Sunday's Hymn

I can’t use a hymn I sang in church today because we sang no hymns. As an alternative I’m going with one that’s been running round my head recently, a favorite from my younger years and one I sang as a lullaby to my children.

Children of the Heav’nly Father

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

—-Lina Sandell Berg (In the original Swedish: Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara)

And a Swedish Lutheran hymn would be sung best by a few Scandinavian Lutherans, don’t you think?

 

Or, if you’d rather, you can hear it sung in Swedish as a lullaby.

 

(I’ll have a review of another CD of hymns done by the St. Olaf Choir soon.)

 

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• The Third Sunday after Trinity at Magic Statistics
  
• God Is Known Among His People at Hiraeth
  
• The King of Love My Shepherd Is at Seasoning of the Heart
• The Is a City Bright at Whatever Things…
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus at Field Stone Cottage
• Lord’s Day 23, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
• O Holy City, Seen of John at Conjubilant With Song
• It Is Not Death to Die at joythruChrist
• Update: Eye Hath Not Seen at The Happy Wonderer
  

Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

Sunday's Hymn

For the next few weeks, I’ll use one of the congregational hymns I’ve sung in church in the morning as the Sunday hymn. Today, we didn’t sing out of the hymnal at all—that always makes me a little sad—but we did sing this song, which I’d say would hold it’s own, substance-wise and quality-wise, against any of the hymns in the hymn book. And when Stuart Townend wrote it, he was indeed intending to write a hymn.

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us 

 

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.

You can hear it sung in this video, which is one of the few versions I could find that was not sung in a breathy female voice. (There! I’ve let you in on another of my musical pet peeves.)

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• Trinity Sunday at Magic Statistics
• Safely Through Another Week at The Happy Wonderer
• Jesus! What a Friend for Sinner! at Hiraeth
  
• I Sing the Might Power of God at Seasoning of the Heart
• Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me at Whatever Things…
• Crown Him with Many Crowns at Field Stone Cottage
• Lord’s Day 20, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Happy the Man Whose Cautious Feet  at JoythruChrist
• Trinity Sunday at Conjubilant With Song

Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

 

Update on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 5:42PM by rebecca

Kim of The Upward Call posts the words to Jesus, My Lord, My Savior.

Sunday's Hymn: Spring

Kindly Spring Again Is Here

Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless lays
Warble their Creator’s praise.

Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.

Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by Thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.

—John Newton, Olney Hymns 

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• The Sunday after Ascension Day at Magic Statistics
• The Soul Cheering Promise at The Happy Wonderer
• Stand Up and Bless the Lord at Hiraeth
  
• Blessed Assurance at Seasoning of the Heart
• What Various Hindrances We Meet at Whatever Things…
• Lord, My Weak Thought at Field Stone Cottage
• Lord’s Day 18, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
• O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go at JoythruChrist
• Allelujia! Sing to Jesus! at Conjubilant With Song
• Alas and Did My Savior Bleed? at Writing and Living
  

Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.