Monday, June 8, 2009

When Songs Had Meaning

I have had "How Great Thou Art" stuck in my head the last several days. When I'm just sitting there doing nothing, I find myself singing it. This verse gets me every time:

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Lydia has been humming the tune to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" a lot lately. It's one of my all time favorite hymns. That first day, we were all outside. I was sitting at the table reading while the kids played. Lydia was swinging and humming that song. I looked up from my book, smiling in recognition and then started singing it. She looked at me, smiling and just stared at me while I continued singing:
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
When I finished, she asked me to sing it again. The same thing happened yesterday when she was mindlessly humming it while staring out the window of the van.
What hymns do you love? What do they mean to you?

10 comments:

Nealy said...

"Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" has been in my head for about 22 months now. I keep thinking God wants me to update the tune; want to collaborate? I also love, "We Are Standing on Holy Ground," (played at my mom's funeral), "Onward Christian Soldiers" (played at my dad's funeral), "There's Within My Heart a Melody," "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus," "Down by The Riverside" (by The Martins), "Standing by the River" by Signature Sound, "Amazing Grace" by The Statlers, and "Noah Found Grace" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "Jesus Loves Me," and "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart." PRAISE THE LORD, I REALLY DO HAVE THE JOY!

Ginger said...

Oh, I love Onward Christian Soldiers! And Fairest Lord Jesus has been a recent fave. Out of Eden sing a beautiful rendition of it.

Lori in KY said...

"Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus!" That's one of my favorites. When my biggers were tiny, I used to sing it to them at bathtime when I was ready for them to stand up to be washed or rinsed. Silly, I know; but after I mindlessly did it the first time, it sort of became a tradition...

"It Is Well With My Soul" is probably my all time favorite. "Come Thou Fount" is up there in my top 5.

Stacy - midlifearmywife.com said...

I love old hymns!! I do love our "modern" music, but my heart cherishes those hymns! I listen to them on CD now.

Some of my favorites: Trust and Obey, Victory in Jesus, Old Rugged Cross, It is well with my soul, Amazing Grace, Because He Lives, I come to the garden, Rock of Ages, There is power in the blood, What a friend we have in Jesus.

Rachel Marie said...

Be Thou My Vision
Be Still My Soul

I love hymns- those are 2 of my faves that come to mind right away.

Beth said...

"Open My Eyes That I May See"; "The Old Rugged Cross"; "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"; "Tell Me the Story of Jesus"; "Great is Thy Faithfulness"...

When my 14yods was a baby, the only songs he would let me sing to him w/o fussing were hymns! It was amazing...

Faith said...

"Come Thou Fount" is my all time favorite, followed closely by "Amazing Grace". I love old hymns!

The Mama Behind the Story said...

Ah, I love the old hymns! Well, you know how I am with language, and in these modern times it gets thrown around without much thought to the meaning.

My all time favorite hymn is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.

GT said...

There is a dear Sister in my church who *tries* to sing How Great Thou Art, she always chokes up and is hardly able to finish. Her sincere worship is so moving.... He really is GREAT!!!

Krista said...

The kids learned Come Thou Font of Every Blessing in the fine arts co-op this year! It was awesome! Truly a favorite!

And Can it Be!!! LOVE it!!
I'll Fly Away!!! LOVE it!!
Jesus, Name Above All Names!!!!
There's Just Something About That Name!!!
What A Friend We Have in Jesus!!
And more..many, many more!!

Why must we choose? I love so many!! :)