This is My Story, This is My Song

The unsung stories of our faith’s most beloved hymns and the inspiration behind why they were written.

Presented by Bro. Tamba Giles

What is a Hymn?

Answer: A hymn is a song of praise. In ancient Greek culture, a hymnos was musical praise directed to the gods or heroes of the day. In Christianity, hymns are directed to the one true God, of course.

God’s people have sung hymns in honor of the Almighty since the time of Moses and before (Exodus 15:1). David sang the “new song” God gave him and taught others to sing “a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:3). Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn together at the Last Supper (Mark 14:26). The early church sang hymns as part of their regular gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul and Silas, with their feet in stocks in a Philippian jail, were “praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25).

Types of Hymns

▪ Biblical Hymn – Exodus 15:20

▪ Ancient Hymns “Gloria Patri”AD 100

▪ Medieval Hymn – “All Glory Laud and Honor” AD 821 Theodulph of Orleans

▪ German Hymns “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” Martin Luther

▪ English Hymns – Issac Watts, John and Charles Wesley

▪ Great Awakening Hymns – The Post Reconstruction

▪ Contemporary Hymns – Andrae Crouch, Bill and Gloria Gaither

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany. That date was sometimes called the “4th of July of Protestantism.” It symbolized the start of the Protestant Reformation.

And the single most powerful hymn of the Protestant Reformation Movement was Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” based on Psalm 46. This hymn became the battle cry of the people, a great source of strength and inspiration even for those who were martyred for their convictions. Its majestic and thunderous proclamation of our faith is a singing symbol of the reformation.

Inspired by Psalm 46, Luther caught up in the hymn the very essence of faith, and the fervor and flavor of

patriotism which he found in the Psalm.

This hymn has been translated into practically every known language and is regarded as one of the noblest and most classic examples of Christian hymnody.

The first line of this national hymn of Protestant Germany is fittingly inscribed on the tomb of the great reformer at Wittenberg,

Luther had strong convictions about the use and power of sacred music. Once he wrote, “I would allow no man to preach or teach God’s people without a proper knowledge of the use and power of sacred song.”

Abide With Me

This beloved hymn of comfort and trust was written by a pastor who was sickly and unwell most of the time.

Henry F. Lyte pastored a seashore church in England, among the rough sailors and uncultured villagers. And this made outsiders often wonder. But they loved him and he loved the work.

However, health finally left him and the doctor advised him to retreat to sunny southern Europe, and he prepared to sail.

The last Sunday before leaving, although he had no strength to stand up and preach, yet he forced himself and preached among his weeping people.

That evening, by the light of the evening sun, he wrote these words:

Abide with me, Fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me!

He sailed, but died abroad within that year.

Alas and Did My Savior Bleed

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

Isaac Watts was born July 17, 1674, at Southampton, England. He was born into the home of “non-Conformists” in the days when Dissenters and Independents were persecuted

by the Church of England. Fortunately this intolerance lasted only a short while after his birth.

His father, twice jailed during the persecution, afterward prospered in his business and was able to give his son the best kind of education.

Isaac entered the ministry and preached his first sermon at the age of twenty-four. His utter lack of what is commonly known as handsomeness was probably responsible for the fact that he remained unmarried throughout his life. Yet I’m sure this frail soul had learned

the truth of the verse which begins this meditation.

He wrote many scholarly papers that were used in several institutions of higher learning Yet one of the most memorable pieces that came from his pen was a simple hymn,

“Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed.”

Blessed Assurance – Fanny Crosby

It might seem unlikely that a blind writer of hymns living in a slum and a wealthy woman living in a mansion would have anything in common — but Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, was a humble woman with a number of distinguished friends. Grover Cleveland, who later became President of the United States, met Fanny Crosby as a young man, and they became lifelong friends.

The friend in the mansion was Phoebe Knapp, the daughter of a Methodist evangelist. When she was just sixteen years old, Phoebe married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, a young man who went on to found the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Knapps worshiped at the John Street Methodist Church in lower Manhattan, which is where Fanny Crosby also worshiped — and so a friendship was born. Phoebe, the wealthy matron, often invited Fanny, the blind hymn writer, to her palatial home.

Phoebe enjoyed music, and had a music room furnished with a collection of musical instruments. During one of Fanny’s visits, Phoebe invited her to the music room, where Phoebe sat down at the keyboard and played a tune that she had written. “What does that say,” she asked? Fanny clapped her hands in delight and said, “That says, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!'” And so a hymn was born.

During her lifetime, Fanny Crosby wrote eight thousand hymns, many of which became famous — but “Blessed Assurance” just might be the most famous of all.

Be Still My Soul – Katharina von Schlegel

Often, in the midst of suffering, people look up and see the face of God. That was true for Katharina von Schlegel, a Lutheran woman in Germany a century after Luther began the Reformation there. Movements born in great passion often deteriorate over time as the fires wane and concern for “the way we have always done it” intensifies. That was true of the Lutheran Church in Germany a century after its founding.

But churches that have gone cold and sterile are ripe for renewal, and that was true of the church in Germany. Katharina was part of a pietistic movement—an emphasis on personal faith—that brought new life to the old body.

We don’t know much about Katharina. She may have been the canoness of a women’s seminary—but we can’t be certain of that.

We do know that she wrote a number of hymns. “Be Still My Soul” is the only one that has survived. Katharina was inspired to write it when she read God’s promise in Psalm 46:10—”Be still and know that I am God”—and the Psalmists assurance, “(The Lord) is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:11).

These are promises that never grow old, because suffering is a fact of life. No one is exempt. Joseph Parker counsels, “Preach to the suffering, and you will never lack a congregation. There is a broken heart in every pew.” People need the hope that they find in Biblical promises like those that they find in the scriptures. That is as true in the 21st century as it was in the 18th century.

This hymn survived only because of the work of a British woman, Jane Borthwick, who translated it into English a century after Katharina wrote it. The book of Exodus tells of Aaron and Hur, who supported Moses’ raised arms so that Israel could defeat Amalek (Exodus 17:8ff.). I like to think of Jane Borthwick as Katharina’s Aaron or Hur.

At some point, Katharina’s words were paired with the tune of “Finlandia” by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius—music that he didn’t compose until 1899-1900. Sibelius conceived that music as a protest against Russian oppression—and a celebration of Finnish history. The music is rousing and tempestuous until the final movement, where it calms and becomes “The Finlandia Hymn.” It is this “Finlandia Hymn” that was paired with Katharina’s poetry to produce this hymn.

God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The Psalmist promises, “(The Lord) is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:11). Those who believe these words find strength in the faith that undergirds them. As the prophet says elsewhere,

The Church’s One Foundation – Samuel Stone

If you had known Samuel Stone, chances are that you might have admired him on one hand and been distressed by his behavior on the other. A priest of the Church of England, he

devoted himself to serving the poor and vulnerable, but his athletic build and intense passion sometimes led him afar. It is said that, on one occasion, he gave a thorough beating to a

man whom he found mistreating a little girl.

Stone served as a passionate defender, not only of the poor and vulnerable, but also of the faith. He was inspired to write “The Church’s One Foundation” in response to a church

controversy nearly half a world away. In South Africa, Bishop John Colenso had begun to question whether Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Bishop Robert Gray moved to discipline Colenso, and the resulting controversy reverberated throughout the denomination.

Stone wrote “The Church’s One Foundation” as one of twelve hymns based on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed. He hoped that these hymns would help people to better

comprehend the creed that they oft recited but seldom understood. He also hoped that they would support the conservative side of the controversy that was rocking the church. “The

Church’s One Foundation” is the only one of those hymns that is still widely sung today—and widely sung it is! But most hymnals leave out some of Stone’s more polemical verses.

Samuel Wesley, the grandson of Charles Wesley, wrote the music for this hymn.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1739, less than a year after his Aldersgate conversion. It was first sung in the Foundry Meeting House, an old iron foundry in London that Wesley

converted to religious purposes. Wesley’s original version had eleven stanzas, but did not have the Alleluias that distinguish it today. Some modern hymnals include this hymn without the Alleluias (and sometimes without the verse that starts “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”). The hymn portrays not only the resurrection, but also the crucifixion. It tells us that “Love’s

redeeming work is done, Fought the fight, the battle won.” It says, “Death in vain forbids him rise.” But the resurrection is the dominant theme, as we would expect in an Easter

hymn. (NOTE: The words vary from hymnal to hymnal, so check your hymnal.)

But the hymn that we have today is quite different from the one that Charles Wesley wrote. The original hymn had no Alleluias. It seems as if the hand of God directed what came next. Someone whose name has been lost in time decided to set the words to the tune that we now use––a tune by a composer whose name has also been lost in time. But the words

didn’t fit the tune, so he added the Alleluias to make it fit. The perfect Easter hymn, then, came into being through the work of three different people who probably never met. It is

unlikely that any of the three had any idea how much their hymn would add to our celebration of Easter.

Fairest Lord Jesus

While some have thought that this hymn was sung by the Crusaders on their

way to the Holy Land, it was probably written later—in the 17th century—by

followers of John Hus—Moravians fleeing persecution—seeking refuge in

Silesia, which is now southwestern Poland. If so, it is indeed a remarkable

hymn, because it says nothing of their suffering and everything of their faith. It

expresses great love of the beauties of nature—meadows, woodlands,

sunshine, moonlight, “and all the twinkling starry host.” But “Jesus shines

brighter, Jesus shines purer, Than all the angels heaven can boast.”

God Will Take Care of You

Marriages tend to work especially well when husband and wife have shared interests—and even more so if their shared interests have a creative bent. That was the case for Walter Stillman Martin (1862-1935) and his wife, Civilla (1866-1948). They had been drawn to each other, in large measure, because of their shared interest in music and their shared faith.

That turned out to be a blessing for the church, because the Martins wrote a number of hymns, some of which became quite well known. “God Will Take Care of You” is one of those. “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” is another. Civilla wrote the words, and Walter set her words to music.

The story behind “God Will Take Care of You” is especially interesting. Walter had a preaching engagement, but was considering cancelling to stay home with Civilla, who was sick. However, their nine-year-old son said, “Father, don’t you think that if God wants you to preach today, he will take care of Mother while you are away?” Challenged by his son’s faith, Walter went to his preaching engagement, leaving his wife well-being to God.

By the time Walter returned, Civilla was much improved. Furthermore, inspired by their son’s faith, she had penned the words to this song. Walter sat down at the keyboard, and in short order created the music to go with the words. It was first published in 1905, and became one of the best-loved hymns of the 20th century.

The hymn assures us that God will take care of our needs. We need not be dismayed, because “God will take care of you.” “Through days of toil” we can be assured that “God will take care of you.” When in need, we can be assured that God will provide.

No wonder this became such a popular hymn. We have all been dismayed—in some cases, often. We all toil with no guarantee of a reward. All of us have needs that we can see no way of filling. The chorus to this hymn encourages us to trust God.

Grace that is Greater Than All Our Sin

Julia Harriet Johnston (1849-1919), who wrote the words to this song, wrote nearly five hundred hymns or Gospel songs during her lifetime—but “Grace Greater than Our Sin” is the one that made its way into numerous hymnals during the 20th century. Daniel Brink Towner wrote the music for this song. Johnston didn’t just write songs. She also wrote Sunday school materials for primary age children. David C. Cook Publishing Company published a number of her works. The problem is that, while we might believe in the theory of grace, most of us have difficulty believing that God will forgive us. We cling to our guilt as a drowning man might cling to a splinter of wood. The difference, of course, is that Christ allowed himself to be nailed to a piece of wood to save us—to make us whole—to take our guilt upon himself and to bring salvation to all who believe in him.

Johnston captured this tension in her song. She spoke of sin and despair that threatens the soul. She spoke of a dark stain that we cannot hide. But she also lifted up the cross of Christ as the remedy for our sin—as the prescription to relieve us of our guilt.

The chorus speaks of grace over and over again, so that the person who sings this song cannot miss its import.

Great is Thy Faithfullness

Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in 1866. He received his education in a little country schoolhouse, and at age 16 began teaching there. He became a Christian at age 27, and with no college or seminary training was ordained to the Methodist ministry at age 36. He served as a Methodist minister for a year, but ill health made it impossible for him to continue. He moved to Vineland, New Jersey, where he opened an insurance office.

Always interested in poetry, Chisholm wrote hundreds of poems during his lifetime. He was inspired by Lamentations 3:22-23 to write the text for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Those verses read, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Chisholm experienced that faithfulness. He suffered ill health most of his adult life, and never made much money––but he said, “God has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.”

Chisholm sent the words to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” to his friend, William Runyan, and Runyan wrote the music for this hymn. Runyan was a friend of Dr. Will Houghton, the president of Moody Bible Institute, and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” soon became Houghton’s favorite. Dr. Houghton invited George Beverly Shea, an unknown singer at the time, to sing hymns on the Institute’s radio station. Shea, of course, included Dr. Houghton’s favorite hymn in his repertoire.

Billy Graham, then a student at Wheaton College, became familiar with George Beverly Shea (and this hymn) through those radio broadcasts, and invited Shea to become part of his ministry. It was through their work that this hymn became popular internationally.

Even though he suffered ill health for most of his adult life, Chisholm lived to the ripe old age of 94. During his later years, he lived in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, a Methodist camp meeting town, where he died in 1960.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

The immediate inspiration came from a woman with a chronic illness. Civillavisited her, and was struck by the difficulties that were such a regular part of the woman’s life. Civilla asked her if she ever got discouraged. The woman responded with a question of her own, “How could I be discouraged?” She said that she knew that God loves every sparrow, and felt certain that God loved her—and would take care of her.

Inspired by the woman’s faith, Civilla went home and wrote this song.

Before researching this song, I had always assumed that it was an African-American spiritual—and was surprised to learn otherwise. I made that assumption, because Ethel Waters, an African-American woman, sang this song in a number of Billy Graham’s crusades. Her spirited rendition touched people’s hearts, and I grew up listening to her sing it. This song has also become a staple of African-American worship.

It is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was quite successful—a senior partner in a Chicago law firm. He was also a committed Christian layman who supported the ministry of Dwight L. Moody. But he was faced with a series of tragedies that would have sunk a lesser man.

He had invested heavily in Chicago real estate, and the Great Fire of Chicago in October 1871 wiped him out financially.

Then, in 1873, he and his family were planning a visit to Europe. He was delayed by business concerns, but sent his family ahead on the ocean liner Ville Du Havre. Mid-ocean, their ship was struck by an English ship, the Lochearn. The Ville Du Havre quickly sank, resulting in the deaths of 226 people—among them Stafford’s four daughters.

Spafford’s wife survived the wreck, and sent a telegram saying only “Saved alone.”

Spafford boarded a ship to join his wife in England, where the rescue vessel had taken his wife. He asked the captain of the ship to point out the location of the wreck that had taken the lives of his daughters. When they came to that place, he stood on deck contemplating the terrible thing that had happened to his family. But then, sustained by his faith that his daughters were not at the bottom of the ocean, but were rather in the bosom of the Heavenly Father, we retired to his cabin where he wrote:

It is Well With My Soul

But the Spaffords were to endure one more tragedy. They had three more children. In 1880, their son, also named Horatio, died of scarlet fever. To compound that tragedy, their church told the Spaffords that their son’s death was God’s judgment on them for unspecified sins.

The Spaffords responded by moving to Jerusalem with a small group of like-minded people. They founded The American Colony, which engaged in philanthropic work among the people of that region without regard to religious preferences. They gained great favor in the region as a result of their work with hospitals, soup kitchens, and orphanages—work that continued well into the 20th century.

Spafford died of malaria in 1888, just days before his 60th birthday. He was buried in Jerusalem.

It is tempting to think of the Spaffords as people whose lives were marked by tragedy. It would be more appropriate to think of them as people whose lives were characterized by triumph over tragedy.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

The words to this popular song were written originally as a poem in Anna Warner’s novel, Say and Seal. In the book, the words were spoken to comfort a dying child. In 1861, William Bradbury set the words to music and added the chorus, “Yes, Jesus loves me!” The joyful tune and simple words soon became favorites around the world.

Stories that have grown up around this song. One is that someone asked Karl Barth, the great theologian, to summarize the essence of the Christian faith in a few words, and he responded, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Another is that, at the height of persecution in Communist China, a Christian sent a message to a friend. The message escaped the attention of the censors, because it said simply: “The this I know people are well” — but that phrase, the “this I know people” clearly identified the Christian community in China. It assured the friend that the church in China was alive and well.

The Old Rugged Cross

▪ George Bennard (1873-1958) was born in Youngstown, Ohio, but his family moved to Iowa, where he accepted Christ as his savior at a revival meeting sponsored by the Salvation Army.

▪ George’s coal-miner father died when George was sixteen. George had hoped to become an evangelist, but instead went to work as a coal-miner to support his mother and sisters.

▪ Some years later, Bennard moved to Chicago, married, and began an evangelistic ministry with the Salvation Army. Later still, he was ordained as an evangelist by the Methodist Church, and traveled through the northern states carrying out his ministry.

▪ In December, 1912, he was struggling with some sort of personal problem, which led him to reflect on Christ’s suffering on the cross. He later wrote, “I saw the Christ of the cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form, and act out the meaning of redemption.”

▪ Bennard had already composed a tune, and his reflections on the cross led him to pen words to go with the tune. This took place in Albion, Michigan, where Bennard kept an apartment as a home base while conducting his evangelistic work. The community of Albion later erected a brass plaque in honor of that occasion. The plaque is still there today (2008)—on Michigan Avenue at College Court.

▪ After completing the words, Bennard went to the home of his friends, Rev. and Mrs. L.O. Bostwick, where he sang the song for them, accompanied by his guitar. The Bostwicks were so taken by the song that they offered to pay the costs of printing it.

▪ “The Old Rugged Cross” became so well known that it was consistently ranked the number one favorite hymn for several decades.

▪ Bennard wrote many other songs, but this was the only one that became well-known. At some point he quipped, “I’ve been introduced as the author of ‘The Old Gray Mare,’ ‘The Old Oaken Bucket,’ and even ‘Rock of Ages;’ and even introduced as George Bennard Shaw, the English philosopher.”

Beams of Heaven/ We’ll Understand it Better

Tindley is known as one of the “founding fathers of American Gospel mu-

sic.” The son of slaves he taught himself to read and write at age 17. He

was a driven young man, working as a janitor while attending night

school and earning his divinity degree through a correspondence course.

In 1902, he became pastor of the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the church where he had earlier been the jani-

tor. At the time of Tindley’s death, his church had 12,500 members. The

Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia was named after

him. Tindley’s “I’ll Overcome Some Day” was the basis for the American

civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,” popularized in the 1960’s.

Tindley (Continued)

Charles Tindley was born of slave parents, in Maryland. He began his career as an itinerant preacher and a camp-meting singer. In 1902, he founded in

Philadelphia the East Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church, which was renamed Tindley Temple, in 1924.

▪ He wrote several songs and he was the first composer to copyright church songs. He did not intend that his songs should be sung in the formal worship

services, but rather on informal occasions. He published a collection New Songs of Paradise, in 1916

▪ His best known songs and arrangements are, “A Better Home”, “Leave It There”, “Stand by Me” (1905), “The Storm Is Passing Over”, “What Are They Doing in Heaven Tonight”, “Nothing Between”, “We’ll Understand It Better By

and By”.

Amazing Grace

John Newton was sluggish sailor was transferred to the service of the captain of

the Greyhound, a Liverpool ship, in 1747, and on its homeward journey, the

ship was overtaken by an enormous storm. Newton had been reading Thomas

a Kempis's The Imitation of Christ, and was struck by a line about the

"uncertain continuance of life." He also recalled the passage in Proverbs,

"Because I have called and ye have refused, … I also will laugh at your

calamity." He converted during the storm, though he admitted later, "I cannot

consider myself to have been a believer, in the full sense of the word.“

What if I Don’t Desire God?

Ooo ooo... How can we sing when we're in a strange land? How can we face adversity? Oh oh how can we stand in the midst of trouble when the

enemy laughs at our beliefs Ooo Ooo

Situations in life seem so distressing like a prisoner in chains there's no escape. There is no way out. And you wonder if life will ever get

better or does trouble live within your fate.

Won't you take some time to realize that you're on the winning side We know this life may not be easy But when you're all alone in your weakness

he's strongSo let song ring out let your voice sing it loud If you know that

Christ is singing in you then the song that you sing will never end

If you asking how can we sing when we're in a strange land how can we face adversity Oh oh how can we stand in the midst of trouble when the

enemy laughs at our beliefs

What if I Don’t Desire God?

Won't you take some time to realize you're his own that's why he died I know this life may not be easy

But when you're all alone in your weakness he's strong.

So let your song ring out lift your voice and shout it loudHe put joy down in your soul now this sin sick world must know that he lives

Inside you he's always there to guide you when yourWhen your backs against the wall keep on singing when you have no friends at all

Keep on singing When your down and can't see your way he'll be there to bring you a brighter dayKeep on singing If you know that Jesus is singing in you the song that you sing will never end.

If you're asking;

That's why we sing (Dance, worship, play, mime)

I Don’t Mind Waiting

I don't mind waiting.

I don't mind waiting.

I don't mind waiting, on You Lord.

I don't mind waiting.

I don't mind waiting.

I don't mind waiting, on You Lord.

Take My Life

Holiness Holiness Is what I long for

Holiness Is what I need

Holiness Holiness Is what you want for me

Take my heart and mold it

Take my mind Transform it

Take my will Conform it

(To yours)

To yours

To yours

Witholding Nothing

I surrender all to you

Everything I give to you

withholding nothing

withholding nothing

I surrender all to you

Everything I give to you

withholding nothing

withholding nothing

I give you all of me

Change My Heart Oh God

Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true.Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You.

Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true.Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You.

You are the potter, I am the clay,Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.

Twentieth Century Evangelical Movements

Azusa Street

National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses

Gospel Music Workshop of America

Gaither Vocal Band

Jimmy Swaggart and the Heritage Singers

Maranatha Charismatic Movement

Carlton Pearson

Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship

Hillsong

West Angeles Saints in Praise