7/31/2018

Summer Hymn Study: Week 5

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This week we will be spending time with the hymn "I Surrender All." At church this morning we sang a song with part of this hymn in it and I was reminded how powerful the word "Surrender" is. Enjoy studying these words this week!

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior,
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior,
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
Make me, Savior, wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,
May I know Thy power divine

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to thee
Fill me with thy love and power.
Let thy blessing fall on me

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all


Written in 1896 by Judson W. Van De Venter, this hymn has guided worship for over 100 years! He was born in 1855 in Michigan and attended Hillsdale College there. After graduating, he taught art in a Pennsylvania public school for a time. The hymn is particularly descriptive of his own story. He wrestled with continuing his teaching career and passion for art after receiving much encouragement from his friends to pursue evangelism given his strong faith and service to the church. He came to a point where he “surrendered all” to the Lord and began more formal Christian ministry.

“Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins— even those you do in secret. Then you won't be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭11:13-15‬ ‭CEV‬‬


Here is a beautiful, worshipful version by Jared Reynolds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD9u5Ugnyhc


Application Ideas for this week:
-Listen to this song throughout the day and commit it to memory.
-Journal the words of this hymn and make it your prayer. Write down specific areas of your life that you need to surrender to the Lord. Ask Him to reveal what you may be holding on to and humbly give them over to the Lord.
-If this applies to you, sing the hymn to your child(ren) before bed each night!
-Share the YouTube link to this song with a friend to encourage them this week.

Have a blessed week friends!!
Love,
Annie

Resource:
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-i-surrender-all
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Summer Hymn Study: Week 4

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Before the Throne of God Above

VERSE 1
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav’n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
VERSE 2
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

VERSE 3
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God
This hymn was written in the 1860's by Charitie Lees Bancroft, daughter of an Irish minister. The song was originally titled "Advocate" as the lyrics illustrate the truth that Jesus is our Advocate before God the Father. In 1997 Vicki Cook of Sovereign Grace Ministries put the lyrics to the more upbeat tune that we know it by today, and the song took on more popularity. In addition, the title of the hymn became "Before the Throne of God Above."

"Jesus the Great High Priest"

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16



Shane & Shane have a great version of the song, with a few additional lyrics added.


Application for this week:

-Commit the words to memory by listening to it several times daily- make it your prayer to the Lord!
-If this applies to you, sing the hymn to your children before bed each night this week. (At the end of this past week, Lucy would request Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing when I asked her what she wanted me to sing during bedtime. Then she would say "again"
after it was over. It is so precious to me!)
-Search for scripture that describes Jesus as our Advocate before the Lord. Consider how privileged we are to have access to the God of the Universe through Jesus! He has chosen us to be His children. What an amazing, incomparable gift!
-Spend some time journaling about specific sin for which our sinless Savior died. Be specific and then look over the list while playing this hymn. Realized the completeness of His forgiveness. Confess these sins to Him and rejoice that He made an end to ALL our sin!

Have a wonderful week, friends!!
Love,
Annie

Resources:
https://churchmusictoday.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/behind-the-song-before-the-throne-of-god-above/
https://medium.com/congregational-song/hymn-reflection-before-the-throne-of-god-above-9e2e459cb840

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Summer Hymn Study: Week 3

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Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I've come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in the blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above


This hymn was written by British man Robert Robinson (1735-1790) in 1758. The lyrics reflect in part his personal faith journey. This hymn could be called “autobiographical” due to the reference to his life. Before he came to faith in the Lord he apparently “associated with a notorious gang of hoodlums and lived a debauched life” while living in London as a young man. He converted to Christianity in 1755 after hearing preaching from George Whitefield. Robert became a pastor and led Stone Yard Baptist Church for almost 30 years, despite his lack of formal training. Come, thou Fount of every blessing was the first hymn used in the Church of Christ hymnal A Collection of Hymns.

Scripture: 
The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:10-12

Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart    you, God, will not despise.
Psalm 51:15-17

 
Weekly Applications:
-Listen to the song several times a day and commit it to memory.
-If this applies to you, sing the hymn to your children at bedtime each night this week.
-Write down 10 ways God has demonstrated His grace to you and has been the Fount of blessing in your life.
-Spend time in prayer confessing to the Lord your sin and how prone you are to wander and leave the fold of God. Ask Him to forgive these debts and rejoice in the work of Jesus that has already be done on the cross!
-Spend a few quiet minutes with your eyes closed considering how utterly amazing “the realms of endless day” will be some day, when Christ returns, and how divine the “day when freed from sinning” will be and give God praise!
 
Have a blessed week!!
Love,
Annie

Resources:
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-come-thou-fount-of-every-blessing
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Summer Hymn Study: Week 2

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This hymn is extra special to me because it was sung at Taylor’s and my wedding! I’m looking forward to focusing on it this week with all of you. :)

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art
High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

The creation of this Irish hymn involved several people over the course of hundreds of years, with the earliest version of the original poem dating back to the 8th century! The text was translated by Irish scholar Mary Byrne and then published in 1905. The original poem had 16 "couplets" but the words listed above are the lyrics most commonly used. Englishwoman Eleanor Hull then "versified" the text and published it in her Poem Book of the Gael in 1912. It was included in several British hymnals and then after WWII gained popularity in the U.S. One interesting point about the content of this hymn is the reflection of essential qualities of Irish literature, using heroic imagery to describe God (High King of Heaven, victory won, Ruler of all). 


“For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭47:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭95:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭44:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭60:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21‬ ‭NIV


Here is a beautiful rendition of the song by Audrey Assad. Enjoy!!


Application ideas for the week:
-Spend time meditating on the lyrics and ask the Lord to open your eyes to the vision He has for your life- ask for wisdom and guidance as you walk with Him. 
-Write down some of your most treasured possessions here on earth. Spend time praying and asking God to adjust your vision to value and honor Him more than these things. Surrender your earthly “loves” to your One True Love- Jesus! Trust that He will fulfill and satisfy you even more than these things!
-Listen to this hymn several times a day and commit it to memory.
-Share the link to the YouTube song with someone to encourage them!
-If you have kiddos, sing this hymn to them at bedtime each night this week. 

Have a wonderful week, sweet friends!!
Love,
Annie

Resource:
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-be-thou-my-vision
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Summer Hymn Study: Week 1

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I wrote this 6 week hymn series in email form and sent them out weekly to a few friends who wanted to join in. I thought I would post them here too!

Here is the first week of this little hymn series starring "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!



This hymn was written in 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm (born in 1866), who came to know the Lord at the age of 27. He served as a minister for only 1 year due to an illness that required him to instead take a desk job selling insurance after his recovery. However, he continued to write over 1200 poems, one of which became the hymn we know as Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Chisholm's words were put to music by William H. Runyan, a musician with Moody Bible Institute and an editor at Hope Publishing Company in Chicago. It was made popular in the 1950’s by a singer (George Beverly Shea) with the Billy Graham crusade in Great Britain.  



Lamentations 3:22-23 King James Version (KJV)

22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.


Here is a link to Chris Rice's version of the hymn! Love this one. 


APPLICATION IDEAS: (pick a couple to put into action this week- or do them all!)

-Write the hymn lyrics in your journal and make them your prayer. Read the lyrics out loud or even sing them!
-Do a word study on “faithfulness” using a concordance to find all the Bible verses that talk about God’s faithfulness. 
-Listen to a recording of the hymn several times a day and try to commit it to memory by the end of the week.
-Write down 10 specific ways that God has shown you His faithfulness, whether recently or in the past. 
-If this applies to you, sing the hymn to your kids at bedtime each night this week!
-Read more about the history of this hymn. Google can help you out with this, but there are also some good books you could check out. “Then Sings My Soul” by Robert J. Morgan was recommended to me and looks so interesting!

Happy hymning! ;)
Love, Annie 


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