Revitalize Your Church

For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies, Chorus: Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r Sun and moon, and stars of light, For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, For our gentle thought and mild, -- written by Folliott Pierpoint (1835-1917)

Cardinal John Henry Newman, who will be canonized on October 13, wrote the beautiful and haunting hymn, "Lead Kindly Light" when he was kept far from home due to an unexpected illness and transportation issues. It has been a source of comfort to many, including soldiers in the trenches of World War 1, Betsy Ten Boom (Corrie's sister) in the Nazi concentration camp. and a group of 26 frightened miners who were trapped underground in the 1909 Stanley Pit disaster, where 168 men and boys died in an explosion of poisonous gas. Perhaps it will be a comfort to you in whatever darkness you may be facing.: Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou Shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path; but now Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, and, spite of fe...

My friend, Naomi Cochran, poet laureate of the northwoods, wrote the following piece recently about how her mother taught her to read by following the words in the hymnal at the old Lutheran Church in Phipps, Wisconsin. The words were flowers on my tongue, God's holy language becoming mine; Arranged in sweet bouquets, and sung As death and life and love entwined. Her fingers slowly traced each path Where I, her child, would gladly go. The mysteries of love and wrath Revealed in song, so long ago. The ceaseless praise, the stain of sin, Forgiveness, grace, eternity-- Such tangled words, made smooth through hymns Safe in my heart, God's treasury.

My friend, Ron Ulmer, recently told me about the RUF Hymnbook -- which is a treasure trove of old hymns with a fresh approach. It's a great worship resource! I really love the old hymns. (I love the new songs too -- but the old hymns are still my favorite.) They are a special part of my daily quiet time with God. Here's an insightful article (from the RUF site) by Kevin Twit about why young people are returning to old hymn texts: My Grandmother Saved It, My Mother Threw It Away, and Now I'm Buying It Back.