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To create a fully functional hymn that has as much poetic integrity as “Jesus, the Saving Name” is a testament to Bishop Dudley-Smith’s mastery of the craft, just as his talent for “hiding the obvious” is a testament to his creative imagination.
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We are reminded that truth, as well as sustenance, is found in the gospel. Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast” is an invitation to that table and a reiteration of that truth.
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The genius of a gospel song is usually found in the refrain and this one is no exception. The refrain extends the invitation to “come home” four times in the melody, and an additional two times in the accompanying lower voices.
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One of Mr. Leach’s most beautiful hymns is “Purify My Heart” which was part of a self-assigned project of writing hymns based on the Beatitudes. It is sung with a wonderful tune in F minor, TURN MY HEART, that was composed by Amanda Husberg, a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod musician in New York City.
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As a pastor himself, Richard draws abiding wisdom and warning from his years of dealing with others, himself and God. He provides first aid to folks who are recovering from religion, and he offers it with an openness one doesn’t often see in church leadership.
Read More...The youngest of 18 children, Charles possessed prodigious talents that soon blossomed. Little did he know that “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” would rise to become one of the most popular and consistently vocalized Christian songs.
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Louis Fitzgerald Benson (1855-1930), born in Philadelphia, was a person of varied talents. Trained first in law, Benson also was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and served a congregation in Germantown, Pa. He then worked as an editor for the Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, where he published a series of hymnals. He was known, during his own lifetime and today, as one of the finest American hymnologists.
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By Vicki Brown, Special Contributor… Professors and students at the Gbarnga School of Theology in Liberia spend time and money copying passages the students need for study because they don’t have enough books. But that could change once a pilot project using e-readers gets underway. Two United Methodist agencies are collaborating to raise $30,000 to buy 100 electronic books and the texts the students need for the seminary, which was occupied by rebel forces and badly damaged by soldiers during Liberia’s civil war. “These e-readers will revolutionize the academic atmosphere [...]
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Among the songs of this genre that has stood the test of time is “Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks” by Donald Emry Fishel (b. 1950). Following good folk song practice, the refrain of his tune ALLELUIA NO. 1 is easily learned and memorized after one hearing. The accompaniment and even the key in which the song is written (E Major) are perfect for the folk guitar, though most hymnals also make use of a piano version as well.
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By Mark Woods, Special Contributor… Max Bygraves, a British comedian, singer and actor who died recently, had a catchphrase that he used for the entire six decades of his career in the entertainment business: “I wanna tell you a story.” Storytelling, though, is as old as humanity. Cave paintings from 40,000 years ago depicting successful hunts arose from the same creative urges as Eastenders or Doctor Who. The genres might be different, but the instinct is the same. We are as a race, according to Jonathan Gottschall in his recent [...]
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