“My Worth Is Not in What I Own” performed by Fernando Ortega & Kristyn Getty
The song today was written in 2014 by modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty along with Graham Kendrick. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s one to know with other classics.
I’ll repeat the first two verses here. The rest are on the Getty’s YouTube page.
My worth is not in what I own Not in the strength of flesh and bone But in the costly wounds of love At the cross
My worth is not in skill or name In win or lose, in pride or shame But in the blood of Christ that flowed At the cross
“Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” performed by Nathan Drake
This long-favored hymn was written by Methodist Episcopal Fanny Crosby in 1868 to a tune by industrialist William H. Doane, who “wrote over twenty-two hundred hymn and gospel song tunes, and he edited over forty songbooks.”
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
“This Joyful Eastertide” performed by Akua Akyere Memorial Youth Choir
George R. Woodward of England (1848-1934) wrote “This Joyful Eastertide” to a seventeenth-century Dutch folk tune. The Akua Akyere Memorial Youth Choir of Ghana performs above.
1 This joyful Eastertide away with sin and sorrow! My love, the Crucified, has sprung to life this morrow.
Refrain: Had Christ, who once was slain, not burst his three-day prison, our faith had been in vain: but now hath Christ arisen, arisen, arisen; but now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill since Jesus crossed the river. Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver. [Refrain]
3 My flesh in hope shall rest and for a season slumber till trump from east to west shall wake the dead in number. [Refrain]
“Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” performed by choir and congregation of the Te Deum Conference at Concordia University (2015)
This moving hymn by Martin Luther comes to us through Englishman Richard Massie (1800-1887). The tune is a modification of a chant by German Johann Walther (1496-1570). The Psalter Hymnal Handbook states Luther may have worked on this arrangement as well.
1 Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands For our offenses given; But now at God’s right hand He stands And brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be And sing to God right thankfully Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia!
2 No son of man could conquer death, Such ruin sin had wrought us. No innocence was found on earth, And therefore death had brought us Into bondage from of old And ever grew more strong and bold And held us as its captive. Alleluia!
3 Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down, His people to deliver; Destroying sin, He took the crown From death’s pale brow forever: Stripped of pow’r, no more it reigns; An empty form alone remains; Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!
“Ride On, King Jesus” performed by the youth choir of Washington Ghanaian S.D.A. Church, Columbia, Maryland
Today’s hymn is a spiritual that has been arranged by many musicians since it gained common ground over 150 years ago. The words easily apply to Palm Sunday, as demonstrated by the Scripture read at the beginning of this video.
Ride on, King Jesus, no man can a-hinder me. no man can a-hinder me. In that great gettin’ up morning, fare ye well, fare ye well.
I don’t know how many congregations sing this gospel song by Connecticut Methodist Jefferson Hascall, but Hymnary.org claims it has been published in 183 hymnals since 1860. This tune is not the original, but the meter of the lyric is so common, you could sing it any number of ways. William Batchelder Bradbury gave us the current tune, entitled, “The Land of Beulah,” published in 1862.
1 My latest sun is sinking fast, my race is nearly run; my strongest trials now are past, my triumph is begun.
Refrain: O come, angel band, come and around me stand; O bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home. O bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home.
Here’s a hymn I hope all of us know well. “For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest” was written by the “poor man’s bishop” William W. How (1823-1897) to an original tune composed by the great Ralph Vaughan Williams.
1 For all the saints who from their labors rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!
2 Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might; thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight; thou, in the darkness dread, their one true light. Alleluia! Alleluia!
3 Oh, may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold fight as the saints who nobly fought of old and win with them the victor’s crown of gold. Alleluia! Alleluia!
This may be my favorite hymn for as long as I can remember. The original Irish words are attributed to the monk Dallan Forgaill in the poem, “Rop tú mo Baile.” They have been used in Christian services in Ireland for several hundred years. The folk tune, “Slane,” may go back to the 4th century. Both the words and tune are said to have been inspired by St. Patrick’s protest of King Logaire of Tara’s order forbidding any fires until after he lit the sacred fire of the spring equinox. Patrick ignited a fire for Easter on Slane Hill as a way of saying Christ is the king of heaven and earth.
I appreciate the group Celtic Worship for including the oft-skipped third verse in this hymn.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power
Here’s a 13th century hymn from well outside my church circles. It’s a traditional Catholic and Orthodox hymn for Lent, which began last Wednesday. I believe it’s attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi, which he wrote in Latin. The performance above is in Ukrainian with English and Ukrainian subtitles.
“A Might Fortress Is Our God” performed by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
We needed a battle hymn this weekend, and there isn’t a better one than this by Dr. Martin Luther, a little known professor at the University of Wittenberg, Germany, in the 1500s.
1 A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: for still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
2 Did we in our strength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing: dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabbaoth, his Name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.
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