Dear Diary .. er ... Facebook entry ...

[Bill in Oregon]

Neighbor Margaret and I were exchanging thoughts on church music and hymns. She's Church of Christ. I am Disciples of Christ-- close Protestant cousins. I had to confess that much of the music has left me over the years, but a few hymns remain strong in my memory. "Faith of Our Fathers," "We Gather Together," "A Mighty Fortress" ("Ein Feste Berg ist Unser Gott "-- by Johann Sebastian Bach, no less), the brief but mighty "Doxology" ("Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow"). There are others, but few hymns quickened my pulse of old -- and now -- as "Holy, Holy, Holy," written by that gift to Christianity, the Anglican bishop Reginald Heber (1783-1826). As a young man, he wrote poetry at Oxford, bless his soul, and died after preaching in the heat of India.
These days, the churches seem filled with "praise music" a form I find transient, popular, geared to suit the "young people." It is innocuous, and uninteresting to me but I am old. I doubt it has staying power but if it grows congregations and tithes then I guess it serves a purpose ...
Oh well, there are still a few of us dinosaurs out there. If you have a good choir, a full, rich organ and lusty parishioners, stand back! This is the voice of faith that stretches across continents -- and time.

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity

Oh God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!

[Blaine]

That's a good one.
This might be my favorite.

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.

He Speaks, And The Sound Of His Voice
Is So Sweet The Birds Hush Their Singing,
And The Melody That He Gave To Me
Within My Heart Is Ringing.

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.

I’d Stay In The Garden With Him,
Though The Night Around Me Be Falling,
But He Bids Me Go; Through The Voice Of Woe
His Voice To Me Is Calling.

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.

[Bill in Oregon]

Blaine, even Elvis recorded that hymn. It is very sweet.
I stand corrected on "Ein feste Berg" being Bach's creation. Bach arranged the melody for pipe organ and as part of a cantata almost 200 years after Martin Luther wrote the hymn.

[Grizz]

my favorites to pray >

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dmq6VDL1_Y Carrie Underwood


my favorite to hear >

Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart
None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.

Be thou my meditation by day and night.
May it be thou that I behold ever in my sleep.

Be thou my speech, be thou my understanding.
Be thou with me, be I with thee

Be thou my father, be I thy son.
Mayst thou be mine, may I be thine.

Be thou my battle-shield, be thou my sword.
Be thou my dignity, be thou my delight.

Be thou my shelter, be thou my stronghold.
Mayst thou raise me up to the company of the angels.

Be thou every good to my body and soul.
Be thou my kingdom in heaven and on earth.

Be thou solely chief love of my heart.
Let there be none other, O high King of Heaven.

Till I am able to pass into thy hands,
My treasure, my beloved through the greatness of thy love

Be thou alone my noble and wondrous estate.
I seek not men nor lifeless wealth.

Be thou the constant guardian of every possession and every life.
For our corrupt desires are dead at the mere sight of thee.

Thy love in my soul and in my heart --
Grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens.

O King of the seven heavens grant me this --
Thy love to be in my heart and in my soul.

With the King of all, with him after victory won by piety,
May I be in the kingdom of heaven, O brightness of the sun.

Beloved Father, hear, hear my lamentations.
Timely is the cry of woe of this miserable wretch.

O heart of my heart, whatever befall me,
O ruler of all, be thou my vision.[11]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKPwYAa6F-o Alison Krauss

more original >

Rop tú mo baile, a Choimdiu cride:
ní ní nech aile acht Rí secht nime.

Rop tú mo scrútain i l-ló 's i n-aidche;
rop tú ad-chëar im chotlud caidche.

Rop tú mo labra, rop tú mo thuicsiu;
rop tussu dam-sa, rob misse duit-siu.

Rop tussu m'athair, rob mé do mac-su;
rop tussu lem-sa, rob misse lat-su.

Rop tú mo chathscíath, rop tú mo chlaideb;
rop tussu m'ordan, rop tussu m'airer.

Rop tú mo dítiu, rop tú mo daingen;
rop tú nom-thocba i n-áentaid n-aingel.

Rop tú cech maithius dom churp, dom anmain;
rop tú mo flaithius i n-nim 's i talmain.

Rop tussu t' áenur sainserc mo chride;
ní rop nech aile acht Airdrí nime.

Co talla forum, ré n-dul it láma,
mo chuit, mo chotlud, ar méit do gráda.

Rop tussu t' áenur m' urrann úais amra:
ní chuinngim daíne ná maíne marba.

Rop amlaid dínsiur cech sel, cech sáegul,
mar marb oc brénad, ar t' fégad t' áenur.

Do serc im anmain, do grád im chride,
tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime.

Tabair dam amlaid, a Rí secht nime,
do serc im anmain, do grád im chride.

Go Ríg na n-uile rís íar m-búaid léire;
ro béo i flaith nime i n-gile gréine

A Athair inmain, cluinte mo núall-sa:
mithig (mo-núarán!) lasin trúagán trúag-sa.

A Chríst mo chride, cip ed dom-aire,
a Flaith na n-uile, rop tú mo baile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ0aINUzMSU old irish

Bi Thusa.jpg

.
†

[abar20manfan]

Best version of “In the Garden” IMO is a duet with Meryl Streep and Garrison Keillor

[Bill in Oregon]

I watched George Beverly Shea sing "Just As I Am" at a Billy Graham Crusade in Seattle in 1965. I was 12, but had already asked my pastor to be baptized -- by emersion as we do in the Disciples of Christ. Dad drove me and some neighborhood kids up to Seattle from Fircrest/Tacoma to see Graham in person and darn if a couple of them didn't go forward at the call. I cannot tell you if it "stuck" but that is between them and the Christ.

[piller]

That's a good one.
This might be my favorite.

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.

He Speaks, And The Sound Of His Voice
Is So Sweet The Birds Hush Their Singing,
And The Melody That He Gave To Me
Within My Heart Is Ringing.

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.

I’d Stay In The Garden With Him,
Though The Night Around Me Be Falling,
But He Bids Me Go; Through The Voice Of Woe
His Voice To Me Is Calling.

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.

Our choir did that one this morning.