Hymnody

Professor: Jan Hill
Student: Sein Thein
Date: January 28, 2008
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Title: A Mighty Fortress is Our Go
Author-composer: Martin Luther
Date: 1483-1546
Translator: Frederick Hedge (1853)
Scripture: Psalm 46:1

The hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" was written by Martin Luther around the time when the term Protestant was first heard. This hymn became the battle cry during the Protestant reformation.

Thank God for men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldreich Zwingli and others who led the way during the reformation and gave us the basis for our evangelical faith.
The hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” written by Martin Luther, was the battle call for the Protestant Reformation. It is based on Psalm 46. Luther said of music, “After theology, there is nothing that can be placed on a level with music. It drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. It is a gift that God gave to birds and to men. We need to remove hymn singing from the domain of monks and priests and set the laity to singing. By the singing of hymns the laity can publicly express their love to the Almighty God.”

Psalm 46 was a great comfort to him. He repeated the first verse over again, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Those words was burning in his heart, he hurled his defiance at his enemies.

The four stanzas were reminders that God is the fortress of the soul; Christ the champion of the soul; and Satan, the enemy of the soul. But the ultimate victory will be God’s whose “Kingdom is forever.”

Title: Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Words: Elizabeth C. Clephane (1830-1869)
Music: Frederick C. Maker (1844-1927)
Scripture: John 19:25

This beautiful hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" was written by Elizabeth C. Clephane. The author was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 18, 1830. She died in1869. Her sister was also a song writer and the famous Gospel singer.

One day, Mr. Sankey was reading a newspaper, hoping to find some American news. He closed the paper and then upon reopening it he saw the poem on the good shepherd. He was so impressed with the poem, he read it to Mr. Moody was lost in thought and made no comment. Mr. Moody came to Mr. Sankey in tears, and asked “where did you get that hymn? It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard,” Sankey relied that it was the one he had not God whispered them to his heart.

This song is really beautiful. The lyrics are also beautiful. When we think that Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things, the mighty God, would love you and me so much that He would willing die for us. Not just a common death, but that cruel suffering of the cross. Herein is love. Not that we loved Him, but that he loved the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Miss Clephane did not live to hear either of her hymns sung or to know they had been such a blessing. They were both put to music several years after her death. Jesus Himself said, “the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Title: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Words: Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960)
Music: William M. Runyan (1870-1957)
Date: 1866-1957
Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23

Thomas Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Simpson County, Kentucky, July 29th, 1866. When young Thomas was 21, he got a job as associate editor of a Kentucky newspaper, in Franklin County. God used this evangelist to bring Christ to Thomas. He wrote over 1200 hymns, such as: "Living For Jesus," and "O, to be Like Thee." But the hymn we remember the most is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." He wrote this song because over his entire life he had learned to see the greatness of God. He wrote at the age of seventy-five. Words: Thom­as O. Chis­holm, 1923. Ac­cord­ing to Chis­holm, there were no spe­cial cir­cum­stanc­es which caused its writ­ing—just his ex­per­i­ence and Bi­ble truth. The hymn first ap­peared in Songs of Sal­va­tion and Serv­ice, 1923, com­piled by Wil­liam M. Run­yan. It is the un­of­fi­cial “school hymn” of Moo­dy Bi­ble In­sti­tute in Chi­ca­go, with which Run­yan was as­so­ci­at­ed for a num­ber of years. Music: Run­yan wrote the mu­sic spe­ci­fic­al­ly for these words; it ap­peared in the 1956 Bap­tist Hymn­al. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, popularized by George Beverly Shea and the Billy Graham Crusade choirs.
The book of Jeremiah’s mentions the declaration of faith “This recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (lam. 3:21-23). This scripture became a living reality in his own experience during those dark war days of 1939-1945. The composer quoted the scripture to himself. He used it in his prayer and he always delighted in preaching on the text and still do.

Jesus Said, “My peace I leave with you.” Great peace, the gift of God’s love. Things seem to be falling to pieces around our ears. Riots and murders and rebellion seem to have become the order of the day. King David said, “God is our refuge and strength.” (Ps. 46)

Title: I Need Thee Every Hour
Words: Annie S. Hawks (1835-1918)
Music: Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
Scripture: John 15:5 KJV

Annie Hawks wrote: “One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my reg­u­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mast­er that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, ei­ther in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Ev­e­ry Hour,” were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­sess­ion of me.”

After writ­ing the lyr­ics, Hawks gave them to her pas­tor, Ro­bert Low­ry, who add­ed the tune and re­frain. The hymn was first pub­lished at the Na­tion­al Bap­tist Sun­day School Con­ven­tion in Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio, in No­vem­ber 1872. Some years lat­er, af­ter the death of her hus­band, Hawks wrote:Annie Hawks said, “I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of hu­man­i­ty. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell over my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood some­thing of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been per­mit­ted to give out to others in my hour of sweet se­ren­i­ty and peace. Before I open my eyes in the morning I need You to be present in my thoughts so that when I do open my eyes I will begin my day by thinking of You. When I begin my day with You on my mind and in my heart, it is much easier to stay focused on You the rest of the day. When my day begins with a focus on my daily tasks, the problems I must face and feel I must solve consume my thinking, and my prayers. So Father, I need You in the morning hours.” As I take my first steps I need You to remind me of the gift of another day that You have given me. The water I will use to brush my teeth, shave my face and wash my body reminds me that You are the living water that has and will continue to change my life. The medicines I take remind me that You are the Great Physician and that You are willing to heal me of all my spiritual diseases if I will only abide in You and do your will. Father, I need You to keep me healthy. As I greet my family I need You to remind me that You have entrusted me to be a Father to my children, and to love my wife the way You love Your church. I need you to remind me that with the conversations I have with these precious ones I can give them life, or I can take the life out of their day. I can be a light, or I can bring darkness into their day. I can bless them and build them up, or I can frustrate them and tear them down. Father, I need You show me how to be a father and a husband.