Sing Me the Old Songs

I grew up in a Southern Baptist church that wasn't a particularly riveting place to be--at least to a kid.  In fact, I spent the better part of my growing up years thinking that church was D-U-L-L, dull.  I complained to my parents about this, and my wise mother simply told me, "Read the hymnbook."  So I did.  Thus much of my theology in my earliest years came from those old Baptist hymns, and what rich theology it was!  They are my favorite songs to this day.  I think back over my life and realize that there were many times when the hymns ministered to me almost as much as Scripture did--sometimes, maybe even more. 

When I was college and spent a year running from God, thinking the whole deal was a bunch of hooey, I couldn't shake these words:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus;

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Years later, after we miscarried our first baby right in the middle of Easter season, as re-birth and life were celebrated all around us, there were moments I thought I'd stop breathing.  But Easter morning God threw me a lifeline with this song:

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives.

I survived my third child's bout of colic (and three months of incessant crying--his and mine) by rocking him and singing this song about 50 quadzillion times:

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free.

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

Then there's this one, that makes me think of my Dad:

I love to tell the story,

'Twill be my theme in Glory,

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and His love.

And this one, that makes me think of my mom:

Amazing love, how can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.

When I sing those songs, I feel a rich kinship with the millions of believers who have sung them before, in pews, battlefields, hospitals, cemetaries, schools, cars, prisons and kitchens--believers with different struggles, crying out in different languages, and at different points in history, but all singing to the same God.  I think that's a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.

What about you?  Do you have a hymn story you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear it.

Comments

[Melissa]

Check out Jars of Clay...they have a CD that is hymns in modern music...VERY COOL!

[Christa Mullins]

Amen, Sister! I so enjoyed reading your blog this morning. I sang along with each stanza you included. My background is rich with hymns. My grandma would hum them as she baked cakes with me sitting on the counter. My mom sang hymns to me when I couldn't sleep. My dad would change which part he would sing with each verse... bass on the first verse, tenor on the second... Here's his favorite:

It is well, with my soul
it is well it is well with my soul!

There is just nothing like belting out "Amazing love how can it be, that Thou my God wouldst die for me!" on Easter morning.

Thank you for starting my day off with wonderful songs filling my head and my mouth!

[Laura]

My 14 month old daughter has behaved as if she has colic for the past six months. We're still trying to get to the bottom of what is going on that the crying is so incessant, but in the meantime, I often find myself singing the words to several hymns - especially the I sing because I'm happy and Turn Your Eyes ones. The weird thing is, I grew up in a "maranatha/vineyard" worship church so I didn't hear many hymns and haven't often sung them in a public setting, but each time I feel myself singing a song, it is almost always a hymn of some kind that comes tomy heart/mind/lips. I loved your words - and love your blog as I just discovered it recently!

[Sarah]

Music is such a huge part of my faith. Partly because it has helped me know scripture, especially the Psalms:

Create In Me a Clean Heart
This is the Day the Lord has Made!

But I, too, generally pick a theme song for trials as I forge through. Some of my favorites have been Nicole C. Mullen's "I Know My Redeemer Lives":

The very same God that spins things in orbit
runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer, He lives

I also, in times of being completely lost, sing an old favorite:

Guide me, O thou, Great Jehovah,
Lead me through this barren land.

And as my mouth gets me into trouble far too often, I start to chant one of the newer praise songs I've heard:

May my steps be worship,
May my thoughts be praise,
May my words bring honor to Your name!

Thanks for this post -- I'm starting my day singing His praises!

[Heth]

I have loved learning the history behind some of the hymns. Unbelieveable. And so humbling.

[Stacey]

I also grew up listening to the old Hymns. I can remember several times when my sister and I would each grab one and just sing song after song until we couldn't sing any longer. I still think back on several of my favorites...

~When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
(My sister's favorite)

~How Great Thou Art
(Because my Dad's name is Art & we would always tease him)

~A Child of the King

~Make Me a Blessing

~What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Thanks for posting this today, it was awesome to take a look back!!

[Queen Beth]

I am sitting here in tears because I can think of times those songs have helped me too. I love the old songs more than the new ones.

I can't tell you how many times I have broken down in church listening to His Eye is on the Sparrow. I dearly love that song and a lady in our church sings it so beautifully!

[Perri]

Oh, I love all those songs you listed. More favorites were Tell me the story of Jesus, which my grandma used to sing to me, Victory in Jesus and The Old Rugged Cross.

Now I am gonna be singing these all day long - thanks for putting them in my mind. Time to teach the kids Victory in Jesus.

[GiBee]

Well, I have to be honest here. I'm getting tired of hearing my FIL tell the joke... "what's the butter gonna do when the roll is called up yonder?" Hardy, har har har. I'm also getting a wee bit tired of "Family of God" and "Victory in Jesus" -- not because they aren't good songs, but rather because we sang them into the ground.

Hymns are a funny thing. Our church went through a period where we transitioned from all hymns to a blend of hymns and choruses and praise & worship songs. But the older saints of the church screamed bloody murder. They wanted the old traditional hymns. Only. For ever.

It turns out that what they consider "old traditional hymns" are really the Gaither hymns that came about in the 70's, and was technically considered 'modern day worship' at that time. Rebells!!! And the older saints in the church back then pitched a fit, too! Isn't that weird?

So when we re-introduced songs like A Mighty Fortress is our God, and Crown Him With Many Crowns, they were all a little confused. After all... those ARE the old traditional hymns!

I love His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Christ The Lord Is Risen Today, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore The, O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, Grace Greater Than Our Sin, and my absolute favorite is It Is Well With My Soul... love the story behind that one!

Oh, my ... I could go on forever.

[AJ]

I grew up (and still am) Southern Baptist. Great is Thy Faithfulness is one of my all time favorites.

That and What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Oh, and can't forget Blessed Assurance....

I LOVE the old hymns, and we rarely sing them anymore.

[Owlhaven]

Shannon, I love every single one you mentioned!
hugs
Mary

[Christy]

OH my gosh - beautiful post!! I grew up in a Lutheran church, so there were just a handful of "the good 'ole hymns" that we sang. I always loved "How Great Thou Art" - still do. "In the Garden" will always remind me of my grandmother. She was listening to me sing it on a tape when she died.
One great memory was introducing "Great is Thy Faithfulnes" to my grandfather. He had never heard that song & I sang it for him one Christmas. It became his favorite.
"It Is Well".....wow. We just did this one last Sunday & I was moved to tears as I sang it. I was thinking about the story behind the song (http://www.geocities.com/cott1388/spafford.html) and how if he could find it within him to pen such a mighty song of faith in the midst of his grief, how dare I feel so defeated with my smaller-in-comparison struggles.
And while I ADORE the great old hymns, my favorite song in worship is still "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman. God used that song when my baby was in the hospital with pneumonia. We came very close to losing him & God used this song to show me that I had to be okay with WHATEVER was going to happen. I had to trust His plan and find a way to praise Him - no matter what.
Wow - that was long! Great post, Shannon!!

[Amy in IN]

I LOVE the old old hymns. I grew up in a Charismatic/Pentecostal home, and we sang many choruses and not so many hymns. Then, we started going to a church that sang hymns, and I learned to love the old hymns there. While I love the modern worship music, there is something deep about those old hymns! :) I feel truly blessed that our current church does such a nice job of blending hymns, older choruses, and newer ones.

[peach]

I have many old favorites, but Holy, Holy, Holy tops the list. We even sang the first verse at our wedding.

We have attended many a contemporary church throughout our marriage, and the one sadness I've felt is the lack of blending worship music -- old hymns with new choruses and worship songs.

We now attend a church with a significant elderly population, and it has been so wonderful to have more hymns integrated into our worship time.

I love so many, but I still tear up with "Christ the Lord is Risen Today", "How Great Thou Art" (my grandma and my dad's favorite--one of the only times I'd seen my dad cry when I was young was after singing this song the Sunday after my grandmother's funeral) and "My Hope is Built."

Great Post. I too will go through my day with these lovely songs affirming God's truth in my life.

Just as an FYI, there is a great two book series called Hymns for a Child's Heart 1 and 2 by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada that helps kids connect with the classic hymns of the faith. We bought it when our kids were smaller, and we have enjoyed it.

[Goslyn]

What a lovely post! I, too, love the old hymns. We don't sing many of them in church anymore, and I had actually forgotten about a few of them until this post.

My mother's favorite is "In the Garden" and I used to really love "Here I am, Lord." But that one is overdone at my church.

"The Old Rugged Cross" is really beautiful, too.

Thanks for such an inspiring post this morning!

PS - love the new design. Love it.

[Rhonda]

If I am sticking to hymnal songs, it would have to be "I Never Shall Forget the Day."

I never shall forget the day,
When all the burdens from my soul were rolled away;
It made me happy, glad and free,
I'll sing it, shout it, for He's everything to me.

Every time we sing it in the choir I can still see the auditorium where I was saved. It was at a Christian concert.

[Shalee]

I too love the old hymns. They are so deep and usually written with out any fluff in mind.

When I was in college (Harding University - conservative Christian college), I was a performer in Chorus, a group dedicated to singing the "oldies but goodies". Imagine my shock when one of the girls asked, "Why don't we sing something that matters, something with real meat in the context, something that applies to us today?" She said this right after we sang Trust and Obey! Much is lost when we don't talk about or sing those good old songs.

You may want to get the Bridges: Classic Hymns, Modern Worship CD. It is fabulous and it has a beautiful representation of Doxology!

http://www.worshipmusic.com/2958904003.html

[Shalee]

Oh and my favorite is Prince of Peace, Control my Will. I love that song! Very apropos for me and my life, thoughts, temptations... everything.

[Ty]

I too can come up with vivid memories with hymns as the core. My favorite memory, which I will cherish forever, is one of bathtimes and bedtimes with a babysitter when I was 8 or so. An adult in my childhood that I trusted very much, used my trust of him against me on various occassions. And this dear babysitter who was then a very mature 13 (and is now one of closest, dearest friend) when I told her about the hurts caused by this adult taught me the hymn For Those Tears I Died. And as I bathed and prepared for bed we would sing...

"You said You'd come and share all my sorrows. You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows.... And Jesus said, 'Come to the waters, stand by My side. I know You are thirsty, you won't be denied. I felt every tear drop when in darkness you cried. And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died."

And to this day, on the sometimes rare occassion that I can slip away from husband and child to take a bath at bedtime instead of the usual rushed morning shower, I sing this song and feel the love of God encircle me.

[Morning Glory]

During a particularly dark time in our life, we hung on tightly to the promises in the third verse and chorus of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness":
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy 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!

What a promise it was and God was truly faithful.

The other hymn that really speaks to me is "Blessed Assurance" by Fanny Crosby. She was blind and I am amazed at how many of her hymns refer to sight.

[Mel]

The year I was 24 and my dad was 46, he was dying from cancer. I could barely sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" through my tears, but it brought me so much comfort.

We sang at at his funeral,too, three weeks after he turned 47.

[Faith]

I love your post today. Hymns will always be my favorite. I love them all. I sing several different ones to my baby and he smiles and gets calm.My singing is terrible, but I believe God turns my attempt into a glorious sound for my son.

[flipflop]

Blessed Assurance

Victory in Jesus

Amazing Grace

Just As I Am

Oh goodness there are so many more that have helped me through the years at different times of my life.

[Rach]

My favorite -
Herbert G. Spafford
wrote "It is well with my soul"
after a ship carrying his wife and children sank.

If he can sing that in times of trouble, then so can I.

I love hymns. One thing about the "contemporary" services I miss.

Love your blog! What an inspiration.

Rach

[Diane Viere]

This was my devotional submission for our church's Lifeline Devotional publication from Wednesday March 29, 2006

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:19

Yes! …..he walks with me and he talks with me

With the birth of each of our children, my heart was overflowing with gratitude to God for such amazing gifts. Looking into their newborn faces, I cried as I quietly hummed, “How (truly) Great Thou Art.”

Following a middle-of-the-night phone call, I raced to the hospital to join our son who had fallen ill. Feeling despair as I drove into the emptiness of the night, I turned on KTIS, where I heard the song, “Somebody’s Praying Me Through.” My heart was immediately comforted and I felt his peace. I was no longer alone.

Whenever I am exhausted as I stand in the gap for my loved ones, I turn the volume up on my favorite CD by The Martins. While harmonizing with them, I soon become reenergized with a strength not of my own:

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

At a time when my self-esteem had been wounded and I seriously questioned my worth, God spoke to me with Psalm 139. “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me! How amazing is my Creator—he knows me—he thinks of me—and he tells me I am his own! What worth!

Our daughter was married on August 13, 2005; what a wonderful day it was. Throughout the day, I had to stop myself from singing out loud; my heart was overflowing with happiness. Bursting with joy, a praise song from my youth came to mind and I silently sang the refrain:

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice
Oh come to Father, through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He has done!

Reflection: Listen for Jesus in your life today. Let these lyrics be your guide:
I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses,
And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known