I was at a wedding recently and was introduced to this hymn (which also works well as a poem) written by John Berridge. Berridge was a preacher, a revivalist and a hymnwriter who wrote several hundred songs. Indelible Grace has a helpful biography of the man. I quite enjoyed his hymn “Since Jesus Freely Did Appear” and thought I’d share it with you.

Since Jesus freely did appear
To grace a marriage feast,
O Lord, we ask thy presence here
To make a wedding guest.

Upon the bridal pair look down,
Who now have plighted hands,
Their union with thy favor crown,
And bless the nuptial bands.

With gifts of grace their hearts endow,
Of all rich dowries best!
Their substance bless, and peace bestow,
To sweeten all the rest.

In purest love their souls unite,
That they with christian care,
May make domestic burdens light,
But taking each their share.

True helpers may they prove indeed,
In pray’r, and faith, and hope;
And see with joy a Godly seed
To build their household up.

An Isaac and Rebecca, give
A pattern chaste and kind;
So may this married couple live
And die in friendship joined.

On every soul assembled here,
O make thy face to shine,
Thy goodness more our hearts can cheer,
Than richest food or wine.

Have you ever asked the Lord that he would teach you to grow in faith and love and grace? Have you ever asked the Lord that you might know more of him, or that he might give you the desire to more earnestly seek his face? John Newton asked this of the Lord and later wrote a hymn about it. It is not one that we tend to sing in our churches, but it is one that is worth reading as a poem. Newton was granted what he asked, but not in the way he had wanted or in the way he had expected.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Cast out my feelings, laid me low

Lord why is this, I trembling cried
Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?
“Tis in this way” The Lord replied
“I answer prayer for grace and faith”

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me,
That thou mayest seek thy all in me.”

One of the happier musical developments in the Christian world over the past few years has been the resurgence of hymns. Though there are many contemporary worship songs that have excellent content and are ideal for congregational worship, we just can’t afford to lose the hymn.

There are two different kinds of contemporary hymn. In the first place, we have artists writing new hymns that come complete with new tunes. Alongside that we have artists who are finding old hymns and setting them to new music—either completely new melodies or contemporary adaptations of the traditional ones. In the list I’ve offered below, the first two seem to specialize in new hymns and new music while the others focus on the new music.

(Yes, there are many, many other artists writing new hymns or adapting old ones. I am focusing here on artists whose albums are predominantly composed of contemporary hymns)

Getty Music

Keith Getty grew frustrated with the songs his church was singing. He met up with Stuart Townend and together they decided to try to write something better. They ended up with “In Christ Alone.” The rest, as they say, is history. Keith got married to Kristyn, moved to America (he’s Irish by birth), toured the world, wrote many more great hymns, and recorded a handful of albums, most of which have a distinctly Irish feel. And the Christian world has been so much better for it. The most recent collection of hymns is titled Awaken the Dawn. Many of these songs are perfectly suited to congregational worship (already at Grace Fellowship Church we sing “By Faith,” “Creation Sings the Father’s Song” and “Communion Hymn.”).

If you want to learn more, it may be worth beginning with their YouTube channel. There you’ll be able to hear some of their best songs and hear them at their best through videos of their live performances. And trust me when I say it’s absolutely worth trying to catch their shows—their band is amazingly talented and they put on a very enjoyable, worshipful show (though somehow show doesn’t seem like the proper descriptor). If you want to learn about their tour schedule (try to catch one of their Christmas shows!) or buy one of their albums, visit gettymusic.com. I suggest you begin with Awaken the Dawn if you like albums, and each of the songs I’ve already mentioned if you prefer individual tracks.

Stuart Townend

Stuart Townend is the other half of the writing duo that has produced some of Keith Getty’s most popular hymns (including “In Christ Alone” and “The Power of the Cross”) but he has also written many without Keith’s help, including “How Deep the Father’s Love” and “Beautiful Savior.” Keith releases albums under his own name but also appears on other albums (such as Keswick Live, one I quite enjoy).

To learn more about Townend, it’s probably best to visit his web site (stuarttownend.co.uk). The site remains just a little bit underdeveloped, but still has lots of useful information, including a tour schedule and a blog. I’d recommend buying Keswick Live (if you can find it and if you enjoy live worship music) or Creation Sings if you prefer a studio album. If you prefer to just buy songs, go with “In Christ Alone,” “How Deep the Father’s Love,” “Speak, O Lord” and “The Power of the Cross.”

Every now and again I like to post a favorite song that we sing at Grace Fellowship Church. In worship this morning we sang an old Newton hymn that has become a favorite. It’s a hymn you may well know, one titled “Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat.” It is one of Newton’s Olney Hymns. We use the third stanza as a chorus, singing in that chorus that though we are bowed down beneath a load of sin, we find rest in Christ.

I particularly love the final stanza which says “‘Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still; My promised grace receive’; 'Tis Jesus speaks--I must, I will, I can, I do believe.” Isn’t that a great progression? I must, I will, I can, I do believe. Brilliant.

Here are the words to the song.

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and hiding Place,
That, sheltered by Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died!

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious Name.

"Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still;
My promised grace receive";
'Tis Jesus speaks--I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.

Today’s guest blog comes courtesy of Matthew Smith. Matthew is a singer-songwriter from Nashville who takes old hymn lyrics and sets them to new music. He is a founding member of the Indelible Grace community, and tours full time, playing concerts of hymns at churches. I blogged here last week about his new song "Goodnight," from his forthcoming album Watch The Rising Day. For this article I simply asked Matthew to writes about how he came to find such joy in setting old hymns to new music.

*****

When I was in high school, I loved to sing. I sang in the shower. I sang in my room. I sang while walking down the hallways at school. I sang until people told me to shut up. (They seemed rude at the time, but in retrospect, they had a point. It was pretty annoying.) By the time I was sixteen, I figured out a way to sing in a more socially acceptable way. I learned how to play guitar.

Like many high school kids before and since who've learned to string together three guitar chords, I was soon recruited to lead the worship singing for my youth group's weekly meetings. (Or forced myself upon the position— my memory fails me at this point.) After leading the music, I would sit down and hear a message, whose point was often that I needed to try harder. Try harder to be a "good witness" at school. Try harder to avoid temptation. Try harder to obey God.

Somehow, the idea of trying harder carried over to worship. My repertoire consisted of praise and worship songs (none of which had an F chord— I didn't know how to play that one), mainly ones that talked about how much I wanted to worship God. I thought that if I tried harder, was sincere enough, and really meant it enough, that I would enter into a state of capital-w Worship. The world around me would fade away, I would lose my inhibitions, and I would achieve a spiritual state of being lost in worship.

But this state of spiritual ecstasy never arrived. And, in my mind, there was only one person to blame–me. I was a failed worshiper.

Yesterday I gave you an early listen to Matthew Smith’s new song Goodnight. That song was drawn from the old hymn book titled Hymns from the Land of Luther which features German hymns translated to English by Jane Borthwick.

After I listened to Matthew’s hymn I immediately went looking for a copy of Hymns from the Land of Luther and found it on Google Books. I’d love to find a printed copy, but for now have been contenting myself with the PDF version. I was surprised to see how many of these hymns deal with death. There is even a hymn titled “To a Dying Child” (Depart, my child! the Lord thy spirit calls / To leave a world of woe. / Sad on my heart the heaveny summons falls; / Yet since He wills it so / I calm the rising agitation / And say, with humble resignation / Depart, my child!).

A couple of years ago the duo Lashey & Joyner released an album titled simply Hymns. I was talking to Chris Joyner recently and he was kind enough to offer to the readers of this site a few of the tracks from that album. You can download them (for free, of course) below. Within the zip file you’ll find:

• My Jesus I Love Thee
• And Can It Be
• Your Grace and Faithfulness

You can learn more about the album and Chris Joyner at chrisjoyner.com.

Today at church we were introduced to a new hymn—at least one that was new to me. Titled “Pleading for Mercy” it is one of Newton’s Olney Hymns (#45 if you must know). And it’s a good one, too. Josh, our leader worshipper, composed a tune for it, altered a few of the lyrics, combined some of the verses, and so on. The end result was very powerful—as powerful as just about any of Newton’s hymns, I think.

In mercy, not in wrath, rebuke
Thy feeble worm, my God!
My spirit dreads thine angry look,
And trembles at thy rod.
Have mercy, Lord, for I am weak,
Regard my heavy groans;
O let thy voice of comfort speak,
And heal my broken bones!

By day my busy beating head
Is filled with anxious fears;
By night, upon my restless bed,
I weep a flood of tears.
Thus I sit desolate and mourn,
Mine eyes grow dull with grief;
How long, my Lord, till you return,
And bring my soul relief?

Satan, my cruel and envious foe
Insults me in my pain;
He smiles to see me brought so low,
And tells me hope is vain,
But hence, though enemy, depart!
Nor tempt me to despair;
My Savior comes to cheer my heart,
The Lord has heard my prayer.

O come and show thy pow’r to save,
And spare my fainting breath;
For who can praise thee in the grave,
Or sing thy name in death?
Since Jesus shared our flesh and blood
Then died the death we fear,
Removed the guilt wherein we stood
Our Father draws us near.

Earlier today I was thinking about my favorite hymn lyrics (not hymns overall-just particular lyrics). I think my all-time favorite is and remains the final stanza of “And Can it Be?” The last two lines just grip my soul every time I sing them:

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

I’ve often reflected on the concept of boldness and this song reminds me of what a privilege it is to be able to approach God’s throne with confidence and boldness.

Running a close second is a hymn we sang just this afternoon during our Lord’s Supper service. Again, it is the final stanza of a hymn, this one “The Love of God.” I’ll provide all of the lyrics but would point you to that last verse.

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

I just love that picture, that metaphor, of trying to measure or quantify the love of God and finding that even the vastness of creation, reduced to letters and words, would barely even begin to show just how great and how wide and how deep is God’s love. It’s amazingly powerful.

What are your favorite hymn lyrics?

I wanted to draw your attention to a few albums that I’ve been enjoying recently. Each of these albums features music that is appropriate for corporate worship and each features selections of modern or ancient hymns. Each of them is worth buying and listening to. All of the albums are available through iTunes (where I generally purchase my music these days) but they should also be available elsewhere.

In Christ Alone: Modern Hymns Of Worship

In Christ Alone: Modern Hymns Of Worship is a brand new album by Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammitt (whom you may know as the lead vocalist of the band Sanctus Real). The album offers exactly what you’d expect if judging by the title: a selection of modern hymns. These are not just straightforward recitations of the songs, though, but are what could best be described as alt-pop adaptations. The artists come through with several different musical styles and each takes turns singing lead. Somehow it combines to make a great album. A reviewer at Christianity Today says, “those looking for more originality and lyrical depth in modern worship might enjoy this unusually crafted collection of modern hymns set to alternative pop arrangements and sung by Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammitt.”

You are probably familiar with most of the songs. The album features several tracks by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (including, of course, the title track) along with selections by Martin Smith (of Delirious fame), Tim Hughes, Vicky Beeching and a couple of others. The songs focus primarily on the person and work of Jesus Christ, making this an ideal selection for listening to this week as we prepare for Easter.

Here is the song list:

1. Clinging to the Cross
2. In Christ Alone
3. Jesus Is Lord
4. Joy Has Dawned
5. O Church Arise
6. God Of Justice
7. On The Third Day
8. The Power Of The Cross
9. Adoration
10. How Deep The Father’s Love For Us
11. In The Cross Alone I Glory
12. The Wonder Of The Cross

I quickly fell for their arrangements of “Jesus is Lord,” “Joy Has Dawned,” “On the Third Day” and “In the Cross Alone I Glory.” But truly, there isn’t a rotten selection among them. I hadn’t anticipated enjoying this album but was glad I picked it up. It was a very pleasant surprise.

Here is the Amazon link if you are interested in listening to clips of the various songs.

Adore And Tremble

This is an album by Daniel Renstrom, whom you probably don’t know as well as Bethany Dillon or Matt Hammitt. Matt was kind enough to send me his album a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been enjoying it a great deal. Daniel, who has a voice that reminds me a lot of Derek Webb’s, is lead worshiper for a ministry of Providence Baptist church in Raleigh North Carolina. This EP, his first, is a combination of new versions of old hymns and some original titles. All are written and performed with corporate worship in view. It was produced by Nathan Nockels (of the band Watermark).

You can find more information about the man and the album at his website, danielrenstrom.com. Here is the Amazon link if you are interested in listening to clips of the various songs.

Here is the album’s track list:

1. Quietly
2. Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder
3. At The Cross
4. Broken Cisterns
5. Adore And Tremble
6. Where Could I Go

See What A Morning

See What A Morning is listed as being by “The Mandate,” whatever that is. But really, it is Stuart Townend singing a selection of his hymns and some other favorites. I guess it is drawn from a conference. Whatever the case, it has quickly become a favorite album of mine, though this may be primarily because I love the first track so much. I’ve heard several versions of “See What a Morning” but this is the best! I wish he had included a rendition of his version of Psalm 23 (easily one of his best songs but one we don’t hear often enough) but even without that it remains a very enjoyable album.

Here is the song list:

1. See What A Morning
2. There Is A Redeemer
3. My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness
4. In Christ Alone
5. Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus
6. Lord I Lift Your Name On High/O Come Let Us Adore
7. How Deep The Father’s Love For Us
8. All My Days
9. Jesus Be The Centre
10. Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart
11. Who Is There Like You/I Love You Lord
12. Your Love

Here is the Amazon link if you are interested in listening to clips of the various songs.