually marked by great tragedy. Annie Johnson Flint experienced such a life.
Jan 31
The life of Martin Luther is one of the most fascinating stories in the history of Christianity. It has all the stuff of a good novel...
Dec 23
The account is told of a pastor conference that Rev. Sammis attended where a worship director was leading and chose the hymn “Trust and Obey,” not knowing that the author of the hymn was in attendance. In leading the conference, the worship leader directed that they sing the first, second, and fourth stanzas. But upon hearing that, the hymn writer politely interrupted the leader and said, “Sir, you must not do that. The entire reason I wrote the hymn is found in the third stanza.”
